Local philanthropist voices passion through estate.
In 2020, Edie Stotler penned a letter asking individuals to honor Dr. Michael Novak, the founder of the Expanding Children’s Hearing Opportunities (ECHO) program at Carle Health, with a charitable gift. Edie frequently referenced the ECHO building as one of her favorite places because it was deeply important to her. ECHO offers comprehensive services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including a pediatric hearing center and the Carle Auditory Oral School (CAOS). Both provide a nurturing, family-centered environment that supports children with hearing loss in reaching their communication and learning potential. Edie planned for a third of her trust's proceeds to benefit ECHO/CAOS. Before her passing, she shared why this gift was important to her. Click this link to hear directly from this prominent local philanthropist. To learn more about planned giving to support Carle Health, please visit legacy.carle.org .
New breast health fund enhances patient care in Bloomington-Normal.
The whole idea for the Connie Wey Breast Health Services Fund just sort of evolved, said Mike Wey, whose niece Rachel is married to Andrew Bond, director of development for Carle Health Center for Philanthropy. “It just came up somewhat casually with Andrew, who said, ‘We’re doing something that you might really like over at the Cancer Institute.’”
That “something” was the High-Risk Breast Clinic, a new, multidisciplinary clinic designed to treat patients with an increased risk of breast cancer due to family history or biopsy-based risk factors. The Weys were impressed by the clinic but even more impressed by the person who leads it — Matilde François, MD, a skilled breast surgeon at Carle Cancer Institute Normal.
“Dr. François’ dedication and personal commitment to women’s breast health was really appealing to us,” Mike said. “She’s really well respected in the medical community and greatly admired by her patients.” Gina agreed, adding that it’s great to see a female physician taking the lead in breast health. “We’re really happy to see her doing that in this community.”
The Connie Wey Breast Health Services Fund supports facility enhancements, patient/caregiver support and community awareness programming. The fund was established in conjunction with the annual Women’s Health Luncheon hosted by Carle Health Center for Philanthropy at Carle Cancer Institute Normal, which most recently raised funds for two new exam rooms in the High-Risk Breast Clinic. The Weys also helped fund a new consultation space with a named gift at the inaugural event in 2023.
The community awareness component of the gift was very important to Mike, who believes the latest advances in care and treatment only take you so far. “All of those things are wonderful and should be celebrated,” Mike said. “But at the end of the day, it has to start with a potential patient being comfortable and willing enough to see a physician, have a conversation and get the screenings, because, absent of that, all of these wonderful advances are just sitting on the shelf.”
Women’s Legacy Circle grant provides new Day Room at Guest House.
Over the years, the Women’s Legacy Circle has awarded grants to fund a long list of patient-focused projects inspired by Carle Health team members in the Champaign-Urbana area. But they’ve only awarded two Legacy Grants.
The first gift, announced in 2020, provided $75,000 to purchase eight privacy tents and a trailer for the Mobile Health Clinic. But this year’s grant is even bigger, providing a gift to the Carle Auxiliary Guest House that will help it meet the needs of patient families in a whole new way.
The grant provides $125,000 to convert the Guest House library into a day room, complete with a daybed, TV, private bathroom, and a washer and dryer, all designed for short-term use. Unlike the house’s regular rooms, the Women’s Legacy Circle Day Room will not require guests to live more than 35 miles away or make an overnight stay. Anyone with a family member in the hospital can simply book a four-hour slot at the day room, providing a quick respite from the hustle and bustle of the hospital floor.
There are several criteria for the Legacy Grant. For one, it must be something that benefits patients. It also needs to be something that makes a lasting impact, in keeping with the grant’s theme. “The day room checked all the committee’s boxes. The day room will make a lasting impact for years to come,” said Kathy Aquino, chair of the Legacy Grant Committee. “Our giving circle has a history of supporting the Carle Auxiliary Guest House in different capacities. This initiative will continue that tradition.”
And according to Rachael Schott, manager of the Auxiliary Guest House, it’s something that guests will truly appreciate. “Being there for someone who’s critically ill is stressful,” Schott said. “Sometimes family members just need a quiet place where they can enjoy a hot shower or grab a quick nap. And soon, they’ll have the perfect place to do that. The new day room is an amazing gift from an amazing group of women. And we can’t wait to put it into action.”
Carle Health Greater Peoria nurse expands virtual nursing skills.
The Virtual Inpatient Nursing (VIN) service is a great way to assist nurses on the floor who may encounter a sudden surge in patient volume. Using a telemedicine machine that’s rolled into a patient’s room, VIN completed over 3,000 admissions in 2023, freeing up nearly 1,600 hours that floor nurses could use to help patients in other ways.
The program started in 2022, just after a pandemic that had placed extraordinary strain on medical personnel. “Nurses were overwhelmed because of the amount of work they were doing,” said Cynthia Martin, who brings more than 20 years of experience to the job. “They were coming to administration saying, ‘We’ve got to have help!’” Now, Martin can do that, reviewing medications and interacting with patients while floor nurses provide more physical services or attend other patients.
Ensuring nurses like Martin have the skills they need is one of the goals of Carle Health Center for Philanthropy, which provides thousands of dollars in nursing scholarships and grants every year. In September, this funding allowed Martin to attend the 2024 American Medical-Surgical Conference in Toronto, Canada, where she presented a poster on virtual nursing and learned about similar programs at other hospitals.
“One of the sessions I listened to included doing virtual discharges,” Martin said. That’s where she learned hospitals can reduce readmissions by 10% by using virtual nurses, who have focused time, to educate patients on their post-hospital care. “That’s huge!” she said, adding her team is now working to add this to their program.
“With virtual nursing being a fairly new concept to inpatient care, it’s imperative that we share with others and bring back ideas to increase patient outcomes and nursing satisfaction,” Martin said. Philanthropic support makes that possible, keeping Carle Health nurses on the cutting edge of care.
Donors bring MRI breast coil to Carle Richland Memorial Hospital.
For years, mammography has been the go-to for breast imaging, providing a useful tool for the early detection of breast cancer. “But it’s not the end-all-and-be-all as far as breast imaging is concerned,” said Jeff Lee, manager of diagnostic imaging at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital. Patients with dense breasts, for example, may not always benefit from a traditional or 3D mammogram, because radiation can’t penetrate the tissue deep enough to provide a clear image. Ultrasound helps, and in recent years it’s become a great tool for augmenting diagnosis. But recently magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, has moved into the forefront, providing a much-more detailed image that’s useful for initial cancer screening as well as post-treatment care.
“A lot more screening diagnosis is being made with MRI,” Lee said. Currently, however, patients requiring the procedure have to travel 30 minutes to get it, which can be a big hassle, and expense, for those requiring multiple visits. But that will change soon, thanks to philanthropic support that’ll enable the hospital to use technology it already has in an exciting new way.
Carle Richland has offered MRI on-site since 2015. The problem is that each scan requires a specific coil designed for the task. “Anything that we image with MRI has to have a corresponding coil,” Lee said. “If you have an MRI on your knee, you need a coil that goes around your knee. If you need one for your head, there’s one that goes around your head.” The problem is that the coil required for breast imaging is very large, with a price tag to match, coming in just north of $100,000. That’s where philanthropy enters the scene.
“The need is great, but I don’t think it’s enough to trump some other things,” Lee said. “So that’s why I reached out to philanthropy.” The Carle Richland Auxiliary Council was the first to help and pledged $20,400 toward the purchase. Thanks to generous donations from community members and proceeds from High Rolling for Health, the signature fundraiser for Carle Richland that raised more than $50,000 in 2024, the plan is to have the new coil in place by the end of the year, ensuring that local patients never have to travel far to get the advanced care they need.
There's still time to contribute in 2024.
Our mission to provide world-class healthcare, conduct impactful medical research, and train the healthcare providers and caregivers of tomorrow relies on the generosity of individuals like you. We sincerely appreciate your support. As we approach the end of 2024, here are some simple and effective ways you can give:
- A credit card or check donation to Carle Health Center for Philanthropy allows us to immediately access the resources needed to enhance healthcare in your community.
- Contributing from a donor-advised fund to Carle Health also has an immediate impact, utilizing funds you've already set aside for charitable goals.
- If you're age 70½ or older, a direct transfer from your IRA can be advantageous. This type of gift counts toward your required minimum distribution (if applicable), and you won't incur any taxes on the distribution.
Please remember, to qualify for a tax credit in 2024, all donations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on December 31, 2024. Thank you for your continued support.
