December 31, 2008

This is my last “President’s letter.”  As of the first of the year, Kurt Rockstroh takes the helm as President of the Foundation and I get to enjoy life as the Past President on the Board of Trustees.

There have been major grants made again this year.  You can see the current and past awards on the Initiatives section of the website. Our body of sponsored research is growing and your support has helped make this possible.

In addition, we have examined our role in the broader healthcare environments research realm and our on-going relationship with the Academy. We continue to encourage research grant applicants to propose matching or multiple-source funding in order to leverage their and our impact.

As a result of Academy members’ desire to create an endowment supporting healthcare environments research and education, the Foundation had its formation over a decade ago. The founding trustees, Bruce Arneill, Merlin Lickhalter, Frank Pitts, Joe Sprague, Tib Tusler, and I, have all worked hard to put in place a funding mechanism which has successfully supported programs ranging from Academy webinars to rigorous university-based research projects.

And we need continued support from everyone concerned with these increasingly important issues. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the trustees for more information on how you can be part of the Foundation’s programs.

As we approach 2009, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.

Georgeann Burns