A NEWSLETTER
FOR DONORS
& F R I E N D S O F P R E S B Y T E R I A N H E A LT H C A R E F O U N D AT I O N
Winter 2019
The Power of Unrestricted Funds
A NICU Peer Support Recovery Specialist program will bring hope to new parents struggling with substance use disorder. Page 6
rounding with rick
Richard J. “Rick” Scott, CFRE President, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
Our Commitment to Excellence At Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, we believe that philanthropy provides a margin for excellence. It’s an ideal we’ve prided ourselves on for the past 50 years and we see examples of that goodwill at work around us every day. Whether it’s our nationally recognized nurse residency program, or the accolades we’ve received from Healthgrades® as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals and IBM Watson Health™ as one of the country’s 50 top cardiovascular programs, we are committed to delivering excellent care. As the year comes to a close, we know that many of you are considering year-end gifts. Increasingly, we find that people want to honor their loved ones or recognize people who have provided a great care experience. If you received great care and want to say “thank you,” our Guardian Angel Program is a popular way to make a donation in honor of a physician, nurse, or other Presbyterian employee who made a difference. For an example of this program at work, see story on p. 4. We also take tremendous pride in the fact that when you give, 100 percent of your gift is directed toward improving the health and lives of New Mexicans. There are no administrative fees because we want your donor dollars to have the greatest impact, whether you’ve chosen to support a program like Community Health or a special initiative like the Hospice House project. Thank you for allowing us to fulfill our commitment to excellence in everything we do. Your gifts truly make a difference.
This holiday season, whose story will you change? People who suffer from heart attacks
can can’t go on to live long and healthy lives. They can never get back to doing the things they love.
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anged by My story was ch resbyterian a donation to P dation, Healthcare Founcardiac supporting the rehab program. someone’s Will you change ter? All it story for the bet on. takes is a donati argarita —M
Give Today. www.phs.org/give 2
Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
who’s on board
Rob LASATER
As a young JAG officer at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., Rob Lasater volunteered for a forensic medicine consultant program that would prove to be life-changing. He and six other lawyers attended what he describes as a mini med school, observing surgeries, deliveries and other medical procedures, along with lectures from physicians. “That program completely changed my life,” Lasater says. “I got an education I never expected and I learned a lot about medicine from a lay standpoint.”
Medicine and the Allocations committee. A Luminary Circle member, he has also provided support for the Campaign for Rust Medical Center and Laughter, in addition to making a bequest to support the cancer program in honor of his parents.
It was also his ticket to Albuquerque, literally. Upon completing the program, Lasater received a plane ticket in the mail “I think the thing I feel best about is that from Albuquerque-based Rodey Law Firm, we’re able to allocate money to very which was looking for a young attorney diverse needs,” Lasater says. “It’s very who practiced medical law. That was in rewarding to put that money to good use.” the mid-70s, about the time Rodey began Lasater is perhaps most passionate about working with Presbyterian as a client. Since the future Learning and Simulation Center, then, Lasater has worked with Presbyterian the result of a $3.2 million gift from the in a variety of ways, including as a client Foundation board of directors in honor until his retirement from Rodey in 2013, and of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary. for more than two decades as a member He represents the Foundation on the of the Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation Center’s steering committee and his Board; he is incoming board chair. eyes light up when he talks about the An engaged and enthusiastic board high-tech simulation equipment and member, Lasater has served on a variety of realistic healthcare delivery environments committees including Laughter is the Best that will provide education and training
“Rob has been an active member of our Foundation board and a steadfast donor, supporting a number of priority programs over the years. I’m so thrilled to have his leadership as Chair and am enormously grateful for his continued contributions.” —Rick Scott, President, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
“I have always felt that Presbyterian was forwardthinking,” Lasater says, recalling his early exposure to Presbyterian through his client, former Presbyterian CEO Dick Barr. “He always wanted to do the right thing.”
opportunities for physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses and staff. Looking ahead, Lasater is focused on ensuring the Foundation is following best practices. “We’re giving ourselves a check-up, which is important not just to make us a good foundation but so we can actually fulfill the Presbyterian promise of providing good medical care and service to our patients, members and the community at large,” he says. “We need to be a strong foundation so we can help, no matter what else is going on around us.” When he’s not volunteering at the Foundation, spending time with partner Carol and his grandchildren or traveling, Lasater provides legal services to a variety of homeless shelters through a local nonprofit organization.
Winter 2019
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giving in action Guardian Angel Gift Honors Dr. Meredith Barlow
“My youngest patient right now is five days old and my oldest patient is 100. I think that’s really cool,” —Dr. Barlow
LIKE FAMILY 4
Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
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When it comes to family practice, strong relationships between patients and their physicians not only help to build mutual trust, they can also pave the way for better care. A retired aerospace and defense engineer, Lewis (“Lew”) Sponar had lived in New Mexico for 15 years before he found a physician with whom he could really connect. Sponar first met Dr. Meredith Barlow in 2017, soon after she had finished her residency and began seeing patients as a primary care physician.
“From the beginning, she has paid attention to my needs and the things that were of concern to me,” Sponar says. “I really liked her manner and she knows her onions.” Recently, Sponar made a Guardian Angel donation to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation in honor of his special bond with Dr. Barlow.
Sponar and Dr. Barlow hit it off immediately. Since then, he has relied on her to help him make decisions about major medical procedures, help him find ways to communicate with specialists, and find antibiotics that work for his conditions without extensive side effects.
The shelves of Dr. Barlow’s office display a painted ladybug, a set of Russian dolls, a stack of thank you notes and other gifts from patients. “I try to take care of my patients as if they were members of my own family. It’s really important to me to make sure people feel like they were heard,” she says.
In her free time, Dr. Barlow enjoys spending time with her one-yearold daughter, her husband, who is an Albuquerque police officer, and other family members. She recently learned how to garden and has aspirations of growing her own pumpkin patch.
“Dr. Barlow is certainly patient-centric and she listens to what I tell her. She is definitely deserving of this award.” —Lew Sponar
The Gift of Unrestricted Funds Lew Sponar designated his gift in honor of Dr. Barlow to the area of greatest need. Guardian Angel contributions to the Foundation can be directed to specific areas of interest or designated as an unrestricted contribution, which is increasingly important in helping address needs and opportunities within the communities we serve. In response to the rise of workforce violence both locally and nationally, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation recently used an unrestricted contribution to fund Crisis Prevention Intervention Instructor training for 10 new instructors throughout the delivery system. This training is designed to help both clinical and non-clinical staff feel safer at work.
Ultimately, the overarching goal of the physicianpatient relationship is to improve patient health outcomes and their medical care. Stronger physician-patient relationships are correlated with improved patient outcomes. —Duke Center for Personalized Care
Make someone’s day! Guardian Angel gifts recognize the exceptional care of physicians, nurses or hospital staff while benefiting their departments with funds for new programs and equipment. To find out more, please call Kathryn Richards at (505) 724-7003 or visit www.phs.org/guardianangel. Winter 2019
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giving for good
a FIGHTING
CHANCE 6
Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
On any given day in Presbyterian’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one in four babies may be going through withdrawal from marijuana, opiates, amphetamines or even a combination of illicit substances. Parents, nurses and doctors stationed nearby respond to their tiny cries, offering comfort and hope with gentle hands and soothing whispers. While some babies going through opiate withdrawal receive morphine as part of their treatment, nonpharmacologic treatment in the form of parentinfant bonding is actually more effective, says Dr. Ann Winegardner, a neonatologist at Presbyterian Hospital. She and her colleagues are implementing a program that encourages mothers to be an active part of their infant’s treatment team by promoting their presence at the infant’s bedside.
Recovery Specialists come in. between Dr. Winegardner and They are trained to engage with Integrated Substance Use new mothers, offering emotional & Disorder and Community support and providing needed Collaborate Initiative Director Lisa resources including substance use Jackson. Thanks to the support treatment programs, postpartum of donor dollars, Presbyterian and other counseling services, Healthcare Foundation is fully home visits, nutrition and income funding a specialized Peer support. They can provide the Support Recovery Specialist non-judgmental attention and who will soon begin working in practical support these mothers the NICU. need as they move forward to provide a functional family for “Everyone in the NICU remembers their baby, not just in the NICU the mother who had a very but also as they transition back premature infant born exposed to home. to multiple illicit substances,” “The goal is to help the baby through the process of withdrawal “Peer advocates really understand Winegardner says. “She took the by empowering the mother as where these parents are coming opportunity to enter recovery a vital member of the treatment from. They have been there herself, engage with her son daily team, ultimately decreasing themselves, understand how and forge a strong mother-child the length of stay in the NICU,” hard it is, and have come out on bond. She was his mother in every says Winegardner. the other side. This is someone sense of the word and took him the mother doesn’t have to It can be hard for mothers of home to much celebration in the hide anything from and is purely babies going through withdrawal NICU. Every time she brings him there for the mother,” says Dr. to be in the NICU without feeling back to visit, we all crowd about Winegardner. Peers benefit from judged. Clinicians, too, face the and marvel at how well he is the process too by being able to challenges and heartache of doing, in no small part because of draw from their own experiences trying to engage mothers in the her commitment and dedication to help mothers and their babies. long days, weeks and sometimes to him [and her recovery]. This months of their infant’s care in The NICU Peer Support Recovery mother and son are why we keep the NICU when the mother is Specialist program is a model for doing what we do. They give struggling, unsupported, with piloting high-impact behavioral us hope.” her own mental and behavioral health services at low cost and health. That’s where Peer Support represents a collaborative effort Winter 2019
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the giving gallery
Laughter is the Best Medicine: Carnaval de Rio
This coordinated couple enjoyed the bustling auction area, complete with a live band.
More than 1,800 sequined and feathered guests gathered at the Albuquerque Convention Center on August 24 to samba the night away while raising funds for Presbyterian Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The event was a tremendous success, netting more than $433,000. Proceeds will benefit the development of a new cardiac and pulmonary rehab center in Rio Rancho. The new facility will expand these important programs to patients in the City of Vision and on Albuquerque’s west side.
Presenting sponsors T-systems and Wells Fargo were recognized for their commitment to our community.
Attendees enjoyed browsing the framed art up for auction, featuring many talented local artists.
Numerous guests opted for vibrant headwear as a nod to Carnaval.
A special thank you to our presenting sponsors.
Samba dancers brought the spirit of Rio de Janeiro to Albuquerque, performing during dinner and ahead of the evening’s program.
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Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
the giving gallery Luminary Circle member Cliff Blaugrund checks in for the evening.
Guests enjoyed a vibrant sunset with dinner.
Donor Appreciation Reception While blustery conditions meant that the balloons did not glow this year, we were radiating with gratitude for our community and employee donors during the annual Donor Appreciation Reception. Attendees gathered for dinner, apple cider and hot cocoa. The evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks display.
Daniela Jimenez Calderon & Jorge Jaquez pause for a photo during dinner.
Helen Wertheim chats with Lee and Rachel Patchell before the fireworks display.
A masked hero fuels up on hot cocoa in preparation for a long night of fighting crime.
Winter 2019
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planned giving
Creating Lasting Impact for
CHILDREN and FAMILIES
While the Mandlys had no children of their own, their gifts have touched the lives of countless children and their families. As Luminary Circle members, they made regular donations to children’s programs throughout the decades which provided, among other gifts, scholarships to attend Camp Challenge, a summer camp for diabetic children, and Patch the Lion stuffed animals and books for every child who undergoes open-heart surgery. Stacks of heartfelt letters from children and parents alike demonstrate the immeasurable impact of Bill and Marge Mandly’s generosity. Marge passed away last year, but Bill has ensured that the hope and compassion they provided to families and children will continue thanks to the William and Margaret Mandly Endowment for Pediatric Diabetes and the William and Margaret Mandly Endowment for Pediatric Cardiology. Both endowments will fund patient support, staff training and program expansion as well as equipment related to patient care. A diabetic herself, Marge held a special place in her heart for children who experienced fear and isolation as a result of their diabetes. She had a close relationship with Presbyterian 10
Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Ellen Kaufman, whose programs and research will receive lasting support from the Mandly’s gift, which will provide scholarships for camps and social activities for patients as well as incentives and tools to help them understand, track and control their disease. While Marge felt drawn to pediatric diabetics, Bill says, “I wanted something similar I could support.” After many years of involvement with Shriners Hospitals for Children, working in recovery rooms, and the fact that New Mexico’s only pediatric heart surgeon, Dr. Bill Stein, worked
at Presbyterian, his decision was easy. The Mandly’s permanent Pediatric Cardiology endowment will provide financial assistance, amenities and comfort items to patients and their families “to help make their experience less scary.” Among the stack of thank you notes is one from Dr. Kaufman herself, which captures the essence of the Mandly’s lasting contributions: “ . . . I hope to work into my 70s. But when I do retire, I would like to still make a difference in children’s lives and I aspire to be just like you!”
“I think Marge would be pleased,” Bill Mandly says with a tearful smile when asked about his recent gift to Presbyterian’s Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Endocrinology departments. After nearly 30 years as dedicated volunteers in Presbyterian recovery rooms and patient transport, Bill and Marge Mandly’s legacy of caring and generosity is well known throughout the organization.
See Your Generosity at Work with a Tax-Free IRA Gift When you make an endowment gift, a portion of the annual income generated by your investment is used to address immediate needs at Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation and the remaining funds are reinvested to ensure indefinite support. Your gift has both immediate and lasting benefits. Bill and Margaret Mandly funded their endowments using IRA funds, a gift arrangement that allows donors 70 ½ years or older a simple way to benefit Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation and receive tax benefits in return. IRA charitable rollovers are popular gift options that generate neither taxable income nor a tax deduction. If you are contemplating making a charitable gift, we recommend you consult with your tax professionals. For more information, visit www.phs.org/giftplanning or contact JooHee Berglund at jberglund@phs.org or (505) 724-6584. Winter 2019
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“Without it, I don’t know what I would do. It would be more than I can handle.” – Curt Bramble on his wife’s care through Presbyterian’s hospice program
Your support of Daffodil Days will help us reach more families with warm and compassionate care. Daffodil preorders begin in January. www.phs.org/daffodildays
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