May Focus: Promoting Health & Wellbeing
Helping Healthcare Workers Thrive
THE MONTH OF MAY is National Nurses Month, and as we celebrate healthcare professionals, we also take time to focus on the people who are supporting healthcare on a philanthropic level. Nurses, doctors, and healthcare practitioners of all sorts are essential to our community, giving us the tools and support to live healthy, vibrant lives. Healthcare and philanthropy are deeply intertwined – both serve the needs of their communities through generous giving, compassionate care, and hope for the future. By helping healthcare workers thrive through charitable giving, we create a stronger community for all.
As we look towards Delaware County’s healthcare scene, we are blessed to have such a prominent network of care. Thousands of students, researchers, and practitioners call Delaware county their home, and endowed funds can provide them the support they need to thrive. In this article, we look at a few special funds and their founders that serve to strengthen our healthcare system at every level.
Patricia & Franklyn Brinkman
Patricia Brinkman dedicated her life and legacy to the honorable field of nursing. Born in Wisconsin in 1921, she earned her nursing degree and promptly enlisted in the Army Air Force upon graduation. She was stationed in Texas as a nurse during World War II and earned the rank of First Lieutenant during her time there. Pat also earned the admiration of Franklyn Brinkman, a fellow World War II veteran. After the war, Pat worked as a Registered Nurse at Ball Memorial Hospital until her retirement. Pat and Franklyn were married for 65 years until Franklyn’s death in 2010.
A life-long learner and nursing advocate, Pat established the Patricia K. and Franklyn D. Brinkman, Sr. Nursing Scholarship to benefit Ball State nursing students. The couple’s children and grandchildren were an important part of their lives, and their family is still involved in the grant process each year. This scholarship fund will continue to support nursing students for years to come, honoring the legacy of Pat and Franklyn and strengthening Delaware County’s wellbeing.
Dub & Nancy Fike
“I don’t believe in having money and not doing anything with it... The residents of Delaware County are fine citizens, and we wanted to give back to them.” WH “Dub” Fike and his wife Nancy have given back to the community in many ways, and their legacy of philanthropic giving stretches far throughout the community. In his youth, Dub felt that Muncie was a “perfect climate” in which to begin his early career and raise a family. Though they moved elsewhere later in life, Dub and Nancy cherished their former home and wanted to continue their legacy indefinitely.
Dub and Nancy established multiple funds at the Foundation, including the Dub and Nancy Fike Fund/Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation, which supports the IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Founded in 1929, the hospital now cares for nearly 70,000 people a year. In addition to being a teaching center for students, Ball Memorial’s Department of Research carries out clinical trials in fields such as cardiology, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, and more.
Additionally, the Dub and Nancy Fike/Riley Children’s Hospital Fund supports another hospital in the Fikes’ name, this one a nationally ranked pediatric hospital with 50 Indiana locations. Riley’s in one of the top hospitals in the country for pediatric health research in addition to serving some 50,000 children and teens annually. This designated fund supports the ongoing research and care provided by Riley’s to the children of Delaware County and beyond.
Julian & Suzanne Gresham
“More and more, the Foundation is in a position to serve as a catalyst, a convener, and a leader in bringing groups together to address issues,” said Dr. Suzanne Gresham. As the first woman in Indiana to become President and CEO of a mental health center, she herself was a catalyst for change. During her 23 years with Meridian Health Services, she had a passion for mental and behavioral health care, and she was a strong proponent for child advocacy, including in foster care placement.
Philanthropy had always been important to the Gresham family. Suzanne served as a chair and board member for the Foundation, and Julian served his community through social work and outpatient mental health programs. “Our careers have always been in the service arena,” said Suzanne. “We’re very cognizant of the need for funds and resources to deal with particular issues. That external giving orientation is a part of our being.”
In 2006, the couple established the Julian and Suzanne Gresham Fund to carry on their legacy and work through an unrestricted endowment. Additionally, the Suzanne Gresham Center Fund provides long-term support and benefits to the Suzanne Gresham Center at Meridian Health Services. The Gresham Center, built in 2007, houses multiple services, including a Child Advocacy Center that provides support to children who are involved in investigations of abuse. This building honors Dr. Gresham’s memory and work in initiatives such as the Connxxions Program, the FosterHope program, a Children’s Team, school-based health services, and the expansion of addiction recovery programs. The ongoing support of a designated endowment not only builds on Suzanne’s legacy but also serves the needs of Delaware County’s most vulnerable friends and neighbors.
Judith B. Roepke
“Judith served on our board and really felt our mission. This fund is all about what she cared for; that is, maternal and child health,” says Toni Estep, former CEO of Open Door Health Services. Public health is a passion that Judith has followed throughout her life, earning a PhD in Nutrition at Ball State and later becoming a full-time educator while serving on the board of directors for ODHS. Judith wanted to establish a philanthropic legacy to continue her service to the community well into the future, and an endowed fund has done just that.
The Open Door Health Services Judith B. Roepke Fund specifically benefits Open Door Health Services by filling funding gaps in community healthcare. “For a long time, we’ve been receiving grants from government sources,” says Toni, “but the funds that we get through philanthropy allow us to become more creative in the services that ODHS is providing.”
As a non-for-profit health center, ODHS provides care to citizens of East Central Indiana regardless of their ability to pay, ensuring a more equitable standard of health care. Judith’s gift, and the ongoing support of this fund, has been crucial in supporting programs for maternal and infant nutrition, honoring Judith’s lifelong passion and contributing to a higher standard of care in Delaware County.
Make a Difference
Caring, giving donors are key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.