Pursuing excellence, embracing ‘new beginnings’
Maria Ducharme, DNP, RN, President of The Miriam Hospital and Chief Quality Executive for Brown University Health, echoed Susan’s sentiments of gratitude and spoke passionately about how donors’ unwavering support is allowing The Miriam to pursue excellence in everything they do.
“By all measurable accounts, it was another stellar year for The Miriam,” she reported, before mentioning several significant highlights to support that claim, including being awarded a 5-Star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (a status less than 10 percent of hospitals nationwide achieve) and being named the top hospital in Rhode Island by U.S. News and World Report . . . for the thirteenth year in a row!
“It’s impossible not to be immensely proud of what we have accomplished together and for what The Miriam means to the community it serves,” she said. “I am humbled every day to work alongside such an amazing group of individuals who sustain the tradition and excellence our hospital is known for.”
Accolades aside, President Ducharme was also keenly future-focused in her remarks on what she called “new beginnings.” Chief among them, the rebranding of Lifespan to Brown University Health, and the launch of The Miriam’s Centennial Campaign, a bold philanthropic initiative that aims to raise $100 million to help fund a transformative construction and renovation project at the hospital that will address major infrastructure upgrades. The campaign pays homage to the hospital’s 100th anniversary by preparing The Miriam for its next century of lifesaving care.
Reports from Brown University Health leadership, the Medical Staff Association, and Women’s Association were also included in the program, as was the Presidential Scholarship Awards presented by Kathleen C. Hittner, MD, and Arthur J. Sampson, Presidents Emeriti of The Miriam Hospital.
Recognizing ‘Person of the Year’
A highlight of this event is always the naming of The Miriam’s Person of the Year, and the 2024 edition was no exception. Susan H. Kaplan earned that well-deserved honor and received the award from her successor, David F. Rampone, Incoming Chair, Foundation Board of Trustees.
Since being invited to become a Governor some 20 years ago, Susan’s commitment to The Miriam and to high-quality healthcare has left an indelible mark on the lives of countless patients and the hospital. For the past seven years, she has served as Chair of The Miriam Hospital’s Foundation Board of Trustees, where her passion for the power of philanthropy has influenced emergency department renovations, expansion of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and record fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Susan has given her time and talents to the Quality Oversight, Nominating, and Credentialling committees, and served on the gala committee annually, including chairing the event with her husband Saul in 2010. She also is a life member of the hospital’s Women’s Association. While Susan’s time as Chair of the Foundation board of trustees is coming to an end, her commitment to The Miriam will continue, as she has graciously agreed to co-chair the Centennial Campaign alongside co-chair Susan Bazar and Honorary Chair, Alan Hassenfeld.
An unwavering ambassador for the hospital in the community and beyond, The Miriam will forever be grateful to Susan H. Kaplan for her friendship and selfless contributions.
Photos by Ashley McCabe Photography