Inspired by Great Care

By Holly Prestidge | Photo by Daniel Sangjib Min

Jane Kaplan and her late husband, Jim Kaplan, were no strangers to the MCV Campus. 

After retiring in Williamsburg in the early 1990s, Jim was treated for cancer at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, while VCU Health Pauley Heart Center kept Jane’s heart healthy.

Jane described her husband as someone who enjoyed being generous with his money, whether that meant large gifts to institutions and causes that were meaningful in their lives, or slipping a handyman a few extra $20s for fixing a leaky pipe.     

After Jim’s passing in 2022, Jane chose to honor her husband with several gifts that will continue to make a significant impact on the MCV Campus. 

Earlier this year, Jane created the James R. and Jane T. Kaplan Scholarship to support students within the VCU School of Medicine, specifically graduates of William & Mary, as well as students who wish to pursue cardiology as their field of study and others of exceptional academic merit.

Jane previously endowed the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and last year, she established the James R. Kaplan Memorial Professorship for Cancer Research Fund.

“Jim always felt good about giving back,” she said, adding that VCU Health treated them like family. She joked that doctors would see her in the elevators when she visited her husband during any of his cancer treatments, and they knew her, even if she didn’t know them. 

“Once we got involved, we just found out what a wonderful place it is,” Jane said. “It was the best place for us for treatment, and we developed relationships with many of the doctors there.”

The Kaplans’ generosity extended to their time. Both have been longtime supporters of the MCV Foundation’s Discovery Series, which offers programming in Richmond and Williamsburg that highlights the cutting-edge research, care and education happening at VCU Health and VCU Health Sciences.

Jane continues to serve on the host committee for the Williamsburg series. She believes in the program because she’s seen how it brings the Williamsburg community together in the spirit of better health. She’s also seen how it leads to important fundraising opportunities that advance healthcare across Virginia and beyond.

“That’s been such a great experience, especially for people who moved to Williamsburg from other places and had no idea what was right up the road,” she said.

Ultimately, Jane said, she hopes the scholarships help future cardiologists, in particular, who may not otherwise get the chance to attend medical school.

“We had such good care,” she said, “and I really want to make sure there are others out there who can reach their dreams of working in the field of cardiology and continue that tradition of excellence.”

If you would like to support student scholarships at the VCU School of Medicine, please contact Nathan Bick, executive director of development, at 804-827-0387 or ngbick@vcu.edu.