The Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education
Advancing the Art of Pediatric Medicine
The Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education honors the life and memory of Valya E. Visser, MD, former Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, educator, and neonatologist at Carolinas Medical Center (CMC). Throughout her 18 years at CMC, the quality of resident education was one of her central passions. Not only did she expect residents to excel at the science of medicine, but she also expected them to demonstrate the art of medicine.
Established by her colleagues, the Endowment is an Atrium Health Foundation fund dedicated to supporting advanced fellowships, resident education, and notable faculty educational endeavors associated with the Department of Pediatrics at CMC with an emphasis on promoting the humanitarian aspects of medicine. The Endowment chiefly supports three forms of educational endeavors.
One is specialized fellowships and/or awards, in conjunction with the Department of Pediatrics at CMC, to be known as the Visser Awards and Visser Fellows. The recipients of the annual award and fellowship will exemplify compassion and humanitarianism in patient and family care. Second, funding will be used for the retention of distinguished lecturers and visiting professors in the field of pediatrics and other pediatric subspecialties at CMC. Third, the Endowment will fund grants for resident and faculty research and education projects associated with general pediatrics, neonatology, and other pediatric subspecialties at CMC.
Excellence in Pediatric Faculty and Facilities
The Department of Pediatrics at CMC offers a fully accredited three-year training program for residents, with 12 positions in each academic year. Our goal is to assist residents in becoming competent, confident, and caring pediatricians, able to take their place in the community in service to children.
The mission of Atrium Health calls upon the pediatric faculty and staff to lead residents by three guiding principles: providing the best possible patient care, constantly sharing their knowledge and experience, and advancing the learning process through resident research efforts. The Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education’s emphasis on promoting pediatric faculty and resident educational endeavors is an important component of the mission of Levine Children’s Hospital, which emphasizes providing world-class care, close to home. Since 2007, the hospital has continued to attract and retain some of the brightest residents and faculty from across the country.
The Role of Charitable Support
By giving to the Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education, you play a key role in sustaining and building upon our level of excellence in pediatric medicine and medical education. Whether you are a colleague, grateful patient, alumnus of the program, or friend, you can make a difference by helping advance resident and faculty educational endeavors associated with the Department of Pediatrics at CMC.
The Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education receives contributions through its charitable administrator, Atrium Health Foundation. These gifts may range from personal checks to gifts of securities and charitable bequests. All are deductible for either income or estate tax purposes, as allowed by IRS guidelines. Please refer to the Guide to Giving (below) for more information on methods of contributing to the Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education. Particular gift plans may enable you to contribute while retaining residual benefits for you and your heirs.
Honor a Caregiver or Loved-One with Your Gift
Families and friends of pediatric patients often express interest in giving donations in honor of a physician, nurse, or other caregivers. In these cases, the names of the honorees should be included with the gift. The Valya E. Visser Endowment for Pediatric Education also welcomes commemorative and memorial contributions in honor or memory of a family member or friend. Gifts from grateful patients, commemorative/memorial contributions, and other forms of support are all promptly acknowledged by Foundation representatives, with notification sent to appropriate individuals as designated by the donor. Amounts of contributions remain confidential. Donate now.