Five Marshfield Clinic oncologists in Eau Claire
Giving is nothing new to the five Marshfield Clinic oncologists in the Eau Claire area. They give the best possible medical care, and give compassion and support to a patient or family who needs an empathetic and understanding ear. It is all part of the job.
Recently this team of tight-knit physicians made personal gifts when opportunity presented itself, showing a special level of commitment to giving to patients.
Oncologists making a matching donation to the Cancer Care – Eau Claire Fund were (from left) Drs. David Schifeling, Muhammad Muslim, Patcharin Tanawattanacharoen, Bilal Naqvi and Dean Delmastro.
"I was floored when I heard about it," explained Matt Schneider, Marshfield Clinic's development officer for western Wisconsin. "A special event in our area raised $20,000 for cancer survivorship programs in the Eau Claire area. The doctors appreciated the community support and were inspired. They decided to match this amount personally, as a team…for their patients. It was remarkable."
"As cancer specialists, we can sense that some of our patients are really on their own and are not covered by any kind of safety net," said David Schifeling, M.D. Motivated in part by the event, he thought about making a contribution to the Cancer Care fund and suggested it to his colleagues.
"They were very generous and supportive, and were happy to support this effort," Dr. Schifeling said. "I hope it says we care about our patients. I've felt some satisfaction because of this, and my partners have as well."
Through the event, and the support of these five physicians and other generous donors, an incredible number of patient-centered amenities, survivorship and support services have been funded.
They include CLIMB®, a support program for children who have a parent or other loved one diagnosed with cancer; Dignity Therapy, a program that records the final thoughts of people nearing the end of their lives; and much more. It has been made possible thanks to a special team of physicians who go to remarkable lengths to give of themselves for the benefit of patients.
