Ronald Burstein – Making a Difference
May 1, 2011
How often do good people do good things without any thought of wanting recognition? Ronald Burstein saw a need and did what comes naturally to him – he decided to make a difference.
Ronald Burstein was visiting a neighbor who resided at the 40 bed Skilled Nursing Facility located at Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. As he walked through the hallways, he noticed that a number of patients had personal television sets located on bedside stands, and others had no TVs. Ronald thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if they all had their own TV sets installed on the wall? It would be much safer and out of the way”.
So, following his visit, Ronald wandered over to the administration building to find someone to talk to. He visited with Dave Buran, Director of Development, and asked what it would take to have a personal TV set, mounted on the wall, for each of the 40 patients. He also mentioned having bedside speakers and headphones available so that patients in double rooms could watch TV and not disturb a roommate. A week later, when he got the estimate of nearly $30,000, he never blinked an eye. Ronald said, “Let’s do it. I think that it will mean a lot to the patients”.
Ronald has had his own experience with extended hospital stays. He has endured a number of operations and once spent 9 months in a rehabilitation facility.
Although Ronald was born in Connecticut, his parents moved to Hubbardsville when he was only a few months old. He was raised on a farm and attended Hamilton Central School. He spent a good part of his life working with the telephone company as an installer. Throughout his life, Ronald’s passion has been travelling. He has enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Alaska, throughout much of Europe, and most recently, Australia.
When asked why he chose to make such a significant gift to Community Memorial Hospital, he said, “I just saw a need. I didn’t want any recognition. I just did it out of the goodness of my heart.” People like Ronald Burstein do make a difference and they make our community a better place to live.
Picture: Ronald Burstein and David Felton, CMH CEO, with the plaque that will be located in the Skilled Nursing Facility thanking him for his wonderful generosity
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