Hospital experience inspires donor to improve patient care through gift

Dawn Treloar considers herself lucky – finding herself in the right time, the right place, and the right job to make a philanthropic impact on programs important to her. In 2007, with the help of her financial advisor, Dawn set up a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) in support of cardiovascular and cancer care at Henry Ford Health.

A charitable remainder unitrust is a type of planned gift that provides the donor yearly income for life based on the trust’s annual market value. The donor may be eligible for a significant tax deduction the year they create the trust. In addition, all or a portion of the annual payments may be tax-free. At the end of the donor’s lifetime, the balance goes to the charitable organization of their choosing.

But in 2016, a distressing stay at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital (HFWBH) inspired Dawn to align her giving to a different cause.

“When I was in the hospital, I couldn't tell you what was wrong with me. I didn’t understand what the doctors were saying to me or the tests that I was getting. At one point I couldn't remember my phone number. I was scared. I didn’t even know what questions to ask.”

Without any family, Dawn had to navigate the disorienting experience on her own. It took a follow-up visit with her primary care physician to dispel the confusion she felt during her hospital stay – but the experience sparked a desire to help other seniors in similar situations. After learning that Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital’s emergency department has the highest average patient age systemwide, Dawn’s purpose became clear.

Dawn then changed the beneficiary of her CRUT to senior care programs at HFWBH, satisfied that her gift matched what mattered to her most – until she asked herself one important question: why wait to make an impact?

With the help of her financial advisor and the Henry Ford Health Development Office, she terminated her CRUT early to set up an endowed fund to support senior programs at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in perpetuity.

The Dawn M. Treloar Senior Endowed Fund earmarks funding for existing senior programs at HFWBH, ensuring a network of support for senior patients during hospital stays and after discharge while also addressing the need for senior-tailored services that will complement facility and equipment enhancements.

"Dawn's gift is a tremendous boost to senior patient care and services at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Her generosity is enabling better experiences for some of our most vulnerable patients in real time,” said Shanna Johnson, FACHE, Regional President for the West Region. "It's that compassion that drives the work our clinicians do day in and day out."

Thanks to her support and relentless advocacy, Dawn Treloar is improving outcomes and experiences for patients like herself.

“The doctors and nurses are the people who are hands-on and can help, but this is my part – and my part is wonderful. It just makes me very happy,” Dawn said.