Supporting healthcare in our community—Jim Styer
Each year, Jim Styer, chairman of the Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park, announces that dozens of grants will be directed to local charities and organizations that “improve the health and well-being of those in the community.” Midwest CareCenter was honored to be one among the 52 grant recipients in 2010. The foundation allocated $75,000 for hospice care and other unreimbursed services for Highland Park residents, and $50,000 was donated to offset our costs to provide general inpatient hospice care at Highland Park Hospital.
Jim, who is chairman of the foundation, noted that Midwest CareCenter “does a lot for the residents of our community—meeting a gaping need for help during a time when people don’t know how to get it.”
“Some members on our board have been directly impacted by Midwest CareCenter,” he continued. “But the foundation funds the organization not because of one single person’s experience; the organization has unanimous support from our board. We know what you’re doing for our community, and we appreciate it.”
Rooted in his community
It’s no wonder that Jim is such a steadfast supporter of healthcare programs that enhance his community—he has lived in Highland Park for nearly 40 years. He grew up in Hyde Park, traveled to Michigan State for college and then returned to the area to start a job and a family. Jim has been in the insurance business for nearly 50 years, half of which have been spent at Mesirow Financial, where he currently serves as managing director. He and his wife, Merle, are proud of their five daughters, whom they raised in Highland Park and now visit in different locales across the U.S., from one coast to the other.
Keeping the community healthy and strong
Jim believes fully in the foundation’s mission to support organizations like Midwest CareCenter—organizations that provide comprehensive, innovative healthcare in Highland Park. During the past ten years, with Jim at its helm, the foundation has donated more than $60 million to a wide range of community-based health programs, from the Glenkirk Foundation, which assists and empowers individuals with developmental disabilities, to Friends for Health, which funds the education and wellness programs of the North Shore Health Center.
The Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park was born out of the 2000 merger between Highland Park Hospital and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, now NorthShore University HealthSystem. The foundation began with $100 million in trust and a promise to ensure ongoing healthcare services and benefits for individuals who live in the area that Highland Park Hospital serves.
Jim feels confident in the future of the foundation and its focus on keeping his community “healthy and strong” and meeting the needs of underserved populations—disabled, aging, terminally and seriously ill individuals. “There’s no sunset in sight,” Jim noted. “We hope to be a part of the community for as long as we can. If the economy recovers, and the trust keeps earning money, we can continue to give funds away.”
