THE BOARDS OF TRUSTEES

Throughout the year, the leadership of Doylestown Health receives heartfelt messages of appreciation from grateful patients. While each patient’s personal story is unique, a notable theme is that the highest praise is conveyed for the people who provided care—chief among them the doctors, nurses, and volunteers.

“The dedication and teamwork of our doctors, nurses, volunteers, and everyone at Doylestown Health who cares for our patients is just amazing,” says Joan Parlee, Chair of the Boards of Trustees of Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health Foundation. “During this past year our clinicians and Associates put aside their own fears and concerns and stepped forward to share their expertise. Many filled positions outside their normal roles as well in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she continues. “We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful organization to care for us every day and especially during a crisis.”

While gratitude for doctors, nurses, and volunteers is ongoing, certain days and weeks each spring are officially designated as national celebrations, shining a light on the contributions of the people called to these noble vocations.

Launched at the end of March 2021 in celebration of National Doctors’ Day, the Boards of Trustees $100,000 Challenge Match was created to honor physicians, as well as volunteers during National Healthcare Volunteer Week in April, and nurses during National Nurses Week in May.

As Marianne Chabot, Vice Chair of the Doylestown Hospital Board of Trustees and VIA Member, shares, “We had 100-percent participation from the Trustees of both Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health Foundation—37 members total—inspiring contributions by generous members of the community. This challenge is just one of the ways that we as a Board came together to show our deep appreciation for our extraordinary caregivers here.”

Spanning a period of three months, the giving challenge match concluded on June 30 with more than $330,000 in donations from the community. When added to the almost $150,000 in commitments from the Trustees, the grand total for this inaugural giving challenge reached nearly $480,000—far exceeding expectations. All gifts to the challenge match support ONE VISION: The Campaign for Doylestown Health and its highest priorities. “As we continue to move forward with our comprehensive campaign, the ongoing support from our volunteer Boards and the community is a tremendous source of pride for us,” says Laura Wortman, Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “While it is true to the character and history of Doylestown Health, our collective leadership stepping up to endorse our physicians, nurses, and volunteers sends an important message. We are only able to deliver the high-quality patient care for which we are nationally recognized because of our incredible teams of caregivers.”

Upon learning of the Boards of Trustees $100,000 Challenge Match, Brenda Foley, MD, FACEP, Medical Director of the Emergency Department, said, “For me, this tremendously generous matching gift challenge reinforces the deep sense of personal commitment that hospital leadership has to our medical professionals and volunteers. I am humbled by their generosity, along with the support of the Doylestown community that we so proudly serve.” As the current President of the Doylestown Hospital Medical Staff, Dr. Foley also notes, “I speak not only for myself, but on behalf of the members of our medical staff in expressing gratitude for this outstanding Boards challenge that demonstrates the uniquely supportive culture here at Doylestown Health.”

Mollie Covington, MSN, RN, CCRN, reflects on working in the ICU during the early days of the pandemic. “We were amazed at how people rallied to help us with donations of masks, food, and kind messages,” she says. “As nurses, we appreciate that it takes a village to care for our community, and when our community steps forward, we know we are not forgotten. I appreciate that Doylestown Health is able to remain independent, and it’s because our Boards and our community are dedicated to our mission.”

“I am so proud of Doylestown Health and our ability to recruit some of the most talented and caring doctors and nurses around,” says Chabot. “The contributions of our expert healthcare teams and volunteers are always worth celebrating, and I’m grateful to our community for recognizing that and answering this challenge.”