On behalf of all of us at Palm Health Foundation, thank you for your generosity, your faith in our mission, and your belief in a healthier, brighter future for our community.
With gratitude,
Andrea Stephenson-Royster
Trustee, Palm Health Foundation
Together, We Can Lead Change for Better Health
January 3, 2025
Dear Change Leader,
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the board of Palm Health Foundation since 2011. Year after year, meeting after meeting, and through my prayers for strength and resolve each day, I renew that commitment because it is a huge part of my “why.”
Mark Twain wrote, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I realized many years ago that the lessons I learn may be for me alone in the moment, but they are not mine to hoard—they are to be shared with others.
My “why” is to serve others: helping people learn and grow, supporting them as they reach for heights they might not otherwise achieve, and defying the odds life has stacked against them.
This sense of purpose drives my work with Palm Health Foundation. Our tagline, “Leading Change for Better Health,” captures the essence of what we do. It mirrors my personal mission to help others tap into their resilience, find strength, and discover that, together, we can and do accomplish hard things.
Sometimes, people just need a little help—a hand to pull them up when they cannot pull themselves up alone. That’s where we come in.
This year, thanks to your generosity, we have:
- Provided community organizations with grants to expand access to health resources.
- Invested in innovative programs that address mental health, chronic disease prevention, and equitable access to care.
- Listened to and learned from residents to ensure our work reflects their needs and aspirations.
But the work is not done.
There are countless opportunities for us to do better and do more.
Your support is what allows us to continue leading change.
Together, we strengthen our communities and build a healthier future.
As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to join me in renewing your commitment to better health for all.
Together, we can lead change.
Make your year-end gift today and help us continue our health advancement work.
What if I become ill? What if my loved one does? How will we manage?
Let’s Move Encourages at least 30 Minutes of Activity Daily for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health
Healthier Glades , a Palm Health Foundation Healthier Together initiative, proudly marked six years of empowering the Glades community through its Mini Grant Program with the recent announcement of four grant awards to recipients in Belle Glade and Canal Point, Florida. Through the Mini Grant Program, Healthier Glades invests in promising programs to promote health, wellness, and youth engagement. The initiative has awarded over $140,000 in mini grants to 52 residents and organizations fostering lasting community impact since 2019. The four innovative grants exemplify Healthier Glades’ ability to unlock community strengths by elevating and investing in the ideas that the community believes hold the most promise to change lives and the narrative around mental health. “The programs highlight the creativity, passion, and dedication of Glades’ community members,” said Annie Ifill, Director, Healthier Glades. Mini grant recipients began program implementation on January 1, 2025. Mini Grant Recipients
Hospital conversion foundations are unique and powerful forces in advancing community health. These charitable organizations are born when non-profit hospitals are sold and converted to for-profit entities. A foundation is then established from the proceeds of the sale or “conversion.”
Giving Tuesday is About Giving Chances to Someone Like Me.
Palm Health Foundation ’s Scholarship Reception on November 2, 2024, brought together nursing and behavioral health scholars with their donors for an inspiring evening at the stunning Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens (ANSG) in West Palm Beach, FL. Over 190 guests attended the event to celebrate 92 scholarship recipients, the largest group of scholars in the history of the foundation due to a generous gift from Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network (SEFBHN). Frances Fisher generously underwrote the reception at ANSG where she serves as chairwoman. ANSG’s natural gardens and monumental sculptures served as the perfect setting for scholars and their donors to meet each other, all expressing gratitude. Guests and donors thanked the scholars for their dedication to the healthcare workforce of South Florida, and scholars thanked donors for their generosity that enabled them to continue their education. “The scholarship recipients here tonight are not only the future of South Florida’s healthcare system, but also the heart and soul of our community,” said Fisher. “I am inspired by their dedication, and I am grateful to our donors who are helping to shape a brighter, healthier future for all.” The $530,000 awarded in needs-based scholarship funds will help address significant shortages in the nursing and behavioral health care workforce. Donor funding will also help humanize health by advancing the careers of healthcare professionals with lived experience and cultural competencies to serve South Florida’s diverse population, a need echoed by Abigail Goodwin, executive vice president of Palm Health Foundation, in her address to scholars. “Your ability to bridge languages and cultures is critical to providing quality care for our dynamic South Florida communities, making our entire region healthier and stronger,” Goodwin said. “You are here today because you’ve demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and a true desire to serve your neighbors. Palm Health Foundation is proud to support, honor, and uplift you as you continue your journey.” Goodwin closed the event by announcing another gratitude opportunity to donors. From December 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, Palm Health Foundation is matching every donation to The Nursing Advancement Fund and all nursing scholarship funds—dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. Palm Health Foundation nursing scholarships support students with financial need in LPN, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs in Palm Beach County. “Through our charitable funds and with the collaboration of donors, residents, and partners, we are building a culture of health for all in our community,” said Dr. Marsha Fishbane, chair of the Palm Health Foundation Board of Trustees. Notable attendees at the event included: Frances Fisher, PHF Trustee and scholarship fund holder; Dr. Marsha Fishbane, Palm Health Foundation chair, and trustees Dr. Naelys Luna, Barbara James, Clovis Moodie, and Nathan Nason; scholarship fund holders Debra Coffman Howe, Ann Berner, Dr. Alina Alonso, Denise Bober, and Carrie Browne and Donald Smith-Browne; and Tim Snow, president of George Snow Scholarship Fund. To make a gift or create a donor advised fund to support health professions scholars, please contact Carrie Browne, director of stewardship and strategic partnerships, (561) 837-2281, carrieb@phfpbc.org .
Palm Health Foundation marked its eighth annual Train the Brain community health campaign during October 2024 with the unveiling of a significant collaborative initiative. On October 24, 2024, over 95 guests gathered at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University for the launch of The Brain Coast: A Vision for South Florida , an aspiration endorsed by six Palm Beach County brain health and science visionaries who believe that shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform a region and change the world. The launch partners included: Palm Health Foundation Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Foundation The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network Many more have committed to advancing this exciting vision with imagination, curiosity, and desire to push the boundaries of brain science and its promise. Guests at the event were eager to learn about the vision for The Brain Coast, which partners compare to President John F. Kennedy's ambitious goals for American space exploration that accelerated Florida's Space Coast. Evening highlights included ambitious initiatives demonstrating The Brain Coast Vision’s promise and the inspirational journeys that led local scientists, including Palm Health Foundation Computational Brain Science and Health Graduate Fellows, to dedicate their lives to advancing treatment for brain disorders as varied as depression, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and more.
Leaders believe shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform the South Florida region and change the world.
Palm Beach County leaders will guide foundation’s grantmaking initiatives to help residents thrive and reach their full health potential.
Palm Health Foundation behavioral health scholarship recipient Beatriz Moreno remembers the first time she was made aware that she was a first-generation student. “I was applying to colleges in my junior year of high school with my high school counselor and I had to answer what level of education my parents had completed,” said the Argentine American scholar. “As I sat there, I realized that neither of my parents had completed a college degree in the United States. I was the eldest child to start that journey.” It was the beginning of her educational pursuit to combine her interest in behavioral health with her passion for helping people from Hispanic cultures. “Stigma surrounds mental health in the Hispanic community,” she said. “It prevents people from receiving the proper supports, especially when acculturating to a new way of life. And it affects their children.”
Follow Us
Palm Health Foundation Office
700 South Dixie Hwy. Suite 103
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Stay Connected
Sign up for our email newsletter to stay informed on our latest initiatives, partnerships and programs!
Newsletter Sign Up
