Centra Materials Management Supervisor Tim Oswald helps keep these masks and other critical supplies flowing to all Centra facilities.

“It’s been challenging at times,” Oswald notes. “There’s a lot of material coming in these days, and as fast as we get it in, it’s going out. These masks are actually going out within the hour!” With record-high usage of personal protective equipment, Oswald adds, “Any quantity is helpful, and everything is appreciated. We’ll gladly take it.”

While donations for supplies are vitally important, Centra Senior Vice President Michael Elliott points out that there is a benefit to meal donations as well.

“Our staff needs all the support we can provide,” says Elliott. “Take the nurse who’s been gowned all day, who doesn’t always know if a patient has COVID, who’s worried about kids at home, worried about older parents, but is having to be at work and focused. It can get really hard emotionally. So it’s great to be able to step back and say, ‘You’re doing a great job; there are people outside our building who appreciate you. You’re their hero.’ It really helps to know what they’re doing is appreciated. It really helps us wrap our arms around our caregivers.”

HIGHLIGHTSNEWS FROM THE CENTRA FOUNDATION SUMMER 2020

Corporate gift addresses urgent, ongoing need

As a nonprofit institution, Centra is always grateful for assistance from both individual and corporate donors—and sometimes that help takes pleasantly unexpected forms.

In June, Centra received a notable two-part corporate gift that provided both a measure of protection and a dose of encouragement for Centra caregivers.

One part of the gift came when employees from the Wards Road Panda Express restaurant arrived at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital bearing 70 meals in appreciation for caregivers.

At the same time, Panda Express also demonstrated its support for Centra with the donation of nearly 20,000 much-needed face masks, courtesy of the chain’s Panda Cares Foundation. (Panda Express is a corporate partner of Centra Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.)

The mask donation helps address an urgent, ongoing need. Chris Lewis, MD, Centra vice president of medical affairs, explained, “We’re now having to protect ourselves all the time. Those procedural surgical masks are particularly important; all our caregivers get one per day. But now it’s the same for non-clinical employees as well, even back-office employees like me. Our stance is really ‘everybody wears a mask’ to try and reduce the spread as best we can.”

Centra Senior Vice President Michael Elliott and Children’s Miracle

Network Program Director Michelle Thomas accept donations of face masks

and meals from local and regional Panda Express

officials.

Panda Express donates masks and meals for caregivers

Local Giving. Local Impact.

2 | HIGHLIGHTS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrew T. Mueller, MDPresident/CEO

George A. Hurt, MDInterim Chairman

Douglas C. DavenportTreasurer

Beth DoyleExecutive Vice President

Robert R. Chapman IIIMelanie Christian

Theodore J. CraddockThomas Delaney, MDMichael Diminick, MD

MaryJane DolanMichael I. Elliott

Paul F. Fitzgerald, MDRobert H. Gilliam Jr.John J. Halpin, MD

David HerrickJanet Hickman, MD

Yuille Holt IIILee Pfeiffer

Augustus A. Petticolas, DDSAmy Ray

John H. Sorrells IIIR. Sackett Wood

STAFF

MISSION

The Centra Foundation’s mission is to develop resources to support Centra in providing excellent

healthcare for the communities we serve, now and into the future.

Beth DoyleExecutive Vice President

Andrea ByersDevelopment Assistant

Deborah DonniganExecutive Assistant

Allison Kughn EbertAnnual Giving Manager

Anne HogeRecords Coordinator

Kelly KnightDirector of Foundation

Operations

Michelle ThomasCorporate Development

Manager

August 14, 2019, is etched in Johanna Calfee’s mind. Nine weeks pregnant, it was the day Johanna learned she had Stage III inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive disease in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Johanna was newly pregnant when she noticed that her breast was red and dimpled. Although inflammatory breast cancer is rare, accounting for just 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed in the United States, Johanna’s mother-in-law is in remission from the disease, and when Johanna went for her nine-week check-up, she feared she had it, too. An ultrasound and a biopsy showed she had tumor involvement as well. “It was my 9- and 6-year-old daughters’ first day of school,” Johanna remembers. “I got the call that afternoon. It was crazy. I was 38 years old and pregnant with cancer.” In a typical Stage III breast cancer diagnosis, Johanna immediately would have begun treatment, and the tumor would have been removed. But that would have put her baby’s life at risk. Johanna and her husband, Daryl, elected to postpone treatment for five weeks until she could safely begin chemotherapy in her second trimester. There was also the rarity of her cancer, which requires more specialized treatment. The Lynchburg couple explored options at medical centers from Virginia to Texas. After careful deliberation, the Calfees chose Centra. “We decided that the care at Centra would be equal to the care we would receive anywhere else,” said Johanna. “We also have complete trust in Dr. Emily Jenkins, my oncologist, and Dr. Angela Brady, my radiation oncologist. Plus, Centra is in our own backyard…it made life a little easier being here.” Johanna underwent four rounds of chemotherapy in her second trimester at the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center. She was 28 weeks pregnant when she had a bilateral mastectomy. As if life wasn’t already complicated enough, on the day Johanna went into labor, the Commonwealth shut down because of COVID-19. After 36 hours of labor, their son, Emmanuel, was born on March 14. Stressed by the long labor, the infant wasn’t breathing. He was resuscitated and rushed to the Neonatal

Johanna Calfeewears a DigniCap, scalp cooling technology that

helps reduce hair loss from chemotherapy.

Giving back

Pregnancy, cancer, then the pandemic…”our world turned upside down”Family draws support from Centra, their church, the community and each other

continued on page 32 | HIGHLIGHTS

Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital where he was treated for fever and jaundice. Johanna was released to go home. However, because of the quarantine, the only way she could see her baby boy was to stay with him in the NICU while Daryl cared for their girls at home. Mother and baby went home after a week, and today, Emmanuel is “100 percent healthy.” Johanna began her last of four rounds of chemotherapy on March 27. The pandemic meant Daryl could not be by her side, so he sat outside her window at the cancer center holding a sign that said, “I love you. Right here with you.” “He came to everything with me, and when he couldn’t, he figured out a way to be there,” Johanna said. She began 30 radiation treatments June 15 — the last of her active treatment. Cancer, the pandemic and Emmanuel’s birth “turned our

world upside down,” she said. “There have been difficult days, but we’ve rallied together, and these events have drawn us even closer as a family. There have been a lot of big, scary questions, a lot of tears and a lot of prayers. We hope that we have more resilient kids because of what we’ve all been through.” Johanna and Daryl, who celebrated their 17th anniversary on June 21, have nothing but praise for the care and support they have received from Centra, their church and the greater Lynchburg community. “I’ve seen such goodness in people through all of this,” said Johanna, adding that she and Daryl are telling their story, partly because of the public lives they’ve lived – she as a former television reporter and anchor and former editor of Lynchburg Living; he as vice president of marketing for Moore & Giles; and together, as renovators of old buildings. “I believed from the get-go that there would be a purpose and a hope in all of this – even on the bad days. Whenever someone walks through something difficult, it gives us all hope that we can get through the hard things. “Centra has been a gift to us — from our breast cancer nurse navigators Lindsay Lacey and Kara Lamb; to Drs. Jenkins and Brady; to my surgeon, Dr. Peter Ploch; and especially to my nurse, Hannah Kreuziger. Hannah made me feel cared for and not alone, and in appreciation Daryl

and I decided to make a gift in her honor to the Pearson Cancer Center. We feel fortunate that

we are able to give back and we’d like others to benefit. We also felt fortunate that we had many options and could have gone anywhere. We chose Centra because we had confidence in Centra, and they have not let us down.”

continued from page 2

Calfee

“Hannah [Kreuziger, RN]made me feel cared for and not alone, and in

appreciation Daryl and I decided to make a gift in her honor to the Pearson

Cancer Center.”

Daryl Calfeeoutside his wife’s

window at the Pearson Cancer Center while

she was receiving chemotherapy during

the pandemic. HIGHLIGHTS | 3

Giving back

Middle school teacher’s narrow escape

When Elizabeth Rose, a 40-year-old teacher at Monelison Middle School, woke up shortly before 5 am on March 11, she had the impression something was pulling at her left arm. She knew immediately something was wrong. Both she and her husband grew alarmed because her speech was impaired.

Her husband, a former EMT, quickly concluded his wife was having a stroke. Knowing time was critical, he drove her to the Centra Lynchburg General Hospital emergency department and within 40 minutes of waking up, she received treatment.

Suman Nalluri, MD, medical director of stroke, Centra Medical Group Neurology Center, who identified a blockage of the main branch of the middle cerebral artery, knew it was consistent with her symptom of impaired speech and performed a thrombectomy.

“Dr. Nalluri was wonderful,” said Elizabeth. “He saved my life. Within 10 minutes of my thrombectomy (the removal of the clot), my speech was coming back. And by the following morning, I was pretty much back at baseline with my speech.”

“I passed the speech, occupational and physical therapists’ evaluations with flying colors,” she continued. “They all pretty much say it was a miracle. All the doctors

couldn’t believe how fast I recovered, and they told me my husband getting

me to the hospital so quickly saved me.

Being young with no risk factors, her providers did

testing to identify the reason for her stroke, which is how Elizabeth

learned she had a patent foramen ovale (PFO). A PFO is a heart condition affecting 25 percent of Americans — most never know they have it. According to the American Heart Association, the prevalence of PFO is about 40 to 50 percent in patients who have a stroke of unknown cause.

“The essential thing that our community needs to understand,” explained Dr. Nalluri, “is stroke is a disease that can be treatable with the latest interventional therapies if we recognize the symptoms and come to the hospital as quickly as possible.”

To show their appreciation for the excellent medical care and to support the latest interventional stroke therapies, Elizabeth and her husband, Antwan, recently made a Grateful Patient gift in honor of her physician, Dr. Nalluri, and Elizabeth’s team of caregivers.

Elizabeth and Antwan Rose

and their three children.

“Dr. Nalluri saved my life.”

Have you or a loved one received excellent care

at Centra? Make a gift in honor of your caregiver(s)

today by visiting CentraFoundation.com/

Grateful.

Suman Nalluri,

MD

4 | HIGHLIGHTS

Help us celebrate two cardiovascular giantsDrs. Mark Townsend and Mike Valentine leave strong legacy of giving

This spring and summer we sadly said goodbye to Mark Townsend, MD, MHCM, and Mike Valentine, MD, FACC, two cardiologists who have provided excellent care to patients throughout Lynchburg and surrounding communities. Not only have they gone above and beyond with each patient, both Drs. Townsend and Valentine have been incredibly generous to the health of our communities through their individual giving to the Centra Foundation.

Joining Centra nearly 12 years ago, Dr. Townsend served as an adult congenital and pediatric cardiologist and as the executive medical director of specialty services for the Centra Medical Group (CMG). He also volunteered on the Centra Foundation Board of Directors, serving as chair for the past three years.

When asked for his motivation for giving and for providing volunteer board leadership, Dr. Townsend said, “Giving back through the Centra Foundation empowers each of us to exponentially increase our ability to help our patients and fellow caregivers!”

In appreciation, Les Reed, MD, FACP, Centra senior vice president and CMG president and chief physician executive, recognized Dr. Townsend’s legacy at Centra. “It is with sadness that we are losing an outstanding clinician, physician leader and contributor to the fabric of the Lynchburg community and culture. He has long been an advocate for those less fortunate, and his actions and practice have supported this advocacy every day he has been in our community.”

During his nearly 30-year tenure at Centra Stroobants Cardiovascular Center, Dr. Valentine specialized in cardiac catheterization and intervention, device placement and arrhythmia therapy, clinical quality, leadership and practice development. He was instrumental in establishing a heart and vascular physician leadership development program at Centra. In 2018-19, he earned the distinction of serving as president of the American College of Cardiology.

“We will forever miss his presence here on our Centra

team,” said Chad Hoyt, MD, FACC, FRCPE, Centra Heart & Vascular Institute executive chair. “He is an amazing physician and leader who positively impacted so many lives at Centra and the community of patients he served. His leadership successes are unrivaled in the cardiovascular industry, and we wish him well as he transitions to the next phase of his illustrious career.”

As they begin new journeys beyond Centra, both cardiologists stressed their immense gratitude for the privilege of serving their communities and for the trust patients put in them.

Throughout their tenure at Centra, Drs. Townsend and Valentine not only made significant personal gifts to the Centra Foundation, they also performed as loyal fundraising advocates. As the Centra Foundation Board chair, Dr. Townsend was a stalwart champion of the Foundation’s mission, creating opportunities to expand and enhance service lines and programs throughout the system. Dr. Valentine built and stewarded the strong relationship with the late Al Stroobants, who funded the Stroobants Cardiovascular Center.

Beth Doyle, the Foundation’s executive vice president, added that “both Mark and Mike are shining examples of physicians who understand the value of philanthropy, and we have been honored to partner with them to enhance the exceptional care provided right here in our own community.”

Mark Townsend, MD C. Michael Valentine, MD

Will you help us celebrate with your gift in honor of these two local giants?

Without the ability to gather as a group during the pandemic, we’d like to honor Drs. Townsend and Valentine in a way that speaks to their passion. Please help us celebrate them by making a gift to the Heart and Vascular Care fund in their honor.

Building on the foundation established through the Sackett Heart fund, your gift will ensure that patients have access to state-of-the-art services, clinical expertise, facilities, and technology dedicated to first-rate cardiovascular care,

and will also support the efforts to develop physician leaders through the Valentine Leadership Institute.

Whether you or a family member were a patient, or you simply want to celebrate their service to our region, your contribution to the Heart and Vascular Care fund will honor these two distinguished cardiologists so that their outstanding work may continue in perpetuity.

Please visit CentraFoundation.com/Give, choose Heart and Vascular Care, and make your gift today!

You’re invited

Gather your friends for a “watch party” and join us live from the safety and comfort of your home as we honor four distinguished Centra Champions for their service to our community and healthcare system:

• George A. Hurt, MD• Carolyn W. Jacques, M.Ed, RNC• Cecilia M. MacCallum, MD• Thomas W. Nygaard, MD

The evening’s program includes:

• Live hosting and commentary by local celebrities• Testimonials honoring our four Centra Champions • Highlights of the impact your gifts have made on

patients

• Opportunities to give back to improve our community’s health

• Prize drawing to win an original 30” x 40” painting by Lynchburg artist Lindsey Winfrey

• And many more surprises!

Join the event as a sponsor and enjoy the live stream program, a special “Gala-to-Go” package and multiple recognition opportunities. Or, join the event for free and enjoy the program only. Either way, your support will help us raise critical funds for your local nonprofit healthcare system. Event registration available late July.

Visit CentraHealth.com/Foundation/Events or contact michelle.thomas@centrahealth.com for more information.

Centra Celebration – now virtual! Saturday, September 12, 2020Virtual Event – Live Stream, 7:30-8:45 pm

HELP SUPPORT THE CRITICAL WORK WE DO You have the power to help provide the highest quality of care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, by considering a charitable contribution in your will or other estate plans. Now, more than ever, we must come together to improve the health of our community. Local giving means local impact.

You have important priorities for your family and loved ones, and we know that they come first. When you are ready, our charitable gift planners can suggest a charitable gift to the Centra Foundation that suits your needs and allows you to keep helping us improve healthcare.

Quality Healthcare Has Never Been So

Important

For more information please call Beth Doyle at

434.200.4790 or visit

Legacy.CentraHealth.com

HIGHLIGHTS | 7

BeneFaCtor CLuB $50,000 - $99,999Children’s Miracle Network HospitalsEstate of Edith & Hugh CraftonWatt Foster Family Foundation

Patron CLuB $25,000 - $49,999Courtney & Andy Mueller

HerItaGe CLuB $15,000 - $24,999Christine & Les ReedAli & Mark Townsend

SamarItan CLuB $10,000 - $14,999Tom DelaneySue & Chad HoytPanda ExpressRichard D. & Carolyn W. Jacques FoundationSpeedwayVirginia Baptist FoundationHeather & George Zippel

monument CLuB $5,000 - $9,999Shirley & Gary CantwellCerner CorporationEileen & Michael ClarkCo-Op Financial ServicesCredit Unions for KidsDairy Queen CorporationDana & Doug DavenportLashelle & Michael ElliottNancy & Jeremy HardisonJohn T. & Mamie Harris Trust FundShelley & Robert HarrisJanet & Bob HickmanCinda & George HurtLynchburg Pulmonary Associates, Inc.Radiology Consultants of LynchburgEstate of Naomi K. & Rabbi Morris ShapiroBritney & Chris ThomsonPat Gleason & Bill Van DykeVizient Inc

PIedmont CLuB $2,500 - $4,999AnonymousKira & Tom AngeloBank of the James

Boxley Materials CompanyTerry & Bob BrennanAmy Payne & Patrick BrownBWX Technologies, Inc.Melanie & Lynch ChristianJoan & Bob DealBeth DoyleJulie & Peter DoyleAnn & Rodger FauberJenna Lloyd-Fisher & Ron FisherThe Floor Show Carpet OneGlad Manufacturing CompanyJanice Luth & Dennis GoffDebbie & Rick GroomsKaren & Steve HauptMegan & Matt HuffmanJamerson-Lewis Construction, Inc.Liberty Christian AcademyMagView Healthcare SolutionsMoore & GilesLori Nelson-Madison & Scott MadisonEllen G. & Thomas W. NygaardAnne & Evan OwnbyPurav PatelDimple & Rantik PatelAnnette & Dennis PayneJudith & Jonathan PerrottoProgress Printing CompanyMary Jane & Charlie PryorRay Griffin Foundation/Amy & Jim RayDonna & Rick ReadJane & Stephen RennysonJennifer Neal & Martin RogersJames M. & Ida F. Rose Trust FundCathy & Matt SackettScott Insurance CompanyVerna & Preston SellersThe SummitKarin & David TruitteShannon & Mike ValentineWalmart Inc.Robin & Jim WarnerSusan & Jonathan WatersHeidi Lipp & Thomas WigboldyTricia & Jeff WigginsCaroline & Henry WilsonGeorgia T. Witt Trust FundAlex & Sackett Wood

CHaIrman’S CLuB $1,000 - $2,499AnonymousAnne & Joe Archambeault

Judy & Angie ArthurBarrington Medical Recycling LLCWanda & Bill BassMoira Rafferty & Rob BassKay & Randall BowlingVicky & Gerald BrunetBarb & Paul BryantNancy & Vince CampbellCampbell InsuranceAndrea & Brent CarothersSally & Ed CassLinda & Emanuel CirenzaLucy & Robert CookVirginia CordierTammy & Tony CoxKathy & Jim CureTrudy & Jimmy DavidsonSanket DhatSarah & Mike DunlopDiane & Peter DunlopSarah & Jim DunstanFinancial DesignsFirst National BankJessica FlippinSusan & Matt FosterJudy & David FrantzChris & Connie GallierLakshman GandhamGenworth FinancialAnne & Dean GianakosFrances GilesSusan & Rob GilliamAudrey & Mark GrahamGreif-Riverville MillDonna HarberJohn HendricksonJosh HicksJill & Jason HigeyAngie & Mitch HodgeDeborah & Earl HorneJoseph HostetlerEstate of Erna G. & George R. HowellKirsten HuberLinda & Bob IngramJessica JaraTonya JohnsonPete KamilakisUla & Alan KauppiElizabeth Aronstam & Stuart KettingerShannon & Frank KnightKelly & Martin KnightKOHL’S Department Store

Nickie & Scott LangDenise & Tom LawtonDanielle & Chris LewisWeijuan LiMaureen & Bobby LockridgeLynchburg GynecologyCarolyn & Mike MacCormacCatherine & Mike MaddenLesley & Andrew MaggardMassage EnvyLuzangela Rojas-Mogollon & Angel Medina-BravoClaudia MeinhardPeter MenkhausSherri & Tom MeyerDenise & Gary MignognaDarren MillerMission House Coffee LLCDonna MooreBillie Sue Dean MoyerLori & Ed MoyerMt. Plain Baptist ChurchAndrea & Wade NeimanDarlene & Joe NigroShirley & Paul PassinkCheryl PattersonKappa PeddyKay & Roger PedePettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc.Patricia Pletke & Philip DillardPrayer Outreach AssemblyKim & Ed PriceKathy & Robbie PricePuzzled Car, Truck & Bike ShowLinda & Doug RamseyRE/MAX, LLCPaola RichardJulie & Mike SleddBrenda & John StokesAlexis & Joe TarpyTCV Trust & Wealth Management, Inc.Holly & Jason TrentJanet & Robert TylerVirginia Furniture MarketCorinne & Massie WareWeyerhaeuser Paper CompanyJane & Bob WhisnantJennifer & Alex WilgusLynn & Mike WillKevin Young

2020 CENTRA SOCIETY DONORSThe Centra Foundation recognizes with gratitude the following donors whose combined 2020 giving is $1,000 or more to date. This listing includes donors to all funds and campaigns, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, from January 1 – June 30, 2020.

HELP SUPPORT THE CRITICAL WORK WE DO You have the power to help provide the highest quality of care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, by considering a charitable contribution in your will or other estate plans. Now, more than ever, we must come together to improve the health of our community. Local giving means local impact.

You have important priorities for your family and loved ones, and we know that they come first. When you are ready, our charitable gift planners can suggest a charitable gift to the Centra Foundation that suits your needs and allows you to keep helping us improve healthcare.

Quality Healthcare Has Never Been So

Important

For more information please call Beth Doyle at

434.200.4790 or visit

Legacy.CentraHealth.com

HIGHLIGHTSNEWS FROM THE CENTRA FOUNDATIONSUMMER 2020

Centra Foundation1920 Atherholt RoadLynchburg, Virginia 24501

434.200.4791CentraFoundation.comFacebook.com/CentraFund

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLYNCHBURG, VA

PERMIT #13

Right now, Centra physicians, nurses and staff are caring for patients with coronavirus (COVID-19). Your local healthcare system is mobilizing in an unprecedented way to respond to this public health crisis. We are grateful for the trust you have given us to improve the health of our community. Now we have a request for you – to help caregivers on the front lines. A gift to the Centra Foundation’s Greatest Need fund will allow the purchase of equipment and supplies like ventilators, gowns, face masks, and iPads for patients to communicate with loved ones during restricted visitation. But more than that, your gift will show both our caregivers and patients that others appreciate their bravery during these extraordinary times.

We need your extraordinary response in these extraordinary times

To support the critical needs of our caregivers on

the front lines, please visit CentraFoundation.com/Give,

or mail a check toCentra Foundation

1920 Atherholt RoadLynchburg, VA 24501

Thank you for your compassionate generosity!

Tax ID#: 54-1604094

Help those on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis.