Hospital shines spotlight on Business Partners

In his opening remarks, Corporate Gifts Chairman Gary Feliks said, “I’m delighted every year at the wonderful support our hospital receives from businesses and civic organizations. Your extraordinary generosity is not only proof of your support of local business, but also the wisdom of insuring that quality healthcare is available in our community.”

Messenger photos by Kristy Zurbrick The following individuals represent Business Partners who were honored for new campaign gifts or represent a new member of the Madison County Hospital (MCH) Foundation Business Partners Honor Roll: (front row, from left) Darla Bires, MCH H.E.A.R.T.S., Employee Giving Club; Misty Bradley, Merchants National Bank; Diane Byers, byersauto.com; and Jackie Call, cultiva design; (second row) Karen Peters, Creamer Metal Products and Peters Photography; Joan Denes, MCH Auxiliary; Gary Lantz, Merchants National Bank; Tom Cox, FirstMerit Bank; Curt Ramkissoon, FirstMerit Bank; and Christina Todd, Battelle; (back row) Van Viney, MATCO Industries; Cara DePugh, Iota Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Psi Sorority; Randy Crisp, CVS Pharmacy; Bill Young, Young’s Cyclery of Central Ohio; Bill Coughlin, Stanley Electric; Steve Adams, Advantage Bank; Gene Ball, Fraternal Order of Eagles 950; and Dr. Mitchell Spahn, MCH Medical Staff.

The following individuals represent businesses that are members of the Madison County Hospital Foundation’s Business Partners Honor Roll: (front row, from left) Melinda Elliott, Fine Designs and Interiors; Shari Henry, Kronk and Scaggs Insurance, Inc.; Tracy Mathewson, BST Trucking; and Jane Herman of Madison Senior Living Community; (second row) Al Wilderman, Realtor; David Brand, London Rotary; Jamie Peart, State Farm Insurance; Jim Durban, Madison Messenger; Richard Flax, Flax Law Firm LLC and Midland Title West; (third row) Tim Wilson, Wilson Printing and Graphics; Dr. Gregg Alexander, Madison Pediatrics; Mike Quilter, New York Life Insurance; Drew Dwyer, Dwyer Brothers; Glenn Balasky, Mid-Ohio Oncology; Shawn Hendricks and Mike Hopkins of Nissen Chemitec America; Ken Underwood, Jefferson Industries; and Gary Feliks, O’Connor’s Office Products and Corporate Gifts Chairman.

Hospital CEO Fred Kolb introduced members of the hospital leadership team and the medical staff. He announced that three new physicians are on staff and doing procedures at the hospital: Dr. Ronald Smith, ENT, and Dr. Mohan Das and Dr. Kenneth Wright, both vascular surgeons.

“I am also especially pleased to announce that Dr. Katherine Binns will be opening her family practice in the Park Avenue Medical Building September 1. Dr. Binns is already a resident of London, and we know she will be a great addition to our medical staff,” Kolb said.

Foundation President Randy Crisp thanked Foundation committee chairs Feliks, Dr. Mitch and Sheri Spahn, Darla Bires, Mike Quilter and Ginger Kronk. Their committees have helped the Foundation surpass the $1 million mark toward its $2 million fundraising goal for the fight against breast cancer in Madison County.

Spahn, the hospital’s chief of staff and a Foundation board member, updated the business Partners and guests on what has been accomplished by the Breast Cancer Initiative during the past year.

“Because Madison County has the state’s highest mortality rate from breast cancer and a very high incidence rate, we have focused a great deal of effort on educating people on the importance of early detection,” he said.

The hospital added a patient navigator who has assisted 40 patients through breast cancer screening, diagnostic and/or treatment procedures. Over 3,000 screening and diagnostic mammograms have been done since January of 2007, and a special fund has been established to assist women who do not have health insurance.

“We can do sentinel node biopsies thanks to the expertise of general surgeon Dr. A. J. Beisler, who has just been named medical director of our Breast Care Center. And we can perform MRIs of the breast, thanks to generous gifts from our Auxiliary and Radiology Inc. These are two state-of-the-art diagnostic options for our patients,” Spahn said.

Dr. Mitchell Brack, medical director of radiology for the hospital, gave an overview of the hospital’s new radiology software system known as PACS (picture archiving communication system) and how it will improve patient care. The PACS system captures images in a digital format. Images can be viewed and stored on computer, eliminating the need for X-ray film. This is more efficient and allows for sharing of images between physicians via computer or a CD.

Following Brack’s presentation, Feliks welcomed two new members to the Foundation Business Partners Honor Roll: cultiva design, a local graphic design firm owned by Jackie Call, and Young’s Cyclery of Central Ohio, owned by Bill Young. Both Call and Young received special recognition pieces and their names will be added to the hospital’s wall of honor.

Feliks also thanked 17 current business partners for new campaign commitments. 

Top honors of the morning went to Battelle, which recently pledged a gift of $300,000 to the Breast Cancer Initiative. Christina Todd, community relations liaison, was on hand to represent Dr. Robert Casillas, vice president and manager of Battelle.

“This gift makes Battelle the first business to be recognized at the Pacesetter Silver Level. They will also be recognized again later this year when the hospital’s breast care center is renamed ‘The Battelle Breast Care Center’ in honor of their outstanding contribution,” Feliks said.

Advantage Bank, represented by Steve Adams, was recognized for their new pledge which moved them into the Partner Silver Level for gifts in excess of $5,000. Advantage employees are also helping with the campaign by wearing pink on Fridays to promote breast cancer awareness.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles was honored for its second campaign gift, moving the Eagles into the Partners Gold Level recognizing gifts of $10,000 or more. Gene Ball was on hand to represent the Eagles, as well as his own business.

The 14 other business partners honored for new campaign gifts included:  byersauto.com, Charleston Pharmacy, Creamer Metal Products, CVS/Pharmacy, FirstMerit Bank, Iota Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Psi Sorority, MCH H.E.A.R.T.S. Employee Giving Club, Madison County Area Realty Association, MCH Auxiliary, MATCO Industries, MCH Medical Staff, Merchants Bank, Peters Photography, and Stanley Electric.

Feliks singled out two groups from the hospital family for special mention, the MCH Auxiliary and the MCH H.E.A.R.T.S. Employee Giving Clubs. For the second year in a row, the Auxiliary donated $40,000 for capital projects, bringing their cumulative giving to almost $800,000. Members of H.E.A.R.T.S. are giving a record-breaking $30,000 to the hospital this year for the breast cancer initiative.

“One of the best things about supporting our local hospital is the knowledge that every gift to our capital campaign stays right here in Madison County and goes directly to improve local health care services,” Feliks said.

Donor List

Members of the Madison County Hospital Foundation’s Business Partners Honor Roll are listed below.

Pacesetters

• Top Business Partner at the Gold Level ($500,000+) is the Madison County Hospital Auxiliary.

• New Silver Level ($250,000+) donor is Battelle.

• Bronze Level ($100,000+)—MCH H.E.A.R.T.S. Employee Giving Club, Showa Aluminum Corp., and Stanley Electric U.S. Co.

Leaders

• Gold Level ($75,000+)—Friends of Hospice.

• Silver Level ($50,000+)—Agricultural Lands, Inc. and Aladdin Temple Shrine.

• Bronze Level ($25,000+)—B.S.T. Co., Church & Dwight Co., H.V. Christopher Post 1176 & Auxiliary, Jefferson Industries Corp., Nissen Chemitec America (formerly London Industries), and Ohio Edison/First Energy Foundation.

Partners

• Gold Level ($10,000+)—CVS/Pharmacy, Fraternal Order of Eagles 950, The Huntington Bank, London Kiwanis Club, the MCH Medical Staff, and Radiology Inc.

• Silver Level ($5,000+)—Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., Advantage Bank, Coughlin Automotive Group, Ernie’s Medicine Shoppe, FirstMerit Bank, London Rotary Club, Madison Memorial American Legion Post 105, MATCO Industries, National City Bank, the former Nichols, Stonecipher & Flax, Open Buggy Furniture Gallery, Plain City Lions Club, Ruth Lyons Fund and Wolfe Associates, Inc.

• Bronze Level ($1,500+)—Andrix & Co.; Arbors at London; Buckeye Ford Mercury; byersauto.com; Charleston Pharmacy; Janie Cox, Realtor; Creamer Metal Products; cultiva design, Dan Hatfield Chrysler Dodge Jeep; Dillion Realty; Dunlap-Hay Insurance Agency; Dwyer Bros. Inc.; Fairbrook Homes Inc.; Fine Designs & Interiors; Flax Law Firm, LLC; Richard Flax – Midland Title West; the former Goodyear Plymouth Chrysler; Hankins Development; Iota Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Psi Sorority; Jay Car Construction Co. Inc.; Kearfott Eye Group Inc.; Kronk & Scaggs Insurance Inc.; the former Londontowne Pharmacy; Madison County Area Realtors Association; Madison Lawn Care Ltd.; Madison Messenger; The Madison Press; Madison Senior Living Community; Merchants National Bank; Mid-Ohio Oncology/Hematology Inc.; Nelson & Ball Heating & Cooling; O’Connor’s Office Products; Peters Photography; Premier Healthcare Services; Michael C. Quilter, New York Life; Rader-Lynch & Dodds; Al Renner, pharmacy consultant; James Peart, State Farm agent; West Jefferson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7005; Al Wilderman, Realtor; Wilson Printing & Graphics; and Young’s Cyclery of Central Ohio.