John and Joanne Diederich have considered RUSH Copley Medical Center an extension of their family for nearly 48 years.
John's mother, Joan, started at Copley Memorial Hospital as a sterile processing tech in 1976, where she worked her way up to a housekeeping manager position before retiring in 2008. John began his Copley career as a teenager in 1985 as a pot washer in the kitchen. He rose through the ranks in various staff and leadership roles and ultimately became RUSH Copley's president and CEO in 2019. Joanne also had a six-year employment at RUSH Copley as a medical records coder soon after the site’s move to the Ogden campus and has volunteered for numerous hospital events through the years. Additionally, all three of John and Joanne's boys — Jack 25, Dominic, 22, and Matthew, 21 — were born at RUSH Copley.
“I can't remember a time that Copley wasn't a part of our lives,” John said. "Leading this organization is very personal for me."
"RUSH Copley has blessed us in so many ways,” Joanne added. “We are proud to represent the medical center in our community.”
To pay these blessings forward, John and Joanne have included RUSH Copley in their estate plans and are recognized as RUSH Heritage Society members. Part of their giving plan includes support for the Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center, which is a haven for anyone affected by cancer.
“We not only want to give back, but we also want to set an example for others,” John said. “Since so many families like ours have been affected by cancer, we want to help build the Waterford Place endowment to provide these supportive services free of charge to our community in perpetuity.”
