CLEVELAND – A $1 million donation to University Hospitals from the Fergus family of Avon, Ohio has created the Mary D. Fergus Endowed Chair in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Terrence Fergus and his family made the gift in honor of his wife, Mary, for her many years of dedication as a neonatal nurse. The chair will be held by a physician leader in the Maternal-Fetal Care Center at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital. The Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Foundation provided a $500,000 match to the Fergus family’s $1 million gift.

“It is a great pleasure to give a gift in honor of my wife, Mary, for her many years of dedication, caring for the sickest of babies,” said Mr. Fergus. “Mary and I will always be grateful for the care our son received from Dr. Fred Rothstein many years ago. With this gift, we are able to show our appreciation to those in positions like Mary and Dr. Rothstein.”

The announcement of the chair was made during a recent dinner the Fergus family attended with Fred and Jackie Rothstein. Fred Rothstein, MD, is President of UH Case Medical Center and a pediatric gastroenterologist. Dr. Rothstein treated the Ferguses’ son, Nathan, 27 years ago. Dr. Rothstein diagnosed Nathan's condition and the Fergus family credits him for saving Nathan's life. Nathan is now 29-years-old and is a practicing pediatrician in South Carolina.

“We are honored by this generous gift from the Fergus family for our Maternal-Fetal Care Center,” said Dr. Rothstein. “Through a continuum of care, this comprehensive program brings together the expertise of our pediatric and women’s health experts to ensure the health of high-risk pregnant women and their babies. The center meets a real community need that University Hospitals recognizes and is committed to addressing.”

Terrence Fergus is involved with UH in numerous volunteer leadership capacities. He is also one of five principal partners at FSM Capital Management, a wealth management services company. The firm utilizes the advisors' combined experience of more than 60 years in financial management to provide clients with exceptional financial advising.

“This was a wonderful surprise for our family this holiday season,” said Mrs. Fergus. “I always knew how much Terry appreciated the work of neonatal nurses and pediatric specialists like Dr. Rothstein and I cannot say how much this gift means to me and how much it is going to mean for the patients at both Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MacDonald Women’s Hospital.”

The Fergus family acknowledges the need for a comprehensive maternal-fetal care center in Northeast Ohio. Maternal-fetal medicine is a rapidly developing science that emphasizes early diagnosis, management, and treatment of the unborn fetus. This is especially important in the Cleveland area where poverty and lack of health insurance have contributed to a higher rate of infant mortality than the national average. The Maternal-Fetal Care Center will be coordinated between UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, where an average of 1,400 high-risk pregnant women are referred annually. MacDonald is licensed by the State of Ohio as a Level III regional perinatal center—the highest classification available to hospitals offering maternity services, and offers specialized expertise in high-risk pregnanies. The center will deliver care ranging from the first doctor visit to the post-partum stage and work collaboratively with community physicians.

“I extend deep thanks to the Fergus family on behalf of all of us at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MacDonald Women’s Hospital,” said Mike Farrell, President of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital. “The new Mary D. Fergus Endowed Chair in Maternal-Fetal Medicine will allow us to establish a preeminent Maternal-Fetal Care Center for our community and will ensure that the program is led by renowned leaders in this growing field.”