Dr. Joseph Conroy took a moment from his busy schedule as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of St. Mary Medical Center to reflect on some of the reasons why he chose St. Mary as the facility where he wanted to practice his profession. As a young man, I had a vision of working at a hospital that identified the needs of its community, and then fulfilled them,” he said. “Our community has embraced St. Mary because of the philosophy that has guided its development.” When Dr. Conroy first joined St. Mary in the late 1980’s, the hospital was in its infancy. He had already practiced medicine at other hospitals, but St. Mary’s philosophy of treating three aspects of patient care — mind, body, spirit — reinforced his own long-standing beliefs for becoming a physician. As he explained these aspects, it became abundantly clear why he has become such an enthusiastic supporter of the hospital. “As medical practitioners, we understand that a patient and/or their family may need spiritual help as they face whatever medical challenge is before them,” he said. “St. Mary is a member of the Catholic Health Initiatives, a national non-denominational health care system that offers pastoral care to all its patients. Spiritual support is an important component in the healing process.” He went on to discuss the numerous outreach programs designed to help patients better understand what is happening to them. “When a patient talks with someone who has undergone a similar crisis, the conversation becomes productive,” Dr. Conroy said. “The ill person realizes that he can get better and can talk with someone who...
Sparks Ignite Giving for Bucks County Native Clomans foster community growth and economic development In 1975 Jim Cloman, his two sons and two partners started a steel fabrication company in Tullytown PA. In a 3500 square foot warehouse, a dream was started to own and operate a community based business. But life has a funny way of unexpectedly changing course. Less than two years into the business, Mr. Cloman bought out his two partners, suffered a heart attack, their biggest client declared bankruptcy, and one of his sons moved to Wyoming. That left 19 year old Kyle Cloman with some serious decisions to make. His accountant and friends told him to file for bankruptcy and walk away. Instead Kyle struck a deal with creditors and worked off the debt. In eight months the debt was paid and Kyle owned Waste Gas Fabricating free and clear. He was now ready to rebuild his family’s business in the community where he grew up. But first he focused on a different kind of partnership. Kyle and Ruthann married in 1982 had two girls and began building their life together and nurturing the fledging company into a local economic engine. The Cloman’s made a conscious decision to stay in Bucks County. They were approached to sell or move, but recognized an opportunity to provide good paying jobs in area where they grew up to allow extended families to stay intact. Holding their ground they put family, community, and local economic viability first. Now 35 years later they have 90 employees, working in a 75,000 square foot facility. Looking towards the future, Waste Gas...
A Burning Passion for Helping Others If you connect the dots starting from one family’s introduction to St. Mary Medical Center, you will find a trail of advocates supporting the hospital, to an outpouring of generosity displayed at the recent SMMC Gala held in May 2015. The family is the Charlton family, including Chuck Sr., his two sons Michael and Chuck Jr, owners of Blue Flame Propane Gas Service and Kenderdine’s Heating Oil Company. Chuck Sr., Michael and Chuck Jr. began their commitment to SMMC in 2004, and once that decision was made, they were all in as a family unit. They are annual sponsors of the Gala, and the St. Mary Cyclefest, co-chaired by Charlene Schwartz for many years. This year they were not only John Wayne sponsors for Dessert at the Gala but also raised their paddle for the new bottle warmers for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “My family has very close ties with Howard and Charlene Schwartz of Newtown,” explained Michael. “They are business as well as personal associates, and were the catalyst for getting us involved with the hospital.”Howard pointed out that the family’s roots and businesses are in Bucks County. The senior Charltons were raised in Bristol while brothers Michael and Chuck grew up in Bensalem. Both Howard and Charlene emphasized the distinguished record that SMMC was achieving as a community hospital, providing the latest state-of-the art technology and equipment to be used by physicians recognized as leaders in their respective specialties. Their arguments that St. Mary needed to be the top hospital in the community made perfect sense to Chuck Sr., who...
Andy and Phyllis Chamra have lived in Bucks County for 23 years. Their interest in St. Mary began 11 years ago when Phyllis’s mother came to live with them because she needed a great deal of medical care. During that time, the Chamras realized just how important it is to have great, state-of-the-art healthcare close to home. Through the numerous hospitalizations and multiple surgeries, they came to appreciate the wonderful care the physicians and nurses at St. Mary provided for her mother. That’s when their charitable giving to St. Mary started. “We have never thought of ourselves as people of means, however, we think of ourselves as blessed; and because of this we feel it’s important to give back to St. Mary. We want to help other families who are dealing with a long term illness of a loved one.” What they came to realize is that St. Mary Medical Center is not just a place to come when you are ill. For eight years, daily visits to the St. Mary Wellness Center have become part of their own routine. They attend many community health seminars and events and are still impressed with the warm, friendly, caring and compassionate staff they encounter every time they are at the hospital. “We feel so privileged to support the innovation, growth, and expansion at St. Mary. It makes us feel like we are paying it forward for all the great care our family member...
Although Gary Buch doesn’t recall exactly when he became a donor to St. Mary, he does remember why. Over the course of several years, Gary and his family had all been treated here for various health issues and came away impressed with the advanced technology and quality of care. But it was his daughter Mindy’s fierce devotion to her husband during his battle with cancer that sparked his transformation from occasional patient to ardent supporter. Mindy became an active advocate for the St. Mary Medical Center Foundation, initiating a giving plan that included the whole family. And the timing couldn’t have been better, as shortly thereafter, Gary’s son Todd was also diagnosed with cancer. As his son waged his battle against non-Hodgkins lymphoma at St. Mary, Gary was grateful that his family had access to a first-rate medical facility nearby. It was then that he made his commitment to ensure that St. Mary will always be there for his family and for every family who needs world-class healthcare. The Buch family is committed to their long-standing tradition of giving back to the community. With each donation, they all know that they are helping to advance the state of healthcare in Bucks County by making it possible for St. Mary to acquire the most effective technologies to fight cancer. Gary hopes neither he nor his family will ever have to use it again. But knowing that it is there—knowing that other families will have access to life-saving care—that’s why he supports St....
