Family statue outside Gundersen's La Crosse hospital.

Foundation Board of Directors

Our board members volunteer their time to help make a difference in our community.

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Our board

Our board of directors brings together healthcare and business leaders to serve as responsible stewards of your charitable donations to Gundersen Health System. They oversee a competitive grant program that accelerates medical research, boosts medical education, enhances patient care and more.

From our chair

Welcome and thank you for taking an interest in the work of Gundersen Medical Foundation. We’re fortunate we’re led by experienced and talented board members who volunteer their time and expertise to help bridge the historic legacy of Gundersen’s past into a vibrant future.

Throughout our history, Gundersen has been a leader in medical education and research as part of providing high-quality patient care. In fact, this innovative spirit has kept us at the forefront of medicine – a spirit that remains at the heart of our mission today.

Healthcare looks much different today than even 10 years ago. We face new financial challenges that our peers in the industry face as well. Yet, our rich history and commitment to excellent care gives us an edge in overcoming new challenges. Our board is working together to ensure we wisely use the donations we’re entrusted with to overcome these new challenges by prioritizing what’s best for the community.

We are lucky to connect patients to our medical research programs that offer more pathways to treatment. We have an edge over other health systems whose provider shortages are much greater than ours because we train tomorrow’s doctors and keep many of them after graduation from our Medical Education residency and fellowship programs. We are fortunate to have the resources to support local needs of Gundersen Health System with equipment purchases, patient programs and education opportunities for staff.

I wear two hats at Gundersen: surgeon and chair of the foundation board. This positionality gives me a front row seat to witness the incredible ways gifts to the foundation are put to work to benefit our patients. Our board continues to do incredible work to ensure all donations made to the foundation stay local – even after our merger with Bellin Health System - and are dedicated to areas with the biggest impact.

We look forward to partnering with you as we grow and sustain our outstanding education, research and patient care programs and services.

Thank you for being our partners in philanthropy.

Sincerely,

Stephen Shapiro, MD, Chief Medical Foundation Officer Chair