Caring for health. Caring for life.

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Cheng's gift fulfills personal mission

03 / 21 / 2007

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OSHKOSH, Wis. – Dr. Theresa Cheng has always wanted to be at a point in her life where she could donate her income and carry out her personal mission.

Cheng, a Neenah native, works long hours—she’s available 24-hours a day, seven days a week—and has been frugal in order to get to the point where she is today. “I enjoy what I do so it doesn’t seem like work. I view it as a means so that I can get to the point faster where I can create a fund for the community.”

Cheng, an Affinity Health System neurosurgeon, announced Wednesday she was donating $2.5 million to the Mercy Health Foundation for the creation of the Dr. Theresa M. Cheng Endowment for Medical Excellence and Compassion. “My ultimate goal has been to become financially secure enough so that I could donate back my income to charity.”

“I am finally at the point in my life that I appreciate everything that I have and want nothing more than to share that with others,” Cheng says.

Cheng credits her parents for her hard work ethic and her faith. “I grew up with nothing,” she says. “My parents left everything behind when they fled the communists in China. They instilled in me the importance of a strong work ethic, good stewardship, integrity, humility, honesty, teamwork, serving others and family values.”

Cheng hopes that her gift will inspire others to give to Mercy Medical Center and Affinity Health System. With cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and insurance reimbursements, it is difficult for organizations like Affinity to provide charity care to patients who cannot afford health care, Cheng says. “We, as members of this community, need to step up to the plate, take ownership of this problem, and create new ways to fund care.”

“This is my contribution but I can’t do it alone,” Cheng says. “I have the capacity but others do, too. Even if it’s only putting a dollar a day in a pickle jar. It all adds up to make a difference.”

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is ranked 24 among the top 100 integrated health care networks nationwide (Verispan 2008). Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 37th among the 250 rated health plans in the nation in terms of customer satisfaction and clinical performance, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 23 family practice and specialty clinics in 13 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.