EvergreenHealth Foundation has announced the Suzanne Lewin Endowment Fund for Parkinson’s Care, a $445,758 estate gift established by late EvergreenHealth patient Suzanne Lewin to support the clinical program and benefit patients at EvergreenHealth’s Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center. The dedication, held on May 21 at the care center, featured a donor recognition ceremony and special thanks from the medical staff leaders.

The endowment will serve patients with Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)  at the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center, which offers comprehensive and compassionate care to patients and families living with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions.

“We strive to make a lasting impact on each one of our patients’ lives and are grateful that Suzanne entrusted EvergreenHealth with an endowment that will ensure we are able to impact our patients’ lives for years to come,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. “Suzanne’s generosity is a testament to the quality of care and service our providers exhibit every day.”

Suzanne Lewin was a lifelong champion of Parkinson’s research and improving patient access to health care. Lewin lost her mother to Parkinson’s in the 1970s, and after seeing first-hand the difficulties her mother faced due to a lack of available resources and support, Lewin dedicated her life to study the progress and treatment of patients affected by the disease.

Lewin was inspired to make a donation supporting clinical programs and patient services at the Parkinson’s Center many years before her passing. When former Washington State Governor Booth Gardner joined forces with EvergreenHealth to create the Parkinson’s care center, Lewin began developing her charitable estate plan.

Lewin, who passed away in 2013 under the care of the EvergreenHealth Hospice Care Center, created the endowment fund in memory of her mother, Henrietta L. Lewin.

“Suzanne’s greatest joy in life was contributing to the well-being of patients with Parkinson’s disease,” said Kae Peterson, vice president and executive director of the EvergreenHealth Foundation. “Her spirit of giving will reverberate in the halls of the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Center for generations.”

More information about the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center at EvergreenHealth is available by calling EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline at 425-899-3000 or visiting www.evergreenhealth.com.