Smooth Sailing at Casino Night 2008 (07/03/08)

Foundation announces Breast Cancer Initiative with Matching Gift Opportunity (07/03/08)

History of MMC to be Captured in Keepsake Book (07/03/08)

Babies shine among the stars at Methodist Medical Center (07/03/08)

Tee it up for the Acorn Classic! (07/03/08)

2008 We Care Employee Giving Campaign breaks Records! (07/03/08)

Nobody Is a Stranger (07/03/08)

Ray and Dee Burchell are great examples of a couple who enjoy life and making life better for others through their financial and gift-in-kind donations to the Fellowship Center, as well as their gifts of time in bringing musical joy to so many. Such an inspiring story!

There are many opportunities to make a difference with your gifts of time, talent and financial donations to programs supported by MMC Foundation. Fellowship Center’s sister facility, the Hospitality Houses, provide the same caring services for patients traveling to Oak Ridge for treatment at MMC.

Be like the Burchells and live life to the fullest. Contact us today for ideas and ways you can make a significant difference. Perhaps it is with a gift of needed supplies, or joining our volunteer ranks, or supporting patient care and education needs with a gift of cash, stocks or real estate. Other ways include putting a bequest in your will or making us a charitable beneficiary designation on your life insurance or retirement plan. You could choose a combination of these wonderful ways to help people served by the healthcare programs supported through MMC Foundation.

For more information, please contact Mary Sue Greiner, MMC Foundation, at (865) 835-5262 or mgreine1@covhlth.com.

Docs rock for Hospitality Houses (04/07/08)

Oak Ridge’s renowned physician band Second Opinion recently tied for first place at the annual Doc Rock for Health battle of the bands. Three area physician bands performed at Knoxville’s Valarium in February and competed to win cover charge proceeds to benefit their chosen health care charities.

Second Opinion chose Methodist Medical Center’s Hospitality Houses as their benefiting charity. The houses provide patients and their families free lodging and a place of respite when they are traveling long distances for treatment at MMC.

Nearly 300 people turned out to support Doc Rock for Health. Second Opinion’s supporters pushed the band into first place, resulting in $1,321 in proceeds to donate to the Hospitality Houses. The band features the talents of MMC medical professionals and friends Dr. Ken Luckmann, Dr. Bill Prater, Nancy Prater, Dr. John Jernigan, Dr. Daryl Harp, Larry Sheumaker, Mack Stephens, and Todd Wright.

Foundation Welcomes New Director of Development (04/07/08)

The MMC Foundation Board of Directors announced this month that Mary Sue Greiner has been selected as the Foundation’s new director of development. Mary Sue will begin her tenure in mid-April.

A certified fund raising executive (CFRE) by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Mary Sue has a diversified background that includes a variety of experience in both non-profit and for profit settings. She has been entrenched in the development field since 1996, and over that time period has been responsible for a broad range of fundraising activities. Most recently with the Girl Scouts, she also worked at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for more than seven years, and began her career in fundraising with Second Harvest Foodbank when she first came to East Tennessee.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and now living in Andersonville, Mary Sue has come to enjoy living, working and raising her family here. She is the proud mother of Rob, Eric and Emily, and happy “Grammy” to Lily and Lex.

“I am delighted to be returning to the healthcare ‘family’,” says Mary Sue. “I look forward to meeting the staff and friends of Methodist Medical Center very soon!”

Ron and Betty Ogle – A Unique Way of Giving (04/07/08)

Born and raised in Sevier County, both Ron and Betty Ogle feel a strong connection to the heritage and land their families have lived on for generations. The cabin that belonged to Ron’s great-grandfather, Noah Bud Ogle, still stands in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

“Sevier County is our home,” say Ron and Betty. “We feel very humbled to live in the place where we were raised. Our ancestors had a lot of pride in this land and in preserving their heritage.”

Dedication to that heritage and the future of Sevier County led the Ogles to make a significant contribution to the capital campaign for the new Fort Sanders Sevier. They chose to make that contribution through a gift of real estate.

“A piece of property is a sacred thing,” says Ron, recalling his family’s legacy of farming the land in Sevier County. “We used real estate to make our gift because it’s what we have. We consider ourselves generous people who are proud of our families’ history in Sevier County and we want to honor our respective families by making this gift.”

Both Ron and Betty appreciate the impact that the new healthcare facility will bring to the region.

Betty states, “It will lift the spirits of all our residents. Fort Sanders Sevier will provide a place for patients to go without driving to Knoxville or another area for medical needs. It will be marvelous to have the Thompson Cancer facility here, and to have access to our hometown boy, Dr. Chet Ramsey, and his research, not to mention the link to M.D. Anderson. There will be so many new and innovative technologies and procedures available that we can scarcely imagine it.”

“We’re the fastest growing county in the state,” Ron says. “The economic impact will be enormous. The master plan of the old Cherokee Mills property, redeveloping the airport and creating the new hospital, is just great in centralizing needed services. They are preserving green space in the construction of this complex and raising the bar for future development.”

Ron and Betty feel that the facility will be a real boost for the business community. “We can promote comprehensive healthcare available locally. Our quality of life is so important for new businesses looking to come into our area.”

“Every donor has a passion, and every donor has their own unique way of giving,” says Debbie Dowling, executive director of the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation at Fort Sander Sevier. “The Ogles have found their unique way to make a difference in our community by supporting the capital campaign with a gift of real estate. We are so grateful for their generosity and dedication to our health, our heritage, and our future.”

Do you have real estate that is costing you money?
Are you interested in turning this real estate into tax and financial benefits?
As you read in the article about the Ogles, giving a gift of real estate creates much personal satisfaction in supporting a worthy cause as well as more tangible benefits such as generous tax deductions and financial savings (not having to pay any additional expenses related to the real estate).

Giving a gift of real estate can also be used to create income for you and your loved one. Appreciated real estate is a great asset to use in funding a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust which provides an income stream to you and your loved one for life.

To find out more about unlocking the potential benefits of your real estate, contact Mary Sue Greiner, director of development, at (865)835-5261 or mgreine1@covhlth.com for a confidential report on “The Power of Real Estate.” It’ll be information well worth your time.

Save paper – read Faces of Philanthropy Online (04/07/08)

We’re going green! Beginning with our 2nd quarter 2008 issue, the MMC Foundation newsletter will be available via e-mail as well as via standard mail.

If you would like to receive your copy of Faces of Philanthropy via e-mail, please sign up by clicking the “e-newsletter sign-up” link. Thank you!

Holiday Lights Shine at MMC (02/12/08)

The first Christmas began with one light. It was a light that would come to represent love, peace and safety. The Hospitality Houses of Methodist Medical Center have shared that same meaning for thousands of cancer patients and their families who are far from home and in need of a place to rest.

The houses provide temporary lodging for patients and families who must travel for treatment at the medical center. Holiday Lights for Health is the annual holiday fund-raising campaign that supports the Hospitality Houses through the sponsorship of lights. By making a gift in memory or honor of a loved one, donors help keep the
houses' doors open to families who need their services and support.

On Tuesday evening, December 11, generous friends and supporters of the Hospitality Houses who contributed more that $35,000 during this campaign came together in the MMC lobby for a celebration of Holiday Lights. Guests were entertained by the MMC Chorus under the direction of Lois Layne, Mary Long and Jean Stone. They also heard special greetings from the MMC Foundation Board and Holiday Lights Co-Chairs Jenny Edgar and Clay Good. Clay was honored for his leadership of this campaign and his dedication to the mission of the Hospitality Houses. At the close of the evening, everyone joined in a countdown to light the decorations around the hospital lobby...and to remember how their generosity will brighten the hearts of all the guests who will experience the care and compassion of the Hospitality Houses in 2008.

The first Hospitality House opened its doors in 1997 and for 10 years, it has continued to hold them open for more than 2,700 guests from 27 states and even one foreign country. A second house, the CALM House, which was built by the Cooperative Agreement of Labor and Management, opened last year, offering these special services to twice the number of guests.

The Hospitality Houses have a common mission: to relieve patients and their families of the financial burden associated with such housing, thereby enabling them to focus on physical and emotional healing. The houses give patients and their families a chance to rest and heal and to find comfort among friends. Donations to the Holiday Lights campaign allow the Hospitality Houses to continue their mission and to offer care and service to those who need it.

With the community's help, the Hospitality Houses can continue their mission of service and hope, and guests can be assured there will always be room in our inn. For more information on how you can help, please contact MMC Foundation at (865) 835-5261 or visit www.mmcfoundation.org.

From Army Platoon Sergeant to Medical Doctor (02/12/08) The incredible journey of Dr. E.V. Davidson

When Dr. E.V. Davidson enlisted in the Army at the age of 18 in 1942, he did so with
pride and the knowledge that he was following in the footsteps of his father – a former Buffalo Soldier.

"I wanted to be a part of the Cavalry," said Dr. Davidson.

But, Dr. Davidson soon became part of a war that would start a wave of political
change throughout the world - World War II.

"I was in one of the first black combat troops in Italy," said Dr. Davidson. "We were
redeployed to Japan and stopped off in the Philippines just before the bombs were
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

Dr. Davidson and troops waited for days on a boat in Manila Bay, wondering when it would be safe to go to Japan. "When we finally made it over there it was like a desert, there was nothing, the buildings were melted. For 15-20 miles, you saw nothing but destroyed land," he said.

Dr. Davidson has never returned to Japan to see the progress made since the bombs' destruction. However, he has paid his respects to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor bombing at the memorial in Hawaii.

Despite the destruction and devastation that he saw in Japan, Dr. Davidson said it's not his most vivid memory. "The day I lost my best friend in a fox hole in Italy is the memory that stays with me," he said. "I was right beside him. I lived and he lost his life."

That's the common theme of war – some return home to friends and family and others perish in a foreign land. Dr. Davidson was one of the lucky ones. He left the Army in 1946 after serving as a platoon sergeant and foot soldier. With 36 men under his command in Italy, only 12 returned to the states.

A Long Island native, Dr. Davidson headed for more parts unknown again and enrolled in medical school at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, where he met his future wife, Esther, on the first day of school. A few years later, with a degree in hand and a new wife, Dr. Davidson established a prominent practice in Knoxville - his wife's hometown.

Board-certified in general abdominal surgery, Dr. Davidson has practiced at several local hospitals, including Methodist Medical Center. He's raised three children, including daughter Evelyn, who is also a successful physician with an internal
medicine practice in East Knoxville.

Retired from practice since 1992, he stays busy these days heading the Red Cross Clinic at St. Joseph's School in Knoxville. The years have been relatively kind to Dr. Davidson. He's active and healthy at age 82. He lost his wife Esther to cancer in 1988, but has since gained four grandkids. While he carries with him the memory of war, he's never let it overshadow him.

"This is my country and I fought for it," said Dr. Davidson. "That's what I had to do. I'm proud of my fellow soldiers. We're a generation that's very patriotic. We're proud of where we came from and even more proud of what we've accomplished since the war.

"I've seen a lot and lived through a lot, including segregation," said Dr. Davidson. "You take the good with the bad. After all, it was war that allowed me to meet the famous boxer Joe Lewis! Not many people can say they've served as a sergeant with one of the greatest boxers of our time."

And, taking the good with the bad, Dr. Davidson continues to support our troops today.

"We've lost some of our patriotism in this country," he said. "But one thing remains true - people in war are so scared they do things they'd never normally do and all heroes really started out as cowards. It's our job to support our heroes."

Recent events honor Foundation friends (02/12/08)

National Philanthropy Day Luncheon
Methodist Medical Center and MMC Foundation honored Homer Fisher in November at the Association of Fundraising Professionals annual National Philanthropy Day luncheon. Fisher was the driving force behind the recently completed $1.3 million campaign to bring robotic surgery to MMC. He is senior vice president emeritus of the University of Tennessee, having spent 38 years in higher education before taking on the management of UT's Oak Ridge office. Thank you, Homer, for all you have done to improve the health care of patients at MMC!

Retired Physicians Luncheon
MMC Foundation hosted its second annual Retired Physicians Luncheon on November 5th in the Ridge Room at MMC. Over twenty physicians and their spouses were on hand to hear an update on hospital activities from CAO Mike Belbeck. Featured speaker Dr. E.V. Davidson shared his experiences as the first African-American physician in the MMC emergency room during the 1950's. The Foundation
salutes our current and retired medical staffs and looks forward to future opportunities to share experiences and build on the MMC legacy.

MMC Foundation Board Retreat
On Friday, November 9, members of the Foundation board met for a full day of planning, evaluation and education as they looked toward a successful fund raising year in 2008. Outgoing board members Murrell Hughett, Mary Yoder, Patricia Clark, Dr. Glenn Greer, and George Mathews were honored for their years of service and leadership on the board. Thank you for your commitment to MMC and the health of our community!

A New Year's Resolution (02/12/08)

January is a month for making resolutions for the New Year. 2008 represents a fresh start, an opportunity to pull out our "to-do" list and try to check off a few more items. MMC Foundation wishes to share the following "to-do" items with you:

1. Get a Last Will and Testament.
(If you don't have a will, the State of Tennessee has one for you and you may not like how the state distributes your assets to your loved ones.)
2. Make sure you have a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or Living Will to let your family and doctors know about your health care wishes in case the time comes when you are unable to speak for yourself because of injury or illness.
3. If you have a will, dust it off and make whatever changes need to be made.
(Life changes. It's amazing how minor children can grow so fast and become self-sufficient adults, how family members can pass away, how marital status can change...all of these changes may affect the way your will was written. Go ahead and update your will, you will feel better knowing your interests are up to date!)
4.Think about the charities you currently support. What happens to this support once you are gone? Now is a good time to consider adding a bequest to your will. It's simple and easy to do and can be accomplished in several ways:
• designate a specific sum to your charities of choice
• designate a percentage to your charities of choice
• designate a percentage of the remainder of your estate after your initial bequests to family and friends (example: I bequeath 80% of my estate to the following family and friends...Of the remaining 20%, I bequeath 10% to my church and 10% to the MMC Foundation.)
5. Take a look at your retirement plan. Did you know that any of your retirement plan dollars going to your heirs are subject to income tax? These dollars can also be subject to estate tax and really are better used as a way to continue your legacy of caring.

Find out more about the flexibility ofgiving using your retirement plan assets by requesting our complimentary brochure Questions and Answers about Retirement Plans. Contact Quincey Harrington, MMC Foundation, at (865) 835-5261 or qharring@covhlth.com for more information.