In 1998, Dr. Alan Wentworth and his wife Ruth both received top-notch cardiac care from Bellin Health. As they were contemplating how best to show their gratitude, Dr. Wentworth recalled the value of attending out-of-town conferences during his own training and career as a neurosurgeon. The events provided both a welcome respite and an added perspective for his own practice — and he wanted to provide those opportunities for others. He worked with the first Bellin Health Foundation President Don Harden to establish the Dr. Alan F. and Ruth C. Wentworth Education Fund. This became the Foundation’s first endowed scholarship.
The fund supports educational travel, including training and conference opportunities for Bellin Health cardiac team members. The goals for the fund are threefold: contribute to growth and personal development for cardiac care team members, give hardworking staff time away from the workplace to learn and ultimately to enable Bellin Health to provide better patient care.
After Ruth’s passing in 2009, Dr. Wentworth continued to invest in and grow the fund because he saw the fund’s three goals were being met and needed to continue. He credits the support of many friends and family members who contributed to the fund, continuing to increase its impact.
Today, Dr. Wentworth and his wife Nancy continue to give back, both to The Bellin Health Foundation and to many other community organizations.
“I grew up in the depression where we had no money and did everything for ourselves. We certainly weren’t trained as philanthropists,” said Dr. Wentworth. “My parents gave me an education, which I could not have afforded on my own, and that is one reason why I feel strongly about investing in education.”
During a recent interview, the Wentworths shared a folder containing dozens of thank-you letters from past scholarship recipients with notes about how those experiences impacted them. One recipient stated:
“Thank you for allowing us to be updated on new and future trends in our field. We came back refreshed and ready to make a difference in the lives of our patients and families.”
Dr. Wentworth went on to become a board member of The Bellin Health Foundation for 10 years where he provided service and support to the organization. The endowed scholarship fund he and Ruth created will continue to impact Bellin Health cardiac team members in perpetuity and accomplish those very goals they hoped the fund would achieve.