Samaritan Hospital Foundation honors locals with Heart of Giving awards

A crowd of nearly 200 turned out for Samaritan Hospital Foundation's annual Heart of Giving appreciation dinner.

The Oct. 13 event began with a series of videos highlighting how foundation grants are positively impacting the health and wellness of individuals in Ashland County and the hospital.

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UH Samaritan Medical Center received a grant toward the purchase of new catheterization unit equipment for the hospital's cath lab that enables cardiology patients to be treated locally with Level 2 cath services.

The Ashland Christian Health Center (ACHC) received a community grant that funded the addition of nurse practitioner Karen Schwan to support its new diabetes and chronic disease program. She provides diabetes education and chronic disease management clinics (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.) throughout the week that provide regularly scheduled appointments and follow up to help get patients on a path to healthier living.

Through the foundation's community grants, 130 automated external defibrillator (AED) devices have been supplied to all emergency and law enforcement personnel, as well as every church in Ashland County. The last in the series of community grant videos included a warning for viewers as it showed a life-saving event where one of the donated units was used to save a life. New London police officer Ryan Ginley used the device to save Leo Wyatt.

SHF honors six locals

During the Heart of Giving awards portion of the event, the Samaritan Hospital Foundation recognized six community individuals for their compassion and faithful service to make a difference in the lives of others:

Jay Myers, who passed away last December, was honored for his contributions to the Ashland community. As vice president and minority owner of Simonson Construction Services, Myers spent 22 years supporting the growth and development of his hometown, including major projects for Ashland University, UH Samaritan Medical Center, Wil Research, the Kroc Center, and Advanced Ceramics. He served on many boards, including Brethren Care Village, Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Ashland Cemetery Association, as well as the Ashland County Community Foundation Board where he served as a trustee for 15 of the Community Fund's 27 years. According to Jay's brother, Dr. Phil Myers, “Jay loved Ashland and quietly went about making it someplace special.”

Grandma (Vera) and Grandpa (Dick) Baum and Dick and Ronda Poorbaugh, founders of Grandpa's Cheesebarn, were recognized for their legacy of giving back. Over the years, Grandma and Grandpa Baum and Dick and Ronda Poorbaugh, and now the next generation, have quietly donated to the Ashland community, supporting BalloonFest, the Ashland Christmas display downtown, Ashland County Community Foundation, Ashland University, Mohican District Science Fair, Ashland Parks, Brookside Golf Course, The City of Ashland Bandshell Concerts, the Ashland Symphony, the Ohio Theater, Rotary Club, Hospice of North Central Ohio, as well as donations to many faith-based organizations, including Ashland Christian School and Ashland Christian Health Center.

John Stoops was recognized for his community service in retirement, including his involvement as one of the founders of Redbird Resilient, a grassroots organization in Loudonville devoted to building community resilience to strengthen community health and reduce addiction. Stoops was instrumental in helping design and deliver human trafficking training for every child in the Loudonville school district.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Samaritan Hospital Foundation Heart of Giving awards honor locals