Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Recognizes Five Philanthropic Leaders

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – January 24, 2013 – The Winter Haven Hospital Foundation today recognized five generous benefactors whose philanthropic investments in Winter Haven Hospital’s patient care mission have helped to establish a sustainable legacy at the hospital. Their contributions help the hospital continue to pursue its mission of expanding access to health care in Central Florida by a locally owned and operated institution.

The benefactors were recognized at the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Philanthropy Center in the hospital's Volunteer Auxiliary Grande Lobby on Thursday.

“As a not-for-profit healthcare institution, Winter Haven Hospital would not exist without the continued and generous philanthropic support of successful individuals, families and businesses who live here and who’ve dedicated their lives to the advancement of our community,” said Eric Adamson, chair of the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. "The philanthropic leaders we honored are deserving of permanent recognition in our Foundation Philanthropy Center.”

Among those recognized were:

 Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. The distinguished citrus and agricultural products company has a long history of involvement and philanthropic investment in Winter Haven Hospital.

 The Paul and Jean Cate Endowment Fund. The Cates were long-time residents of Winter Haven. Paul Cate was a former Winter Haven mayor and city commissioner and was awarded the 1991 Winter Haven Banker's Cup. The Cates' legacy lives on through a charitable estate plan that perpetually endows community-based organizations such as Winter Haven Hospital.

 The Polk County Cup: Organized by John and Tracy Scheck of Winter Haven, the inaugural Polk County Cup, held March 30-April 1, 2012, raised funds to support services provided by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Winter Haven Hospital’s Regency Center for Women and Infants and to help underwrite scholarships for individuals at Polk State College aspiring to careers in nursing.

 John and Terry Parman. The Parmans are long-time residents of Winter Haven. John Parman is vice president and corporate counsel for Winter Haven Hospital.

 An anonymous donor, who while choosing to remain anonymous, has invested substantially in Winter Haven Hospital's not-for-profit healthcare mission.

Lance Anastasio, president and CEO of Winter Haven Hospital, said: “These philanthropic leaders are fundamental to how Winter Haven Hospital came into being and how we can continue to provide world-class healthcare services to Central Florida. We can cite example after example, from the Bostick Heart Center to the Cassidy Cancer Center to the Regency Center for Women & Infants, where philanthropic investments have provided both seed money to get programs off the ground and sustaining funds to ensure their success. And no one should forget how many lives in our community have been positively affected by those programs.”

Joel Thomas, vice president, Development, Marketing & Public Relations for Winter Haven Hospital, said the Foundation's Philanthropy Center has plenty of room to add more individual and organizational names.

“The Foundation Philanthropy Center was established to permanently thank and recognize the philanthropic leaders of our community,” Thomas said. “We know that the need for state-of-the-art medical care continues to grow, which means that the need for community support continues to grow as well.”

About the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation

The Winter Haven Hospital Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit charitable institution governed by a board of volunteer trustees who serve without pay. The Foundation cultivates philanthropic support to provide patients with state-of-the-art medical care, cutting-edge technology and equipment, top quality education, and the best educated and trained personnel. Funds raised support the not-for-profit patient care mission of Winter Haven Hospital.

About Winter Haven Hospital

Established in 1926, Winter Haven Hospital serves as the major medical center for east Polk

and Highlands counties and the U.S. Highway 27 / Ridge Corridor. The 527-bed hospital is a locally owned and operated not-for-profit organization. The hospital is fully accredited by the

Joint Commission on accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and has more than

300 board-certified physicians on its medical staff representing every major specialty. Affiliated with the University of Florida College of Medicine/Shands Healthcare, Winter Haven Hospital also is the home of Bostick Heart Center, the Cassidy Cancer Center, the Regency Center for Women and Infants, the Center for Urology and the Robotics Institute, a nationally accredited Stroke Center and the nationally accredited Joy-Fuller Rehab Center. The hospital has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with the prestigious designation of Magnet status, recognition granted to only 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has recognized Winter Haven Hospital’s Endoscopy Unit for promoting quality in endoscopy. With more than 2,500 employees, Winter Haven Hospital is east Polk County’s largest private employer and has been recognized for four consecutive years by Polk Works Workforce 2020 as one of the county’s best places to work. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.winterhavenhospital.org.

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