Careys and Hurts lead MSVF Silver Society fundraising

14 July 2010

As the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation (MSVF) celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new level of donation – the Silver Society ($25,000 over five years) – the donors who have generously stepped up are true advocates for the groundbreaking work of the Foundation.

At the announcement of the new society last fall, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and MSVF leaders began to assess and accept the challenge. Daniel Carey, M.D., a practicing cardiologist in Lynchburg and MSV president, along with his wife Kimberly, put their hat in the ring early for a spot in the Silver Society, committing an additional $25,000 to their ongoing annual support.

“For us this was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the Foundation’s achievements and bring new funding to the Foundation as it continues to battle the ongoing challenges of the medical community,” said Dr. Carey, who as MSV president, has been on the move this year representing MSV members at various meetings at the state and national level.

To him and his wife, the Foundation is the ideal charity. “It was an easy gift to make,” said Dr. Carey, who also has served as president of the Foundation’s board of directors.

They wanted to help inspire others to join also. Dr. Carey was soon on the phone with his friend George Hurt, M.D., who specializes in neurosurgery and is also from Lynchburg, to see if he would be interested. Dr. Hurt says he was honored to be contacted by Dr. Carey, for whom he has the utmost respect.

“It is hard to turn him down because he’s so dedicated and committed himself,” said Dr. Hurt, who has been involved with MSV since he began practicing medicine about 40 years ago. Although for the last few years he’s been somewhat retired from MSV work, he follows the news of MSV and MSVF and wants them to succeed.

After his initial conversation with Dr. Carey, Dr. Hurt and wife Cinda discussed the Foundation and considered the opportunity. Although Dr. Hurt has never been directly involved with MSVF, he was familiar with its DOC RxRelief, a program to provide medication to patients who can’t afford them. “When I described it to Cinda, she understood at once that this is a good investment and an especially meaningful one for a physician’s family,” he said.

“This Foundation program is one that it extremely important and exemplifies what medicine is all about—taking care of patients and seeing that they get the treatments they need without considering the financial aspects of them.”

Dr. Carey is of the same opinion. “It is nice to be contributing with our hearts and our resources and to know that the work of the Foundation rounds out the other work of MSV, furthering the health and well being of patients, addressing the gaps, and helping to equip physicians so they can provide better health care to Virginians. I really believe in it.”

“It is our passion,” said Dr. Carey. “It is why we entered the profession in the first place. We care about our patients.”

“I’m glad to do something that makes a difference in what we do for our patients,” confirmed Dr. Hurt. “As I approach the end of my career, I want to give back in a meaningful way. I encourage my colleagues that as we retire and have the financial capabilities to give back to either our hospital systems or our patients, that we do in some fashion—an exit strategy, if you will. We should say to ourselves, ‘I want to leave some sort of legacy for those patients that may or may not have been my patients, but they are patients who nonetheless need help.’”

Early donors to MSVF’s 25th Anniversary Silver Society will be profiled in this and upcoming newsletters. The Silver Society will have special seating and be recognized at the MSV Foundation Gala on Fri., Oct. 22, during the MSV Annual Meeting in Chantilly. For more information about the society and how to contribute, contact Beth Bortz, MSV Foundation executive director, by e-mail or 804 | 377-1049.