100% buy-in: Regional leaders lead by example

When representatives of IU Health’s south central region (SCR) talk to people about giving to the IU Health Foundation to support projects like the new IU Regional Academic Health Center in Bloomington, they can answer confidently one of the questions most commonly asked by donors: Do your leaders support this?

“Yes,” they can say. “Every single one of them.”

It’s true: 100% of the members of the board and executive leadership team in SCR have made a financial gift to the Foundation this year.

IU Health South Central Region President Brian Shockney says that unanimous support reveals the depth of alignment his team members have with IU Health. “It’s one thing to be a leader and get your paycheck from an organization and say all the right things,” Shockney says. “It’s another thing to give part of that paycheck for the vision.”

Dedicated to helping to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, SCR leaders know that philanthropy makes a difference in the level of care IU Health can deliver and in the cost of that care to patients.

“We know that healthcare is expensive, and we are continuing to look at how we can reduce our costs,” Shockney says, “but all of that means there are fewer capital dollars available.”

And that means having fewer resources to spend on the kind of technology, equipment, facilities and human resources required to significantly improve the health of Hoosiers. For example, it could mean the difference between having an antiquated CT scanner or a much more up-to-date, technologically superior one, Shockney says. And that could make a significant difference to a patient’s life.

“It’s the difference between diagnosing the very first evidence of cancer compared to later stages that can have devastating effects,” Shockney says. “And that means we have to use philanthropy. Because that’s the best way to do this and reduce our cost to those who come to us for care.”

Shockney has been clear with his leaders about his expectations, creating incentives tied to overall fundraising goals and challenging them not only to give, but to participate in fundraising activities, to connect the Foundation with potential donors, and to make a few asks of their own.

Through all of this, Shockney leads by example. He has made his gift to the Foundation, and he has made plenty of personal asks, always finding it a worthwhile exercise, no matter the outcome. “That’s my superpower,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve never been shy about asking. I have been told ‘no’ a lot of times, but when I’ve been told ‘yes,’ it’s powerful and makes a difference.”

If you are interested in supporting IU Health’s south-central region, contact

Director South Central Region Diane Buzzell at dbuzzell@iuhealth.org or IU Health Senior Development Officer Emily Trinkle at etrinkle@iuhealth.org.