Donor Spotlight

A Planned Gift Was Right for Louis Fazzano— and It Might Be Right for You

By making a planned gift to the Newport Hospital Foundation, Louis Fazzano not only continued his long and impressive career as a philanthropist but he also made an investment in the future of Newport Hospital and in the health of the patients and families we serve. Among his many accomplishments, Fazzano has served as a member and as chairman of Newport Hospital’s board of trustees. He was the guest of honor at our 2009 gala.

“I opened these annuities because I support the great work that my community hospital does, and appreciate the fact that Newport Hospital is there for me when I need it.” -- Louis Fazzano

In 2003 Fazzano decided to demonstrate his commitment to Newport Hospital by creating a charitable gift annuity and becoming a member of the hospital’s Living Heritage Society. He is so positive about the benefits of a charitable gift annuity that he has established not just one, but three charitable gift annuities at Newport Hospital.

“I opened these annuities because I support the great work that my community hospital does, and appreciate the fact that Newport Hospital is there for me when I need it,” says Fazzano. “In addition, the annuities provide a steady stream of income, much of which is tax free. The rate of return on my investment in Newport Hospital is much greater than many other investments, especially for someone my age.”

There are a number of ways you can leave a lasting legacy to Newport Hospital, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, gifts of life insurance policies, IRAs/pension programs and donations of real estate, to name a few.

Time Passes, but Excellent Care Remains

Alexander McBurney, MD grew up in the world of medicine, albeit one very different from what we know today. As a boy in Missouri, he traveled with his father, a physician, on Sunday house calls.

It was then, accompanying his father, that McBurney decided that he, too, would be a doctor. McBurney studied at the University of Kansas, where he received his medical degree. Although he had never been to New England, he decided to complete his residency at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic in New Hampshire.

"I felt I owed the hospital, for being so good to me for so many years. I needed to give something back." -- Alexander McBurney, MD Newport Hospital donor and member of the Founders Society

During his tenure at Dartmouth, McBurney visited a cousin stationed at Quonset, in North Kingstown, RI. McBurney quickly fell in love with Newport and the city's historic architecture. In 1965 he decided to make his home in Newport County and began practicing urology at Newport Hospital. He worked at the hospital for 35 years until retiring in 2000.

Though many things have changed over the years, the excellent care provided at Newport Hospital has remained constant. Technology has advanced, nursing uniforms evolved from dresses to scrubs, and new buildings have been erected, but the quality of care and the support for physicians have never wavered. That is why McBurney donates to Newport Hospital.

“The hospital was always very kind to me, any time I needed instruments, anything to improve patient care, they gave me what I needed,” In 2001, when the hospital began the Vision 2001 Campaign, McBurney was the first physician to give. “I felt I owed the hospital for being so good to me for so many years. I needed to give something back.”

He gives each year through his IRA. The IRA Charitable Rollover provision allows people over the age of 70½ to make charitable donations without having to count the distributions as taxable income.

McBurney has come far from his days of tagging along on Sunday house calls in Missouri. Although many things have changed, the important things remain the same: dedication to patients and the provision of compassionate care. In recognition of those virtues, McBurney has become one of Newport Hospital's most generous donors and a member of the Founders Society.

For more information, please contact the Newport Hospital Foundation office, at 401-845-1617.

Learn more about ways to give to Newport Hospital.