WINTER 2020

Susan Milman was born on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and later moved to Englewood Cliffs, NJ. She earned an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and her graduate degree from NYU. But ever since her first visit to Sarasota in 2003, her heart has been here. “My late father and I came down here to look at purchasing a Walgreens drugstore. I had never been to the west coast of Florida,” she recalls. “I fell in love with Sarasota. Something just made me feel at home.”

Her family’s successful commercial real estate business gave them the means to be philanthropic, so it was only natural that Susan follow in their footsteps. “It is my honor and privilege to support the Cancer Institute,” she says. “And I want to see the good that my gifts can do.”

Given her affinity for the local community, Susan chose Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s Leading with Care campaign to make a substantial donation. Susan’s contribution will help support the Sarasota Memorial Cancer Institute, providing advanced, comprehensive cancer care center right here in the community. She stepped forward early, understanding the present and future impact a world-class cancer center could have on the health of the area. “It will be much easier for people in Sarasota who have cancer to go there, rather than having to travel to a cancer center farther away,” Susan says.

Cancer has touched virtually everyone, and Susan is no exception. Her grandmother, Sarah, who she is named after, died from breast cancer. And her best friend, Gail Blumenthal, whom she says is like a sister, was recently diagnosed with the disease. According to Susan, Gail has received top-notch care at Sarasota Memorial.

“I’m very satisfied with the medical oncologists and the radiation oncologist I’m seeing,” Gail says.

“She’s in good hands,” Susan adds.

As a result, Susan has made a $5 million gift to name the lobby in the new oncology tower. The lobby will be named in memory of Susan’s brother, Alan, who passed away in 1987, and her parents, Natalie Kover Milman and Morris Milman. “One of the main reasons I’m doing this is to keep my family’s name alive,” she says.

For Susan, giving to the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation also serves a greater purpose. “Everybody is going to experience some kind of health issue, whether themselves or in their family,” She says. “We need to keep up with scientific advances, new technologies and new treatments. We can help ensure that everyone in Sarasota has access to the highest-quality healthcare, as well as potential new treatments and cures for cancer.”