Charley and Lucille Havens "Donors Find a Winning Strategy to Help Hospital"

Charley and Lucille Havens

In cards, as in life, there are decisive moments. For Charley Havens, the moment occurred during a card game with friends when he found out that he was playing with men who were already members of Indian River Medical Center Foundation's Eagle Society. Later at an informal lunch after golf, "Every one of my John's Island friends present was a Golden Eagle. No one boasted about it, they simply shared how well they were treated at IRMC. More and more of my friends were deciding it was a commitment worth making," Charley recalled. These friends were an opening lead to his own philanthropic action.

Hidden Treasures Benefit Hospital
While sorting through papers, Charley and his wife, Lucille, discovered an old, paid-up insurance policy "sitting in a drawer" that they had forgotten about. At the time, Charley had been pondering the "easiest way" to contribute to IRMC. "If we cashed in our policy, most of it would be taxable income. By transferring it to the Foundation, we received a tax deduction and IRMC got a gift," Charley said, adding, "Tax deductions aren't the reason to support the hospital, however. First and foremost, it's to ensure that we have quality health care in Vero Beach."

A Passion for Excellence
Excellence in health care and customer service are qualities the Havens especially appreciate. Lucille, a former registered nurse, helped run an OB/GYN office for 20 years in Washington, D.C., and had also worked in several hospitals. Charley, who practiced law since 1961, noted, "There are hundreds of lawyers in Washington, so I made sure my receptionist understood the importance of customer service. How the phone was answered could determine whether a potential client used our practice or not." He was pleasantly surprised, therefore, with his customer service experience at IRMC. "No sooner had I become an Eagle, then I had to go to the hospital. The Lab Express admitting clerk thanked me
for being an Eagle Society member and for supporting IRMC. I was very pleased that my commitment was recognized."

Before joining the Eagle Society, Charley had other experiences at IRMC. "In 2010, an eye stroke blinded me in one eye and I was transported by ambulance to the ER. I have had enough experience with hospitals to know the difference between good, bad and mediocre care. I have to characterize my care at IRMC as excellent." He was especially grateful for the attention he received from a patient advocate. "She was there to take care of the little things; she was very concerned about me." Like Charley, Lucille has been healthy most of her life. "For a long time, I didn't think about IRMC because I was fortunate to have good health. Any problems I had could be solved at a walk-in clinic. Now I know that may no longer be the case," Lucille said.

Back to the Beach
The Havens have been Vero Beach residents since 1999. Like many who relocate here, quality of life was a deciding factor. "Vero Beach has everything – activities, the hospital, nice people. It's a small town with big city amenities," Charley explained.

Confidence in Community Care
Over time, the Havens transferred all of their medical care to Vero Beach doctors. "I've been a patient at IRMC several times and I've talked with enough people to gain confidence in the hospital," Charley said. When contemplating recent healthcare reforms, he commented, "Who has had a chance to read the 2,000 plus pages of the health care reform bill, much less understand what it will mean? If we expect to have quality health care in the future, it's important to support IRMC now."

A Winning Bid
Charley and Lucille Havens share their friends' modesty when discussing philanthropy. While downplaying their contribution, they recognize the responsibility each person has in solving today's health care challenges. For these donors, a forgotten insurance policy was the grand slam that allowed them to participate in the solution.

To learn more about supporting Indian River Medical Center using insurance and other assets, please contact the Foundation's Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, Murray Fournie, at 772-226-4951 or murray.fournie@irmc.cc.