L. Paul Berman (1937 - 2005) served as a Columbus Regional Hospital Trustee from 1982 - 1993 and served on the Hospital Foundation Board from 1977 - 1982 and from 1987 - 1988. He also was a dedicated community volunteer. That involvement included service with the former Columbus Distinguished Visitors Series and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. During his terms as a Hospital Trustee, Mr. Berman was instrumental in the Hospital's Robert A.M. Stern expansion and renovation. A native of South Africa, Mr. Berman came to America in 1959 to attend the Harvard Business School. Deciding to stay, Paul eventually made a home in Columbus when he took a position with Irwin Management Company. His work there provided opportunities to work closely with Cummins, and he would in time be named Treasurer of Cummins. He ended his working career at Reams Asset Management, from which he retired in 1999. Among family, friends, and colleagues, Paul was regarded with great affection, known for his sense of humor, admired for his uncompromising integrity, and respected for his high standards, meticulous attention to detail, and unstinting work ethic. Mr. Berman was a bright and community-minded visionary who saw the importance of the hospital's development and was a dedicated champion of the endeavor.
Reams Gift
The L. Paul Berman Memorial Fund for Patient Care Excellence was established in 2005 thanks to a generous challenge grant by Fred and Karen Reams. The fund recognizes the contributions and vision of former Hospital Trustee, L. Paul Berman, who passed away in 2005. An intelligent and community-minded individual, Paul led the Hospital's growth into a regional facility and championed the Hospital's renovation in the 1990s. Gifts and pledges raised between March 1, 2006 and March 1, 2007 were matched by the Reams' gift dollar for dollar up to $400,000. Gifts to this endowment fund will support projects that will accelerate adoption of state-of-the-art, cost-effective patient care.
Berman Projects
2007: Disseminating Best Practice Nursing Care
2008: New Model of Nursing Care
2009/2010: Benchmarking and Planning Support for Innovation Center at CRH
2011: Single-Bed Room Think Thank Event