Maureen and Robert Decherd, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, and The Thompson Family are recognized for their extraordinary work towards advancing medical education, discovery, innovation and patient care.
DALLAS – October 12, 2022 – Southwestern Medical Foundation presented The Sprague Award to Maureen and Robert Decherd, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, and the Thompson Family on Tuesday, October 11 on the Old Parkland Campus in recognition of their philanthropic support and community leadership in North Texas.
Following The Sprague Award presentations, guests enjoyed a Leading the Conversation on Health program featuring an update on the progress of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at
UT Southwestern Medical Center. Panelists included William T. Dauer, M.D., Director of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience; Kimberly Goodspeed, M.D., Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Psychiatry; Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery; and Madhukar Trivedi, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of the Division of Mood Disorders, and Director of the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern.
Established in 1991, The Sprague Award – named for Dr. Charles Cameron Sprague, the first President of UT Southwestern Medical Center and former President of Southwestern Medical Foundation – is the Foundation’s highest community distinction. The Award recognizes outstanding community leaders who have provided significant support to advance health care through contributions of time, leadership and resources. Since its inception, The Sprague Award has been bestowed on 47 exceptional civic and business leaders who have brought significant time and resources to our mission to build one of the leading medical communities in the world. “The Decherds, Halbreichs, and Thompsons have all greatly – and generously – advanced the trajectory of the North Texas medical community by keeping us focused on a higher standard in health care and service to community,” said Southwestern Medical Foundation President and CEO Kathleen M. Gibson. “Philanthropic leadership is essential for breakthroughs and discovery, and that’s exactly what we see in this year’s winners. We’re proud to spotlight their tremendous impact and service, while we celebrate the progress of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and many other initiatives they are helping to advance.”
Maureen and Robert Decherd: Accelerating Neuroscience Research
Maureen and Robert Decherd have led the way in building a thriving medical district in North Texas by graciously supporting various campaigns and initiatives of UT Southwestern Medical Center over the last thirty years. They have created funds for medical research, neurosurgical innovation, and The Parkland Memorial Hospital Neuro-Trauma Award Honoring Maureen and Robert Decherd, Duke Samson, M.D., Jim Thornton, M.D., and Babu Welch, M.D. Drs. Samson, Thornton, and Welch were the physicians who provided expert care for Maureen following a traumatic accident. The award is given annually to an individual deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to the care of neuro-trauma patients on the Parkland Memorial Hospital Neurosurgery Service.
Robert served as Chairman of the Leadership Committee of a successful $21 million fundraising campaign at UT Southwestern, which in 1990 endowed 28 new Distinguished Chairs to provide sustainable funding for UT Southwestern’s retention and recruitment of outstanding faculty. His endeavors marked the first organized, strategic plan to seek endowed funds to attract and retain faculty for the Medical School.
“Maureen and I are deeply honored to receive The 2022 Sprague Award from Southwestern Medical Foundation – a medical institution that has not only shaped the lives of our family, but also communities in Dallas and around the world,” said Robert Decherd. “The breadth and depth of the Foundation’s influence on health care is how our state evolves, and Maureen and I are proud to be associated with the legacy of this award and the achievements of the Foundation.”
Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich: Driving Innovation to Advance Cancer Treatment, Brain Research and Gastroenterology
Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich have partnered with Southwestern Medical Foundation for more than two decades to further its mission of inspiring a higher standard in medicine. The Halbreichs are passionate about a variety of medical causes and have donated generously over the years to brain disease, gastroenterology, and cancer prevention and treatment. Nancy has been an integral supporter for Southwestern Medical Foundation as a Trustee since 2002 and a Public Affairs Committee member for nearly 10 years. She also served on the Steering Committee of the Campaign for the Brain, a recently completed $1 billion campaign to advance brain research and clinical care at UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.
Both Jeremy and Nancy have served on UT Southwestern’s President’s Advisory Board. Together, they have endowed four professorships and planned a generous estate gift for supporting and sustaining the work of the Medical Center they hold dear.
“We’re so excited about what UT Southwestern is doing today across a variety of medical disciplines – cancer, brain research, gastroenterology, cardiology – areas where Nancy and I either fortunately, or unfortunately have had members of our family or either of us have been involved in firsthand,” said Jeremy. “It’s impossible for us to come away from any of those experiences and not feel gratitude and dedication to the Foundation. If anything, our commitment builds over time.”
The Thompson Family: Three Generations of Making Life-Saving Patient Care Possible
Three generations of The Thompson Family have supported the North Texas medical community. Their family continues to guide the Foundation on an extraordinary course forward, ensuring that the Medical Center has leading-edge resources essential for the highest standard of clinical care. Their generous giving to the Foundation and UT Southwestern spans four decades, with donations to St. Paul Hospital, Zale Lipshy Hospital, and William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. The family also came together to establish the Thompson Family Brain Fund, supporting innovative brain discovery and research at the O’Donnell Brain Institute. Jere Thompson, Sr. provided decades-long support to UT Southwestern patient care initiatives and served on the St. Paul Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees for 20 years, two of which he spent as President and one as Chairman. He was a founding member of the Friends of Zale Lipshy University Hospital and served on the Zale Lipshy Board of Trustees and UT Southwestern Board of Visitors.
Jere Thompson, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps as a community leader and was recently named Southwestern Medical Foundation’s Chairman of the Board after joining the Board of Trustees in 1999. Now head of the Executive Committee, he also served as Chair of the Audit Committee, and as a member of the Awards Committee and Risk Committee of the Foundation. Jere, Jr. is a member of UT Southwestern’s President’s Research Council. Jere Thompson, Sr. and Jere Thompson, Jr. both serve on UT Southwestern’s President’s Advisory Board.
“We’re all the lucky beneficiaries of the investments and contributions made by those who came before us, said Jere, Jr. “Dr. Edward Cary came to Dallas and dedicated over forty years of his life to creating Southwestern Medical College. In 1951, Dr. Donald Seldin arrived and devoted the next 65 years to training doctors and building the college. Dr. Seldin helped recruit Dr. Charles Sprague. Under his leadership over 19 years, the institution transformed and truly came of age. We are so fortunate to benefit from what these leaders and so many Dallas philanthropists gave to build this medical center. Now it’s our turn. It’s our turn to contribute and to improve on what we inherited. That’s what motivates all of us.”
More on Previous Sprague Award Winners
Maureen and Robert Decherd, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, and the Thompson Family join an exclusive list of community pioneers who have earned The Sprague Award through giving, serving, and inspiring medical progress that improves the health of families in the Southwestern region. Past Sprague Award winners include Ruth Sharp Collins Altshuler, James W. Aston, Paul M. Bass Jr., Julie T. and Louis A. Beecherl Jr., H.R. (Bum) Bright, Nancy G. Brinker, Rita C. and William P. Clements Jr., Mary McDermott Cook, Joe M. Dealey, Robert H. Dedman Family (Nancy Dedman, Patricia Dedman Nail, and Rachael and Robert H. Dedman Jr.), Jerry Farrington, Earl A. Forsythe, F.B. Pete Goldman, Cecil H. Green, Ute and Rolf Haberecht, Nancy B. Hamon, Linda and Mitch Hart, Jess T. Hay, Lyda Hill, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Adelyn and Edmund Hoffman, Sydney and J.L. Huffines, Vester Hughes, Nancy and Ray Hunt, J. Erik Jonsson, Robert Korba, George L. MacGregor, Margaret M. McDermott, Sammye and Mike A. Myers, Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr., Margot and Ross Perot, Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens, Caren and C. Vincent Prothro, Charlene and Lee Raymond, Laura and Jack Roach, Ralph B. Rogers, Terry and Robert B. Rowling, Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay, Annette and Harold C. Simmons, Jean and Dr. Bob Smith, Gay F. and William T. Solomon, Charles Cameron Sprague, M.D., Jean and Tom Walter, and Donald Zale.
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ABOUT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL FOUNDATION
Southwestern Medical Foundation is a public charity and a registered 501(c)(3) organized in 1939 with a question: “Why not a great medical center in the Southwestern United States?” The Foundation was created to rally citizens in support of the highest quality health care possible in the Southwestern US. Out of that community vision, UT Southwestern Medical Center emerged. Today it remains the Foundation’s partner and most significant beneficiary. Southwestern Medical Foundation is guided by four core principles: Service to Community, Vision of Excellence, Mindful Stewardship, and Best Outcomes. Each principle is a promise to donors, beneficiaries, and generations to come that the Foundation is dedicated to bringing the gift of better health to the Southwest and the world beyond. Southwestern Medical Foundation holds a 100 out of 100 Encompass rating with Charity Navigator and a Platinum rating with Candid (formerly GuideStar) – the highest status offered by each rating organization. These organizations rate governance, accountability, and transparency, supported by both qualitative and quantitative measures. Learn more about Southwestern Medical Foundation.