A NEWSLETTER
FOR DONORS
& F R I E N D S O F P R E S B Y T E R I A N H E A LT H C A R E F O U N D AT I O N
Summer 2020
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Businesses of all sizes and individuals from all walks of life have given to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Page 6
rounding with rick
Rick Scott, CFRE President, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
Celebrating Heroes At the Foundation, we have the unique privilege of witnessing the best in people, no matter what else may be happening around us. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a front-row seat with a clear view of the many ways Presbyterian and the larger community have risen to face this unprecedented challenge. At the organizational level, our providers and staff have confronted this virus headon, and they and their families have made enormous personal sacrifices. Their courage, resilience and commitment are remarkable and difficult to fathom for those who are not on the front lines. They are all heroes.
Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are used as directed in their entirety, with nothing directed to
Our community has also shown appreciation in countless ways, including gifts of meals and PPE, charitable contributions to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation and simple, yet profound, notes of gratitude for our care teams. With so many in our community affected by this virus in so many ways, these acts of generosity mean the world to us. The people behind these acts also are heroes. The collective contributions of both our caregivers and community are beacons of hope at a difficult time. We are inspired and deeply appreciative. To all who have gone, and who continue going, above and beyond each and every day: thank you.
administrative expenses.
IRA and Estate Gifts: Still a Great Way to Support PHF The passing of the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was part of the country’s response to help taxpayers and nonprofits in these extraordinary times. The law has a few key provisions that may affect you and your charitable goals, including: • A new charitable deduction • A change to required minimum distributions • An opportunity for those who itemize As you may know, the CARES Act made temporary changes to the distribution requirements for individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Despite raising the required
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Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
minimum distribution age, an IRA charitable rollover still allows taxpayers 70½ and older to make qualified charitable distributions directly from their IRA accounts to eligible charities, like Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation (PHF), and pay no tax on the distribution. This is a time when many of us are taking stock of what’s important in our lives. We encourage you to create or review your estate plan as you reflect on your priorities. As you think about your legacy, you may be contemplating not only how to care for your loved ones, but also how to support the charitable causes most important to you. Including PHF in your financial and philanthropic
planning is still one of the best ways to support our mission to improve the health and lives of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We recommend you consult with your legal and tax professionals and connect with us to learn more about ways to support PHF. Visit our gift planning website, www.phs.org/giftplanning, for more specific details or contact JooHee Berglund, Vice President for Major and Planned Giving, at jberglund@phs.org or (505) 724-6584.
who’s on board
Julie BOWDICH Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation Board Member
After 26 years on the Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation board of directors, Julie Bowdich doesn’t hesitate when asked what she has enjoyed most. “The mission, the environment, the people. It’s always the people,” she says. “Part of what I’ve learned is the amazing generosity of donors and the professionalism of the staff, along with the joy of working with my fellow board members. We’ve all been together for so long, it’s like family ... It’s been a wonderful experience. I’m grateful for all of it.” – Julie Bowdich
In her nearly three decades of service to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, Julie has held a variety of key roles, including board chair from 2004 through 2007, co-chair of the Rust Medical Center capital campaign and the Hospice House campaign, as well as serving on all the committees. Daffodil Days, which raises money for Presbyterian Hospice House, has always been her favorite. Julie volunteered for the event before joining the Foundation board, then served as chair beginning in 2008 and has co-chaired it every year since. Julie is the daughter of the late Jack Rust, one of Albuquerque’s most prominent philanthropists and a 30-year member of the Presbyterian Healthcare Services board of directors, including 14 years as chair. He and his wife Donna donated generously to the Foundation, highlighted by a $10 million gift and naming of Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho. Like her father before her, Julie has devoted much of her adult life to serving nonprofits. She joined the Presbyterian Foundation board soon after Jack retired from the governing board. “I kept saying, you’re getting me; you’re not getting Dad,” she laughs. “I really got my training at Presbyterian.” Five years ago, Julie met her husband, John Carey, on the Foundation board. Although John no longer serves on the board, their shared philosophy about
“Julie has been the Foundation’s go-to person for more than 25 years, providing active leadership and generous support for every major project and special event. I can’t thank her enough. She’s been a model board member and a terrific, giving person.” – Rick Scott
philanthropy is clear: “We love to be involved in organizations that are making a difference in people’s lives and feel it’s very important to give back. We’ve followed in the footsteps of those who came before us and feel positively that others will follow in ours,” Julie says. As Julie begins a new chapter when her board term ends next year, she looks forward to seeing the new Foundation board members jump in and make it their own. “We are leaving them a wonderful organization and I think they can carve out a fabulous future for the Foundation. It’s a really exciting time to be involved.” Summer 2020
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giving in action Guardian Angel Gifts Honor Pediatric Oncology Nurses
IT TAKES A
VILLAGE When Evelyn Pelletier’s daughter was just 14 months old, Baby Rose was diagnosed with malignant extrarenal rhabdoid tumor, a rare and highly aggressive cancer that most commonly occurs in the kidneys of young children. Rose’s illness required a lengthy stay in Presbyterian’s Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (HEM/ONC) unit with a parent by her side at all times. Prior to Rose’s illness, Evelyn, a statecertified 9-1-1 dispatcher who works for Central New Mexico Community College, and her fiancé Dave, had planned to get married. But with their full attention on Rose and their other daughters, Jill, 10, and Emma, 7, the couple didn’t have time to plan their wedding. Dave had quit his job to help care for Rose and his family stepped in to make the arrangements. When the big day came, oncology nurse Andrea Romero stepped up to watch Rose. “Andrea recognized that this was really important for our family and she reassured me that everything would be OK so we could leave and go be married,” Evelyn says.
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Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
“She cared for our whole family by doing that. She gave me peace of mind that my daughter was in good hands.” In addition to Andrea and the oncologists who cared for her, Rose was also surrounded by a compassionate team of registered nurses that included Ashlee Ayala, Zach Atkerson, Emily Lowry, Marty Rede, Margaret Salazar and Amy Sandoval, whom Evelyn honored as a group through a Guardian Angel donation. After the wedding, Evelyn made a second Guardian Angel gift in honor of Andrea. “We so appreciated getting to know Andrea. She was just so down to earth and would take the
time to connect with us. She puts herself out there every day and it has meant so much,” Evelyn says. Despite the expertise and dedication of her caregivers, Baby Rose passed away in April. Andrea and other members of Rose’s care team attended the funeral, and continue to reach out to Evelyn through email to let her know they are thinking of her family. “That’s such a beautiful thing. Just because you aren’t at the hospital any more doesn’t mean they don’t care about your family,” Evelyn says. “How can you thank somebody for doing this? These are amazing people and I’m just so happy there is a way to honor them.”
A Presbyterian pediatric hematologyoncology nurse since 2017, Andrea makes every effort to get to know her patients and their families, including their favorite foods, colors, animals, siblings and what sports they like to play. “These kids are amazing! I love the special bond you create with the kids and their families.”
Honor Your Guardian Angel If you received exceptional care or services and would like to show your gratitude, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation’s Guardian Angel program is a meaningful way to say thanks. Guardian Angel contributions to the Foundation can be directed to specific areas of interest or designated an unrestricted contribution for use toward organizational priorities. For more information, please contact Kathryn Richards at (505) 724-7003 or visit www.phs.org/guardianangel.
“These nurses have a lasting effect on families and we will remember them forever. With all the sadness surrounding us, we have wonderful people and memories to help us through our grief.” – Evelyn Pelletier
For Presbyterian Robert Wertheim Hospice House
in Full Bloom
In response to COVID-19, we made the incredibly tough decision to cancel our annual Daffodil Days event. Though our 37th annual Daffodil Days did not go as planned, we are forever grateful and humbled by the support of our incredible sponsors, flower purchasers and volunteers for their dedication to making the Presbyterian Robert Wertheim Hospice House a reality. Despite the challenges, Daffodil Days netted more than $132,000 to support Presbyterian’s Hospice House initiative. While we were not able to distribute the daffodils in our traditional fashion, our Hospice team spread the joy by sharing the daffodils with our Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Health Food Farmacy patients as well as at Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque and at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe.
We are incredibly grateful to you, our donors, for your understanding and support and we look forward to a wonderful event in 2021. Presenting Sponsor
Bouquet Sponsors
Summer 2020
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COVID-19 Response Fund donor highlights
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“We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to those who have contributed in any way,” says Rob Lasater, chair of PHF’s Board of Directors. “We’ve asked the community to give what they can to support our providers and staff who are giving everything, and they’ve responded very generously.”
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Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in New Mexico back in early March, the outpouring of support for Presbyterian has been overwhelming. Businesses of all sizes and individuals from all walks of life, including physicians, staff and employees, have made gifts to the organization. And the list continues to grow.
by the pandemic. With a goal of directing at least $2 million to Presbyterian’s COVID-19 response efforts, the PHF Board of Directors approved a special $1 million allocation from the Foundation’s unrestricted funds and the Foundation aims to raise an additional $1 million in matching contributions.
Recognizing the need for funding during the COVID-19 crisis, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation (PHF) created the COVID-19 Response Fund, which supports healthcare workers, patients and families affected
Presbyterian Volunteer Services immediately stepped up with a $400,000 gift, making them the single-largest COVID-19 donor to date. As of mid-May, the Foundation had received more than $400,000 in additional
Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
community contributions. Dozens of individuals, families and companies have also made nearly $200,000 worth of in-kind contributions, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and meals for frontline caregivers as well as other items. We’d like to highlight some of the donors who have so generously contributed to the COVID-19 Response Fund. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who has made a gift of any size. These and additional gifts will help fund equipment and unforeseen needs as they emerge.
Delta Dental of New Mexico
As an independent 501(c)(4) organization, Delta Dental prides itself on being a local company with Albuquerque-based customer service, provider relations, sales and marketing, training and philanthropic departments. Delta Dental supports oral healthcare initiatives to ensure adequate access and delivery of care throughout New Mexico. Gift: $75,000 for PPE and Free Meals for Kids programs “We looked at where we thought the most significant areas of need were and recognized how vital Presbyterian is throughout the state,” says JoLou TrujilloOttino, Delta Dental Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “It’s been really incredible to see how quickly they were able to respond in order to keep patients and families as safe as they could.”
Tony Baca
Tony Baca is CEO of Southwest Glass and Glazing (SWG), an Albuquerque business that installs glass and aluminum panels for commercial construction projects throughout New Mexico and surrounding states. SWG is a long-time partner of Presbyterian, having installed the glass and aluminum panels on most of the Presbyterian buildings built in the past two decades.
SWG installed the glass and aluminum panels on most of the Presbyterian Healthcare Services buildings constructed in the past decade, including Santa Fe Medical Center.
Gift: $1,000 “It felt like the right thing to do given the circumstances surrounding the pandemic. It seems as though hospitals are hardest hit in this situation,” says Tony Baca, CEO of SWG. “We give where we feel it’s warranted and I believe the money will be well spent.”
Family and Friends of Jill Traum
In March, Jill Traum, 71, passed away from COVID-19 after 10 days in the Intensive Care Unit at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center. One of the pandemic’s earliest victims, she was the state’s 33rd case and New Mexico’s third COVIDrelated death. “The Presbyterian doctors and nurses were exceptionally kind and compassionate,” says Jill’s daughter Kristine Kelly. “Everyone involved made communication easy and made me believe they cared so much about Mom and her family.” When Jill passed, her daughters, Elisabeth Laatsch and Kristine, reached out for donations to Presbyterian’s COVID-19 Response Fund. They raised $3,375 from 23 different family members and friends, all of whom live outside New Mexico. Gift: $3,375 “Our hope is that we could somehow make a difference for those who made a difference for our mom or help other families deal with their own loss,” says Elisabeth.
Mary Livingston
Since moving to New Mexico in 2012, Mary Livingston has been a Presbyterian patient. She says her doctors have been compassionate, supportive and committed to helping her find effective treatments for her health conditions, as well as guiding her to financial aid resources when she needed them. Mary hopes her donation will help front-line healthcare workers get the PPE they need to stay healthy. Gift: $120 “Thanks to Presbyterian Healthcare, I have received financial assistance and the best healthcare I ever imagined,” Mary wrote in her donation note. “Your doctors, nurses, and all your staff are the most loving, caring and dedicated people I have ever encountered. Thank you all for your service, going the extra mile and doing it all with a wonderful attitude. God bless you and keep each of you safe and healthy!”
A proud mother and grandmother, Jill Traum worked as a caretaker for the elderly. “She always wanted to be the caretaker and never let us take care of her, right down to the end,” Elisabeth says.
How You Can Support Presbyterian’s COVID-19 Response Charitable contributions have funded unmet needs associated with Presbyterian’s COVID-19 response. Foundation dollars have been especially helpful in filling funding gaps for priority needs including ventilators and telehealth equipment, as well as meals and snacks for frontline care teams, and other equipment and supply needs. To make a gift, go to www.phs.org/give. Summer 2020
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planned giving
Finlayson Gift Benefits Hospice House
making the
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BETTER PLACE
“Creating and maintaining Hospice House will provide more families with the opportunity to spend meaningful time together without worrying about their loved one’s end of life care. What could be better for a community than that?”
– Jennifer Finlayson
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Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
WORLD
The last few days and weeks in a loved one’s life are a precious time for families. When keeping a patient in their home is no longer an option, the next best alternative is a comfortable home-like setting where he or she can be treated with dignity, care and compassion. Hospice, complete with doctors, nurses and other essential care providers, offers emotional, spiritual and social support to patients and their families. Unlike most states, New Mexico currently has no residential hospice program that can meet the growing needs of our population. To fill that void, Presbyterian Hospice has partnered with Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation to build the first and only Hospice House in Central and Northern New Mexico, the Presbyterian Robert Wertheim Hospice House. Construction, which is slated to begin in 2021, and annual operations will be supported largely by philanthropy, including the generosity of people like Jennifer and David Finlayson, who have pledged $50,000 through David’s 401k to help fund the ongoing operational expenses associated with the Robert Wertheim Hospice House. The Finlaysons have a strong connection to both Presbyterian and hospice, starting with their gratitude for the physicians who cared for David’s
father through six heart attacks and a quintuple bypass, among other health conditions. “Pres was critical in getting him back on his feet and back home, and that’s how we developed a love for Presbyterian Hospital,” says David. “Once our kids grew up and we had a little disposable income, we wanted to do something for Presbyterian.” Jennifer’s connection to Presbyterian Hospice began when her sister Stephanie, a former hospice volunteer, was diagnosed with breast cancer. During Stephanie’s final days in hospice at Presbyterian Kaseman, Jennifer, who has also been a hospice volunteer, appreciated the quality of care her sister received. “They were phenomenal and they really gave us a place to spend time with her, eased her pain, cared for her compassionately and treated her with respect,” Jennifer says.
Designed to serve more than 300 patients and their families every year, the $3.3 million Presbyterian Robert Wertheim Hospice House will be a landmark of compassion and care for generations to come. To date, nearly $2.9 million has been raised, including a major gift from Elizabeth Wertheim to name the house in her husband’s memory.
The Finlaysons, who own and work at Finlayson Law Firm, PC, an estate planning legal firm, say they encounter people on a daily basis who will benefit from the new hospice house. “True hands-on compassion is what we need right now and hospice addresses that. We deal with people every day who are facing the impending loss of someone who is dear to them,” Jennifer says. Both Jennifer and David credit their fathers for their commitment to philanthropy and believe it’s important to leave the world better than you found it. “End-of-life compassion and care is really important to us,” Jennifer says. “If you’ve been part of a community, you should always be thinking about what you can do to make it better. We don’t just want to talk about it, we want to live it,” says Jennifer.
Summer 2020
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philanthropy in education Kathie Winograd Educational Excellence Fund
HELPING YOUNG PATIENTS
KEEP PACE Shayna Rosenblum and Kathie Winograd at the reception honoring Dr. Winograd and unveiling the Kathie Winograd Educational Excellence Fund.
“The school program will help our patients with their school work, help them remain connected with their peers while in treatment and help them reach their potential in life off therapy. The teacher will help keep our patients engaged and motivated to heal physically and emotionally.” – Xiaxan Li, MD, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Medical Director
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Giving | Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their lives are interrupted in a way that no person could comprehend without living through it. “Their chemotherapy treatments are incredibly intense and impact every aspect of the child’s life – eating, drinking, thinking, playing, walking, running and even sometimes breathing,” says Linda Butros, MD, a physician at Presbyterian Hospital’s Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (HEM/ONC) unit. In addition to having an impact on a child’s health and well-being, chronic health conditions in children and adolescents have a profound impact on their education as well. A continuous hospital stay for patients in Presbyterian’s pediatric HEM/ ONC program averages 14 days for most diagnoses and some can last as long as six to eight months. These extended stays are incredibly trying and stressful for the patients and their families, and often have a detrimental effect on school attendance, engagement, academic progress and social-emotional development. To fill the void, Presbyterian Children’s Care, in partnership with Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, has created a new hospital-based teacher program, Presbyterian Pace Academy. Named in honor of Katharine Winograd, PhD, the recently retired president of Central New Mexico Community College and past chair and member of Presbyterian Healthcare Services’ Board of Directors, the new program parallels Dr. Winograd’s tireless work to make education more accessible.
“I feel really stressed because I know that when I come back to school I’m going to have a lot of stuff to do. If I miss a lesson, when I come back I don’t know how to do it,” says 13-year-old Jocelyn Sarabique (right), a HEM/ONC patient. “The day before I go back, I don’t want to go to school because I’m far behind.” Jocelyn is pictured here with fellow patient Jasmine Martinez.
In this case, the beneficiaries are Presbyterian’s young, chronically ill patients. In the first two months after its opening in December 2019, the program benefited from more than $500,000 in gifts and pledges secured by the Foundation.
hospitalization across Presbyterian’s children’s program. With an annual program cost of $75,000, the Foundation aims to secure 7-10 years of funding before launching the Pace Academy, making it possible to start the program, while fundraising continues to sustain the program permanently. The program is designed to accommodate 10 patients at a time.
Shayna Rosenblum, Manager of Practice Operations for Pediatric HEM/ ONC at Presbyterian Hospital and a “Sustainability for a program like former teacher, has been the driving this matters a lot,” Shayna says. “If force behind the hospital classroom, working with hospital administrators to someone is going to build it, it needs to be here for the long term.” identify permanent classroom space, securing iPads, desktop and laptop computers, and hiring a teacher. She emphasizes the importance of treating the whole child through support services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, psychology, nutrition and education. “This program just makes sense if your goal is to treat the whole child. School is an integral part of their healing. As a children’s program, we’re obligated to normalize their lives as much as possible as they are going through treatment. School is one of the most normal things they do,” Shayna says. Hospital teachers can also help to ease the burdens of schoolwork for parents, who may have workplace demands and other children at home in addition to caring for a hospitalized child. The goal is to make the Pace Academy program available free of charge to pediatric patients requiring extended
About the Program
• Presbyterian Pace Academy invites and engages 5-18-yearold participants to continue their education by adapting schedules, coursework and physical or virtual classrooms in alignment with their medical treatment. • Kathie Winograd Mindworks Studio is a permanent classroom location at Presbyterian Hospital that gives participants a physical place to learn, interact with teachers and receive the support they need to achieve their academic potential.
To make a gift, visit www.phs.org/give, choose "Other" and fill in "Kathie Winograd Educational Excellence Fund." Summer 2020
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k r o w t a
Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation’s first-ever virtual event takes place Friday, August 28, 2020! We hope you’ll join us as we rally support for our healthcare heroes. Let’s go above and beyond for them, like they do for us each and every day.
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Guests will enjoy a live, interactive experience, featuring a comedic chat with the hilarious and talented Ryan Hamilton. New this year, guests can participate in a 50/50 cash raffle drawing and one winner will take home a cash grand prize!
AFFAIR
Tickets for the event and 50/50 cash raffle are still available! For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.phs.org/laughter | phfevents@phs.org | (505) 724-6578
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