Transforming Medicine Campaign
Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
—Novelist George Eliot (1819-1880)
Thinking globally, acting locally
By Barbra Alan
For many,"think globally, act locally" is no more than a popular catchphrase. But for Upper Valley resident Frank Sands, former CEO of King Arthur Flour of Norwich,Vt., and his wife, Brinna, it is a way of life.
"We want our children and grandchildren to inherit a better world," says Brinna Sands. It's this desire that drives the couple to volunteer and support local organizations and educational institutions—among them the Upper Valley Land Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent protection of land and its resources throughout the Upper Valley, and Dartmouth College, Frank Sands's alma mater.
"Dartmouth is very important to our family," Frank Sands notes. It's easy to understand why: Frank's father,Walter,was a member of the Class of 1922; Frank himself is a proud member of the Class of 1958; and Frank's brother graduated from Dartmouth in 1959.Two of the Sandses' children are also Dartmouth alumni.
Tradition of giving
While Frank and Brinna Sands
have a long tradition of giving
to the College, the lion's share
of their most recent generous
gift will go toward the construction
of facilities for the
Center for the Evaluative Clinical
Sciences (CECS) within
the C. Everett Koop Medical
Science Complex, to be built
on the Lebanon campus of
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center. CECS's new home in
the Koop Complex will put its
investigators in close proximity
to physicians and scientists on
the Lebanon campus, leading to
a better flow of knowledge
through research labs, inpatient
and outpatient areas, and the
community.
"We see the hospital as an extension of the Dartmouth community and of the Upper Valley community," Frank Sands explains. Over the years, DHMC has also become an important part of the Sandses' lives: three of their grandchildren were born at the Medical Center, and Frank had both of his shoulders replaced by a DHMC orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. John Nutting.
But, says Frank Sands, it's Dr. Peter Williamson who gets the credit for inspiring this latest gift."Pete is a classmate of mine," Frank Sands explains. Williamson is also the founder and director of DHMC's renowned epilepsy program and cochair of the Transforming Medicine Campaign.
Role models
"Pete's a wonderfully contributive
guy," says Frank Sands of
Williamson, whose own generous
Campaign gift will establish
an endowed chair in honor of
Dr.Alexander Reeves, former
chief of neurology at DHMC
and now a professor emeritus.
Frank Sands adds that he was also moved by the contributions of another friend and member of the Dartmouth College Class of 1958—the Reverend Preston "Pete" Kelsey, who with his wife, Virginia, made a gift that will fund an endowed chair at Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
"They are wonderful role models," Sands says."Brinna and I wanted to be part of that."
Brinna Sands says they decided to direct their gift to CECS "because of the cross-fertilization that goes on between the College, Medical School, and Medical Center and Tuck and Thayer." Internationally recognized for its research on health outcomes, decision- making, and policy, CECS draws on the expertise of physicians, scientists, and clinician-scholars throughout the Dartmouth community, with the goal of improving the health-care system.
Quality of care
The Sandses' gift may be going
to a local institution, but the
impact of their generosity will
help improve the quality of
health care throughout the nation
and the world."I have this
sense that, long after we're
gone, our kids and grandchildren
will benefit from this [gift]
and know that we did something
to help improve health
care," says Frank Sands.
Honors for Development Communications
The Dartmouth Medical School-Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Office of Development Communications was the recipient of two national awards in this year's Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Awards for Excellence Competition.
The Transforming Medicine Campaign materials—including a case statement; special giftopportunity brochures, each with a companion mini-CD; an interactive CD; and a Campaign video—received the AAMC's highest award in the Premier Performance category. The interactive CD also earned highest honors in the Electronic Communication category.
The awards, which are given annually by the AAMC, recognize the most creative and effective approaches used to promote academic medicine in the U.S. through programs and products in the areas of alumni relations, development, public relations, and marketing.
Raising the bar
The financial goal of the Transforming
Medicine Campaign for
Dartmouth Medical School and
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center is to raise $250 million
by 2009. Even more far-reaching
is its goal of "raising the bar"
in medicine. Of questioning
assumptions—respecting tradition
but not following it blindly.
Of erasing boundaries—translating
science from the lab bench
to the bedside by connecting researchers
with clinicians. Of creating
solutions to the nation's
most critical health-care issues.
Of transforming medicine.
Campaign update
Dr. Peter Williamson, chair of
the Transforming Medicine
Campaign, reported that the
Campaign has received gifts and
pledges through May exceeding
$159 million. Within that total
are five gifts or pledges of more
than $5 million and two of over
$2 million. Enthusiasm remains
high, with alumni and supporters
gathering at events across the
country—in Boston, New York
City, San Francisco, Jackson
Hole, and West Palm Beach—to
learn how DMS and DHMC are
influencing medicine today.
Funding the people and programs
that will occupy the C.
Everett Koop Medical Science
Complex is among the highest
priorities of the Campaign.
"This is a great opportunity for
us to capitalize on our strengths
in these crucial areas of medical
research and clinical care,"
Williamson points out
As of mid-March 2007, the Campaign had raised over $152 million. All gifts made to Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center are credited to the Campaign, which is advancing medical education, research, clinical care, and much more.
Learning more
For more about the Transforming Medicine Campaign, visit http://transmed.dartmouth.edu
Barbra Alan, the former assistant director of development communications for DMS-DHMC, is now director of publications at Plymouth, N.H., State University.
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