Support the Blessing of Vincentian
A message from Vincentian Chairperson Dr. Debra Wolf
In this season of gratitude I find myself reflecting on many blessings, including those that sustain our community. For me, one of the greatest blessings of all is Vincentian. The comfort of having a nonprofit dedicated to compassionate care for our community’s most vulnerable is a gift that cannot be overstated.
Regrettably, that comfort is not guaranteed. Today I am asking for your support to help ensure Vincentian’s future.
As the newly elected Chairperson of the Vincentian Board of Directors, it is my honor to invite you to join me in supporting Vincentian this holiday season. I have served on the Board for more than five years, beginning just months into the pandemic. During this time, I have witnessed extraordinary perseverance: leaders navigating the devastating long-term financial impact of the pandemic while never wavering from their relentless commitment to caring for those in need. I have also witnessed the tenderness of caregivers, the pervasive compassion from the bedside to the executive suite, all driven through the spirit of service to others.
Time and again, I have seen Vincentian choose mission over margin, compassion over convenience, and people over profit. There have been trying nights and difficult decisions, including closures of campuses to ensure that Vincentian’s mission can be preserved in service to some, if not all, who are in need. These people-first decisions come at a cost. It is now our time to be there for Vincentian the same way Vincentian has been there for our community for over a century.
Across the country, reductions in government funding are leaving nonprofit care providers at risk. Many are being forced to scale back or close altogether. Without Vincentian, hundreds of older adults, families, and children would lose access to the compassionate, mission-first care that defines this organization.
I believe it is up to us as individuals to put our dollars toward causes that we choose to protect. I choose Vincentian every time – and I ask you to do the same.
As a nurse, educator, and leader in healthcare, I have spent my career in service to others. Here at Vincentian, I have encountered a deeper form of service: quiet, constant, and rooted in a sacred mission. It is this spirit we must safeguard. Please join me this holiday season in giving to Vincentian to preserve this blessing for our community.
With gratitude and hope,
Debra M. Wolf, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, FAAOHN
Chairperson of the Board
Vincentian
P.S. Vincentian is not just a blessing to our community; it is a necessity. Please give today to help sustain this vital mission and ensure that compassionate care remains within reach for all who need it.
Meet Our Chairperson
Debra M. Wolf, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, FAAOHN
Dr. Debra Wolf was appointed Chairperson of the Vincentian Board of Directors in April 2025 after joining the Board in 2020, bringing a commitment inspired by her own personal experience of Vincentian’s compassionate care for family members over several years. Through witnessing firsthand both high quality care and the relationships formed between staff, residents, and families, she came to regard Vincentian as an essential community organization for those who cannot meet a loved one’s needs at home. Dr. Wolf is passionate about nonprofit care that puts people over profit. As Chairperson, she focuses on bolstering Board engagement to activate a larger support network for Vincentian throughout the community, strengthening the organization’s financial stability in the post-Covid era, and supporting Vincentian as a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
Dr. Wolf has more than forty years of experience in healthcare as a nurse, educator, administrator, and consultant. She is a Professor of Health Informatics, Administration, and Nursing and the Founding Academic Director for the Health Informatics and Health Administration programs at Wake Forest University, where she also chairs the Academic Review Committee for the School of Professional Studies. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Wolf is an independent healthcare informatics consultant supporting higher education, clinical partners, and technology organizations. Dr. Wolf’s research agenda explores patient centered care, use of technology in a health setting and the learning language needs of international students. She has published numerous articles, book chapters and coauthored books. She has served as an accreditation evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She earned her BSN and MSN from La Roche University and her PhD in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh.
