Legacy Gift Creates Endowed Chair for Cancer Care at Baystate Health

In 1997, Longmeadow resident Diane Gallan made her first gift to Baystate Health. Her dedication continued over the years, as she remained a steady supporter of local healthcare. A decade after her first gift, she began to dream about establishing an endowed chair to carry on her family’s legacy. Creating this type of gift would help provide sustained funding to support an area she cared about forever. It would provide opportunity for clinical leadership to infuse funding into efforts that mattered most to their patients and the betterment of the community, allowing for advancement and innovation to bloom.

Diane passed away in spring 2024 at age 86. Through her generosity and forward thinking, she has left an important legacy, celebrating local healthcare and her family, through the creation of the Gordon J. Gallan, Dorothy E. Gallan and Bruce F. Gallan Endowed Chair – Regional Cancer Program at Baystate Health. This fund was established in memory of her father, mother, and brother, respectively. The inaugural holder of this prestigious honor will be Dr. Rawad Elias, current Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

“This gift allows us to go above and beyond for cancer care, advancing our work, creating interdisciplinary connections across the health system, staying aligned with the rapid expansion of knowledge within the field, and providing us the ability to treat patients with the highest quality of care,” shared Dr. Elias. “I am grateful to Ms. Gallan for her generosity and for her dedication to local healthcare.”

This gift will support the Chair of Cancer Care position in perpetuity, allowing the chair holder to utilize the funds to further cancer research at Baystate Health ensuring the best in treatment, diagnosis and care for patients. Each year, the Chair will be able target funding toward areas of growth and opportunity within the cancer research landscape, supporting innovation and new cancer treatments across Baystate’s clinically-driven and physician-led healthcare system in western Massachusetts.

The gift is made in recognition of the outstanding work and contributions of Dr. Wilson C. Mertens, former Vice President and Medical Director, Baystate Regional Cancer Program; Dr. Julio Martinez-Silvestrini, Physiatrist, Baystate Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; and the longtime service and dedication of Dr. Richard Steingart, Medical Director, Adult Hematology, D'Amour Center for Cancer Care.

“Ms. Gallan’s gift is an example of how the support of our donors makes a tangible impact at Baystate Health, truly benefiting patient care and the experience of those we serve,” shared Dr. Andrew Artenstein, Chief Physician Executive and Chief Academic Officer, Baystate Health; President, Baystate Medical Practices; Regional Executive Dean and Professor of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School – Baystate. “Gifts to create endowed chairs help to recognize the remarkable work happening at Baystate Health and allow us to recruit and retain the best physicians and leaders to serve our community.”

Through this endowed chair, Diane Gallan has created lasting support for cancer research, honored the memory of loved ones, and given special recognition to care providers making a difference in the community. Her legacy will live on at Baystate Health, as her generosity will support patients today and those served long into the future.

A resident of Longmeadow, Ms. Gallan lived quietly and with purpose, giving her time and treasure as a volunteer and as a donor. For a quarter of a century, her father, Gordon Gallan, was president of G. & C. Merriam Company, known today as Merriam-Webster, Inc., located in Springfield, Mass. This community meant so much to the Gallans that establishing this endowment was an incredibly meaningful tribute to her family and moment of celebration in her life.

“It was such an honor to work with Ms. Gallan to make this gift a reality,” shared Mark Teed, Principal of Teed Capital Management of Raymond James and former Chair of the Baystate Health Foundation Board of Trustees. "Ms. Gallan dreamed about naming this chair for years and was pleased to know that by including a gift in her estate plans she could make her dream a reality. I am honored to help celebrate her legacy."

Want to create your own lasting tribute? Read how others in our community have made a difference.