In 2009, Dr. Ralph and Melinda Harder established the Ralph and Melinda Harder Endowment in support of education for the St. Mary’s Center for Sleep Disorder
s staff. Dr. Harder, along with Peter Leavitt, RRT, founded the St. Mary’s Center for Sleep Disorders in 1993. An endowment fund is an investment portfolio with initial capital from a donation, and of which the investment income is available to St. Mary’s to use for a defined purpose.
In 2022, investment income from the Harder endowment allowed a tech to receive yearlong training to become a registered polysomnographer. Polysomnographers study patients’ sleep conditions. Sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea, are very common but are largely undiagnosed. The Harder endowment will help our staff’s professional development and therefore our community members who rely on these services to get better sleep.