Representatives from Alltech and University of Kentucky HealthCare announced the formation of the Lyons Family Life Foundation during the opening day of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference on Monday.
Through the philanthropic partnership, Alltech, the Lyons family and UK HealthCare will work together to support lifelong wellness for patients throughout Kentucky; to address public health threats such as opioid addiction; to simplify and streamline communications between hospital departments, patients and their families; and to enhance end-of-life care, among other initiatives.
Courtesy Alltech
In a private ceremony on March 8, 2019, the anniversary of Pearse Lyons’ passing, Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, signed a memorandum of understanding with Eli Capilouto, president of the University of Kentucky, to work together to advance lifelong wellness.
The Lyons Family Life Foundation was created to honor the life and legacy of late Alltech founder Pearse Lyons, who passed away in March 2018.
Lyons’ final days were spent in the care of UK HealthCare, company representatives said in announcing the foundation, and during that time the Lyons family developed a close relationship with the hospital’s team, including Chief Medical Officer Dr. Phillip Chang. In the months that followed, the family kept in contact with Dr. Chang and began discussing ways in which Alltech and UK could work together to support patient care and wellness.
“When you lose someone you love, you have a choice to make,” said Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech and son of Pearse Lyons. “You can become consumed by grief, or you can channel your energy into your loved one’s legacy, advancing the impact of their life.”
“Even through the grieving process, they’re challenging us and asking, ‘how can we make it better for everybody?’,” added Dr. Chang.
A central component of the new initiative will focus on fostering effective communication. “Strong, clear communication between caregivers and patients and their families is so important,” Lyons said. “We see an opportunity to use this foundation to improve the clarity of that communication, from doctor to patient and family, and from one institution of care to another.”
Courtesy AgNewsWire
Representatives from Alltech and University of Kentucky HealthCare announced the formation of the Lyons Family Life Foundation during the opening day of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference on Monday.
The foundation’s initiatives will also reflect Pearse Lyons’ passions for new technology, lifelong wellness and for music therapy. In his final days, several musician friends sang and played music by Lyons’ bedside, helping to provide a sense of peace and create cherished memories for the family, representatives said.
Financial information and contributions regarding the formation of the Lyons Family Life Foundation was not made available at this time.
Alltech also announced several new ag-tech projects on Monday during the ONE conference, including a Planet of Plenty initiative to increase reliable food supplies for areas where resources are needed, as well as reduce the environmental impact of food production; and a collaborative project with Cornerstone Animal Care to address the global threat of African Swine Flu.
Alltech ONE: The Alltech Ideas conference is attended annually by more than 3,000 people from more than 70 countries. The conference is also Lexington’s largest annual event in terms of hotel room bookings. Last year’s conference had an estimated $11 million impact on the local economy.