Letter from board chair Bill Graham

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During times of need, people come together to do incredible things. In 2020, we experienced this firsthand.

It was a year our communities grappled with unforeseen issues, threats and shifts. And the action we took in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of inspiring.

Our front-line workers stepped up in powerful ways. Team members took on added responsibilities to address a rapidly changing reality. And you, our donors, were at our side every step of the way. Your generosity and commitment were vital to the remarkable work we provided in this most unprecedented year, and I wanted to begin this report with my heartfelt thanks. Our work in 2020 was a team effort, through and through. We came together as a community, committed to the health and well-being of our friends and family and our colleagues and neighbors, and we achieved remarkable results.

Our Hope for Remarkable Team Aubergine Fund ensured our front-line workers had access to the financial resources they needed when times were tough. Individuals throughout our region delivered gifts of food and personal protective equipment and sent messages of thanks in inspiring and delightful ways.

Last summer, we celebrated the opening of the Novant Health Wallace Cancer Institute, an extraordinary step forward in cancer care in Rowan County. For my colleague Mona Lisa Wallace and me, the project is a dream come true. More than 1,300 donors came together to make this beautiful and leading-edge facility a reality, and we are proud to know this institute will transform lives.

As we move forward in 2021, I must first bid farewell to our executive director Rick Parker, who, as many of you know, retired at the end of December. Rick has been a true servant to Novant Health and Rowan County and an indelible leader. I am grateful to count Rick as a friend, and on behalf of the board, I wish him luck in his future endeavors.

I hope you enjoy this look back on all we accomplished together in 2020. It was a remarkable year in so many ways, and we find ourselves overwhelmed with gratitude that you are part of our Novant Health community.

Sincerely,

Bill Graham
Board chair
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Foundation