Hollie Kozak and Nan Mayer:
Champions for the Summa Health Pride Clinic
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2024 edition of Promise magazine.
Shown above are Nan Mayer (left) and Hollie Kozak.
When Hollie Kozak and her wife, Nan Mayer, sat down to talk about philanthropy, they agreed that giving to the Summa Health Pride Clinic resonated with them emotionally.
Hollie, division director for the Summa Health Medical Group, was instrumental in helping to open the Pride Clinic in 2019 and has been a champion and faithful supporter ever since.
“We were discussing what’s important to us,” said Hollie. “Summa Health was at the top of the list because we believe in the mission that we are the safety net for the community. I think it is important that we provide for those services and for the healthcare needs of the community as a whole.”
Narrowing the focus of their giving was easy.
“The LGBTQ+ community faces so many healthcare disparities and barriers when attempting to receive appropriate healthcare for their needs that we wanted to make sure to support those patients in the Akron region.”
On a more personal level, Hollie explained, “Being part of the team that helped start the Pride Clinic – having that as part of my legacy at Summa – we want to see it grow. We want to ensure that LGBTQ+ patients have the highest quality care.
“The Pride Clinic is a place for people who don’t have the means to go elsewhere,” she added. “Many of our patients have been turned away by other providers. Or a physician may have refused to call them by their preferred name or pronouns. The Pride Clinic is a place where people can be themselves, be safe, be honest. That’s why we are there.”
Nan added, “I am incredibly proud of Hollie and all her efforts with the clinic. Through the years, I have learned how important both generosity and day-to-day support are for people who work there now, for the community, and for the people who have stood strong for this project since the beginning.”
For more information, contact Summa Foundation at 330.375.3159 or foundation@summahealth.org.