‘Satisfaction comes from giving’
Bob and Jan Raven’s pair of gifts supports cardiology and pediatrics
When Bob and Jan Raven of Hernando, Florida, recall Bob’s 10-day stay at UF Health Shands Hospital to treat atrial fibrillation, one emotion overwhelmingly comes to mind: gratitude.
“It was a great experience,” Bob Raven says. “What impressed me most was, from the top of the organization to the bottom, everyone was friendly, upbeat and smiling. When you’re in the intensive care unit, that becomes very important. It was a caring place to be in. I haven’t found that environment anywhere else.”
Jan and Bob Raven recently made two gifts to UF in support of the Nature Explore Classroom and the Raven Family Fellowship Endowment in Cardiology.
Photo by Jesse S. Jones
The quality of care Bob Raven received from cardiologist and department of medicine chair Jamie Conti, MD ’87, and staff inspired the couple to express their thanks with gifts in support of cardiology and pediatrics, respectively.
The Raven Family Fellowship Endowment in Cardiology will support the education of future cardiologists at the UF College of Medicine. The Ravens also donated toward the construction of the UF Health Children’s Healing Garden for patients of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
“People sometimes don’t understand the importance of giving back,” Bob Raven says. “They only remember when something’s wrong, not when something went right. We decided it was time to give praise when praise is due. Satisfaction comes from giving, not receiving.”
The Ravens hope the fellowship will empower those studying at the UF College of Medicine to obtain a first-rate education using the most modern medical technology and resources.
“This is a teaching institution — the more resources you can provide would-be doctors, the better training they’ll receive and the better doctors they’ll become,” Bob Raven says. “Teaching institutions are always at the cutting edge of medical practice.”
The UF Health Children’s Healing Garden, set to be constructed in front of UF Health Shands Hospital facing Archer Road, will provide a safe space for pediatric patients to rehabilitate through gardening, walking and playing among the flora and fauna. Jan Raven says she was motivated to support the project for its potential impact on the health outcomes of UF Health’s youngest patients.
“We were told by a doctor that the key to a healthy life is exercise, exercise, exercise,” she says. “If the kids can get outside in this garden, maybe they can get better faster and get out of the hospital. We’d love these kids to get back to their families and their lives instead of sitting in hospital rooms.”
Illustration provided by Nature Explore, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation
The Ravens have a long history of using their time and resources to give back. Bob Raven has served on the board for Youth for Tomorrow, founded by retired football coach Joe Gibbs, while Jan Raven has overseen a team of 600 volunteers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Jan Raven says she and her husband agree that their philanthropy and volunteer work has provided them with warm feelings that last a lifetime. That same feeling motivates the pair to continue making the 90-minute drive from Citrus County to UF Health for their health care needs.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get another two and a half years with Bob,” she says. “Had he not come to UF Health, he wouldn’t be here today.”
