WYNNEWOOD, PA: The Annenberg Foundation has pledged a $10 million charitable contribution to Lankenau Hospital to establish The Annenberg Medical Education Program. This extraordinary gift will provide support for Graduate Medical Education and components of interdisciplinary and other clinical training programs, including the development of a Simulation Laboratory in Lankenau’s Annenberg Conference Center. The Annenberg Foundation pledge will enhance Lankenau’s medical education and other training programs. Every academic year, Lankenau Hospital’s residency programs in Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and General Surgery provide clinical education for physicians-in-training. Lankenau physicians also supervise the advanced education of fellows in the subspecialties of Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases, Pulmonary Critical Care, and Hematology/Oncology. Lankenau’s Clinical Nurse Educators conduct orientation and training, professional development, and continuing education programs for nurses.
The late Walter H. Annenberg, donor-founder of The Annenberg Foundation, served as Ambassador to Great Britain. Leonore Annenberg, a former Chief of Protocol of the United States, noted that one of her
late husband's favorite expressions was 'citizenship is every person's highest calling.' "Walter would have joined me," she said, "in describing this grant to support medical education at Lankenau Hospital as an opportunity and a privilege to improve life for others."
“We are delighted that our gift will embrace the training of residents, fellows, nurses, physical therapists and other caregiving staff in the spirit of multidisciplinary education,” says Gail C. Levin, Executive Director of The Annenberg Foundation. “The Annenberg Foundation is proud to partner with Lankenau to shape the future of health care by supporting educational opportunities for our region’s clinical professionals.”
John J. Lynch, President and CEO of Main Line Health – of which Lankenau is a member – elaborated on the transformative impact of this gift. “Today, physicians and nurses must not only learn complex technologies, but also maintain their attention to providing quality care, staying vigilant in the area of patient safety, and tending to the emotional well-being of patients and families,” says Lynch. “Excellence in medical education is the key to the development of physicians as skilled healers and compassionate caregivers. It is the basis for assuring superior patient care, both at Lankenau and at other hospitals where our physician-trainees go to practice.”
The Foundation’s gift was made in large part as a tribute to Dr. Mark J. Ingerman, a long-time Lankenau physician. “The Annenberg Foundation recognizes the importance of supporting medical education programs to perpetuate clinical excellence and compassionate care, says Elaine C. Thompson, Ph.D., President, Lankenau Hospital. “We are especially proud that Dr. Ingerman’s skills and dedication have served to advance educational programs at Lankenau.”
This pledge is the latest example of The Annenberg Foundation’s generosity toward Lankenau Hospital. The Foundation donated $100,000 to Lankenau in 1992 to support the Hospital’s Health Education Center. In 2003, the Foundation completed a $10 million pledge that established The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Conference Center for Medical Education. This Center, opened in November 2004, has attracted physicians and other clinicians nationally and internationally to its programs. The Annenberg Foundation has also supported nursing education at Lankenau with a grant of $100,000.
The Annenberg Foundation, established in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg, exists to advance the public well-being through improved communication and education. As the principal means of achieving its goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge.
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Established in 1860, Lankenau Hospital is a 351-bed acute-care non-profit teaching hospital located in suburban Philadelphia with an affiliated institute for medical research on campus. Lankenau’s nationally-recognized specialty services include: an award-winning Heart Center; a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; and an accredited Sleep Medicine Center. The Hospital’s highly-skilled and compassionate nurses have achieved Magnet Status – the highest mark of excellence in hospital nursing held by only 3% of U.S. hospitals.
Contact: Michael Criscuolo, Manager for Development Communications, 610-645-8095, criscuolom@mlhs.org.
