Donor Next Door Award
Buddy Klein believes in hard work and treating people fairly — a life philosophy that fits perfectly with the culture at Baptist Health. The 79-year-old native Miamian has had countless experiences with Baptist Health employees over the years and is always impressed by their professionalism and compassion. As a result, he has been a long-time supporter of Mariners and Baptist Hospitals, most recently making a substantial charitable gift annuity to Baptist Health Foundation designated to the Center for Excellence in Nursing at Mariners Hospital.
“I like the way the hospitals are run,” he said. “So I feel good about giving back to them.” A personal experience at Mariners Hospital prompted Mr. Klein to make his latest donation. He recently spent three days at the hospital for a heart arrhythmia. The nurses were attentive and did everything possible to make him feel comfortable. “They were not only nice but went out of their way for me,” he said.
Mr. Klein first became involved with Baptist as a business owner who had a professional relationship with the organization. His company, DPC General Contractors, specialized in asbestos removal and worked on projects in the 1970s and 1980s at Baptist Hospital.
“It was an easy place to do business,” Mr. Klein said. “Everybody was honest and you simply just did your job.” With his down to earth personality, he also appreciated being judged for what he did, not who he knew. “I did not have to take people to lunch to get the job. It was a matter of how I produced.”
The professional experiences sparked Mr. Klein’s philanthropic interest. When he retired from active management of his company in 1990, he was looking to put his resources toward a worthwhile cause. “I had already donated some to Baptist Hospital,” he said, “but as an avid fisherman with a home in the Florida Keys, I got to know Mariners. I marveled at how Baptist Health changed the situation there. The organization did a great job building such a beautiful hospital in our small community.”
While Mr. Klein lives most of the year on 14 acres in the North Georgia mountains, he still maintains a home in the Keys. He is proud to have Mariners Hospital nearby and is honored to celebrate its nurses. “I know how hard they work. I saw it when I was there,” he said. “They roll up their sleeves and do what they have to do. It is just like the way I use to work.”
Mr. Klein’s gift to the Center for Excellence in Nursing helps support the education and development of the nursing staff, rewards outstanding nurses for their contributions to the profession, sends students through nursing school and improves patient care with nurse-approved equipment and programs.
Donors such as Buddy Klein help insure that needed healthcare services are available to the communities served by Baptist Health South Florida, the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. It includes Baptist, South Miami, Doctors, Baptist Children’s, Homestead, Mariners, and West Kendall Baptist Hospitals, as well as Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Baptist Outpatient Services.
For more information:
Christopher M. Kraus
Chief Operating Officer
Baptist Health South Florida Foundation
(786) 596-6535
christok@baptisthealth.net