NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Atrium Health Celebrates Groundbreaking of new Rehabilitation Hospital
On September 24, Atrium Health broke ground on the new Carolinas Rehabilitation hospital. When construction is complete, Atrium Health will be home to the first state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital in the Carolinas. The specialized hospital will boast some impressive numbers such as a 150,000 square-foot replacement hospital, 72 patient rooms, a 9,300 square foot outpatient clinic, an outdoor therapy garden, an aquatic therapy program, a center for independent living, and more. See architectural renderings and learn more here.
Virtual Event Raises $50,000 for Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children’s
This September, Atrium Health Foundation hosted a week-long virtual Tune Up Your Kidneys event in support of the Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children’s. Donors bid generously on a virtual auction featuring top-notch vacations, sports memorabilia signed by members of the Carolina Panthers, dining packages, artwork, and much more. Through the generosity of donors, the event raised $50,000 (and counting) to support necessary clinical research, education, and care delivery to help children with chronic kidney disease.
MAJOR GIFTS / GRANTS
Caroline’s PEACH Foundation Donates $200,000 to Underwrite DIPG Treatment
The donation made by the Caroline’s PEACH Foundation will support the work of pediatric oncologist Dr. Giselle Sholler, MSc, who is leading a new clinical protocol known as the P.E.A.C.H. Protocol – Precision mEdicine and Adoptive Cellular tHerapy – for the treatment of recurrent neuroblastoma and newly diagnosed DIPG.
Dr. Sholler, a pediatric oncologist, was recently named the director of the Isabella Santos Foundation Solid and Rare Tumor Program at Levine Children’s. She leads groundbreaking research at Atrium Health, including the successful opening of 19 new Phase I and II trials for neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma patients.
Pictured (left to right): Javier Oesterheld, MD, Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer and Blood Disorders; Giselle Sholler, MSc, director of the Isabella Santos Foundation Solid and Rare Tumor Program; Tina Kanis, Founder, Caroline’s PEACH Foundation; Stacy Nicholson, MD, MPH, Sara H. and Howard C. Bissell Endowed Chair, President, Atrium Health Levine Children’s; and Meg Willit, Caroline’s PEACH Foundation.
$100,000 Gift Brings the Speedway Children’s Charities Infusion Suite to Life
Thanks to a generous $100,000 gift from Speedway Children’s Charities, pediatric sickle cell and cancer patients now have a special place to receive infusions during their outpatient treatments at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital.
A $100,000 donation to Atrium Health Foundation has helped fund this renovated space, complete with an outer space motif that includes planets, rocket ships, comfortable chairs, and advanced gaming systems.
Watch the virtual celebration.
Don and Betty Anderson – $100,000 gift to the Betty Anderson Medical Laboratory Science Labs
A Charlotte family with a passionate interest in philanthropy, Don and Betty Anderson continue to help advance innovative research and education programs at Atrium Health, including recent support for the Carolinas College of Health Sciences Capital Fund. Laboratory science and medical education hold a special place in Betty’s life, as the former Director of the Carolinas College of Health Sciences’ Clinical Laboratory Science program for more than 30 years. An endowed nursing scholarship was established in her name to celebrate her retirement and honor her career. With their most recent gift of $100,000 one of three new clinical laboratory sciences labs planned for the Carolinas College of Health Sciences will be named in their honor.
Longtime supporters of Atrium Health, Don and Betty Anderson have for many years made vital contributions to enhance bladder cancer research programs at Levine Cancer Institute through the Don and Betty Anderson Fund for Bladder Cancer Research.
Atrium Health Foundation Receives Grant from Delta Dental Foundation to Support Pediatric Dentistry Program at Levine Children’s Hospital
Atrium Health Foundation is the recipient of a $34,438 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, to help underwrite operating costs of Atrium Health’s Pediatric Dentistry Program, a service line jointly administered by Levine Children’s Hospital and the Department of Oral Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center. The grant provides funding for critical equipment and supplies needed to offer both routine and specialized dental care to pediatric patients with complex medical needs or chronic health issues. Learn more.
Charlotte Knights Award $15,000 to the Atrium Health Essential Needs Fund
In April 2020, the Charlotte Knights established the “Knights Care 4 CLT” initiative to support healthcare workers, local charities, and Knights’ employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to this initiative, the Charlotte Knights recently awarded $15,000 to the Atrium Health Essential Needs Fund to help address ongoing PPE and supply needs.
Medical Toxicology Foundation Awards Emergency Medicine Grant to Atrium Health Fellow
Atrium Health Foundation is the recipient of a $10,823 grant from the Medical Toxicology Foundation for a study being led by Carolyn Fox, MD, a Medical Toxicology fellow at Carolinas Medical Center, to test a treatment for Acetaminophen overdose. Acetaminophen, an over the counter pain reliever, is the single leading cause of acute liver failure in North America. Dr. Fox’s study will look at the effects of Acetaminophen toxicity and help to determine certain indicators and factors for treatment success.
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK PARTNER NEWS
Walmart and Sam’s Club Campaign Raises $460,000 for Levine Children’s Hospital
This summer, 68 local Walmart and Sam’s Club stores raised a record-breaking $460,000 for Levine Children’s Hospital through the annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign. Despite the economic impact of COVID-19, local store associates, customers, and members showed their continued support of Levine Children’s pediatric patients.
EVENTS AND PARTNER NEWS:
Happening Now: Celebrate the Virtual Hopebuilders 5K Sponsored by Barings
This year marks an important milestone for the Hopebuilders 5K as we celebrate the 25th year of the beloved community event that brings hope, health, and healing to patients at Levine Children’s Hospital. Presented by Barings, this virtual celebration features “25 Days of Hope” that highlight inspirational stories of how our community builds hope for its most vulnerable children. To learn more and register for the virtual 5K visit Hopebuilders5K.org.
Charlotte Radiology and NoDa Brewing Company Host Virtual Pink Pint Night
On Thursday, September 24, Charlotte Radiology gathered virtually with supporters to “Fight From Home” for the 9th Annual Pink Pint Night. This year the event included an online auction, virtual flight tasting with NoDa Brewing Company’s chief brewer, breast health education, and more. Funds raised from the event, totaling $50,000 to-date and counting, will help to provide essential screening and diagnostic mammograms for local uninsured women through Levine Cancer Institute: Project PINK.
Inaugural Flock the Yard Event Benefits the Carolinas Ovarian Cancer Fund
Teal Diva, Teal Butterfly, and Atrium Health Foundation joined forces this September to organize a new ovarian cancer awareness event. Patients, families, care teams, and supporters were invited to make a donation and sponsor a teal flamingo or flock of flamingos. The flamingos were then perched at Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and honor those impacted by the disease. In addition to raising awareness of signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, the unique event raised over $12,000 to benefit the Carolinas Ovarian Cancer Fund at Levine Cancer Institute.
PLANNED GIVING NEWS
Dr. Stephen L. Kramer & Family – Bequest to the Carolinas Nursing Endowment and the Jean Karen Hotchkiss-Kramer Scholarship
Through a recent bequest to the Carolinas Nursing Endowment and the Jean Karen Hotchkiss-Kramer Scholarship, physicist Stephen L. Kramer, Ph.D., and his family continue to provide the opportunity for nursing students to receive a quality education and fulfill their potential in this vital field. Since the fall of 2008, the annual Jean Hotchkiss Kramer Nursing Scholarship, which was established to honor Dr. Kramer’s late wife, has been awarded to a deserving student at the Mercy School of Nursing at Carolinas Medical Center.
We are honored to name Dr. Kramer a member of Atrium Health Foundation’s Evergreen Society, as his bequest will make a tremendous impact on future generations of nurses and medical leaders.
U.S. Congress Passes Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
How the U.S. Congress has passed the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted to provide economic assistance, may impact your charitable giving this year:
- “Unlimited” Deduction for Cash Gifts: Thanks to the recent passage of the CARES Act, you can take an income tax deduction in 2020 for cash contributions directly to charity of up to 100% of your income.
- New Gifting Opportunity for Non-Itemizers: This provision was inserted specifically to encourage charitable giving this year. You can take an “above-the-line” deduction for up to $300 in cash gifts you make to Atrium Health this year. This is available for people who claim the standard deduction in 2020.
- No “RMDs” from your IRA, but still a smarter way to give: For individuals with IRA accounts, there are no Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) this year. However, giving pre-tax funds out of your IRA will still lower your future tax burden compared to giving cash. If you are interested in this method of giving please contact your IRA custodian today or contact Sara Piner, CAP®, Director of Gift Planning at 704.355.0844 or sara.piner@atriumhealth.org.