Your GIVING
MATTERS
A generous spirit and grateful heart Dr. and Mrs. Todd Hlavaty reach a giving milestone with the Foundation, contributing more than $100,000 to Great Plains Health projects that benefit patients
I
n his role as a physician, Dr. Todd Hlavaty, radiation oncologist at Callahan Cancer Center, gets a firsthand glimpse at the impact of the Great Plains Health Care Foundation. “I can see directly what we give through the lives of our patients,” Dr. Hlavaty said. “The Foundation enhances my ability to practice, and it’s just incredible how it serves our community.”
“Be grateful for what you have, and find ways to express your gratitude,” Dr. Hlavaty said. “Find something you are passionate about, and indirectly and directly contribute. Supporting the Foundation is a way of expressing gratitude to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
This impact motivates Dr. Hlavaty and his wife, Julie, to be passionate supporters of the Foundation. So much so, Dr. and Mrs. Hlavaty hit a significant milestone in 2022. Their donations over the years now total more than $100,000. Dr. Hlavaty has been the medical director of the Callahan Cancer Center at Great Plains Health for nearly 27 years. His engagement with the Foundation began immediately, and he has served on its board of directors for the past seven years. Dr. and Mrs. Hlavaty say that giving provides a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the people and places that invest in your life.
“Find something you are passionate about, and indirectly and directly contribute. Supporting the Foundation is a way of expressing gratitude to everyone who has helped me along the way.” – Dr. Todd Hlavaty As a physician, Dr. Hlavaty says he carries a responsibility to be a leader in the delivery of health care. The new ER comes to his mind as an impactful Foundation project.
“Giving to the Foundation is essential. It shows that you believe in the cause and you believe in caring for patients in a more efficient manner,” Dr. Hlavaty said. Dr. and Mrs. Hlavaty have also enjoyed connecting with people during Foundation events throughout the year. The annual gala and golf tournament hold fun memories. “The golf tournament is always a good time, but it tends to be competitive,” Dr. Hlavaty reflected. “One year, we went to a hole and everyone hit out of bounds, so it was on me to make the shot. It was around a water hazard. I hit this magnificent shot and thought, ‘There’s no way it’ll make it in the water.’ And we get up there and it rolls right into the water.” The Foundation has brought Dr. and Mrs. Hlavaty fun experiences and valuable self-reflection over years, but Dr. Hlavaty is mindful of its true importance. “Health care and medicine is built around altruism,” Dr. Hlavaty said. “It’s something we must embrace and support through the Foundation.”
SCAN ME
Join Dr. and Mrs. Hlavaty in supporting our fundraising efforts for a new 3D tomosynthesis machine. Your gift ensures greater access to lifesaving technology that can help detect breast cancer early.
A message from leadership
A
Megan McGown Chief development officer, Great Plains Health; Director, Great Plains Health Care Foundation
s we head into the holiday season
generosity of our donors, who support
and a new year ahead, we cannot
the types of programs, equipment and
help but reflect on the past year
technology that make a real and lasting
and celebrate. We sincerely appreciate the
difference for our patients and their
generous support we receive from every
families.
donor, sponsor, volunteer and committee member. Your generous gifts ensure
Thank you for strengthening services at our
that Great Plains Health physicians and
hospital and clinics through your generosity.
staff can offer the highest quality of care possible, using the latest equipment and
Sincerely,
treatments benefiting our families, friends and neighbors. Every donor, at every level, is appreciated and celebrated - and all gifts are put to work to enhance the quality and availability of health care in our region.
Leland Poppe Board chairman, Great Plains Health Care Foundation
Megan McGown, GPHealth CDO and Foundation director
Great Plains Health is committed to providing the highest quality of care to the patients we serve, and this would not be possible without the kindness and
Leland Poppe, board chair
Event spotlight
Golf outing Eighteen teams participated in the second annual Gift of Health golf tournament on September 23 at Rivers Edge Golf Course. Congratulations to our first-place team, HUB International, and our secondplace teams, Kwik Stop and Credit Management. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success!
HERO Club picnic Nearly 200 members of the HERO Club joined our Partners in Health for the annual HERO Club picnic on September 16, complete with a dunk tank, yard games, tasty treats and more! At the picnic, 29 employees joined the HERO Club to support the Foundation’s mission of improving the patient experience.
Cancer survivors event The Great Plains Health Care Foundation partnered with the Callahan Cancer Center to present the “You’re the cure that I want” cancer survivors event on September 24.
Meet your newest board members
G
reat Plains Health Care Foundation is proud to introduce our four newest board members. We are deeply grateful for their commitment not only to high-quality patient care, but to our community as well. It is an honor to have them as part of our team, and we appreciate their time, experience and fresh perspectives to help guide the Great Plains Health Care Foundation’s goals and priorities.
Todd McWha Todd grew up on a farm and ranch near Gothenburg, Nebraska. Todd received his undergraduate from UNL and then graduated from UNL College of Law in 1989 and has been a practicing attorney since that time. He is currently the managing partner at Waite & McWha. Todd and his wife, Laura (a registered nurse at GPHealth), have three daughters and seven grandchildren, all of whom live within 45 miles. Todd’s favorite pastimes include spending time with family and outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting. He and Laura were both raised in the Lincoln County area and continue to be involved in farming and the cattle business.
“I have seen how the monies are used from the Great Plains Health Care Foundation for improving local health services, which may not be provided otherwise. The Foundation does an excellent job of spending those donated monies in the areas most needed to help the most number of people in the western Nebraska region.” – Todd McWha
WAYS TO GIVE Cash Estates/property Gifts of commodities
308.568.7498 gphealth.org/foundation
Shreya Agrawal
Betty Van Boening
Laura Troshynski
Shreya Agrawal is the chief of staff at Teach Plus and she facilitates the organization’s ongoing strategy development process through annual planning, progress monitoring and org-wide communications activities. Shreya has 12 years of experience working in social sector roles, including global public health, focusing on strategy, data collection techniques, health system strengthening, maternal and child health, and community mobilization. Her work has taken her to many countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and India.
Betty Van Boening recently joined the Great Plains Health Foundation board after a 40-year career with Farm Credit Services of America as an Ag lender. Betty is also very involved in the Buffalo Bill District of Boys Scouts and believes teaching life skills at a young age is essential to our future.
Laura is a lawyer by degree and spent the first 10 years of her career in private practice in North Platte with her father and brother. During that time, Laura specialized in business law, estate planning and banking law. She joined First National Bank in 2019 as a director of trust services and moved to her current role as a senior director of business owner advisory services in February of 2021. Laura holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska as well as a Juris Doctorate degree from University of Nebraska College of Law. She remains a member of the Nebraska Bar Association and the Lincoln Country Bar Association. Laura is also a past president of the North Platte Public Schools Foundation, and has served as both the annual giving chair and Foundation gala chair for the Great Plains Health Care Foundation. She currently serves as a buyer for the Goodfellow Shoe Fund, and as a member of the University of Nebraska College of Law Dean’s Advisory Board and the Nebraska Foundation for the Humanities.
Shreya holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, with a focus on nonprofit management and global social enterprise, and a master’s degree in international public health from Johns Hopkins University. She serves on the board of multiple local nonprofits and lives in North Platte with her husband, who is a physician at Great Plains Health, and two children. Shreya loves to be outdoors, spending time with family, reading and volunteering.
I am a huge supporter of the hospital and the Foundation because the services that the hospital provides are crucial for the well-being of people in our community – this has been true for decades, but I think it became even more prominent during the height of the pandemic. Having the necessary specialists in town to quickly diagnose and treat community members, instead of having to travel hundreds of miles away, makes the work of the hospital and its employees that much more meaningful. – Shreya Agrawal
Betty lives in North Platte with her husband, Steve, and they have two children and three grandchildren. She enjoys many hobbies, from crafting to pickleball and golf, but her favorite pastime is being with her grandchildren and watching their faces light up at new experiences.
“Just as new medicines evolve, so does the need for enhanced quality and availability of health care. We are very lucky and privileged to have a facility like Great Plains Health in our community, where they are continually working to improve the delivery and quality of health care provided for all of us. Some prefer to be treated by other facilities, but when emergencies occur, we need a top-notch facility nearby that can handle the situation. Improvements require funding, and that is why Steve and I donate to Great Plains Health Care Foundation – we want to be able to receive the best treatment and care when it is needed.” – Betty Van Boening
Laura likes to spend as much free time as possible with her husband and daughter. They enjoy walks, playing games and cooking together. She also loves to watch Hallmark movies.
“My husband and I have seen the wonderful projects supported by the Foundation, and we believe these projects enhance the patient experience at Great Plains Health. We love that our hospital is independent and is truly a community and regional hospital supported by local people.” – Laura Troshynski
Money matters… from the experts.
Qualified charitable distributions Using your retirement savings to make a difference If you have charities you would like to support, pretax money saved in an IRA can be an ideal charitable donation. Rather than passing these assets to a beneficiary – who will likely pay taxes when the inherited IRA is distributed – you can give them to charity by taking a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). A QCD will count toward satisfying your required minimum distribution (RMD), and neither you nor the charity will have to pay income taxes on this gift.
Frequently asked questions Can I make a QCD every year? Yes. If you qualify for a QCD, you can give up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to a charity. Under the SECURE Act changes, I don’t have to take an RMD until age 72. Can I still make a QCD at age 70 1/2? Yes. While the SECURE Act changed the RMD age to 72 for people who didn’t turn 70 1/2 before the end of 2019, it didn’t change the age for QCDs.
Serena Findley, BSN, RN, poses with Angela Stinman, the first mother to make a breastmilk donation at GPHealth.
Does making deductible IRA contributions affect my eligible QCD amount? Your QCD must be reduced by any deductible IRA contributions made for the year you turned 70 1/2 or later. This information is graciously provided by CIO Wealth Strategies.
Foundation support helps start breastmilk outreach and donation center
N
ow it is easier than ever for mothers to make a difference with a special gift.
Great Plains Health is pleased to partner with Mothers’ Milk Bank in Denver, Colorado, to make breastmilk more accessible to families who need it in Greater Nebraska. Great Plains Health opened the first breastmilk donation and outreach center in the region. Thanks to the generous support of donors, a gift from the Great Plains Health Care Foundation helped provide the resources to begin the program at Great Plains Health. After a screening process, mothers can deliver their breastmilk donations to Great Plains Health, which will then send the milk for testing and pasteurization at Mothers’ Milk Bank in Denver. The milk will return to Great Plains Health for local families.
Angela Stinman of North Platte is a mother of two children and the first donor to the program. “When you make a donation, you’re giving away so much of yourself, but knowing the good that it is going to create makes it so rewarding,” Stinman said. “I’m excited to be able to give to moms and babies in the NICU.” This project is one of many at Great Plains Health that is touched by the Foundation. Your financial support is part of your legacy, a promise to the future of Great Plains Health and the health of the entire region. A donation can be made as an outright cash gift, a multiyear pledge or a planned gift. Every gift the Foundation receives
“This process is easier and safer for mothers and families who rely on these donations,” Serena Findley, BSN, RN, CPST, IBCLC, lactation consultant, at Great Plains Health, said. “Breastmilk is the gold standard. When a mother makes a breastmilk donation, the donation goes a long way.”
makes a difference in furthering the mission through enhancements in patient care and patient experience.
Start your legacy today at gphealth.org/foundation
Great Plains Health Care Foundation | 601 W. Leota St. | P.O. Box 1167 | North Platte, NE 69103