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Albany Med Names "Partners in Leadership"

ALBANY, N.Y., March 16, 2010—The Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc. has presented its 2009 Partners in Leadership awards to three community leaders and one business for their distinguished history of charitable giving and service to Albany Med. Arthur Hunsinger received the Volunteer of the Year Award, Carl E. Touhey was awarded the Alden March Award for Public Service to Healthcare, David Falk, M.D. ’43 was honored as the Individual Philanthropist of the Year, and Walmart was named Corporate Philanthropist of the Year.

“Albany Medical Center was built upon a solid foundation, supported by the strength of its generous benefactors and the surrounding community,” said James J. Barba, president and chief executive officer of Albany Medical Center. “This year’s Partners in Leadership recipients have been influential leaders, helping to sustain the Medical Center’s continued growth over the years. We are grateful for their many contributions and steadfast support of our tripartite mission.” 

Established in 1994, the Partners in Leadership program serves to recognize individuals, organizations, or businesses—called “partners”—who have made significant contributions to Albany Medical Center. Membership in the program has increased from approximately 150 partners in 1994 to nearly 800 partners in 2009. Moreover, last year Albany Med partners made up 75% of the total annual giving.

The awards were presented at a reception held March 10 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Albany Medical Center.

About the Recipients:
 Volunteer of the Year: Arthur Hunsinger
Artie Hunsinger has been the producer of the annual Children’s Hospital Telethon—Albany Medical Center’s single largest fundraising event—for the past 25 years. The production consists of countless hours of pre-broadcast preparations and logistical details—time that he invests outside of his role as a news producer for FOX 23 and as a volunteer firefighter for the town of Clifton Park. Hunsinger has also served as volunteer host for Albany Med’s Employee Bowl-a-Thon and the Children’s Hospital Golf Tournament. In addition, he recently produced a video montage for the Children’s Hospital Memorial Gathering to pay tribute to the children who fought and yet lost their battle to illness or injury, which provided comfort to grieving families.

Alden March Award for Public Service to Healthcare: Carl E. Touhey
For nearly 40 years, Carl E. Touhey, president and owner of the Orange Motor Company, has been an active member of the Albany Medical Center community, having served as a member of Albany Medical Center’s board of directors for 17 years before becoming an emeritus member in 1987. Soon thereafter, Mr. Touhey was named honorary alum of Albany Medical College. He served as co-chair of the Fund for 21/21 campaign, which raised $26 million for the Medical Center and as honorary chair of the more recent Pillars Campaign, which raised more than $131.6 million for the Medical Center. In 2004, Mr. Touhey donated $2 million to Albany Medical Center to support of the region’s only state-designated Level 1 trauma center for which it was renamed The Family of Charles and Winfred Touhey Emergency Care Center.

Individual Philanthropist of the Year: David Falk, M.D. ’43
Dr. David Falk ’43, is an alumnus of Union College and Albany Medical College, and has made significant philanthropic contributions to both institutions to help sustain their academic missions. Nearly 40 years ago, Dr. Falk founded the Harold C. Wiggers Scholarship Fund—a fund that has since provided much needed financial assistance to medical students who have completed at least two years of pre-med coursework at Union College. In addition, Dr. Falk has made generous contributions to the field of urology through planned gifts that will ultimately establish the Dr. David Falk Chair in Urology and the Dr. David Falk Scholarship Endowment. His most impressive contribution was his outward challenge to fellow Medical College alumni whereby he agreed to match $1 for every $2 donated or pledged. The Falk Challenge constituted the largest fundraising initiative in the College’s history and resulted in nearly $3 million raised.

Corporate Philanthropist of the Year: Walmart
As a partner of the Children’s Miracle Network, Albany Medical Center has benefited greatly from over 25 years of service and financial support from Walmart, receiving nearly $2 million in support of the Children’s Hospital’s unique programs and services. In the past two years alone, Walmart has contributed more than $400,000 to Albany Med. In addition, Walmart employees have given generously of their time to the Children’s Hospital annual telethon, volunteering in various ways and furthering their commitment to helping our region’s young patients.

Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center. It consists of Albany Medical College, Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc. Additional information about Albany Medical Center can be found at www.amc.edu.
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