Featured Hero
Hendricks Regional Health Foundation is honored to recognize people and organizations who make a difference in the community and at Hendricks Regional Health (HRH). We talked with Andy Wernsman from Bill Estes Automotive about why Bill Estes works so hard to give back to the community.
This is what he shared about their involvement and partnership with Hendricks Regional Health.
What is Bill Estes’ corporate giving philosophy?
A long time ago, Andy and the team at Bill Estes Automotive sat down with some big name companies. These companies give away millions of dollars every year. Andy and his team wanted to learn more about why other organizations do this and how to do it the right way. During those meetings, Andy learned it is important to give to causes that are bigger than the person asking, bigger than the organization asking, and ultimately, bigger than our company. “Bill Estes focuses on the impact of the give, not necessarily the amount of it. We want to make sure and be able to see that our donations make a difference.”
Why do you chose to donate to HRH Foundation?
Hendricks Regional Health Foundation tells a great story. HRH positively impacts people’s lives. Bill Estes supports HRH Foundation simply because it is the right thing to do. “Every year, HRH Foundation funds one major project, like the Telestroke Program and HendricksGO! van, and provides numerous smaller grants for hospital programs and projects that positively impact patient comfort and care. We’re honored to be part of that important work.”
What impact do you feel the gifts have on our community?
We feel the impact HRH and its Foundation have are huge for the community. Bill Estes is a company that wants to make a difference for a large number of people. Supporting what HRH does is part of how we do that. Partnering with the Foundation allows the community to know we care. We love that HRH uses employees instead of just volunteers to get the job done. That’s how you know an organization has impact in the community as well as with their own staff.
How did your partnership with the HendricksGO! van come to life?
Hendricks Regional Health came to us explaining the need for additional transportation in our community to help people get to and from their medical appointments. We discussed the needs of people who need medical transportation and how we could partner with HRH to address that service gap. We made a recommendation about the type of vehicle that would meet their needs, and helped identify the kind of accommodations to make the van wheelchair accessible. Finally, we are pleased to provide regular service for the vehicle to ensure a safe and comfortable ride. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Wernsman added, “Knowing this could help so many people made it a no brainer for us to be involved as a partner. Bill Estes Automotive is proud to be able to be part of such an important and impactful project that helps people stay healthy and remain independent. Ultimately, we look at this as an investment, one that will live within the community for years to come.”
What fuels your personal commitment to HRHF?
I have had several mentors who have helped shape my thinking and community involvement. One in particular taught me to help people before helping myself. This is something I want to embody as an adult and leader. Bill Estes follows the same philosophy. Every month we gather the employees and tell them how we faired. Good or bad, we tell them the truth. At the end of the conversation, we also tell them how much and where we are investing in the community. This could be taken poorly by our employees, leaving them wondering why the company doesn’t just give the profits back to them. Our employees love our honesty and love hearing how the company helps others. It’s a pride thing for us. We want them to know we are doing good even if that means we lost money that month.