The Heineman-Robicsek Foundation 

What started as a small research center in the basement of Charlotte Memorial Hospital 85 years ago has grown into an organization that is making a dramatic impact on the health and lives of people around the world. In 1940, Dannie Heineman returned to his boyhood home of Charlotte after having spent most of his life in Europe. He was an electrical engineer with a strong interest in medicine, especially cardiac research.  

That passion eventually resulted in the formal incorporation of the Heineman Foundation in 1950. Dr. Paul Sanger, a heart and lung surgeon, convinced leaders at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, now known as Atrium Health, to provide space on their campus for clinical and surgical research. By the mid-1950s, a young Hungarian cardiothoracic surgeon Francis Robicsek joined the team, and eventually his name was added to the Heineman-Robicsek Foundation (HRF). 

“It’s a long history that really started with buying medical books and journals for local providers in Charlotte, which was a small town back then,” says Theresa Johnson, HRF executive director. “For many years, it was a center of research excellence, and in the mid-1970s, the Foundation initiated its humanitarian assistance in partnership with Atrium Health.” Theresa credits the HRF board with helping guide the organization through the years, especially the late Sara Bissell, who was the longest serving HRF board chair. 

HRF has funded eight heart catheterization labs in underserved areas. 

The Heineman-Robicsek Foundation focuses on equipping operating rooms, intensive care units, hospital wards, and clinics in areas where this is a great need. 

The International Medical Outreach (IMO) program was established in 2009, which strengthened HRF’s humanitarian initiatives across Central America through a collaborative partnership with Atrium Health. Refurbished medical equipment was donated by Atrium Health, along with supplies, education, training, and on-site support in Belize.

“Today HRF collaborates with other nonprofits in the countries it serves who help identify areas where there is a great need,” Theresa says. “HRF has upfitted operating rooms, intensive care units, hospital wards, clinics, and so much more. The real impact is realized when an entire unit is upgraded. We don’t send a tractor-trailer full of equipment that is disbursed all over the hospital because that is like putting a band-aid on here and there. When we upgrade an entire operating room, you can see the impact of how many people are being served.” 

Some of HRF’s accomplishments include: 

• Initiated the first invasive cardiology and heart surgical programs in three countries 
• Started vascular surgery in Antigua, West Indies 
• Co-founded the first heart institute (UNICAR) in Central America 
• Fully equipped the first children's hospital in Honduras 
• Delivered 11 intensive care units and 13 operating rooms 
• Installed 8 heart catheterization laboratories 
• Furnished outpatient clinics and public health institutes 
• Donated commercial kitchen equipment to a facility housing individuals with disabilities in Guatemala 
• Opened a pro bono communication portal with Guatemala and Belize for educational conferences and consultation with Atrium 
• Implemented a network of 16 non-invasive cardiac echo stations in Central America and the Caribbean, with more being added 
• Established the first public women’s breast cancer screening unit in Belize 
• Deployed mobile medical clinics to Nicaragua and Guatemala 
• Supported COVID-19 relief efforts 

HRF helped equip the first children’s hospital in Honduras.

HRF also provides medical education and training support to healthcare professionals. A non-medical initiative is Computers for Every Guatemalan Public School. “We partner with FUNSEPA, a Guatemalan nonprofit that refurbishes computers and works with the Ministry of Education to set up computer labs in rural schools,” Theresa says. “HRF collects used computers from Atrium Health, our close collaborator, as well as businesses and individuals, and ships them to FUNSEPA.  Chiquita Bananas provides all of our shipping to Guatemala and Honduras.”

The Heineman-Robicsek Foundation has a long and successful history of providing medical help and equipment to countries in Central America and elsewhere. 

Theresa worked as Dr. Robicsek’s administrative assistant for many years, and when humanitarian efforts ramped up at HRF, she knew she wanted to be part of that. “I asked him if I could take the lead as executive director and he gave me the opportunity of a lifetime,” she says. “Dr. Robicsek was the heart and soul of the Foundation until his passing in 2020. It is an honor to help carry on his legacy through HRF’s support of research, medicine, and humanitarian outreach.” 

“My work is like putting a puzzle together,” Theresa adds. “It is all about partnerships with people and organizations who share the same vision. I get excited when I can connect the puzzle pieces to make a change in the lives of so many who have no resources. When the puzzle is finished, I see the faces of the people we have served.” 

Theresa explains how HRF connected with TowneBank. “We had so many issues with our ‘big’ bank – poor customer service, slow response time, it was terrible. When one of our board members told me about TowneBank, I could not contact senior vice president and private banker Salley Griffith fast enough. She went above and beyond to make sure our needs would be met and her team is with us every step of the way. What a breath of fresh air!” 

The Heineman-Robicsek Foundation can use help through financial contributions, collaborative support, and donations of computers. To see how you can help with their important work, visit Heineman.org.