Prisma Health Midlands Foundation and its board of directors announce the retirement of Samuel J. Tenenbaum, who has served as president since July 2009. Tenenbaum’s retirement will be effective June 1, 2021.

For nearly 12 years, Tenenbaum has led the Midlands Foundation team and its fundraising efforts for Prisma Health—Midlands. From 2010 to 2020, more than 118,500 donor gifts have resulted in more than $72 million in philanthropic support for Prisma Health—Midlands. During Tenenbaum’s time as president, innovative technology, health care advancements and vital programs and services have been supported by the Foundation, its boards and community donors. Among the projects that have been funded are The Joyce Martin Hill Behavioral Health Center, established at Prisma Health Richland Hospital. The center provides specialized emergency care to behavioral health patients. The Child Abuse Medical Assessment Program was established at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands. The assessment program helps Child Abuse Pediatrics health care providers and other team members evaluate children sooner and helps remove them from dangerous abuse or neglect situations. A SimCOACH™ Mobile Simulation Laboratory was funded for the Prisma Health-University of South Carolina School of Medicine Simulation Center. SimCOACH™ is a fully equipped mobile simulation platform that extends the Simulation Center team’s ability to provide high-tech simulation-based training to health care providers across the state. SimCOACH™ has been used recently to support Prisma Health mobile COVID-19 vaccination sites in the Midlands. Nine 3D Digital Mammography units were funded for Prisma Health Breast Center locations and the mobile mammography unit. A new, highly specialized critical care ambulance was funded for the Prisma Health—Midlands Pediatric Transport team and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands. The new ambulance transports critically premature and severely ill children within a 16-county region of S.C. A 16-Slice Portable CT Scanner, the only one in S.C., was funded for Prisma Health Richland Hospital. The scanner is used by the Neuroscience team to care for stroke and brain injury patients. Learn more about other projects that have been funded with community support through the Midlands Foundation at PrismaHealthMidlandsFoundation.org.

“We will forever be grateful to Samuel for immeasurable contributions to philanthropy in the Midlands over the past 12 years. He has been the driving force to raise awareness and funds for causes championed by our Foundation to benefit Prisma Health—Midlands,” said Reed Mattingly, chair, Prisma Health Midlands Foundation board of directors. “Samuel’s philanthropic impact goes far beyond the Midlands Foundation. His boundless energy and passion for helping others, near and far, has inspired many and will impact our community for generations to come. It has been an honor to work with Samuel, and we wish him the best.”

Prior to joining Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, Tenenbaum, a resident of Columbia since 1969, was vice president of Chatham Steel Corporation, a company founded by his grandfather in Savannah, Georgia, in 1915. Upon Tenenbaum’s retirement from Chatham Steel in 2000, he sold the business and supported charitable organizations. Tenenbaum’s history of philanthropy spans more than four decades, and many of his efforts have been notable for the Midlands of S.C. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Tenenbaum assisted students from White Knoll Middle School in Lexington, S.C., in raising nearly $540,000 for the purchase of a new fire truck for Brooklyn Company 101 in New York. Following Hurricane Katrina, Tenenbaum led the Midlands’ relief operations and coordinated an evacuation center for those who came to the Midlands community from New Orleans. In 2005, Tenenbaum was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by United Way of the Midlands.

“It has been an honor to be in this job for nearly 12 years. When you work together with a talented team for the right reasons, you can do incredible things,” said Tenenbaum. “I have often thought of my favorite quote, from Rabindranath Tagore, while serving as president of the Foundation: ‘I slept and dreamt that life was joy; I awoke and saw that life was duty; I acted and behold, duty was joy.’”

Lynne Pitzer, currently vice president and chief financial officer at Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, has been named interim president until the Foundation board identifies a permanent leader. Pitzer has been with the Midlands Foundation since 1999.

The impact of Samuel’s work and philanthropic efforts have been felt in the Midlands and beyond for many years. The community is encouraged to send Samuel retirement wishes before May 31, 2021: Celebrating Samuel Tenenbaum Google Form