The Whitfield Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Vitruvian Health (formerly Hamilton Health Care System), was established in 1975 with a mission to encourage charitable gifts that support and advance the quality of healthcare provided by Vitruvian Health and its affiliates.
Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton is the system’s flagship campus. The foundation is dedicated to exceptional healthcare at Hamilton through investments in advanced medical technologies, innovative treatment programs and comprehensive patient services. The foundation also supports the expansion and updating of facilities to ensure a comfortable and safe hospital environment, and is committed to continuous improvement of the patient experience to ensure that every patient receives the highest standard of care.
The foundation is guided by a board of 50 trustees serving on one of five committees: Annual Support, Business Relations, Signature Gifts, Special Prospects or Trust. The foundation recently announced the appointment of three new trustees.
Lindsey Coker, educational resource coordinator at the Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, was appointed to the Annual Support Committee which engages donors and partners for philanthropic opportunities such as the Hamilton Club giving program, Love Lights, an annual golf tournament and Hamilton’s signature fundraising event, the Blueprint Gala. The committee also sponsors community health education programs.
Coker has a bachelor of science in elementary education and a master’s in education for school counseling. She has served on the Cross Plains Community Partner board, the Parent Advisory Board for the Anna Shaw Children’s Institute and the Family Advisory Board for the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga.
Coker and her husband Westly have two children, Mary James and Mac, and attend Mount Rachel Baptist Church.
Rhett Peeples, builder development at Carpets of Dalton, also was appointed to the Annual Support Committee. He has a bachelor of arts in finance and business management from the University of Georgia. He is an enthusiastic outdoorsman and lives on a farm where he and his wife Kyndall raise and show horses. They have two children, Eli and Ryder, and attend Rock Bridge Community Church.
New to the Special Prospects Committee is Alan Peeples. The Special Prospects Committee engages individuals and foundations for gifts of $10,000 to $25,000 for membership in the foundation’s Westcott Fellow programs.
Alan Peeples is designer and president of Chadwell & Associates. He is a graduate of Dalton High School and attended Young Harris College and Auburn University to complete his education. He serves as a board member of Textile Management Associates and the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia. He has served on the board of the Creative Arts Guild and on Hamilton’s Blueprint Gala committee, which helped design Hamilton’s inaugural fundraising gala this year. His hobbies and interests center on family gatherings, including time spent with husband Roger and extended family on Lake Chickamauga.
Chairman of the foundation board W. Scott Sellers expressed his gratitude for the new trustees’ willingness to serve.
“I am honored to work alongside these fine individuals as we support Hamilton’s vision for healthcare excellence. Our goal is to ensure Hamilton Medical Center’s ready response to our community’s critical healthcare needs. As healthcare continues to evolve, philanthropic support is essential in driving health, innovation and investment at Hamilton to elevate the future of healthcare.”
Submitted by the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation.