WMHS Foundation Adds New Board Members

The Western Maryland Health System (WMHS) Foundation recently added three new members to its Board of Directors. The new members are John Balch, M. Louise Brelsford and Dr. Raul Felipa.

John H. Balch is the founder and president of PharmaCare of Cumberland and Option Care of Cumberland. He holds professional memberships in many related associations and he is a graduate and current board member of Leadership Maryland. Balch was a founding member and currently serves on the Greater Cumberland Committee, and the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce honored him as the Individual of the Year in 1997.

M. Louise Brelsford is a retired business owner with over 35 years experience in the insurance industry. She is past president of the Cumberland Underwriters Association, Cumberland Business and Professional Women and the Sacred Heart Auxiliary. Brelsford also serves as a patient advocate at WMHS.

Dr. Raul Felipa, M.D., is a physician who has been in private practice in Cumberland for over 30 years. He has served as president of the Sacred Heart medical staff and the Allegany County Medical Society. A delegate to the Medical-Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, Dr. Felipa was honored as the Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner by the Maryland Rural Health Association in 1999.

The WMHS Foundation provides financial support for the work of the health system in its mission to improve the health status and quality of life of the individuals and communities it serves. Keynote programs of the foundation are a $100,000 annual health care scholarship program and a $250,000 capital funding program.