Retiring President & CEO Gives $1 Million Legacy Gift to Henry Ford Allegiance Health Foundation

Jackson, Michigan - At a dinner honoring her 30 years of leadership as President and CEO of Henry Ford Allegiance Health, Georgia Fojtasek and her husband Travis announced they are making a gift of one million dollars to the Henry Ford Allegiance Health Foundation.

“It is impossible to quantify the difference Georgia and Travis have made to this community over the last three decades. They truly are an inspiration,” said Henry Ford Allegiance Health Foundation Board Chair David Craft, of The Craft Agency, Inc. “Their gift represents the Fojtasek’s belief in Jackson’s potential and serves as a practical expression of their continued compassion and commitment to the people of this community. We could not be more appreciative of their generosity and look forward to seeing the many ways lives will be transformed by this tremendous gift.”

The donation will be channeled through a legacy project created by the Fojtaseks—30 Years and Counting—to benefit the hard work and vision of physicians and staff at Henry Ford Allegiance Health who seek to address specific needs within their patient population and the greater community.

“The Henry Ford Allegiance Health staff joined their leaders in imagining a different health system for our community and believing in our mission. Honoring them with this legacy donation is immensely rewarding,” said Georgia Fojtasek.

Six specific funds will be the benefactors of the Fojtasek’s donation:

Staff Assistance For Emergencies (SAFE) Fund – Confidential financial assistance is provided to eligible Henry Ford Allegiance Health staff struggling with a sudden, unforeseeable financial need.

Physician and Caregiver Appreciation Fund -- Dr. Gill O’Rourke believed technology had the power to transform the entire medical field. In his memory, colleagues and friends created this fund to support innovative advances in patient care at Henry Ford Allegiance Health. Most recently, this Fund helped to build the Center for Health Innovation & Education.

Travis Fojtasek said, “We have a special interest in this fund created in honor of our friend Gill O’Rourke and designate it to be used for wellness initiatives currently being planned for physicians and staff.”

Healing Environment – Environmental design can be used to promote healing and reduce stress. Many studies show that viewing images of nature, such as the displays of live plants on all floors of the main hospital, can very quickly produce a calming effect following a stressful event. Funds will be used to purchase and maintain plants and greenery throughout the hospital.

“We make this gift in honor of the staff who are so dedicated to maintaining a patient-centered, stress reducing healing environment in our hospital,” said Georgia Fojtasek.

Donor Human Milk Bank – The Milk Bank’s goal is to provide safe donor human milk for Henry Ford Allegiance Health infant patients when the mother’s milk is unavailable, as well as expand safe donor human milk use for infants within Henry Ford Health System, and other hospitals near south-central Michigan.

“We want to recognize our Mother and Baby department team members and their commitment to ensuring all babies receive the benefits of breast milk,” said Georgia Fojtasek.

Perinatal Bereavement Infant Mausoleum – The Henry Ford Allegiance Health Perinatal Bereavement Program provide grief support and comfort to patients and families experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. The Program’s vision is to build a mausoleum for infants, to relieve grieving families of the burden of purchasing a burial plot.

Travis Fojtasek said, “We have witnessed the healing our bereavement program offers to grieving families and make this gift to energize this compassionate campaign to fund the mausoleum in our community.”

SANE: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners – Survivors of sexual assault require specialized care, including evidence collection. This program provides resources for required forensic nurse training and assists our local legal system.

Those interested in making a donation to the Henry Ford Allegiance Health Foundation can do so online, or by contacting Henry Ford Allegiance Health Foundation Senior Development Officer Dea Talmage at dtalmag1@HFHS.org or (517) 205-7538.

About Henry Ford Allegiance Health

Henry Ford Allegiance Health (HFAH) is a 475-bed health system in Jackson, Michigan. HFAH complements traditional acute care services with primary and community-based to support patients across the health continuum at every stage of life. With its Level II Trauma Center, Henry Ford Allegiance Health provides comprehensive care for severely injured patients. As a teaching hospital, Henry Ford Allegiance Health continually looks to the future with its Center for Health Innovation & Education and Graduate Medical Education program. Through its Health Improvement Organization (HIO), HFAH is also a national leader in forming community partnerships that innovatively address wellness and prevention needs across the region.

About Henry Ford Health System

Henry Ford Health System (Henry Ford Health) is a six-hospital system headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Henry Ford Health is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive, integrated health systems, recognized for clinical excellence and innovation. It provides health insurance and health care delivery, including acute, specialty, primary and preventive care services backed by excellence in research and education. Henry Ford Health is a 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient.