By Michael Huey, MD, FACHA; Chair, ACHF Board of Directors
Steve Blom, one of the giants in the 100+ year history of college health and wellness, passed away in October. I didn’t know Steve, but Connie Crihfield, Devin Jopp and I did write about him in “The Second Fifty Years,” published in the Journal of American College Health in 2020 (in celebration of ACHA’s 100th year). Steve was a healthcare administrator with a long career in college health, serving as Director/Executive Director at the University of Nebraska, Johns Hopkins University, and the CSU Health Network at Colorado State University. In the late 1980s, a tumultuous time for ACHA, Steve was ACHA Executive Director and a driving force behind the creation of the American College Health Foundation (ACHF). Steve’s late wife, Deborah, was also an active leader in the ACHA Nursing Section and a long-term member of the Nursing Continuing Education Committee. They were a “power couple” in college health and wellness across three decades. Steve and Deb continued to be donors to the Foundation throughout their lives.
Bob Wirag, a member (now emeritus member) of the ACHF Board of Directors since its founding in 1989, made a substantial donation to the Foundation at Thanksgiving in honor of Deb and Steve, his “mentor and friend.” Bob wanted to honor their service and memory. Bob said that “It takes teamwork for the Association to get things done.” In a 2018 article about the founding of ACHF, Steve wrote “With continued stewardship and the financial support of all members, it (the Foundation) can truly continue to fulfill the dreams of all of us over 30 years ago.” Of course, they are both right.
I have been fortunate to have many mentors and friends during my career in college health and wellness: Maggie Bridwell, Bill Christmas, Ralph Manchester, Jim Turner, Jake Baggott, Sarah Van Orman, Connie Crihfield, Jean Chin, and yes, Bob Wirag. That is a profoundly incomplete list, as it would be if you had to make your own list. There is a new generation of ACHA leaders, and they will mentor the next generation after them. The American College Health Foundation started with the leadership of Steve Blom, Bob Wirag, Connie Crihfield, and others, and exists to support that mentorship and fulfill those dreams. Steve knew that the Foundation of 30 years ago needed “continued stewardship and financial support of all members” to achieve its mission. It is still true today.
Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” At this season of gratitude and giving, consider honoring your mentors by supporting the work of the American College Health Foundation. For those of us wishing to build a legacy of giving, consider giving a future gift or bequest by joining the ACHF Legacy Society. By donating to further our shared ACHA mission, we work together to foster the health and well-being of our college students, who are the next generation of our nation’s leaders. And we stand on the shoulders of our Association’s “giants”, like Steve Blom, to help us fulfill our shared dreams and aspirations…with the support of our Foundation.
As we close out 2024, consider a tax-deductible gift to ACHF. Your gift enables us to make a difference, and for that we are grateful.
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