HERMAN SILVERMAN

Humble Beginnings: The $100 Heart Club

True to form, the entrepreneurial Silverman set out to rectify the situation. Having realized success as the founder of Sylvan Pools, one of the country’s largest swimming pool companies, Silverman had a knack for creating new ventures.

That day at lunch, he and his friends launched the $100 Heart Club. With initial contributions of $100 each, and at Silverman’s request, they sought to enlist others and pledged to raise funds yearly in support of Doylestown Hospital’s cardiac program.

Nearly forty years later, the $100 Heart Club is now known as Friends of the Heart Institute. At 250 volunteers strong, this dedicated group of supporters has collectively raised $1.5 million since 1978. These funds enabled Doylestown Health to achieve designation as a recognized center of cardiac care excellence as was originally envisioned by Dr. McGarvey and Doylestown Hospital leadership.

“Doylestown Health has grown in stature, respectability and accountability in so many ways,” says Silverman. “I know people that live closer to other hospitals who want to come here instead because of the kind of care you get that’s just not available elsewhere.” Through lead gifts and special events, funds raised by the Friends of the Heart Institute support the key priorities of the Woodall Heart and Vascular Care such as the purchase of state-of-the-art medical and surgical equipment and patient education programs.