Serving Summa Health is a 'perfect fit' for O'Neill family

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2020 edition of Promise magazine.

A generous campaign gift from Patrick and Pam O’Neill, longtime supporters of Summa Health and the Akron community, is helping Summa enhance the patient experience and advance clinical excellence system-wide in service to the patients and families of the Akron region.

In a video honoring the couple at the 2019 Summa Health Golf Outing for their longtime support, friends described them as “the salt of the earth” and “firmly rooted in values and things that matter.”

“They make other people feel really special,” said son Pat.

Their loyalty to friends, family and clients is remarkable, said daughter-in-law Elyse. “They will go out of their way for anybody.”

Patrick, who is president and CEO of O’Neill Insurance in Wadsworth, is past president of St. Sebastian Parish Foundation. Pam is an associate member of the Akron Children’s Hospital Women’s Board and a volunteer for Mobile Meals and St. Bernard’s Sandwich Program.

Patrick and Pam taught their children, now grown, by example, involving them at St. Bernard’s and other service in the community at a young age. Their son Luke still asks himself, “What would Patrick do? That’s how we try to live our lives.”

Similarly, Patrick was influenced by his late father, Thomas, who was among the first 100 patients to undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at Summa Health, a procedure that saved his life at the time.

“My dad was on the Wadsworth Hospital board [now Summa Health Wadsworth-Rittman Medical Center] … and had a pretty significant influence on … me and Pam and where we wanted to serve when we got to this point in our lives,” said Patrick. “Summa was a perfect fit.”

The O’Neills, who have given generously to Summa Health for decades, became personally involved through the golf outing with Patrick serving for six consecutive years on the steering committee, including chair in 2016. Patrick and Pam, who were the honorees of the 2019 golf outing, are members of the Summa Health Primary Care Institute Leadership Council serving as strategic advisors, advocates and philanthropic partners of Summa Health. 

To make a gift to Summa Health, call 330.375.3159 or visit www.summahealth.org/give-now.