Richard Spillman has never lacked imagination. In 1978, while a student at Utah State University working on his senior project, he discovered that public safety agencies needed help managing their information. To address their needs, he developed an innovative software package, and within a few short years Spillman Technologies was born. The company became an industry leader, and in 2016 was sold to Motorola Solutions.
Today, Richard, along with his wife Jane, have turned their fertile imaginations toward a new challenge: Cancer patients struggling to navigate the many details of their treatment. The result is a new $5 million gift to Intermountain Foundation at Logan Regional Hospital that will fund the Richard and Jane Spillman Family Supportive Care Program. The program is an endowment that will fund oncology clinical support services in perpetuity, including several caregiver positions such as nurse navigators, a financial navigator, a dietitian, and a social worker, who will guide patients throughout their cancer journey at no additional cost.
Richard said cancer has become personal to his family, with one sister currently in treatment and another who failed to survive. “We were touched by the opportunity to provide services that will ease the burden families feel during these stressful times, when their priority should be caring for their family member,” the Spillmans stated. “We are pleased to share our family’s legacy in an area that means so much to us personally, and we hope this gift will enhance even further the wonderful cancer care available here.”
“As we all know, a cancer diagnosis can be daunting, and fighting a battle with cancer is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging,” said Foundation President David Flood. “We are deeply grateful to the Spillman family for their vision and commitment to helping others receive the best possible care, now and into the future.
The Spillmans’ gift follows a $2 million contribution made in March by Gossner Foods, Inc. Together, these gifts will help fund the upcoming 9,000-square-foot expansion of the Gossner Cancer Center, and support the skilled group of medical oncologists and other caregivers who care for patients. Construction is planned for 2018.