Glenn R. Rechtine II, M.D., and his wife, Joann, are making a significant difference in the world, thanks to their more than 25-year partnership with Southwestern Medical Foundation. The couple created a fund in 1998 to support research and education and since then, they have provided scholarships for nursing students at Youngstown State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Recipients are chosen in various levels of nursing education and include first generation college students and those facing barriers to earning a nursing degree. The partnership has also provided funding to support research that resulted in approximately 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals related to the treatment of spinal injuries.
Addressing the Nursing Shortage
Their scholarships are especially impactful during a critical time when hospitals across the nation face severe shortages and a growing demand for skilled nurses. During his seven years as a Joint Commission Surveyor, Dr. Rechtine witnessed this serious problem firsthand. “Every single hospital in our country has nursing shortages, some of them with 300-400 unfilled positions. Over the years, Joann and I have gone from being providers to consumers in health care, and it’s important to make sure there’s somebody there to take care of us,” he said.
“We hope to alleviate pressure on students and attract good quality nurses to programs that provide an excellent education.”
Joann Rechtine
Retired from a nursing career that spanned more than 30 years, Mrs. Rechtine remembers the financial worries she faced each semester when it came time to pay for nursing school. “With our scholarships, we hope to alleviate pressure on students and attract good quality nurses to programs that provide an excellent education. It’s important to Glenn and me to encourage and ease some of the burden on students to purchase books and scrubs or pay for tuition.”
Gratitude from Scholarship Recipients
The Rechtines are passionate about sharing kindness with others and have felt the impact of their giving through countless letters from grateful nursing students. “We’re able to help approximately 15 kids a year with college costs,” said Mrs. Rechtine. “It is incredibly rewarding to look back and reflect on the fact that we’ve impacted a lot of lives. Providing scholarships is something that perpetuates itself, and we hope that someday, in some manner, they will pay it forward.”
A Shared Military Upbringing
Both Dr. and Mrs. Rechtine grew up in military families, which gave them opportunities to live in different cities and meet people from around the world. Mrs. Rechtine’s mother was a teacher, and her dad was a businessman. Both parents had master’s degrees. “I remember when I was a kid, my grandfather would always say, ‘money is not wasted if you spend it on education,’” she said.
She earned multiple degrees, including an A.S. in Nursing from Youngstown State University; a B.S.N. from University of Tampa; an M.P.H. in Occupational Health; and an M.S. in Nursing from University of South Florida. Her positions varied from registered floor nurse, nurse administrator and nurse practitioner, and her responsibilities included maintaining healthcare compliance standards, organizing continuing education units and continuing medical education, and coordinating international medical meetings.
Dr. Glenn Rechtine’s Journey to Medicine
Dr. Rechtine’s parents were products of the Depression who lived in the hills of West Virginia. As a young man, his father joined the National Guard and worked his way up to a career Army Colonel. “Neither of my parents went to college, but it was always expected that we would go to school. From the time I was six, I was going to be a doctor, and every step I took along the way was based on that. My parents instilled a strong sense of self-reliance in me. I worked my way through college and graduated from medical school with no debt,” he said.
He earned B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of South Florida and then joined the Navy, which changed his life. “At age 24, I was a department head on a ship responsible for the organization and administration of health care for 5,000 individuals. It was an education unlike anything you learn in medical school and one that I never expected.”
He enjoyed a 48-year career as a spine surgeon and leader in various aspects of academic medicine. “I’ve worn every hat you can wear in health care,” he said. “I served as residency program director, fellowship program director, managing partner of a large private practice, vice-chairman of a university department, head of compliance, head of research, associate chief of staff for a health care system, president of a national spine organization, surveyor for The Joint Commission, and I remain an adjunct professor of Orthopaedic surgery.”
A Strong Relationship with Southwestern Medical Foundation
Dr. Rechtine admires the Foundation’s commitment that has not wavered through the transition of four different Southwestern Medical Foundation presidents, something that nurtured a deep trust in the relationship. “What I found unique about the Foundation is their belief that an ongoing relationship must be beneficial on both sides, otherwise a business relationship doesn’t last,” he said.
“For more than two decades, Joann and Dr. Rechtine have profoundly impacted the lives of others through their generosity and vision.”
Michael McMahan
President & CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation
“For more than two decades, Joann and Dr. Rechtine have profoundly impacted the lives of others through their generosity and vision,” said Michael McMahan, President and CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for their investments, their partnership, and their unwavering dedication to empowering the next generation of health care professionals.”
The couple, married for 33 years, recently made a planned gift through the Foundation that will ensure nursing scholarships will be available for future generations of students.
Today, Mrs. Rechtine is enjoying her second career as the owner of The Loose Leash Academy, which offers separation anxiety training for dogs. She is also focused on giving back to the community, working to help animal shelters understand the special needs of dogs with separation anxiety.
For the past ten years, they have been enjoying life and the outdoors at their home in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
