Society of 1906

Esteemed Physician Award for Community Impact

The Esteemed Physician Award is given to the physician who consistently achieves high standards in the practice of medicine, is looked upon as a role model by his or her colleagues, patients, and peers, and demonstrates commitment to community. This award is open to all physicians associated with Avita Health System.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. 5 years or longer in Avita Health System
2. Can nominate Physicians retired or posthumously
3. Community involvement
4. Leadership and collaboration
5. Outcomes and quality
6. Clinical skills and innovation

Make your nomination now.

2023 Esteemed Physician Award Recipient

Dr. Bihl has served the community as a Physician for more than 20 years – the last 7 at Avita. He has recently become the Chief of Staff at Ontario Hospital, a role in which he advises and interacts with the hospital board of directors and Avita physicians at the highest level. He has built an incredible practice and treats/works with his staff to deliver unmatched care. He represents Avita’s commitment and mission tremendously as he has served in Ohio’s Air National Guard for more than 20 years and has been elevated to Lieutenant Colonel. He serves our community and Avita with honor and integrity. He is currently a flight surgeon and has received numerous honors such as Air Force, National Defense, and Global War on Terrorism achievement and service medals. Beyond his office hours, Dr. Bihl makes rounds on the floor as a hospitalist, as well as the OB floor in Ontario, and periodically Galion. He always goes above and beyond to get the job done. Along with his Avita and military responsibilities, Dr. Bihl is also a local business owner. He and his wife Lisa own the A/R Workshop and Bake My Day. They are both located in Ontario and are generous to the community in many ways – donations for example.

Visionary Award

The Visionary Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a benefactor of Avita Health System and pays tribute to the recipient’s exceptional generosity, dedication, hospitality, and civic vision. The award recognizes one or more benefactors who contribute outstanding commitment, leadership, ambassadorship, and generosity on behalf of our patients and their families, the people of Avita Health System, and the communities we serve. The Visionary Award recipient personifies humanity, compassion, and the essence of philanthropy and inspires others to help advance the Mission of Avita Health System and the Avita Health Foundation.

Make your nomination now.

2023 Visionary Award Recipient

The Bucyrus Women’s Auxiliary and Galion Women’s Auxiliary, who have supported the hospitals for more than 100 years as fundraisers and volunteers and collectively raised more than $4 million to support patient care and the community, are being honored with the Avita Health Foundation’s highest and most prestigious honor – the 2023 Visionary Award. Without the efforts, dedication, and commitment of thousands of women in service to the hospital and community, Galion Hospital would not have been able to evolve into the organization it is today.

Historically, more than 1,400 members worked tirelessly to enhance patient care and support scholarships. The groups’ main fundraising today comes from operating the gift shops and conducting monthly fundraisers. For decades, the auxiliaries’ highly anticipated special events and sales have drawn thousands of people. The groups have collaborated on popular fundraisers, such as Divas & Dolls, to help Avita acquire vital medical equipment for nearly every department, including 3D mammography and breast imaging technology. Members have also provided holiday decorating, supported cafeterias, and maintained the hospital’s chapel among many other projects.

Esteemed Physician Award Honorary or Posthumously

The Esteemed Physician Award (Honorary or Posthumously) is presented to a retired physician or the family of a physician who demonstrated high standards in the practice of medicine, was looked upon as a role model by their colleagues, patients, and peers, demonstrated commitment to community, and is/was philanthropic to the Avita Health Foundation (Bucyrus or Galion Foundation). This award is open to all former physicians associated with Avita Health System (Bucyrus or Galion Hospitals).

Evaluation Criteria:

1. 5 years or longer in practice within Avita Health System
2. Retired or Deceased
3. Community Involvement
4. Leadership and Collaboration
5. Outcomes and Quality
6. Community Outreach and Philanthropic Support

2023 Esteemed Physician Award Recipients
(Honorary or Posthumously)

After 26 years of dedicated service to her patients and the community, Dr. Brown retired from Avita Health System in 2020. A well-respected pediatrician, she was totally invested in the well-being of her patients – babies and children. She always treated her “kids” as family. She was so loved by her patients that she has treated many multi-generational families. Dr. Brown has a special place in her heart for children with special needs and had been a devoted proponent of the Reach out and Read program. She is responsible for bringing the Reach Out and Read Program to Galion and Crawford County, a program the Avita Health Foundation continues to support today. Dr. Brown and her husband Dan successfully fulfilled the largest physician pledge to the Galion Hospital Campaign for the new ER and ICU from 2003 to 2007. Not only have they been generous to the hospital but to a number of causes in the community as well.

Dr. Kurtz retired from Bucyrus Hospital in 2002, after 33 years of service to his patients and the community. He served terms on both the hospital board and as Chief of the Medical Staff. In 1969, Dr. Kurtz, who also completed his residency at The Ohio State University and a two year fellowship in hematology, returned to his home town of Bucyrus with his wife Donna to open his practice. Dr. Kurtz was just a hometown kind of guy. He loved being a doctor. He loved everything Bucyrus. He and Donna both have been deeply involved and committed to the community. When he retired from medicine, he decided get active in the historical society where he serves as president. His wife Donna was active for a number of years in the Bucyrus auxiliary. They were both involved in a number of fundraising programs over the years in support of Bucyrus Hospital.

Nominate an Esteemed Physician or Visionary

President’s Circle

President’s Circle recognition is presented to those individuals and organizations who’s lifetime grant making, philanthropic, or sponsorships commitments in support of Avita Health System: Avita Bucyrus, Avita Galion, Avita Ontario – exceeds $100,000.

Members

*deceased

Green Diamond Legacy

Green Diamond Legacy recognizes and celebrates the generosity of friends and supporters who have made an estate, endowed, or other planned gift to Avita. 

You can become a member through one of more of the following gift options:

• Name Avita as a beneficiary in your will or trust
• Establish a life-income gift with Avita, such as a charitable gift annuity
• Create a deferred gift arrangement naming Avita as the beneficiary
• Create, designate, or transfer your life insurance policy to Avita
• Designate retirement plan assets or make a direct distribution from your IRA to Avita
• Establish an endowed position, lecture or named fund at Avita
• Recommend a distribution of the remainder of your donor advised fund to Avita or name Avita as your successor advisor
• Gift the remainder interest in your home or farm to Avita

When you complete your estate plans, please consider filling out our Green Diamond Legacy communication form below to let us know. To show our appreciation and gratitude, we welcome you into our Green Diamond Legacy.

Membership Benefits:

• You become a lifetime member of the Society of 1906.
• Your membership allows us to thank you and recognize you for the plans you have made, and it may inspire generosity in others.
• Receive immediate visual recognition for commitments or promise to contribute.
• The most important benefit you will receive from joining the Green Diamond Legacy is the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction from making a lasting contribution to our long-term success of Avita Health System and our mission to improve the health and well-being of all the patients we serve in our community for generations to come. 

If you have any questions, please contact our Chief Development Officer, Chuck Cangelosi, at 419-468-0566 or ccangelosi@avitahs.org.

Communication Form

William C. Gates, MD/Society of 1906

William C. Gates, MD/Society of 1906 recognition is presented to those individuals and organizations whose lifetime grant making, philanthropic, or sponsorships commitments in support of Avita Health System: Avita Bucyrus, Avita Galion, Avita Ontario – exceeds $1,000,000.

Members

• Avita Health Foundation
• Boyd Family & Ralph E. Boyd Foundation
• Bucyrus Women’s Auxiliary
• Galion Women’s Auxiliary
• Ohio Hospital Association
• Ohio Department of Health

White Coat Ceremony – A Special Celebration of Donors who Achieve Membership in the William C. Gates, MD/Society of 1906

The white coat is a symbol of a physician’s contributions, sacrifice, and scientific approach to medicine.  It is a unifying symbol of the Physicians commitment to delivering care in a professional, caring, honest, and trusting way which our patients seek every day.  White coats are presented by Avita Physicians to individual donors and organizations symbolizing that we stand together with our most significant supporters of the Avita Health Foundation and Avita Health System, in our continued efforts to build Avita into the strongest, patient centered, comprehensive healthcare organization in our region.

Society of 1906 Recognition Evening

Avita Health Foundation’s 5^th annual celebration of the Society of 1906 was held on April 18, 2024 at the Renaissance Theatre. Foundation Board Chair, Randy McDonald, and the Chief Development Officer, Chuck Cangelosi, thanked all benefactors from 2023 for their contributions throughout the year which resulted in the Foundation’s board of directors approving disbursements of more than $1 million to the hospital.

The Foundation recognized Dr. Adam Bihl with the 2023 Esteemed Physician Award and Dr. Marcia Fischer Brown and Dr. John Kurtz as Honorary Esteemed Physicians. The Bucyrus and Galion Women’s Auxiliaries were honored with the 2023 Visionary Award for decades and decades of volunteerism and lifetime cumulative contributions that exceeded $4 million. 

Tribute videos of the recipients highlighted the recognition portion of the ceremony and created a celebratory and fun environment for the evening. Read each of their stories and watch their videos by clicking on each award’s menu option. If you like, you may make a secure, online contribution in honor of our 2023 Visionary and Esteemed Physician award recipients.

April 18, 2024 Event Gallery from Renaissance Theatre

(Click photos to view full size.)

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Past Award Recipients

2022

Esteemed Physician Award
for Community Impact

Visionary Award

Esteemed Physician Award
(Honorary or Posthumously)

2021

Esteemed Physician Award
for Community Impact

Visionary Award

Esteemed Physician Award
(Honorary or Posthumously)

2020

Esteemed Physician Award
for Community Impact

Visionary Award

Esteemed Physician Award
(Honorary or Posthumously)

2019

Esteemed Physician Award
for Community Impact

Visionary Award