Cooley Dickinson Hospital is honored to announce the establishment of The Paul and Susan Mannheim Endowment for Facilities Improvement with a gift of $560,000 from Susan, and her late husband, Paul Mannheim, a family with deep roots in the Pioneer Valley, known for their long commitment to community service.
Paul’s involvement with Cooley began in 1988 as a member of the Golf FORE Health Committee, eventually finding his way as a volunteer, trustee, and even honored in 1999 with the distinguished William E. Dwyer Distinguished Service Award. Over nearly four decades, Sue and Paul have supported many capital projects at Cooley both individually and through their business, including what is now the Main Entrance, Imaging and Childbirth Center as well as the North Building and Kittredge Surgery Center. It was his dedication and involvement in the Facilities Committee that inspired the family’s philanthropic gift that established the endowment. Sue vividly remembers Paul coming home one day and urgently needing to speak with her. “He asked if he could take out a life insurance policy and name the hospital as the beneficiary,” she recalls. “We didn’t even think about it for many years and could have never imagined it would be the gift it is today.” After his death earlier this year, the life insurance benefit payout was used to establish The Paul and Susan Mannheim Endowment for Facilities Improvement. The endowment continues Sue and Paul’s enduring commitment to their community hospital, ensuring the hospital can continue to invest in its facilities and provide its community with exceptional, compassionate care. “Oftentimes members of our community, like Paul and Sue, reach out as they want to make a gift, but are not sure what the possibilities are,” noted Chief Development Officer, Diane Dukette. “There are creative ways to structure gifts at a modest present cost that will have a significant future impact such as this wonderful gift.” Like Paul’s board and committee work at Cooley, he and Sue both understood and believed in the importance of having access to care and to investing in the hospital’s facilities. The Paul and Susan Mannheim Endowment for Facilities Improvement will support capital projects, helping to ensure access to modern state-of-the-art facilities for years to come. Their commitment to community healthcare will carry forward thanks to Paul’s thoughtful planning. “Paul and I never imagined this would turn into such a significant gift,” Sue shared. “It started small, and with time and planning, it grew. That’s something anyone can do."
