March 9, 2015
, Hartford, CT - Andover resident Richard J. Santagati received the 2015 New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s Distinguished Service to Philanthropy Award. The award was presented at the annual conference of the New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, held Monday, March 9, 2015.
This prestigious award, established in 1978, recognizes a New England healthcare phil
anthropist for his or her outstanding generosity and contribution of time, talent, leadership and resources to health care organizations. It is presented to someone who has demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, and through their generosity, encourages others to get involved.
Santagati was nominated by Lawrence General Hospital where he has been involved as a board member since 1988. In that time, he has been a member and chair of every committee, chaired the Board of Trustees from 2006 through 2013 and is now as involved as ever in the role of chairman emeritus.
Dick was president of Merrimack College from 1994 to 2008 and currently serves on the boards of several national corporations, including Broadview Networks.
He has helped Lawrence General evolve into a thriving regional medical center. Among the milestones achieved over the last five years are clinical affiliations with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center; the opening of new imaging and sleep centers, as well as a cardiac catheterization laboratory; and the renovation of the inpatient pediatric center. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Santagati has championed philanthropic support, working with the Development Office to increase giving to Lawrence General by 520% over the same period.
“Dick Santagati’s decades of outstanding volunteer leadership and service to Lawrence General Hospital have made our organization not only one of the fastest growing hospitals in Massachusetts, but also the premier regional health care system in our region. Our entire region owes him a debt of gratitude,” observes Dianne J. Anderson, president and CEO of Lawrence General “Dick’s vision, dedicated leadership, generous financial support and unselfish commitment to excellence in serving the local community are absolutely unparalleled,” comments Nicholas S. Zaharias, vice president of Philanthropy at Lawrence General.
The New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy collaborates with the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, to provide education, networking and other resources to enhance skills and results for members of both associations.