Ludington Hospital

Dr. Nizar and Zelal Umran Selected for Stearns Legacy Award

August 11, 2017—Dr. Nizar and Zelal Umran are the recipients of this year’s Justus and Paulina Stearns Legacy Award. Selected by the Spectrum Health Foundation Ludington Hospital board of directors, the award recipients demonstrate vision and drive for the betterment and health of our area, as Justus and Paulina Stearns did over a century ago. Those honored with the Justus and Paulina Stearns Legacy Award have a demonstrated history of philanthropy and are leaders in the community. Through their generosity, they honor the Stearns’ legacy and ensure an improved community for future generations.

The Umrans will be formally honored and presented with the award at the Angel Ball on Friday, August 18, 2017 at the Graystone Event Center in Ludington.

“We are honored and humbled to be the recipients of the Justus and Paulina Stearns Legacy Award,” said Dr. Nizar Umran. “It has always been our desire to serve our community and we have been pleased to be able to support many worthy causes in and around the Ludington area.”

Dr. Umran started his surgery career in Ludington in 1976 after completing a general surgery residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and fellowship training in cardiovascular surgery at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and has been in practice for 41 years. Dr. Umran recently announced his plan to retire early next year.

Zelal Umran was a volunteer at the Ludington Hospital for many years and helped with numerous fundraising events, helping to support the helipad project and the family consultation room in the emergency department. One of her signature contributions was the creation of handmade, hand-painted themed Santa Clause figures, many with luxurious fur cloaks and clothing, which were auctioned at a special event in 2015 called Jingles in July. The event helped to raise thousands of dollars for the Spectrum Health Foundation Ludington Hospital. In addition, she and Dr. Umran have sponsored and assisted with a range of local community projects, including Sandcastles Children’s Museum, Toys for Tots, American Cancer Society, Cove, PEO and many, many others.

“I don’t think we’ve done anything special,” said Zelal Umran. “We always worked as a team with so many others who also felt local healthcare and local services to help those in need is important. Nizar and I are grateful for the friendships we’ve made and all of the assistance we could provide. It’s our honor to receive this award, but we helped because it was the right thing to do.”

Dr. Nizar and Zelal Umran are the second recipients of the Stearns award. Last year, it was given to Mr. and Mrs. Lee and Joan Schoenherr.

“Both the Schoenherrs and the Umrans are deserving recipients of The Justus and Paulina Stearns Legacy Award,” said Kaley Petersen, director of community services and the Spectrum Health Foundation Ludington Hospital. “We are so pleased to present this year’s award to Dr. and Mrs. Umran, as they have been tremendous community supporters for many, many years, helping not only the Ludington Hospital but many other organizations and causes as well. I can’t think of a more deserving couple for this year’s award.”

 

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 180 ambulatory and service sites; 3,200 physicians and advanced practice providers, including 1,400 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with 794,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 25,400 employees. The organization provided more than $326 million in community benefit during its 2016 fiscal year. Spectrum Health was named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems—and in the top five among the largest health systems—in 2017 by Truven Health Analytics®, part of IBM Watson Health^TM. This is the sixth time the organization has received this recognition.

 

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