Jeannine and James Glover volunteered at Huntsville Hospital for more than 40 years. Now, their legacy will continue impacting Madison County residents for generations to come thanks to a generous planned gift to Huntsville Hospital Foundation. The gift, left in the form of a charitable lead trust, will total an estimated $300,000 and fund a renovation of the Nursery at Madison Hospital.

Five hundred babies were delivered at Madison Hospital during its first year of operation. Now, the not-for-profit hospital is home to 1,500 births annually. In addition to the growth, the way newborns are cared for has evolved. When the hospital opened in 2012, traditional nurseries were built and babies stayed in the nursery throughout their stay. Today, best practices have changed to promote “rooming in”, meaning healthy newborns stay in the mother’s room.

Thanks to this change in practice, the renovation and redesign will allow the Madison Hospital Nursery to accommodate Level II nursery babies that require longer stays. This means that babies can also be transferred from the Regional Neonatal ICU at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children for transitional care at Madison Hospital, allowing more time for the baby to grow while providing the care closer to home for the parents.

The new space will feature private bays for each baby and family.

“Not only will this renovation expand our capacity, it will also provide a more personal and comfortable experience for families who need a higher level of care while at Madison Hospital,” said Madison Hospital President Mary Lynne Wright. “We are thrilled that this is possible for our growing community, and honored that the Glover family recognized the need to be worthy of the inspiring legacy of Jeannine and Jim. Their gift will truly touch each new life brought into our hospital.”

The causes of children and health care were dear to the Glovers. Jeannine worked as a volunteer at Huntsville Hospital for 42 years, serving as President of the Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary from 1991 to 1993 and earning lifetime awards from Huntsville Hospital Foundation. She was also instrumental in starting “Let’s Pretend Hospital”, a program designed for first graders to help reduce the fear and anxiety they may experience if hospitalized. Her husband joined her in volunteering after he retired.

Jeannine passed away in 2017, and James died in late 2020 at the age of 93. Their gift through the Jeannine P. Glover Management Trust will provide funding to Huntsville Hospital Foundation over five years, the entirety of which will be used for the Madison Hospital Nursery project.

“The Glovers gave generously of their time and gifts for more than four decades, and the Foundation is honored and inspired that they chose to continue supporting the needs of our hospitals through their estate,” said Sarah Savage-Jones, HHF president. “We were able to match this meaningful gift with an immediate need at Madison Hospital, which aligned perfectly with their passions. It is an honor to fulfill their wishes in this way while bettering the lives of the patients we serve.”