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.

2022 Esteemed Physician Award Recipient

Dr. Eric Haus, Internal Medicine physician at Avita since 2009, will receive the 2022 Esteemed Physician Award, the highest honor the Avita Health Foundation awards annually as part of the it’s Celebration of the Society of 1906.

“Dr. Haus has definitely earned this award,” said Jerry Morasko, President & CEO of Avita Health System. He went on to add, “In 2009, with the task of building Avita Health System, he was the first local physician I hired. He has worked with me to build the medical staff and continues to support our physician recruiting efforts. I believe that because of his exceptional clinical skills and dedication to patient care, he has been one of the key physicians responsible for our growth and continues to help Avita through his work as Chief Medical Officer. Physicians like Dr. Haus set standards for quality, safety, and patient experience, while providing the highest level of compassionate and personalized care.”

The nomination of Dr. Haus calls out his likeability as a physician and a colleague, highlighting his generous, caring, and loyal character. Dr. Haus volunteers his time and energy when it comes to fundraising and community engagements. He is a supporter of many organizations that includes the Avita Health Foundation, Saint Peter’s Church, Catalyst Life Services, Richland Homeless Shelter, and Catholic Charities USA. He maintains a high-quality medical practice and those who endorse him for this honor feel Avita should formally recognize the true importance of internal medicine and family practice physicians and show appreciation to these valuable members of our community’s health care system. Patients have stepped forward to share how much they appreciate his compassion, concern, and respect he demonstrates to the legacy of families he cares for. The corporate community also recognizes Dr. Haus for his contributions during the most critical times of the pandemic, and as he continues to advise community leaders of proper mitigation practices and best practices for health and safety.

Besides his own practice, Dr. Haus continues to serve as Chief Medical Officer for Avita Ontario Hospital, is a member of the Ohio State University Medical Board for Quality Improvement, and serves on the Avita Health Foundation Board of Directors. As engaged as Dr. Haus and his wife, Margie Dennison, are in their respective churches and community, they enjoy six children between them and two grandchildren.

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.

2022 Visionary Award Recipient

In 1932, David Charles Boyd (D.C.), the founder of Galion Iron Works, sold the company and unfortunately passed away soon after. No one knew this business like the Boyd Family, and the company remained in Galion where oldest son Jack Boyd was named President. Eventually, Jack’s brother Ralph Boyd became President. Ralph, Jack, and their brother Charles Findley (C.F. as he was known), built a company that was transformational, and because of the success of its heavy road building machinery, the slogan “All roads lead to Galion” was recognized all over the world. Together, the brothers, and members of the family were advocates for and investors in a thriving community that included a great vision for healthcare that transformed into what became Galion Community Hospital.

They couldn’t have known then that they had begun a tradition of giving and volunteerism that would succeed them for another five generations. Ralph, Jack, and C.F., along with their spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and nephews, and the tireless work they have all gifted, have established a philanthropic and volunteer legacy so impactful that the Avita Health Foundation will honor members of the family and foundation who continually demonstrate this tradition of giving with the 2022 Visionary Award – the highest honor the Foundation awards.

Linda Boyd Chambers, a longtime supporter of the Galion community and hospital, and her mother, Marjorie (daughter to Jack and Gladys Boyd), a founding member of the Women’s Auxiliary at Galion Hospital, are two examples of individuals that have continued the tradition of giving and volunteerism, while siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews also did their part helping the Galion community thrive. “My mother and grandmother believed strongly in giving back and volunteerism,” said Linda. She pointed to her grandparents and great uncles, Ralph and C.F.’s passion for giving that inspired the rest of the family. “They were an instrumental force,” she recalls. “They got my mother and me, as well as my late husband Walt Chambers, involved. They donated money, property, and time to a number of causes and projects in the community. After D.C. died, my grandmother Gladys Boyd, convinced her husband and his brothers that the property the family owned near Cherry Street would be the perfect location for the new hospital,” shares Linda Boyd Chambers. As a result, in 1941, “my great uncle Ralph and his wife Jean agreed to donate the property for the hospital on behalf of the family.” C.F. served on the initial board, became Board Chair at Galion Community Hospital, and in 1958 led the campaign to expand the hospital. Ralph’s wife, Jean Boyd, also supported causes in the community and at the hospital as a member of the women’s auxiliary almost to the time of her death in 1989.

A recent grant from the Ralph E. Boyd Foundation elevated the cumulative giving of generations of Boyd’s to surpass $1 million to the Avita Health Foundation. Avita considers gifting of the property more than 70 years ago on which Galion Hospital sits, and which continues to fulfill its mission to the community, over $150,000 in additional contributions from Ralph & Jean Boyd, more than $225,000 in proceeds from the Walt Chambers Memorial Golf Outing, the generosity and volunteerism of members of the Boyd Family through the generations, and the continued impactful support of the Ralph E. Boyd Foundation as testimony of a tradition that has not only been transformational to the hospital, but the Galion community as well. The Galion Center YMCA, Historical Society, Galion Community Foundation Education Fund, and Galion Community Theatre are among the organizations that received impactful support from the Boyd Family and Foundation over the years as well.

“It has been 90 years since the passing of D.C. and initial sale of Galion Iron Works. My grandparents and great uncles Ralph, Jack, and C.F. passed more than 50 years ago. The family recently reflected on the impact they had on our family and the community,” Linda Chambers shares. “As we all get older, it is important to remember the traditions they started, all of their work and that of the rest of the family, and the impact it has all made at the hospital and in the Galion community. The legacy of giving and volunteerism is something handed down generation to generation, and hopefully our family and the continued work of the Ralph E. Boyd Foundation, serves as an example of this. There are many ways people can give—your time, your talents, and your philanthropy. The Boyds did just that. What an incredible family legacy and vision realized,” concluded Linda Chambers.

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

2022 Esteemed Physician Award Recipients
(Honorary or Posthumously)

The late Dr. Lawrence Leone, a much beloved and respected family medicine physician and long-time medical director of Avita Home Health & Hospice will be honored as a 2022 Esteemed Physician posthumously.

Dr. Leone was born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 19, 1958, and graduated from Good Counsel High School in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1976. He completed his undergraduate studies at Wheeling College in West Virginia in 1980 and went on to complete his doctorate at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV in 1985. He was married to the love of his life Elizabeth Guercio Leone. In the rare moments when Dr. Leone wasn’t practicing medicine, he enjoyed gardening, strumming on his guitar, hanging out on the beach or walking by the water for miles, and mostly spending quality time with his family that included his 4 children and 5 grandchildren.

Dr. Leone had the unquantifiable ability to communicate, inspire, and lead. It is this commitment and devotion that earned him this tremendous recognition. Dr. Leone dedicated his life to teaching and delivering medical care to his staff and patients. He was tireless in his efforts to ensure the team he led exhibited compassionate and thoughtful care.

Dr. Leone passed away on July 2, 2022. He was cited as a “steadfast” advocate for delivering and teaching the importance of patient-centered care. Since first joining Galion Hospital, he served in many leadership positions to advance his specialty and support his colleagues, including Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation at Avita Health System and Medical Director of many assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Ever the teacher, no encounter with Dr. Leone was without a lesson, according to his colleagues. An extraordinary human being, Dr. Leone was an enthusiastic and energetic advocate for humanism in medicine. He taught his staff to treat patients with compassion and to be attuned to their needs and those of their families. Dr. Leone was committed to improving the health and lives of everyone he cared for and his leadership will be deeply missed.

The Avita Health Foundation is recognizing the commitment, leadership, service, and impact Dr. James “Jim” Barth demonstrated throughout his career in medicine and life, by recognizing him with the highest honor bestowed upon a Bucyrus Hospital physician – the 2022 Esteemed Physician honorary.

Born and raised in New Washington, Ohio, Dr. Barth graduated from New Washington High School in 1950, Capital University in 1954, and OSU College of Medicine in 1958. In 1959, he returned to Bucyrus to partner with his father, Dr. Karl Barth, who began practicing in 1919 at Gates Hospital and retired in 1965 after 50 years of being a physician. Avita Health System dates back to the founding of Bucyrus/Gates Hospital in 1906 by Dr. William C. Gates. Over the years generous physicians like Dr. James Barth and his father Dr. Karl Barth, have dedicated themselves to the health and well-being of the families of Crawford and surrounding counties through their philanthropy, time, and expertise. Dr. James “Jim” Barth, and his father, Dr. Karl H. Barth, cared for thousands of patients over a combined 78 years.

Dr. Barth was a family physician, delivered babies, took call at the hospital, and was innovative in the practice of medicine. He also served his profession by making six medical mission trips to serve the people of Haiti, and two others in the US after major natural disasters. While at Ohio State, he married Donna Eckstein, whom he had met in junior high school, but didn’t date until 1952. Donna worked as a nurse, and together they have raised four children and spent most of their lives devoted to ministry and teaching at both St. John’s Lutheran Church and more recently at the Evangelical Pietist Church. In 1997, he, Donna, and several other parishioners, helped establish a ministry that impacts the community even today – The Praise Worship Team. Dr. Barth also taught Sunday School at both churches, however, this past December after 60 years, he instructed his final class.

Those who nominated Dr. Barth describe him as an incredible resource, generous, an outstanding patient advocate, and an inspiring teacher. Dr. Barth served as President of the Crawford County Medical Society and Bucyrus Hospital Medical Staff. He also served the New Washington Village and Buckeye Central School Board from 1981-1989.

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

Friends and donors of the Avita Health Foundation and Avita Health System gathered on April 25, 2023, at the Galion Theatre for the Annual Celebration of the Society of 1906. Foundation Board Chair, Randy McDonald, and the Chief Development Officer, Chuck Cangelosi, thanked donors to the Foundation for gifts, grants, sponsorships, and pledges that exceeded $1.2 million in 2022. The Boyd Family and Ralph E. Boyd Foundation were honored as new members of the Dr. William C. Gates/Society of 1906 for lifetime cumulative contributions that exceeded $1 million. Tribute videos of the recipients on the theatre’s big screen highlighted the recognition portion of the ceremony and created a celebratory and fun environment for the evening.

Avita’s fourth annual event honored its most generous donors and friends at the elegant Celebration of the Society of 1906. This year, the Foundation recognized the Boyd Family (represented by Linda Chambers of Galion) and the Ralph E. Boyd Foundation who received the prestigious Visionary Award.  In addition, Dr. Eric Haus received the 2022 Esteemed Physician Award, Dr. Jim Barth was recognized as an Honorary Esteemed Physician, and Dr. Larry Leone was recognized as an Esteemed Physician Posthumously. Read each of their stories and watch their videos by clicking on each award.

Visionary Award

Esteemed Physician Award

Posthumous Esteemed Physician Award

April 25, 2023 Event Gallery from Galion Theatre

(Click photos to view full size.)

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Past Award Recipients

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