Carl & Lois Wolgemuth Make Gift In Honor of Jonathan Dranov, MD, Retirement

July 26, 2022
5 min read

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Carl Wolgemuth and Lois Wolgemuth

Carl Wolgemuth and Lois Wolgemuth

For more than four decades, Carl Wolgemuth has trusted Jonathan Dranov, MD, with his care — so much so that he requested that Dr. Dranov take his wife Lois on as a new patient in 2003. The two have relied on the quality and compassionate care from Dr. Dranov and the Mount Nittany Health team ever since.

Dr. Dranov, now retired, was a board-certified physician in nephrology. He established the area's first medical subspecialty office in 1974, which was the precursor to Mount Nittany Health Physician Group. Beyond his practice, Dranov was active at Mount Nittany Medical Center, serving as the assistant chief of the medical staff, member of the Board of Trustees, and chair of the Medical Center's Foundation board.

Carl, professor emeritus and associate dean emeritus of Penn State's College of Engineering, underwent an EKG on his first visit to his new family physician, Dr. Dranov, in 1981.

"Everything was new to me," Carl says. "He was going over the EKG results with me, and he said my heart skipped a beat. I guess he saw I was a little shaken by hearing that. He went to great lengths to explain that it's a common thing for your heart to skip a beat. At the time, it was a shock, and he calmed me down."

Carl and Lois have been donors to the Mount Nittany Health Foundation for the past 20 years, supporting various initiatives. Most recently, they wanted to direct a special gift from their IRA to honor Dr. Dranov's retirement and the care he has provided for their family. The Wolgemuths' generous donation was divided between the Jonathan Dranov, MD endowment fund, and the cardiology fund. 

“Our people are the heart and soul of Mount Nittany Health, and I’m thrilled to see Dr. Dranov honored in this way,” said Kathleen Rhine, president and CEO of Mount Nittany Health. “We’re so grateful to Carl and Lois for their extraordinary generosity that enables our organization to invest in our shared future. On behalf of Mount Nittany Health, I offer our deepest appreciation to the Wolgemuths, and to Dr. Dranov for his longstanding dedication to excellence and compassionate care.”

Carl was diagnosed with lymphoma, and once again, Dr. Dranov's calm demeanor and clinical excellence comforted him and Lois. "As always, Dr. Dranov did a very good job of breaking the news to me and said some things that helped me face the diagnosis initially—once again, he helped me stay calm. He keeps saying that my health is quite good, that I just hit a few bumps in the road. I guess he's right—I'm still here!"

Because of his diagnosis, Carl has been in the medical center quite often recently. He and Lois have been very impressed not only with the doctors, but with the nurses and technicians. "We have received such great care at Mount Nittany Health over the past few years," shares Lois. "We are so grateful for the care we have received from everyone at Mount Nittany Health."

Dr. Dranov, when notified of this kind gift, shared his gratitude. "I'm humbled that Carl and Lois would make a gift to honor my retirement. I always strived to provide the best possible care but also to be a source of support during what can be challenging times for patients."

"We are very grateful for our local medical care and facilities," Carl says. "We especially appreciate the units that have helped us over the years, including the Emergency Department, Cardiology, and Nephrology."

The Wolgemuth family has benefitted from outstanding cardiology and primary care. As a token of their gratitude and as a commitment to future clinical excellence, they made a planned gift through their IRA. Planned gifts are an excellent way to leave a legacy and advance Mount Nittany Health for years to come.

If you would like more information about making a planned gift to Mount Nittany Health Foundation, please contact Wendy Garlock at 814-231-7679 or wendy.garlock@mountnittany.org.  

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