Voicesof vellore HOLIDAY GIVING New York, NY
vellorecmc.org
Winter 2015
Your Giving Brings Joy to Everyone at CMC
Dear Friends of CMC Vellore, With gratitude and hopefulness I welcome you to our Voices of Vellore 2015 Holiday Giving. We’ve received such fabulous feedback about each and every one of our editions of Voices of Vellore in 2015 that we thought we’d use this format to wrap up the year and ask for your support. Many of you have sent personal messages and emails throughout the course of the year. We love hearing from you! Each note reminds us that CMC still makes an indelible mark on everyone who learns about us or visits. Your notes are a true extension of the warmth and fellowship that exists in Vellore. Inside this issue you will read updates on the major projects you supported this year and some thoughts about where we are headed in 2016. We are profoundly proud of CMC’s extraordinary range of strengths: Research that has an impact on global health; a sterling reputation for its Standard of Care offered to all; willingness among staff and faculty to Meet the Need, whatever the sacrifice required; and
above all, its absolute conviction that Ida Scudder’s Vision Can and Will Be Upheld, regardless of the challenges that arise every day. We at the Foundation promise to continually provide easy access to our financial documents and to practice the highest level of stewardship with every dollar you entrust to us. This year our Board recommitted itself to CMC’s strategic priorities, just as Director Dr. Sunil Chandy reaffirmed CMC’s unwavering belief that the Foundation is a cornerstone of CMC’s growth as a global presence. Thank you for your generosity. With warm wishes for a peaceful Holiday and New Year,
Katherine D. Guenther, President Vellore Christian Medical College Foundation
An Update on Some of the Projects Your Gifts Support RUHSA’s New Outpatient Department Construction of the new Outpatient Department is nearly finished! Head of RUHSA Dr. Rita Isaac (Batch of ‘76) hopes to have a dedication ceremony in late January! There’s much more work to be done to complete Phase II of renovations at RUHSA. We’ll be accepting donations throughout 2016. The Dr. Ida B. Scudder Residence for Retired Faculty Thanks to all who gave, especially the Scudder Association who made a special gift to name the facility for their beloved “Ida B.” Alumni and friends raised over $400,000 for the new facility that will be constructed on the new Drs. Paul and Margaret Brand New Life Campus (near CHAD). Funds are still coming in and will be needed for “finishing and furnishing.” Pledges are welcome! Design is being finalized and construction will take place in 2016 (our original start-date was delayed by budget and government permits). We will continue updating you. 15,000 Pairs of Eyeglasses Donated to Schell Eye Hospital, RUHSA and CHAD This 5-year-old was blind when she got to an eye clinic at RUHSA. Double cataracts were immediately diagnosed and surgery cured her. Her sunglasses helped protect her eyes while they healed. Working with a fantastic US non-profit called Restoring Vision, the Foundation was able to use some of its donations to send 15,000 pairs of glasses – both readers and sunglasses – to CMC. Sunglasses are essential for patients who have had cataract surgery. Over 7,400 eye surgeries were performed this year – most were for cataracts and were free or low-cost. Watch a beautiful short video on the Schell Eye Hospital at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M52B6WoIHw. An Annual $50,000 Research Grant for Junior Faculty After half a century of stewardship of endowment funds, the Foundation is able to dedicate earnings from permanently restricted gifts for Research, to fund a $50,000/year grant for CMC junior faculty members’ projects. This was agreed upon with CMC, after much deliberation and conversation. A formal Memorandum of Understanding between the Foundation and CMC details the parameters for the award. We will announce details as they are available. In photo, Foundation Board Member Dr. Meredith Hawkins works closely with CMC junior and senior faculty studying diabetes. 2015 Faculty Fellowships For over 20 years Foundation donors have supported Faculty Fellowships – 6-week study/research periods at research hospitals in the US for senior faculty members. This year five fellowships were awarded. Here, one of our Fellows, Dr. Vinod Abraham (Batch of ‘89), is enjoying the company of his niece Lisa Alexander. Vinod recently arrived in Rochester, MN to begin his project at the Mayo Clinic. He is staying with his sister (Lisa’s Mom), Dr. Priya Alexander (also Batch of ’89), a member of the Mayo faculty.
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Opportunities for Special Grants With the Foundation’s deep commitment to Research and Education we are proud to devote some of the resources you donate to sponsor special requests. This year we again funded the annual Cognitio student-run All-India research symposium for medical students. Dr. Philip Ninan (Batch of ’69 and Chair of the Foundation’s Research Committee) was a Keynote Speaker, courtesy of the Foundation. The 4th Annual Dr. Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration at CMC The Foundation’s mission explicitly calls for a commitment to perpetuate Dr. Ida S. Scudder’s vision and legacy. One of the most visible ways we do this is through the Ida Scudder Humanitarian Oration held every August as part of Alumni Weekend. This year we invited Dr. Devi Shetty, physician, humanitarian and entrepreneur, to speak and be recognized. After the Oration special guests joined Dr. Shetty for dinner: front row Foundation Board Chair Dr. Honorine Ward (Batch of ’69), Dr. Shetty, Foundation Board Member Emma Koshi, and behind Emma to the right, Dr. Gigi Chandy (Batch of ’77) and CMC Director Dr. Sunil Chandy (Batch of ’78).
Exciting Initiatives for 2016 Advancing Care in the Jawadhi Hills The Development Committee of the Board, working closely with Community Health & Development (CHAD) has launched a fund raising effort to support sanitation, hygiene, fresh water and social services in four new Model Villages. One of the first priorities that a generous donor supported was keeping the Health Center staffed more regularly. We will keep you posted as this project develops throughout 2016. The Biggest Capital Project CMC Has Undertaken Since the Main Hospital Was Built Along with contributors worldwide the Foundation will be making a major effort to support plans for a new CMC Hospital – a 1500-bed super-specialty facility at Kannigapuram – beginning in 2016. Our primary focus will be the unprecedented Level I Trauma Center that will serve accident victims from around the region. Situated on the highway that connects Chennai and Bangalore, the Trauma Center will immediately play a critical role in saving the lives of previously underserved people.
V I S I T us today at V e l l ore C M C . O R G / ma k e - a - donation 3
Together, We Can Help CMC Achieve Important Goals
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one of this would be possible without your generosity. The Foundation is working hard to earn your trust and your financial support! Help us reach our goal to be a full partner with CMC as it achieves global leadership in research and education, while maintaining its passion for the health and well-being of all people in India, regardless of their positions in life. Your donation this holiday season will surely make a difference. Thank you. To donate online, visit VELLORECMC.ORG/MAKE-A-DONATION Or mail your check to: Vellore CMC Foundation, Inc., 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 725, New York, NY 10115 We’ve also included an envelope for your convenience. President
MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION*
Katherine D. Guenther
Varkey K. Abraham, MD (’55) C.J. Alexander, MD Board of Directors Saramma Alexander, MD (’60) Rev. Ben Chan Officers (American Baptist Church USA) Honorine Ward, MD (’69), Chair Bobby J. Cherayil, MD (’74) George Varughese, Vice Chair Susan Cherian, PhD (CON ’75) Prasad Palla, Treasurer Abraham Fenn Cheriyan, MD (’71) Madelon Finkel, PhD, Secretary Rev. Lisa Durkee Anindya Dutta, MD (’75) Directors Robert Fish, DMD (The Scudder Association) S. Balasubramaniam, MD (’58-’59) Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida (ELCA) Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, PhD (General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists) Diane Jedlicka, PhD Cyrus Kapadia, MD (’59-’60) Jamshed Bharucha, PhD Shanta Kapadia, MD (’59-’60) Niranjan Bose, PhD Shanker Krishnamurthy, MD (’65) Meredith Hawkins, MD Surendra Kumar, MD † (’59-’60) Sajiv John, MD (’78) Rev. BBC Kumar Albert Johnson, MD (’61) Rev. Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala Emma Koshi (Global Ministries/UCC) Rev. Canon George Kovoor Susan Mathew (CON ’69) Margaret Kumar, PhD (CON ’67) Thomas Mathew, MD (AHS ’89) Anil Kuruvilla, MD (’82) Krishen Mehta Ranjit Mathew, MD (’68) Arjun Mohandas, MD (’86) Bibhuti Mishra, MD (’71) Renu Mohandas, MD (’86) Aparna Muralidharan Tina Narayan, MD (’73) Raj Narayan, MD (’69) Jim Oehrig (American Leprosy Missions) Philip Ninan, MD (’69) John J. Paul, PhD Thomas Philips, PhD Catherine Poornaselvan (CON) H. David Reines, MD Puthucode N. Rajamani William Scudder (The Scudder Association) Rev. William Sadler Mark Steinhoff, MD Annie Samuel (CON ’77, ’83) Prathibha Varkey, MD (’95) Johnson Samuel Christine Wanke, MD Rev. Elizabeth Senft Jane Srinivasan, MD (’59) Honorary Directors John Stevens, III Margaret Brand, MD (1919-2014) Ponna Thurairatnam, MD (’73) Lucile Carman Mark W. Tibbetts, PhD Robert Carman, MD Robin Varghese, MD Mani Mani, MD (’55) Nissi Varki, MD (’68) Rebekah Mani (AHS) Abraham Verghese, MD Anish Mathai Elise Youth, PhD Edwina Scudder-Youth Rex Zachariah
Institutional Members American Baptist Churches USA, Valley Forge, PA American Leprosy Missions, Greenville, SC Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Indianapolis, IN Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, IL General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD Presbyterian Church (USA), Louisville, KY Reformed Church in America, New York, NY The Scudder Association, Darien, CT Southern Baptist Convention, Richmond, VA United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH United Methodist Church, New York, NY Foundation Staff Katherine D. Guenther, President Patricia Carroll, Office Administrator Benjamin Ciesinski, Interim Office Administrator Deepika Srivastava, Office Assistant * I n addition to those listed, members of the Board are Corporation members. † With sadness we note the passing of our dedicated Member, Dr. Suren Kumar. A tribute to Suren will run in our next issue.
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 725 New York, NY 10115 800-875-6370 or 212-870-2640 fax: 212-870-2173 vellorecmc.org foundation@vellorecmc.org
Voices of Vellore is available online at vellorecmc.org 4