Buddy and Evie Langston include NGHS in estate plan to support the foundation’s future

“When people have lived their lives serving and giving,” says retired pediatrician Buddy Langston, MD, and newly elected chair of the planned giving committee for Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation, “they tend to want to continue that legacy even after they are gone. I am not sure exactly what all goes in to developing a person who shares themselves this way, but I know that this community has been the benefactor and cultivator of a culture of generous service to others for years.”

That commitment to community was part of what attracted Dr. Langston and his wife Evie when they moved to Gainesville. Dr. Langston was only the 36th physician on staff at the hospital when he joined in 1965.

“The town needed another pediatrician,” Evie explains, “and Harvey Newman was looking for a partner. He hadn’t had a vacation in ten years, and the town was growing quickly—so a vacation was looking less and less likely for him. We visited Gainesville and received a very gracious and warm welcome.”

“Other physicians and their spouses all came to see us, and each explained, in their own way, that working here would be more than managing my practice,” says Dr. Langston. “They all volunteered in civic organizations and had a profound commitment to the people they cared for that went beyond the walls of their offices. We knew that meant more work,” he laughs as Evie nods in agreement, “but that was very attractive to both of us. It is still one of the things that draws people here today.”

Drs. Langston and Newman grew their practice into what became Northeast Georgia Pediatrics and later became founding members of The Longstreet Clinic—now one of the largest physician practices in the state. He has been a Trustee of Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation since 2004 and is a past co-chair of The James H. Downey Society. He helped champion the Foundation’s planned giving program, Nell Wiegand Legacy Society.

In 2016 he was the recipient of the Samuel O. Poole Award, which is presented by The Downey Society to honor physicians who provide outstanding leadership and volunteer service. An outspoken supporter of planned giving, he has helped the Foundation educate the community about the benefits of supporting the Foundation through estate planning.

“I heard Buddy speak about planned giving several years ago and knew that I wanted to be sure I included the Foundation in my estate plan,” says Dot Dussenberry, a longtime member of The Medical Center Auxiliary. “My children are all grown and doing well on their own. I talked with my husband Gene (who has since passed) and with my children and grandchildren. I told them that if my health permits me to leave something when I am gone, I want to continue to contribute to the mission of Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation. My family members were all supportive.”

Dot has nurtured a philanthropic spirit in her children just as her mother had during Dot’s childhood.

“My grandmother was having cataract surgery when I was in high school,” she explains. “Back then, it was an inpatient procedure and you had to lie still for days with ice bags on your eyes. The hospital in Birmingham then had no gift shop, nowhere for us to grab a pack of gum or snack while we stayed with my grandmother. That inspired my mother to start a shop for the hospital. Soon after that, she brought me a Candy Striper uniform and taught me about ‘paying it forward.’ ”

Dot has been doing just that ever since. She raised two daughters and had an active career with the Atlanta School System, where she was director of school nutrition, and after retirement became a buyer for The Window Shop. She served on many auxiliary committees and the auxiliary board, including the positions of hospitality chair, vice president in 2015, and president last year. In 2015 she joined the Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation Board of Directors.

“Some of the tremendous good the Foundation does is easy to see,” she says. “The beautiful gardens and artwork offer such solace and peace to our patients and families. The chapels in Gainesville and Braselton and the tremendous community outreach programs would not be possible without the community’s support of the Foundation. But the Foundation also does something that is intangible. It strengthens the way we work together. The Foundation and the Auxiliary both shape how we see ourselves and reinforce—in a way that is understood even when it’s not spoken—that we are a community that thinks beyond ourselves and sacrifices for one another.”

Because of Dot’s specific situation, she elected to set up a trust that included her wishes for some of her estate to go to her church and some to the Foundation after her passing. She called her attorney who provided guidance as to the form of estate planning that best met her needs.

Dot’s neighbors, Anne and George Thomas, are also longtime supporters of Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation. Anne says she elected to include the Foundation in her will as a means of continuing her support for the community she loves.

Anne is a lifetime member of The Medical Center Auxiliary and began the Love Light Tree project in 1980 to help fund renovations for the newborn nursery in the medical center. Over the years, Love Light has raised funds for a variety of organizations within Northeast Georgia Health Systems. In 1995 it began support solely for hospice care. Since its inception, Love Light has raised more than $2 million.

Anne and George’s support of Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation also created Anne’s Garden outside the North Patient Tower at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. The Thomases have been generous supporters of many organizations in the region from Brenau University to Good News Clinics.

“When my father died, I knew I wanted to do something to memorialize him in a way that would honor his life’s work as a dentist,” says Anne.

So she contributed her inheritance to The Good News Clinic for needed dental equipment. Since its founding, the dental clinic has provided more than $10 million in services to more than 18,000 uninsured, low-income residents of Hall County.

“Making that gift brought me such joy,” she says. “Many dentists have volunteered there through the years and have helped so many people. Having the equipment they needed made that possible, and it was a privilege to have had a part in making that happen. As we age, we all become aware of our mortality. For me, it is important that my estate be used to help future generations.”

Dr. Langston says that the place to start your estate plan is to talk with your financial advisor and/or attorney.

“Proper estate planning can not only make the world a better place,” he says, “but can also create an income stream during retirement and provide valuable tax benefits for donors and their heirs. Some arrangements are irrevocable, but many can be set up so that you can change your estate plan if your circumstances change. You may make an outright bequest in your will or contribute assets. Your attorney, your tax planner, or the staff at Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation would be happy to help you get started.”

If you would like to explore gifts in trust, real estate, or stocks, etc., please contact us. Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation staff can help your professional advisor ensure that your wishes are properly followed.