W INTER 2019-2020
CHRONICLE of GIVING STOR IES OF HOW YOUR GIFTS C H A N G E L I V E S AT VC U H E A LT H
C OV E R ST O RY
A Brotherhood Endures Brother “rats” show VMI bonds endure 50 years later. / PAGE 4
M CV FOUNDATION NEWS
A seamless transition in board leadership /
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M CV CAM PUS G IVING
Gratitude for harrowing days spent in the surgical trauma intensive care unit at VCU Health / PAGE 18 M CV CAM PUS NEWS
A new dean leads the College of Health Professions /
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Chronicle of Giving
Letter from the Board Chair and President
Dear Friends:
MCV Foundation Board of Trustees
I
t is a pleasure to present in this latest issue of the Chronicle of Giving some of the most inspiring stories about donors like you whose philanthropic support saves, improves and changes lives on the MCV Campus at VCU Health. The impact of your generosity affects patients across Central Virginia and around the world. In fiscal year 2019, your contributions to the MCV Campus totaled more than $84 million, helping the number of endowed scholarships available to students grow to 452 and the number of endowed chairs and professorships grow to 214. We were also thrilled to achieve an endowment return of 9.22%, which grew our total endowment value to more than $498 million. The momentum continues in fiscal year 2020 as Wyatt has settled into his role as board chair, and we see unbelievable support from alumni, grateful patients, friends and family of the MCV Campus. In this issue, we look back at how alumni from another university came together to support Charlie Bryan, someone near and dear to their campus and ours. We see through a generous planned gift from David Sarrett, dean of the VCU School of Dentistry, and his wife Beth, that campus leaders believe in the VCU Health mission, especially in educating the next generation of healthcare providers. We also learn about lifesaving trauma care and how a grateful patient and her husband — Joyce and Rich Johnson — showed their appreciation through a generous gift to support trauma surgery. We also say goodbye to a dear friend and enduring force for good at VCU and throughout the community. Ken Wright will be missed, but not forgotten. We could never thank him enough for putting his vision to improve human health into action across the MCV Campus and the university. Looking forward, we’re excited to partner with you on the recently launched Invest in Me initiative, which focuses on student scholarships and is part of the universitywide Make It Real Campaign. Many people from across the university have worked tirelessly to ensure that campaign goals are met, and this continued drive forward will be important and illustrative of the generosity of our family of donors. We are energized and optimistic because of the things you enable VCU Health’s clinicians, researchers and students to achieve every day. Because of your generosity and vision for our community’s future, generations of lives will be made better, healthier, longer and happier. Thank you. ● Sincerely,
Farhad Aghdami, J.D. Wyatt S. Beazley IV, J.D. John O. Beckner, R.Ph. Charles F. Bryan Jr., Ph.D. Bronwyn M. Burnham Elizabeth Whalley Buono, J.D. Rachel L. Burgess George W. Burke III, M.D. Robert C. Canfield Charles M. Caravati Jr., M.D. I. Lee Chapman IV Herbert A. Claiborne III, J.D. Richard M. Clary, M.D. Charles F. Crone George P. Emerson Jr. Stephen J. Gaidos Sheryl L. Garland Basil Leonard Hurst III Darius A. Johnson Susan Kornstein, M.D. John A. Luke Jr. David A. Lyons J. Keith Middleton H. Frederick T. Moore Robert F. Norfleet Jr. Rebecca T. Perdue Ghulam D. Qureshi, M.D. W. Taylor Reveley III, J.D. James H. Revere Jr., D.D.S. Michele A. Romano, M.D. John W. Slyh, C.P.A. T.K. Somanath Ellen E. Spong Tracy Kemp Stallings James H. Starkey III Judith Forehand Starkey Kit T. Sullivan, D.D.S. Harry R. Thalhimer Richard P. Wenzel, M.D., M.Sc. Michelle Y. Whitehurst-Cook, M.D. T. Spencer Williamson Ex Officio Members: Michael Rao, Ph.D. President of VCU and VCU Health System Marsha D. Rappley, M.D.
Wyatt S. Beazley IV Board Chair
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Margaret Ann Bollmeier President
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Chief Executive Officer, VCU Health System and Senior Vice President, VCU Health Sciences
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Charlie Bryan and his wife Cammy Bryan, along with John Ishon, look over a resolution in appreciation of Charlie that was presented at the reception where the Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund was announced. Photo: Kevin Schindler
CONTENTS
The Chronicle of Giving is published by the MCV Foundation for alumni and friends of the Medical College of Virginia Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. © 2019 MCV Foundation MANAGING EDITOR / Alex Henley EDITORS / Eric Peters and Paul Brockwell Jr. CONTRIBUTORS / Wyatt Beazley IV, Margaret Ann Bollmeier, David Silver and Brian Thomas GRAPHIC DESIGN / Kevin Schindler Art and Design —————————
The MCV Foundation was established in 1949 to inspire and steward philanthropy that supports the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. We support the clinical care, research and education mission of our MCV Campus partners: VCU College of Health Professions, VCU School of Dentistry, VCU School of Medicine, VCU School of Nursing, VCU School of Pharmacy, VCU Massey Cancer Center and VCU Medical Center. We manage over $600 million in assets to ensure the MCV Campus remains at the forefront of excellence and innovation in patient care, research and education. Through more than 1,700 funds, we provide scholarships, professorships, research and program funds to support the lifesaving work occurring at VCU Health every day. These funds allow VCU students, healthcare providers and researchers to be on the cutting edge of healthcare delivery, offering patients the most exciting treatments and medical technology available. We honor the history of the Medical College of Virginia and the value of philanthropy to healthcare education, research and service. —————————
ON THE COVER / MCV Foundation board
member Charlie Bryan, Ph.D. (center), his wife Cammy and his brother “rats” from the Virginia Military Institute Class of 1969 celebrate the Parkinson’s disease research fund named in Charlie’s honor on June 26. Photo: Kevin Schindler
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GOING GREEN / If you would prefer to
receive this magazine via email, please contact alex.henley@vcuhealth.org to be added to the email distribution list.
MCV Foundation
4 COVER STORY
A Brotherhood Endures Brother “rats” show VMI bonds endure 50 years later.
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MCV FOUNDATION NEWS
A seamless transition in board leadership ensures the MCV Foundation continues to build momentum.
MCV CAMPUS GIVING
The Johnsons show their gratitude for the harrowing days they spent in the surgical trauma intensive care unit at VCU Health.
MCV CAMPUS NEWS
IN MEMORIUM
Saying goodbye to Ken Wright, a kind soul who was one of VCU’s most generous and impactful benefactors.
A new dean leads the College of Health Professions into the future as classes and research begin in the college’s new building.
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Cover story
A Brotherhood Endures
Brother ‘Rats’ Show VMI Bonds Endure 50 Years Later
Brother “rats” from the Virginia Military Institute Class of 1969 celebrate raising funds for and announcing the Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund. Those who attended the reception on June 26 included (L to R) John Ishon, Mike Santoro, Joe Flanz, Dr. K.C. Woodroof, David Hagan, Bob Heely, Bobby Watts, Dr. Charlie Bryan, Bill “Bunny” Paulette, Cammy Bryan (Charlie’s Wife), John Sebrell, Sammy Higginbotham and Dr. Tom Morris. All event photos: Kevin Schindler
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The VCU Health N.O.W. Center, located just outside Short Pump Town Center, is an outpatient facility that restores motion and helps patients with orthopaedic and neuroscience illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease, survive and optimize their personal potential. Photo courtesy of VCU Health
“We’re grateful for the money that has already come in for this fund because it’s these types of funds that seed the research that we do here.”
A
— A. Gordon Smith, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
A group of brother “rats” demonstrated their respect and admiration for one of their own this summer. Virginia Military Institute’s Class of 1969 announced the Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund at a surprise reception in honor of Charlie Bryan, Ph.D., an MCV Foundation board member, on June 26. Charlie thanked his brother “rats” at the reception and said he survived VMI’s first-year “rat line” with the support of those in attendance and many others. Now, 50 years later, those same friends are helping Charlie survive and fight Parkinson’s disease through the new fund. “We’re very grateful for your support and your vision,” said A. Gordon Smith, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at VCU School of Medicine, as he addressed many of the donors and their families. “We’re grateful for the money that has already come in for this
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fund because it’s these types of funds that seed the research that we do here.” Charlie has supported Parkinson’s research at VCU Health and the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in various and significant ways since he was diagnosed with the disease more than a decade ago. His contributions have included participation in more than $5 million worth of fundraising activities alongside David Reynolds, a fellow member of the Parkinson’s disease community group Movers and Shakers. In 2011, that total was matched by the dean of the VCU School of Medicine to help create the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center at VCU Health’s Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Wellness (N.O.W.) Center. The results of those efforts have been lifechanging for people in Central Virginia who are battling Parkinson’s disease.
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A. Gordon Smith, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at VCU School of Medicine, stands alongside Charlie Bryan to thank Charlie’s classmates for their contributions and explain the important impact that funds like theirs have on early-stage research.
Since it was announced, thanks to MCV Foundation board members, additional VMI graduates and other friends, the fund has already exceeded $100,000.
“The way the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center here at VCU Health was formed, and really the core of what’s happening in neuroscience at VCU Health, came from Charlie,” said Dr. Smith, who is also the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Distinguished Chair in Clinical and Translational Research in Neurology. “The advanced level of care and resources that people have access to today at VCU Health and the McGuire VA Medical Center was not always available in Central Virginia.” Despite Charlie’s significant impact on improving access to care for his friends and neighbors, he has always remained humble, diverting praise to healthcare workers at the facilities he’s supported. Now, thanks to the VMI Class of 1969, there is an instrument to honor Charlie’s contributions.
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Establishing a Research Fund It only took two weeks for 27 of Charlie’s brother “rats” to raise the first $30,000 for the fund. Since it was announced, thanks to MCV Foundation board members, additional VMI graduates and other friends, the fund has already exceeded $100,000. The idea for the fund was presented this past spring by Charlie’s classmate John Ishon, who helped lead the initial fundraising along with his daughters. Although the Class of 1969 was just finishing a fundraising campaign for their 50th reunion, every brother “rat” who was asked donated without hesitation. “I was not surprised by how quickly this came together for Charlie,” John said. “One reason is because it was for Charlie, who is a great person
MCV Foundation
and is always doing for other people. The other reason is because there is a comradery brother ‘rats’ share with one another that I knew would inspire giving.” “I am deeply touched,” Charlie said at the reception in his honor. “Parkinson’s is an awful fate to put on anyone. One thing that VMI teaches us is to face adversity. I survived the ‘rat line,’ and with a wonderful woman like Cammy (Charlie’s wife) and good brother ‘rats’ like you, I can survive this.”
Research Funds in Action As the fund continues to grow in Charlie’s honor, it will support cutting edge research at VCU Health. An example of this research, which Charlie’s previous fundraising helped to support, addresses a phenomenon referred to as “freezing of gait.” Charlie experiences this symptom, which manifests in a complete stop or prolonged shuffle in the feet or legs despite an individual’s best intentions to move forward. No medications or surgeries are currently available to treat it. A team of five Virginia Commonwealth University
researchers — led by Ingrid Pretzer-Aboff, Ph.D., senior nurse researcher in the School of Nursing, and Leslie Cloud, M.D., neurologist in the VCU Health Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center — are testing a vibrating device worn inside the shoe that could put an end to the freeze. The research is supported by a $434,715 grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, but in order to receive funding at that level or higher, whether from private foundations or from the federal government, initial data needed to be collected. That is where seed funding, provided by mechanisms like the Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund, comes into play. These funds provide critical resources for early research and ideas to help move them into large-scale clinical trials and then into clinics and hospitals where they can improve and save lives. ● If you’re interested in helping to provide this type of seed funding through the Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund to support those who are battling Parkinson’s disease, contact Carrie Bickford, interim director of development at VCU Health, at 804-828-3652 or carrie.bickford@vcuhealth.org.
Cammy Bryan; Gordon Smith, M.D., the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Distinguished Chair in Clinical and Translational Research in Neurology at VCU School of Medicine; Charlie Bryan, Ph.D., MCV Foundation board member; and Leslie Cloud, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology and director of the VCU Health Parkinson’s Disease Program, celebrate the newly announced Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. Parkinson’s Research Fund on June 26.
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MCV Foundation News
Changing Board Leadership, Sustaining Foundation Momentum
Gail Johnson and Harry Thalhimer, two past MCV Foundation board chairs, gather with Wyatt Beazley IV, current MCV Foundation board chair, at the foundation’s annual dinner and awards ceremony in 2019. All photos: Kevin Schindler
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THIS YEAR marks a transition in leadership at the MCV Foundation. In one of his last acts as board chair at the June board meeting, Harry Thalhimer passed the gavel to Wyatt Beazley IV. As Harry and Wyatt have worked closely to ensure a smooth transition, their partnership has been quite fitting. In the 1980s, Harry’s father, Charles Thalhimer Sr., worked alongside Wyatt’s father, Wyatt Beazley III, M.D., to lead an MCV
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Campus capital campaign. More than 30 years later, Harry and Wyatt say the MCV Foundation is in its strongest position ever to help the academic health center save lives, pursue cutting-edge research and train the next generation of healthcare providers. We spoke with both board members recently to reflect on what inspires them, where the foundation stands today and what lies ahead for the MCV Campus.
MCV Foundation
Harry Thalhimer, Past Chair Where was the MCV Foundation strategically when you became chair, and what were some of its major accomplishments during your tenure? My predecessor Gail Johnson had implemented a clear effort to recharge the board and make it more contemporary, more forward-thinking and more open. When I became chair, three things were poised to happen quickly and almost simultaneously. They were a strategic planning process, a comprehensive market research project and a rebrand based on the research. We also worked to redefine what we wanted the board to look like over time and what we wanted the board to do. Then the most important piece was looking at professional staff and building out the foundation as a well-oiled, professional philanthropic organization. In redefining the board’s role, why is it important for its members to play a more active role in supporting fundraising? That is one of the big opportunities moving forward and one of the big things I want to focus on in the year ahead as past chair. We fundraise by working with the deans and directors on programs that are critical to them, and by using our relationships, resources and connections to work with new and existing donors to help build out the solid financial foundation and to ensure the future of VCU Health.
Harry Thalhimer, past chair of the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees, addresses the board at the foundation’s annual dinner and awards ceremony in 2019.
Are you optimistic about what the future holds? Yes, the foundation is in very good hands with Wyatt taking over as chair. His area of focus in law is on healthcare, so he’s been in this space for a long time, and he has a strong family history of being involved with this campus. Wyatt is a smart, committed guy. He’s tough, he’s focused, he’s fair and we share the same values. He and I have talked about why this is important and why VCU Health is important for our community. We respect and trust each other, and that is a great position to be in.
What is a formula you’ve seen in the foundation’s work that is particularly successful? Our Williamsburg Discovery Series has been a perfect example of how to create trust and a family of loyal supporters. We have made great friends there who have elected to receive medical care at VCU Health and have provided philanthropic support for the MCV Campus. The valuable information and experiences we have provided have created lasting relationships with our friends in Williamsburg, with exciting implications for our future. Bringing that strategy to Richmond through connecting with our friends in the financial and legal spaces at the Health Innovation Forum, and in working to expand the Discovery Series, has set us up for great success moving forward.
MCV Foundation
Harry Thalhimer listens at the MCV Foundation’s annual dinner and awards ceremony as he is thanked for his three years of service as board chair.
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MCV Foundation News
Wyatt Beazley IV, Board Chair Your father and grandfather both graduated from MCV, but you were called into a different profession. How can your experience as an attorney help you as chair of the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees? My practice is corporate healthcare. I’ve worked with hospitals and physician groups across the entire spectrum of care for 27 years. I have a very good understanding of the challenges that healthcare providers face today through shrinking reimbursement, the need to have access to the best technology available, the costs associated with that technology and increasing demand for services. Those are a lot of different forces at play right now on healthcare and there are a lot of challenges as a result. That means the folks at VCU Health need to spend their time addressing those issues. By helping VCU Development and Alumni Relations and other campus partners spread the word about needs, and raising funds for campus, we can help address some of these issues. What are some of the challenges and opportunities the MCV Foundation faces? One role of the MCV Foundation is to make sure that we are going out into the community and spreading the word about the great things happening here at the academic health center.
In June 2019, Wyatt Beazley IV, chair of the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees, outlines his enthusiasm to serve the foundation and thanks his predecessor Harry Thalhimer for his service.
The truth is, there is a broad swath of our community that doesn’t quite understand what a great jewel we have, and how important it is to the vitality of our city. That’s our biggest challenge, we must continue making sure we are opening the doors of the health system. As we do so, we can help develop a broader network of support going forward. While that’s the biggest challenge, it’s also the biggest opportunity. What I’m excited about is really exposing newcomers to all the great things the health system is doing, because it’s eye-opening for a lot of people. At the end of your time as chair, what do you hope your legacy will be?
MCV Foundation board chair Wyatt Beazley IV (center) discusses the year’s successes with board members Fred Moore (left) and Charles Caravati Jr., M.D. (right), at the foundation’s annual dinner and awards ceremony in 2018.
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Harry did such a fantastic job of focusing our board on being impactful. With that focus in place, and with the help of an incredibly strong staff that has grown to be excellent in every area we need — finance, development, marketing and leadership — we are really at a position of strength right now. What I intend to do is help the foundation take the necessary next steps to capitalize on this unique position for the benefit of our community. I hope my legacy is that I took the vision that was in place and crystalized and further mobilized the foundation’s role in supporting VCU Health, and I’m very excited by that. ●
MCV Foundation
The MCV Foundation Thanks a Compassionate Partner This January, the MCV Campus will bid farewell to a leader who has guided VCU Health with discerning vision, a tenacious work ethic and an unmatched compassion for people. Marsha Rappley, M.D., CEO of VCU Health System and senior vice president for health sciences at VCU, announced in October that she will retire at the beginning of 2020 and return to her home in Michigan. In more than four years on campus, Dr. Rappley has been an invaluable MCV Foundation partner who has provided support, accepted support and helped maximize philanthropy’s impact on patients, researchers and students across campus. “It’s hard to overstate how much we have valued Marsha’s sincere and keen interest in fundraising and working with donors, especially in hearing their stories and getting to know them,” said Margaret Ann Bollmeier, MCV Foundation president. “What a great partner she has been, beginning the moment she was proactive in asking how she could help the foundation reach its goals to support VCU Health.” Dr. Rappley’s ability to genuinely connect with people has been important in her connections with donors, alumni and friends of the campus, and that ability has been equally important in her connections with the hardworking people who make VCU Health the great place that it is. “At a Lettie Pate Whitehead nursing scholarship awards event a few years ago, I was struck by the way Marsha thoughtfully connected with the nursing students in attendance,” said Harry Thalhimer, past chair of the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees. “Having been a nurse herself before becoming a doctor,
MCV Foundation
Marsha Rappley, M.D., CEO of VCU Health System and senior vice president for health sciences at VCU, and Margaret Ann Bollmeier, president of the MCV Foundation, celebrate planned giving donors at the 2017 MCV Society reception. Photo: Brittany Daniel Studio
Marsha was able to offer poignant commentary, encouragement and optimism about the invaluable role nurses play in our society and community. Marsha consistently shared her deep and genuine passion for caring for others across VCU and beyond.” In her letter to the VCU Health community announcing her retirement, Dr. Rappley continued to encourage the people who make the MCV Campus what it is. “We know the curative power of something as complicated as a heart transplant and as simple as a bedside visit by a friendly dog,” she wrote. “I am enormously proud of your work as a team and as individuals. It is an honor to have been part of all of your efforts.” Dr. Rappley said she leaves the health system in good hands with a capable leadership team that will include Peter F. Buckley, M.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine, who will assume the role of interim vice president for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health System, and Ralph R. “Ron” Clark, M.D., chief medical officer of VCU Health System, who was named interim CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics, effective Nov. 1. The MCV Foundation hopes that the person who permanently fills Dr. Rappley’s position is one who cares as much as she has about creating genuine relationships with donors and alumni, helping the community play a part in the healthcare of its own people through philanthropy, and advancing the individual, community and global impact of VCU Health. ●
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MCV Foundation News
Discovery Series Williamsburg: Recognizing and Treating Mental Health Conditions
Rashelle B. Hayes, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at the VCU School of Medicine, shares her expertise as a member of the panel discussing a broad array of mental health conditions from anxiety and depression to addiction disorders and dementia. All photos: Skip Rowland Photography
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MENTA L HEALTH and neurological issues affect millions of people in the United States each year, and it can often be challenging to understand when an issue changes from a normal struggle to a serious mental health concern. At this year’s MCV Foundation Discovery Series Williamsburg, a panel of experts helped demystify and define the science behind a broad array of mental health concerns. They also provided insights about the latest research on topics including depression, anxiety, dementias and addictions. “Our goal with the Discovery Series was to introduce greater Williamsburg to the amazing healthcare available at VCU Health, and the MCV Foundation was the perfect partner to do that,” said Judi Forehand Starkey, a member of the
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event’s host committee and the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees. More than 200 people attended the 11th Discovery Series Williamsburg event, where they heard thoughtprovoking dialogue and received research-driven advice on how to reduce risk for cognitive disorders. The group of panelists highlighted VCU Health’s strength in psychiatry and neurology. After the panel discussion, guests had the opportunity to talk individually with the scholars, researchers and leadership from VCU Health’s MCV Campus. “I can always guarantee attendees will have an enriching evening and have the opportunity to learn from some of the top physician-researchers in the country,” added Judi. The Discovery Series is possible
MCV Foundation
Panelist Robert L. Findling, M.D., incoming chair of the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, discusses the night’s topics with Discovery Society member Bobby Braxton during the reception following the MCV Foundation’s 11th Discovery Series Williamsburg.
A panel of experts discuss a broad range of mental health issues at the eleventh Discovery Series Williamsburg. At the center, Peter F. Buckley, M.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine, moderated the discussion. Panelists, from left to right, included Albert J. Arias, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry; Robert L. Findling, M.D., incoming chair of the Department of Psychiatry; Rashelle B. Hayes, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry; and A. Gordon Smith, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the School of Medicine.
thanks to a dedicated host committee, which also includes Julie Baxter and Paul Dresser, Louise and Bob Canfield, Ginny and Charles Crone, and Jane and Jim Kaplan. Now in its sixth year, the Discovery Series Williamsburg is also a great opportunity to recognize more than 160 members of the Discovery Society, who support the medical care and research highlighted by the series and serve as ambassadors for VCU Health in their community. Plans are already underway for the next event in 2020. If you missed this fall’s Discovery Series Williamsburg and would like to learn more about attending, contact Jenny Wandelt, assistant director of donor relations at the MCV Foundation, at 804828-4596 or jennifer.wandelt@vcuhealth.org.
Jim Kaplan, a member of the host committee, enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with Peter F. Buckley, M.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine, before the Discovery Series Williamsburg panel. The event allows attendees the opportunity to speak with some of the country’s leading physicians and researchers about their areas of expertise.
Watch past panel discussions and learn more about the Discovery Series online by visiting www. MCVFoundation.org/work/discovery-series. ●
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MCV Foundation News
IN MEMORIAM
C. Kenneth Wright Philanthropist Innovator October 17, 1924 - August 15, 2019
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T H E MC V CA M PUS remembers a tremendous friend and stalwart supporter. C. Kenneth Wright, or Mr. Wright as he was fondly called, died at age 94 on Aug. 15, 2019. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of support for both VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses. To many at VCU, he was a great friend and a trusted advisor. “Mr. Wright deeply appreciated his affiliation with VCU and really valued those relationships,” said Brian Thomas, vice president and chief development officer of the MCV Foundation. “VCU granted Mr. Wright an honorary degree, and that meant a lot to him because he never had the opportunity to attend college.” Ken Wright’s life story is one of determination and understated ambition. He came of age during the Great Depression, growing up in rural areas of both Amelia and Chesterfield, Virginia. He also served proudly in the U.S. military during World War II . After returning home from the war, Mr. Wright began his own business, starting Rent-A-Car Inc. as a franchisee of Avis. Over time, the man with an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit would grow the company from one location with 20 cars to more than 13 locations across three states. He later expanded to truck rentals and sales of pre-owned vehicles.
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Along the way he was helped by a loyal and dedicated staff of many years who often heard Mr. Wright’s wisdom about hard work and honesty taking people far toward their goals in life. In 1999, Mr. Wright sold his company and retired. It was then he began a new chapter in life as a prolific philanthropist.
“Mr. Wright led a life full of purpose and love. He demonstrated the power of understated ambition and generosity of heart.”
– Marsha Rappley, M.D., VCU senior vice president for health sciences and VCU Health System CEO
Friends remember him as an extremely kind presence with a smile that could light up a room. There are few people or programs on the MCV Campus, and across all of Virginia Commonwealth University, that Mr. Wright’s compassion and vision have not directly or indirectly influenced. Both his and his wife’s gifts to VCU were numerous and consequential. His affinity to the academic health center grew over the course of his relationship with VCU. He and his late wife
MCV Foundation
Above: Mr. Wright, one of VCU Health’s most generous benefactors, stands with the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Physician-Scientist Scholars at the 2019 MCV Campus Endowed Scholarship Brunch. The scholars are (L to R) Teja Devarakond, Graeme Murray and Eric Kwong. Photo: CSI Studios LLC Right: Ken Wright and his wife were both generous supporters of the MCV Campus. Dianne Wright, who passed in 2013, was one of VCU Massey Cancer Center’s greatest ambassadors. Photo: Fran Householder
Dianne were stalwart supporters. Mr. Wright supported the Pauley Heart Center and the Division of Pulmonary Care because of his own personal health needs. His wife Dianne, who preceded him in death in 2013, was very involved with Massey Cancer Center as a grateful patient and a member of its advisory board. In 2015, Mr. Wright made a transformational gift to the medical campus to support the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. He had a keen interest in learning about the innovation in medical care that was made possible through research and was enthusiastic about the vision behind the Wright Center to bring together interdisciplinary experts with the goal of moving groundbreaking research into lifesaving healthcare. Earlier this year, he again made a significant contribution to advance the use of bioinformatics in improving healthcare. “We will save lives we can’t save today because of the Wright Center,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., at a campus event remembering Mr. Wright. His legacy will also live on through generosity that transforms the lives of students and families. His support of scholarships has already helped hundreds of students and will endure as part of his legacy to ensure that students with great
MCV Foundation
“Ken was a gentleman, and he was a gentle man. He was so proud of his relationship with VCU and the MCV Campus. He gave so much to help so many, and was genuinely enthusiastic to help others achieve and do great things.”
– Harry Thalhimer, past chair, MCV Foundation Board of Trustees
potential have access to a world-class education. Mr. Wright valued the importance of a good education and especially loved meeting and mentoring students who benefited from his generosity as scholarship recipients across both Monroe Park and MCV campuses. One of his most fulfilling roles was sharing his wisdom and fellowship with these promising students. The MCV Foundation, and the entire MCV Campus and VCU community, will be forever grateful for the service, compassion and vision for bettering human lives that is an essential part of Ken Wright’s legacy. ●
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Medical College of Virginia Foundation Statement of Financial Position For the year ended June 30, 2019 | Amounts in thousands
ASSETS Operating pooled investments Cash and cash equivalents
$ 12,012
Long-term investments
80,242 92,254
Total operating pooled investments
500,314
Managed portfolio pooled investments
1,532
Agency assets
28,143
Other assets
Total Assets: $ 622,243
LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
Debt service obligations
$ 5,250
Accounts payable
With donor restrictions Time and/or purpose
438
Obligation under split-interest agreements
1,864
Agency liabilities
2,871
$ 302,171
Perpetuity
240,157
Without donor restrictions Board designated
41,470
Other
28,021
Total Liabilities: $ 10,423
Total Net Assets: $ 611,820 Total Liabilities and Net Assets: $ 622,243
Medical College of Virginia Foundation Financial Highlights For the year ended June 30, 2019 | Amounts in thousands
DISBURSEMENTS TOTALING $23.9 MILLION BY PROGRAM
2019 DISBURSEMENTS
63.3%
Educational, research and general
$15,148
19.4%
Faculty salaries and support
$4,644
15.0%
Scholarships and awards
$3,592
1.8%
Other program services
$425
0.5%
Indigent patient care
$115
This is a condensed version of the financial statements submitted to the MCV Foundation. Our independent auditor issued an Unmodified Opinion on the complete financial statements, which can be obtained by writing or calling the MCV Foundation office.
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MCV Foundation Financials
Financial Commentary
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FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ended June
30, 2019, the foundation received contributions of $32.2 million and planned gift expectancies of $11.0 million. Fundraising across the MCV Campus totaled $84.9 million in fiscal year 2019, representing 69% of funds raised across all of VCU. The foundation’s endowment portfolio once again yielded a strong return, which was 9.22% in fiscal year 2019. That percentage exceeded the custom benchmark of 5.38%. All major asset classes generated positive returns. Equity markets in the U.S. significantly outperformed international equity markets as earnings and economic growth remained steady in the U.S. while many international economies slowed during the year. As the foundation continues to work alongside partners across the MCV Campus and at VCU’s central development and alumni relations office, we are committed to inspiring and stewarding resources that improve the quality of care, depth of research and impact of education that are all changing lives in Central Virginia and beyond. You, the donors, are what make all of it possible. Thank you. ●
MCV Foundation
FUNDRAISING ACROSS MCV CAMPUS IN FY 2019
84.9 % 69 452 214
$
MILLION
MCV CAMPUS % OF TOTAL RAISED FOR VCU
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS
ENDOWED CHAIRS AND PROFESSORSHIPS
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Anchoring a Vital Resource
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ON A DECEMBER evening in 2015, Rich Johnson found himself kneeling on a Richmond city street beside his critically injured wife Joyce. Joyce had been thrown from a tourist pedal trolley, which then ran over her pelvis and dragged her for a short distance. The paramedic who was kneeling beside Rich that evening told him Joyce needed to go to VCU Medical Center, and the two years and nine months of lifesaving care that followed is what inspired Joyce and Rich to make a very big announcement this past May. At VCU Health’s annual Shining Knight Gala, the Richmond couple shared with the hospital trauma teams and first responders in attendance that they would donate $1 million to support and name the surgical trauma intensive care unit where they spent the harrowing hours, days and weeks following Joyce’s accident.
Lifesaving Care Joyce had suffered broken bones in about 27 places and had lost nearly half of the blood in her body by the time she arrived at VCU Medical Center. She underwent nine successful surgeries, which included reconstructing her pelvis. After two weeks in the surgical trauma intensive care unit, she was transferred to a stepdown unit where she spent six weeks before going home to complete her full recovery over the next two years. “The doctors were fabulous — their skill and knowledge at the beginning is what saved me,” Joyce said. “And then the day-to-
Rich and Joyce Johnson receive a standing ovation at VCU Health’s 2019 Shining Knight Gala after their $1 million gift to the surgical trauma intensive care unit was announced. Photo: Kevin Morley, VCU University Relations
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Joyce Johnson addresses the audience at VCU Health’s 2019 Shining Knight Gala, which is an event that celebrates first responders and VCU Health’s trauma team. At the event, Joyce and her husband Rich announced a $1 million gift to name and support the surgical trauma intensive care unit at VCU Medical Center. Photo: Thomas Kojcsich, VCU University Relations
On the left and bottom, X-ray images show the broken leg and pelvis that Joyce Johnson suffered after being thrown from a bike trolley in 2015. On the top, a photo shows Joyce’s legs as she healed at VCU Medical Center. Photos courtesy of the Johnsons
day care from the nurses was incredible. Every day my nurses came in and they made me feel like I was their only patient, and that it was all about me. Not only did they care for me physically, they cared for me mentally.”
Saying ‘Thank You’ Joyce was still in the hospital when she told Rich she wanted to help the nurses who were supporting her recovery. In 2016, the couple established the Joyce Johnson Scholarship for Nursing Education to support nursing students who work at VCU Health. Next, they knew they wanted to help the surgical trauma intensive care unit where they began their time at VCU Health, and that incredible goal was realized this past May when Joyce and Rich made their announcement at the Shining Knight Gala. Their $1 million gift established two endowed funds to support the care and maintenance of the unit and advance the educational needs of its staff. The gift also named the Joyce and Rich Johnson Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit. “We talked to people about the expense to maintain a unit like that, and to keep it top-notch,” Rich said. “It costs a lot, but
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if we didn’t have this Level I trauma center here in Richmond, Joyce wouldn’t be alive today.” “Having the Level I trauma center here helps attract the best doctors and the best nurses,” Joyce added. “We have to keep that unit going for the next patient.” Joyce and Rich are proud of their individual impact, but they stress the fact that supporting a complex enterprise like VCU Health is a community endeavor at all levels. “There are people who do a whole lot more than we do, good for them. And there are people who don’t give as much as we do — good for them, too,” Rich said. “If everybody does what they can, it all comes together in the end. Then what do you have to show for it? You have a Level I trauma center at VCU Health that’s making Central Virginia a magical and safe place for everybody.” Grateful patients and other friends of the MCV Campus can say thank you, memorialize loved ones, support talented students or underwrite pioneering faculty research using various methods to contribute. To learn about the ways available to make gifts in support of trauma care at VCU Health, please contact Leslie Stewart, senior major gifts officer, at 804-828-3291 or leslie.stewart@ vcuhealth.org. ●
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Dentistry Dean’s Planned Gift Invests in a Strong Future Faculty
David Sarrett, D.M.D., observes Mary Baechle, D.D.S., associate professor of general practice, demonstrate techniques to dental student Yousef Abdullah. Dean Sarrett and his wife Beth recently announced their plans to include an endowed chair of general dentistry in their estate plans. Photo: Paul Brockwell Jr.
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THE MCV CAMPUS is more than just a professional home for David Sarrett, D.M.D., dean of the VCU School of Dentistry and associate vice president for health sciences at VCU. It’s also where he has thrived and developed as a leader and mentor. “When I wake up in the morning, I truly look forward to going to work,” Dean Sarrett said. “It’s a place where people are wanting to do the best for our students, the community and the university. I’ve been very fortunate to be successful here, and it’s all because I came to the MCV Campus.”
MCV Foundation
Dean Sarrett’s wife Beth shares his fondness for the campus and the impact it has had in their lives. “He has worked very hard for VCU, and we both have been supporters of the university,” she said. “We raised our successful children in Richmond and credit the university with the amazing transformation of the city we now enjoy.” In 1993, he came to Richmond after accepting a job as chair of the school’s Department of General Practice. It was during a time, he said, when he was processing some professional disappointments around his career. Dean Sarrett often shares this story with students he mentors as a lesson on the importance of accepting disappointment and how those moments can lead to unforeseen opportunities. Dean Sarrett became dean of the School of Dentistry in 2010. His leadership of the school came after many years of progressive responsibility in administrative and faculty roles. He says he could not have imagined the success he has enjoyed at the school, and recently Dean Sarrett and his wife Beth announced their intent to give back through a bequest that will honor his earliest days at the school. Their estate plans include support to endow a chair in general dentistry.
For them, the goal was simple. The Sarretts wanted to give back in order to strengthen future efforts to recruit and retain the best faculty at Virginia’s only dentistry school. “VCU has provided us with a tremendous opportunity, and we want dental education at VCU to thrive in the future,” Dean Sarrett said. “To me, that’s all about the people, particularly our faculty. Anything we can do to ensure there’s always excellent faculty and they have the ability to thrive and grow is the best way to ensure that dental education stays strong at VCU.” The Sarretts have seen firsthand how the value of philanthropy enriches the lives of faculty and students at the School of Dentistry. “Philanthropy adds incredible value to the school,” Dean Sarrett said. “Planned gifts can benefit future leaders’ abilities to grow research, hire excellent faculty or purchase critical new tools and equipment.” While the Sarretts’ goal was to ensure the school could continue to recruit and retain excellent faculty, Dean Sarrett says he would be pleasantly surprised if others are inspired by his example to support what matters most to them on the MCV Campus. ●
Provide a Legacy of Enduring Support for Your Passions on the MCV Campus YOU CAN CONTINUE your lifetime of support by creating a bequest from your estate to benefit the MCV Campus. Testamentary bequests are deductible for estate tax purposes and support our students, faculty and programs well into the future. Bequests may be structured in many ways — whether unrestricted, directed to a specific purpose or to establish an endowed fund in honor of you or
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someone else. The MCV Foundation is here to make the process as easy as possible. To learn how to plan for a bequest from your estate, please visit www.MCVFoundation.org/give or contact Jenny Ramey, director of gift planning for the MCV Foundation, at 804-828-4599 or jennifer.ramey@ vcuhealth.org. ●
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A Veteran’s Recovery and Life
Impacting Occupational Therapy Students
Charlotte and Herbert “Bert” Meyer met at a USO dance in Richmond at the beginning of WWII. They became engaged before Bert was called into action and wounded during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Photo courtesy of Carlyn Dalness Jack and Carlyn Dalness interact with occupational therapy students in the VCU College of Health Professions Herbert and Charlotte Meyer Assistive Technologies Laboratory & Quiet Room, which was named in honor of her father. Photo: Kevin Schindler
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n August, Dr. Jack and Carlyn Dalness were excited to visit with VCU occupational therapy students in a newly created laboratory named in honor of Carlyn’s late parents, Herbert and Charlotte Meyer. The inspiring story of Carlyn’s parents — and of the gift that will support researchers, students and the people who benefit from their work — begins more than 80 years ago on the cusp of World War II.
Love at First Sight Endures In 1942, Charlotte, who was living with her family in the Libby Hill neighborhood of Richmond, accepted an invitation to attend a USO dance where she met a young soldier named Herbert “Bert” Meyer, a Yankee from New York. “He had his eye on her from the very beginning. They hit it off and
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became engaged in 1942, before he went off to war,” Carlyn recounted. Bert was a medic in the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division and was proud to be part of the unit known as “The Big Red One,” which played an important role in the largest seaborne invasion in history. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Bert was shot through the head on the beach in Normandy. As he emerged from a coma months later, making a slow recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Charlotte’s family had concerns. “We don’t think you should marry Bert,” they told Charlotte. “He probably won’t live to be 50 because of his serious injuries.” Despite her family’s concerns, Charlotte married Bert while he was still undergoing two years of physical and occupational therapy. They eventually started a family
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Herbert “Bert” Meyer was a medic in WWII in the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division. He was shot in the head during the D-Day invasion and benefited tremendously from occupational therapy as he recovered. Photo courtesy of Carlyn Dalness
and had a beautiful daughter named Carlyn. “My mom loved my dad intensely, it was the kind of love they make movies out of,” Carlyn told us.
Therapy That Saved a Life and a Family Not only did Bert defy the odds and the expectations of Charlotte’s family by living to be 93, but he flourished in life, holding a job, raising his family and even playing with his grandchildren later in life. Throughout his recovery, Bert benefited significantly from physical and occupational therapy. Carlyn and the rest of her family credit these therapies, especially OT, with enabling Bert to lead such a normal and productive life, and that is why news of the new College of Health Professions building in 2018 was so fortuitous.
A Gift to Impact Lives for Generations Dr. Dalness is a 1968 MCV Campus dental school graduate. As an alumnus, he receives the MCV Foundation’s Chronicle of Giving magazine, which in 2018 included information about the new 154,000-square-foot building that would soon be completed to unify the College of Health Professions. The Dalnesses had been looking for a way to honor Carlyn’s parents, so they eagerly made a gift to name the Herbert and Charlotte Meyer Assistive Technologies Laboratory & Quiet Room in the new building. This lab allows students to train with technologies that assist patients who have movement limitations. “For the Dalnesses to contribute in the way that they did, it has allowed us to expand the lab tremendously to provide the kinds of assistive technology training that our
Jack Dalness, D.D.S., and Carlyn Dalness tour the Herbert and Charlotte Meyer Assistive Technologies Laboratory & Quiet Room at the VCU College of Health Professions. The building they’re in stands on the same land previously occupied by the dorm Jack lived in — Bear Hall — when he was a dental student and first met Carlyn. Photo: Kevin Schindler
MCV Foundation
OT students require,” said Tony Gentry, Ph.D., an associate professor at the College of Health Professions who specializes in assistive technology. “We’re so happy that they’ve given us the resources to provide tools that help people live more productive and enjoyable lives. I don’t know any other way we could have made that happen.” “It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to do this,” Carlyn said. “Making a donation to the College of Health Professions, and especially to the OT department, means a lot to us. I’m hoping this helps the students go out and help a lot of other people. That’s important because it truly made a difference in my dad’s life, and hopefully it will make a difference in a lot of other lives.”
Veterans Day Bert Meyer died in 2013 at the age of 93, and he is buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. He was married to Charlotte for 68 ½ years. Three years later, Charlotte was hospitalized and had been struggling to breathe for a few days. “I walked over to the hospital room window,” Carlyn said. “And I said, ‘Dad, if you’re listening up there, you get one of those angels, you get down here, and you get Mom right now. Today.” Charlotte drew her last breath and passed away at 11:11 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2016. “She’s now with him in Arlington and for eternity,” Carlyn said. “And I know that’s where she wanted to be.” If you’re interested in honoring a hero in your life, learn about the methods we have available to make gifts on the MCV Campus at www.MCVFoundation.org. ●
Herbert “Bert” Meyer (back left) and Charlotte Meyer (back right) gather with their daughter Carlyn, their grandchildren and their greatgrandchildren. Photo courtesy of Carlyn Dalness
Herbert “Bert” Meyer and Charlotte Meyer visit the D-Day Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The two are now buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Carlyn Dalness
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Improving the Patient Experience, ASAP Usually dispersed throughout the MCV Campus helping patients make appointments with the appropriate physicians or specialists, accompanying patients on visits, meeting patients at the curb, and providing other needed assistance and support, the VCU Health Access, Support and Assistance Program (ASAP) team gathers for a photo at the VCU Medical Center. The team includes (front row, L to R) Denise Lynch, RN; Cheryl LeCroy, RN; (back row, L to R) Diane Hanson-Johnson, RN; Jan Kirby, RN; and Sarah Saoud, RN. Photo: Eric Peters
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ESTABLISHED in December 2010, the Access, Support and Assistance Program (ASAP) helps patients and friends of VCU navigate the VCU Health System. ASAP assists in inpatient, outpatient and home care experiences through services such as helping patients and families find discounted lodging close to the hospital, assisting with parking and valet, walking patients to appointment locations, scheduling transportation, streamlining the appointment scheduling processes and introducing patients and families to care teams. Denise Lynch, RN, a 2018 recipient of the MCV Foundation Jerome F. Strauss III Award for her extraordinary service, leads the program. Under her direction, the ASAP team has helped thousands of patients over the years have happier, less stressful hospital visits. Until recently, there wasn’t a direct way to express grati-
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tude for this valuable service, but now, thanks to a generous donation to establish the ASAP Fund at VCU Health, grateful patients, family members and friends can help build the program so even more people can benefit. “It’s gratifying to see a mechanism in place that enables donors to recognize and advance the hard work of the ASAP team,” said Charles Crone, an MCV Foundation board member who was instrumental in establishing the fund. “Since the fund has been established, donations of any amount can now be contributed to enhance the services that Denise and her team provide.” If you’re interested in supporting or learning more about ASAP, contact Brian Thomas, vice president and chief development officer at the MCV Foundation, at 804-828-0067 or brian.thomas@vcuhealth.org. ●
MCV Foundation
Pharmacy Classmates Rally to Create Student Scholarship Pharmacy alumni from the Class of 1972 are raising funds for an endowed class scholarship ahead of their 50th reunion. Preston Hale, R.Ph., (right) and Empsy Munden, R.Ph., (left) first discussed the idea at an alumni gathering during the Virginia Pharmacists Association annual convention. The duo is leading the effort to create the scholarship. Photo: VCU School of Pharmacy
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ollective giving magnifies individual impact on the MCV Campus. This fall, a pair of alumni from the VCU School of Pharmacy banded together to create a class scholarship. In two years, the Class of 1972 will celebrate their 50th reunion, and many ’72 graduates believe it’s time to give back to support the education of future pharmacists. Preston Hale, R.Ph., a member of the MCV Foundation Leadership Council, is one of the leaders. He considers himself lucky. He graduated with modest student loan debt and benefited from support his parents provided for tuition. For him, working to cover living expenses was a small price to pay during school. Today, though, Preston realizes students face a more challenging set of realities. The cost of the school’s worldclass education is higher, and students increasingly benefit from developing research and working with faculty mentors outside of the classroom. Those realities helped inspire Preston to work with his classmates to create a class scholarship. “This is all about P’72 paying it forward and providing a
MCV Foundation
small payback for the opportunities pharmacy has provided us,” Preston said. “It’s about helping future students.” Earlier this year, he made a lead gift to begin fundraising needed to endow the Class of ’72 Scholarship. Over dinner, Preston and his classmates discussed setting a bold goal to raise $100,000 before their reunion in 2022. Preston and Empsy Munden, R.Ph., have since been contacting fellow graduates to generate awareness and support. They hope this will be an easy initiative to garner support from their classmates given all they have received from the school. “Pharmacy has done so much for me,” Empsy said. “It has been a great profession that has provided me with very good mentors and advisers. It is time to give back to the pharmacists who are taking care of us. We are the mentors and guides and preceptors now!” If you would like to support scholarships for future pharmacists, please contact Louie Correa, senior director of development at the School of Pharmacy, by calling 804-828-3016, or emailing lacorrea@vcu.edu. ●
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Power Over Parkinson’s: How One Family Isn’t Letting a Diagnosis Define Them
Physicians, therapists and administrators from VCU Health’s N.O.W. Center gather with the Rogliano family this past July to celebrate the Roglianos’ gift to help develop a Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Exercise and Wellness Program at VCU Health. Photo: Terri Curtis, VCU Development and Alumni Relations
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UNTIL RECENTLY, Gary Rogliano never expected to retire. “I was one of those guys who worked pretty much 24/7,” he said. “I didn’t take much time off unless it was for my kids or my family.” His nonstop lifestyle was upended in May 2018 when doctors confirmed something his wife Angela had feared for months. Gary had Parkinson’s disease. Besides the initial shock, Gary said the most difficult thing about his diagnosis was looking ahead to what seemed like a pathless journey. “I had no idea what to do, and I had no idea what Parkinson’s was,” he said. “There was nowhere to go, nowhere to turn.”
MCV Foundation
VCU Health N.O.W. Center physical therapist Mary Beth O’Reilly walks with Gary Rogliano during a therapy session. Photo: Paul Brockwell Jr.
Gary’s daughter Margaret Preston found the help their family was looking for in the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center at the VCU Health N.O.W. Center. Jonathan Snider, M.D., a neurologist at the center, evaluated Gary and connected him with many of the treatments offered at VCU Health, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and sleep therapy. Staying active is critically important for people with Parkinson’s, so Margaret also found and pieced together various options to help Gary keep moving, such as boxing, taekwondo and yoga. As Gary made his way through therapy and the host of new activities Margaret helped him find, he began to see in the new friends he was meeting that troubling patterns, like uncertainty about resources and financial distress, were common. That’s when Gary saw an opportunity and decided it was time to retire, but he did not slow down.
Power Over Parkinson’s In 2018, the Rogliano family launched Power Over Parkinson’s (POP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on providing financial assistance and connecting Parkinson’s patients with beneficial resources in Central Virginia. POP is also about getting Parkinson’s patients moving, so one of its biggest initiatives has been its partnership with VCU Health. In July, the Rogliano family and POP committed $750,000 to help develop a Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Exercise and Wellness Program. The gift will create the Rogliano Family Endowed Chair to assist in recruiting a visionary Parkinson’s and movement disorders clinicianscientist who will explore ways in which exercise
MCV Foundation
and wellness can be used to better treat Parkinson’s disease. “VCU Health has been wonderful for my father,” Margaret said. “They provide comprehensive care, and everything is under one umbrella. Because we’re so happy with his care there, it was a natural relationship to make. We all have the same goal to help people. We see that based on the care of my father and we want other people to experience that care.” Making this type of impact is the work into which Gary Rogliano finally decided to “retire.” POP was created to help the new friends he meets along this chapter of his life. If you’re interested in joining Gary and his family’s mission at VCU Health by supporting the Rogliano Family Endowed Chair, contact Carrie Bickford, VCU Health’s interim director of development, at 804-828-3652 or carrie.bickford@vcuhealth.org. ●
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Honoring His Care by Advancing Cancer Research George Emerson receives the MCV Foundation’s Dowdy Award in recognition of his fundraising leadership in a volunteer capacity. He and his wife Darlene have created the Emerson Head and Neck Cancer Research Fund at the VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Darlene and George P. Emerson Jr. Professorship at the School of Medicine to advance research and treatment of head and neck cancers. Photo: Kevin Schindler
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Nearly 14 years ago, George Emerson received a grim diagnosis. He had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. George’s medical team gave him a 50-50 chance of survival. He researched the best treatment options nationwide and decided to stay in Richmond for the care available at VCU Massey Cancer Center. “Looking back on it, throat cancer is a very painful cancer. Every day I had three daughters and my wife waiting for me at my house. It was a brutal treatment, but it made me realize how lucky I was to have the MCV Campus in Richmond,” George said. “I could not have received better care.” George finished his treatment in 2006 and thankfully has been healthy since. He’s been able to focus on enjoying time with his wife, daughters and a growing number of grandchildren. For George, family means everything. Their support was a critical part of his successful treatment. Now, George wants to ensure future patients continue to have access to excellent, innovative treatments where they live. “I’ve been lucky in life,” George added. “My wife and I support a number of good causes, but the one I’m most passionate about is trying to find a cure for cancer.”
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That’s why he’s committed to creating both an endowed research fund at Massey and an endowed chair for head and neck cancers at the VCU School of Medicine. He encourages everyone to consider supporting the cancer research happening right here in Richmond. “They’re doing research now that will move the needle on giving people options for treatment of head and neck cancers and giving them hope,” George said. “And I want to be part of that.” George hopes the research fund and the professorship will advance the development of new therapies that can provide promising treatment options to future patients. “Somebody helped fund the research that came up with the therapy that saved my life,” George said. “The people we’re going to treat in the future need someone to give on their behalf.” If you’re interested in exploring ways to support research at VCU Massey Cancer Center, please contact Martha Quinn, executive director of development, at 804-827-0652 or mquinn3@vcu.edu. ●
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A Community Effort: Raising Funds and Hope for ALS Patients and Their Families
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s Bobby Quinn and Vernon McClure worked and went to church together for more than two decades, they became something more than business associates or friends, they became part of the same community. That’s why it was no surprise that Vernon decided his business, Main Street Homes, would lend a helping hand when Bobby was diagnosed with ALS in 2017. Often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. For years, Vernon and Main Street Homes had been holding a golf tournament in appreciation of all the company’s contractors, but following Bobby’s diagnosis, Vernon made other plans. He continued the golf tournament, but it became a fundraiser on behalf of Bobby to support the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS at VCU Health. The Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS was created in 2014 by Vic Harper, an ALS patient at the time, and his family to make an impact on ALS research and patient care — two things from which Bobby has directly benefited as a VCU Health ALS patient. “Bobby and Michele (Bobby’s wife) have had a great attitude through all of this. He’s inspired all of us, so we’re just trying to help out,” Vernon said. “Our mission statement is building value in our community. That is of course building homes and neighborhoods that we can appreciate, but it’s also giving back to our community.” So far, the company’s generosity has paid off in a big way. The goal at the 2017 golf tournament was to raise $50,000. It seemed like a tall order at the time, but after the greens had cleared, the team at Main Street Homes wrote a check to the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS for $82,000. Then, after the 2018 tournament, they wrote a check for $83,274. On Sept. 30 of this year, the tournament raised $84,750, bringing the threeyear total to $250,024. “And they did more than raise that money for Harper’s Hope,” Bobby said. “Many things are not covered by insurance with ALS, and Vernon and Main Street Homes handed me and Michele a check to pay for the lift in my garage and are helping with other upgrades around our house.”
MCV Foundation
Thanks to contributions from organizations like Main Street Homes and others, the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS has been an integral piece of Bobby and Michele’s support system. The fund has supported the VCU Health team in conducting multiple clinical trials, identifying and administering new treatments, providing in-home care, and creating an assistance program for patients and their families. To learn more about the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS and how you can be involved, contact Carrie Bickford, interim director of development at VCU Health, at 804-828-3652 or carrie. bickford@vcuhealth.org. ●
Bobby Quinn (left) and Vernon McClure prepare for the 2019 Main Street Homes Charity Golf Tournament this past September. When Bobby was diagnosed with ALS in 2017, Vernon, president of Main Street Homes, decided to make the company’s annual golf tournament a fundraiser in support of the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS at VCU Health. Photo: Eric Peters
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Finding Permanence Through Philanthropy
Susan Nash sits at the two seats bearing her and her late husband’s name. As capital campaign donors and season ticket holders, they had their names engraved on the seats. In addition to Susan’s gift to establish the Bob and Susan Nash Forever Heartfelt Bereavement Support Fund at VCU Health, Susan has included VCU Athletics in her estate plans. Photo: Eric Peters
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BOB AND SUSAN NASH met in 1987 just before the college basketball season began. For the next 30 years, they attended nearly every home VCU basketball game and many of the biggest games, home or away, in the program’s history. As they cheered the team on through its
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most successful years, it wasn’t just basketball that strengthened their bonds to one another and to VCU, it was also a tragic diagnosis. In the early 1990s, Bob learned he had contracted hepatitis C through a blood transfusion he received in high school. “The disease progresses,” Susan said. “It gets better, then it
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gets worse. At times he got better and was off the transplant list, and at times he got worse and would go back on it.” By 2017, Bob was back on the transplant list and expecting to finally receive a new liver, but after a hardfought, decades-long battle, he passed away on Oct. 17 before receiving a transplant.
Bob and Susan Nash married in 1987. For the next 30 years, they shared a love for VCU basketball. They also were regular patients and visitors at VCU Health where Bob was treated for hepatitis C for more than 20 years. Photos courtesy of Susan Nash
A Grief Journey “I am blessed with lots of friends and family and resources, but still grief is hard every day,” Susan said. “I’ve learned it’s little things that mean a lot. I think people are afraid to even talk about it, but people who are grieving need to talk about it, and they need to talk about their loved ones.” Over the months following Bob’s passing, Susan met and began ongoing conversations with Stephanie Hamilton, manager for bereavement services at VCU Health, and Corey Humphrey, a leadership annual giving officer at the VCU School of Education. Both Stephanie and Corey were outlets for Susan as she began to process her loss, and she says they both became friends and helped her in many ways. One way that Corey helped was in finding an appropriate way for Susan to honor Bob, and that ended up being through the family bereavement program that Stephanie leads. “I knew I wanted to honor Bob with something of permanence, because we didn’t have children and he didn’t have siblings,” Susan said. “I didn’t want him to be forgotten.” On Sept. 17, 2018, which would have been their 30th wedding anniversary, Susan established the Bob and Susan Nash Forever Heartfelt Bereavement Support Fund.
Finding Permanence “Having somebody reach out to you means the world,” Susan said. “To me, it was a big honor to help other people with their grief.” In its initial phase, the new fund will enable Stephanie and her team to conduct bereavement training in clinics through-
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out the health system that will equip full interdisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, social workers, administrative support personnel and others to address pain and bereavement in meaningful ways. This includes recognizing the importance of grief and empowering people to navigate and leverage their pain for better things. “Look at what Susan has done with this,” said Stephanie, who is also an assistant professor at the VCU College of Health Professions Department of Patient Counseling. “It’s amazing that she’s chosen to take her grief to then give a gift to make sure that other people who are experiencing loss receive the care they need. It’s very humbling to be entrusted with that, to continue to be a part of her grief journey and to see how she grows and blooms in that.” If you are interested in joining Susan Nash in her mission to transform her emotions into help for families experiencing difficult times, contact Payton Hardinge, VCU Health associate director, strategic initiatives, at 804-828-3407 or payton. hardinge@vcuhealth.org. ●
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MCV Campus Giving
Bowen Bequest Strengthens Pipeline for Nurse Practitioner Students
Heather Allmon, an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner student, examines a resident at the Church Hill House, one of VCU School of Nursing’s Richmond Health and Wellness Program sites. Scholarships for students keep a world-class education within reach for aspiring nurse practitioners. Photo courtesy of VCU School of Nursing
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Rebecca Peebles Bowen’s support for healthcare education began early in her adult life. She worked to support her husband, the late Robert Richardson Bowen, M.D., while he attended the Medical College of Virginia in the 1950s. Rebecca enjoyed her job in merchandising at Miller & Rhoads, the legendary Richmond department store, and quickly earned a promotion to assistant buyer of children’s clothes.
MCV Foundation
A Lifetime of Giving Mary Dunn Conover, her niece, remembers that was a happy time for her aunt and uncle. They had lived through the Great Depression, and Dr. Bowen volunteered to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Those global events deeply shaped the Bowens. “They grew up with the concept that if you had resources that could benefit others, you should share them,” says Mary Dunn. Last year, Rebecca died at age 91, leaving a legacy of generosity from both her and her husband. Dr. Bowen, who died in 2013, mentored many physicians and nurses over a 40-year career. The Bowens also created the Dr. Robert R. Bowen Foundation, which supported healthcare causes, including education. With this gift, the Bowens expanded their impact to the MCV Campus. Rebecca established a $1 million bequest to endow a scholarship at the VCU School of Nursing to support nurse practitioners in the master’s or Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. The scholarships will fund half of tuition and fees for recipients who are Virginia residents and demonstrate academic merit and financial need. “We are truly grateful for the Bowen family’s investment in our students,” says Jean Giddens, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Nursing. “The scholarships will enhance our ability to prepare more nurse practitioners with the advanced education needed to improve patient safety and the delivery of healthcare.” During her life, Rebecca was always impressed at the role nurse practitioners play in providing healthcare. She often told her niece how skilled nurse practitioners are at listening to patients and explaining what’s happening. She also found inspiration in their next-door neighbor, a nurse practitioner who taught as a professor, when making her estate plans to support healthcare education and training for nurse practitioners. “Nurse practitioners are a vital part of the medical system,” said Mary Dunn, who retired as director of a community health clinic. “Most specialists and big practices track with the interstates. But when you get out into the countryside, fewer people go into those areas, and that is where nurse practitioners have been an absolute godsend.”
Photos courtesy of Mary Dunn Conover
Throughout their lives, the Bowens made many contributions to healthcare and healthcare education. Robert Bowen, M.D., practiced as an orthopaedic surgeon for 40 years in Lynchburg, Virginia. In the early ’90s, the Bowens funded a new surgical suite and adjacent waiting room at Lynchburg General Hospital. They also established the Dr. Robert R. Bowen Foundation, which provided ongoing support to nonprofits until its transfer to the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation in 2016. Over its lifespan, the Bowen Foundation board allocated annual grants to further both healthcare delivery and nursing education. With this gift to VCU School of Nursing, Rebecca saw the opportunity to endow a scholarship that would honor her late husband’s
If you would like to learn more about how you can support scholarships for the next generation of nursing professionals, please contact Pamela Lowe, senior director of development for the School of Nursing, at 804-827-0020 or by emailing plowe@vcu.edu. ●
MCV Foundation
career and their lifetime of philanthropy by supporting education and training for the talented men and women who choose to become nurse practitioners. ●
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MCV Campus News
Introducing
the New Dean on Campus
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usan Parish, Ph.D., who became dean of the VCU College of Health Professions on July 1, believes her students should think about changing the world, and that the college will help them do that. “I hope our students will take risks and learn things that really stretch them and force them to grow in ways they might not have imagined before coming here,” she said. “I hope they will deeply evaluate what their role will be in their profession. How will they lead? How will they help address some of the major public health challenges that face us here in Richmond and around the planet?” Dean Parish arrived on the MCV Campus as the college was uniting in one building for the first time in its 50-year history, and she sees that timing as an important opportunity to guide students toward adopting the leadership mentality she envisions for them. She previously served as dean and professor of health sciences at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, where she oversaw more than 30 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. An expert in public health and social work, Dean Parish has focused on intellectual and developmental disabilities and related public policies. She holds a B.A. in English literature and an M.S.W. from Rutgers University, and she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. We spoke with Dean Parish this fall about the College of Health Professions, the MCV Campus, VCU and the ways philanthropy can help propel students, faculty and patients into the future of healthcare delivery and healing.
Susan Parish, Ph.D., became dean of the VCU College of Health Professions on July 1. She is energized by the momentum and opportunities presented by the college’s new 154,000-square-foot building, which brings its programs under one roof for the first time in 50 years. Photo: Thomas Kojcsich, VCU University Marketing
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What is exciting to you about being a part of the MCV Campus at VCU Health? We have an extraordinary opportunity with our new building, and as part of an academic health center, to truly advance how interprofessional health education is conducted. This has been a priority of the institutes of medicine for more than a decade, and a lot of places talk about making it a priority, but the truth is, we are actually going after it. And because of our amazing academic health center campus, the opportunities are truly unprecedented.
MCV Foundation
There is a brand-new building; why is philanthropy still important? How can you use philanthropic dollars to make a difference? First, it’s very expensive to provide an extraordinary education in the allied health fields that our college covers. Tuition does not completely cover those costs. We rely on the generosity of alumni and friends who make it possible for us to offer cutting-edge simulation and lab experiences to our students. The second reason that philanthropy is so important is that the cost of higher education makes it difficult for many people to afford an education while Virginia faces workforce shortfalls across our disciplines. Therefore, we need to attract the best and brightest students we possibly can to address the gaps in the workforce so that when folks need care, whether at VCU Health or elsewhere, there are exceptionally well-qualified healthcare professionals who can meet their needs. If we truly want a highly qualified diverse workforce, we must support that. Another way that philanthropy is incredibly important is that it enables us to attract the best faculty in the world. Many folks don’t like to think of higher education as competing in the market, but the truth is we absolutely are competing. We compete for students, we compete for faculty talent, and in order to compete effectively, we must give our faculty and researchers resources to do their jobs. I’m convinced that we can be the best workplace in the country, but we do need resources to make that happen.
College of Health Professions Departments and Centers Clinical Laboratory Sciences Gerontology Health Administration Nurse Anesthesia Occupational Therapy Patient Counseling Physical Therapy Radiation Sciences Rehabilitation Counseling Virginia Center on Aging Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences
For an alumnus or donor who isn’t familiar with the College of Health Professions, how would you tell them about it? The college is really VCU’s best-kept secret. We have programs that are ranked at the top of their field, our faculty and staff are extraordinary, and the quality of education we provide is unparalleled. Most people who say things like “unparalleled” are exaggerating, but for us it’s not an exaggeration. And we’re not as visible as some of the other schools on campus, but the work that we do is critically important in people’s lives. It’s physical therapy and occupational therapy helping with recovery after an injury. It’s rehab counseling helping you find your way back to work. It’s patient counseling where chaplains are trained to provide pastoral care in the darkest times of families’ lives. It’s clinical lab scientists who are involved in almost all diagnoses that are made in a health system. It’s radiation scientists who are trained to use ultrasound to help diagnose conditions. Our college truly is focused on well-being and quality of life physically, emotionally and socially. ●
This fall, the VCU College of Health Professions began its first academic year in the new 154,000-square-foot building at the corner of Leigh and North 10th Streets. With its opening, all the college’s academic units, along with the dean’s office, will be housed in one building for the first time. Photo: Eric Peters
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MCV Campus News
VCU School of Medicine Students REACH 4 Ghana
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VCU School of Medicine students Patrick Murphy, Nicole Karikari, Jin Kim, Chen Xuaz, Molly Vernon, Saba Ali and Jenny Liu come together for a photo with family medicine physicians from Bon Secours Health System and their Ghanaian healthcare partners during a trip this summer for the REACH 4 Ghana global health project. REACH 4 Ghana was founded in 2010 by three first-year medical students: Allison Powers, Jeremy Powers and Albert Duah. All photos courtesy of Nicole Karikari
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THIS SUMMER, seven students from the VCU School of Medicine traveled to Ghana in West Africa. They made the journey because they wanted to see, hear and experience global health — things they wouldn’t be able to glean from a book held in their hands here in Richmond. As part of the medical school’s REACH 4 Ghana program, the team visited rural schools to talk with female students about reproductive health and distribute reusable feminine hygiene products, which are
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VCU School of Medicine students Nicole Karikari (foreground) and Patrick Murphy (seated next to Nicole) consult a Ghanaian clinic patient alongside a family medicine physician from Bon Secours Health System.
Saba Ali, a VCU School of Medicine student, reads the blood pressure of a woman who has come to the clinic where Saba and her classmates were working in Ghana.
expensive and hard to come by in the country’s rural areas. They also worked alongside physicians in rural clinics during their two-week trip. REACH 4 Ghana, or Rural Education and Community Health for Ghana, is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that sent its first team of MCV Campus students to Ghana in 2011. This year, the team visited multiple schools that enroll anywhere from 200 to 1,000 students. During each of their clinic days, the team saw 100 to 200 patients from surrounding communities, and that had an impact on them as future doctors.
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Knowledge is like a baobab tree; no one can encompass it with their hands. — Ghanaian proverb article continued on next page
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It is the human being that counts. I call gold; it does not answer. I call cloth; it does not answer. It is the human being that counts. — Ghanaian proverb
VCU School of Medicine student Patrick Murphy and a recently graduated Ghanaian physician consult with a young girl at a clinic.
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“Quick thinking and the cultural impact of things are important,” said Nicole Karikari, a second-year medical student. “Some people would come in who were farmers or had a large number of children, and we had to understand how their lifestyle impacts their care.” Many of the MCV Campus students who participate in global health projects benefit from having scholarships, which provide financial assistance and help them become the people they want to be. On the MCV Campus, that translates to lifelong compassion and service to other human beings. Scholarships don’t pay for the trips directly, but they help make them possible. “Medical school obviously involves a lot of loans, but since I have scholarships I don’t take out as many loans as I would normally need to, and because of that I can allocate some money toward the trip,” said Nicole, who holds the Dorothy Velma Clark Loveall Scholarship.
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“The scholarship has completely opened up my summer to having more opportunity and possibility to explore any global health project I want, because I had this scholarship behind me supporting me,” said Patrick Murphy, a rising second-year medical student who benefits from the Harry and Harriet Grandis Scholarship Fund. “It is a huge confidence boost and reminds us of why we started this journey.” Friends of the MCV Campus who are interested in supporting student journeys can establish new scholarships or contribute to existing scholarships throughout campus that match their passions. To learn more about all the methods available for making gifts, contact Brian Thomas, MCV Foundation vice president and chief development officer, at 804-828-0067 or brian.thomas@ vcuhealth.org. ●
MCV Foundation
Research Fund Honors Leadership of Longtime Massey Director In recognition of his leadership and service, the MCV Foundation honored Gordon Ginder, M.D., director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center, with the Jerome F. Strauss III Award. The Strauss Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence in research, education and administration. Dr. Ginder received the award this fall from Wyatt Beazley IV, MCV Foundation board chair, and Margaret Ann Bollmeier, MCV Foundation president. Photo: Kevin Schindler
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ost people cannot imagine the VCU Massey Cancer Center without first thinking of Gordon Ginder, M.D., the center’s director for the past 22 years. Dr. Ginder is a nationally recognized researcher and one of the longest tenured directors of a National Cancer Institute-designated center in the United States. Earlier this year, Dr. Ginder announced plans to step back from day-to-day leadership of Massey to continue his research on epigenetics and the regulation of genes in cancer and blood diseases. To celebrate his leadership, a new fund — the Gordon Ginder Research Excellence Fund — was established to fuel discovery through promising research, such as Dr. Ginder’s work on developing novel therapies for multiple blood disorders.
Under Dr. Ginder’s leadership, Massey has grown substantially, increasing both output and funding for its lifesaving cancer research. “Dr. Ginder leaves a lasting legacy that has impacted countless lives within and beyond Virginia,” said Steven Grossman, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of Massey. In October, Massey announced that Dr. Ginder’s successor will be Robert Winn, M.D., an expert in lung cancer and community-based healthcare. Readers can find more about Dr. Winn and his vision for Massey in a future issue of the Chronicle of Giving. To learn more about how you can honor Dr. Ginder’s leadership by supporting innovative research, please contact Martha Quinn, Massey’s executive director of development, at 804-827-0652 or mquinn3@vcu.edu. ●
Invest in Me As part of the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history, VCU has launched the Invest in Me initiative to raise $50 million by June 30, 2022, for student scholarships. On the MCV Campus, scholarships support future care providers and researchers who will have lasting effects on individual lives and healthcare for generations to come.
We have many giving methods available that enable you to support existing scholarship
funds or establish your own. Please visit www.MCVFoundation.org to learn more, or contact Brian Thomas at brian.thomas@vcuhealth.org or 804-828-0067. ●
MCV Foundation
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