The Foundation for Medical Advancement and Breakthroughs (FMAB), an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with BAMF Health, today announced its Founding Board of Directors. FMAB was created as an extension of BAMF Health’s belief in a bold, advanced medical future and the conviction that this future should belong to everyone.
Established in December 2024, FMAB is a direct result of grateful BAMF Health patients and their families. Many expressed gratitude for the care they or a loved one received and began sending financial gifts in the mail. Recognizing both the urgency and opportunity, BAMF Health decided to honor those gifts by establishing the Foundation.
“We are inspired by the patients and families who lit the spark for the Foundation for Medical Advancement and Breakthroughs,” said Founding Board Member Bill Payne. “They experienced what’s possible and wanted others to reach it sooner. Our responsibility is to turn that generosity into focused action that removes barriers and moves care forward as fast as possible.”
The Founding Board of Directors was also recognized by Crain’s Grand Rapids.
Founding Board of Directors
- Bill Payne, Principal, BP Ventures
- Lowell Fernander, MD, Vice President of Benefits and Wellness & Chief Medical Officer, Rocket
- Eric Boonstra, CFO, BAMF Health
- Brittany Merrifield, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN, Corewell Health
- Melissa Fugitt, Vice President, People Operations, BAMF Health
- Pellagia Gambiza, Global Nonprofit Leader
- Denise Christy, Chief Commercial Officer, ArtiMed
- Walter Perschbacher, Vice President, Greenridge Realty
- Chad Bassett, COO, BAMF Health
Focused Priorities
Theranostics is transforming cancer care by combining advanced imaging with targeted molecular therapies, enabling more precise, personalized, and effective treatment. Yet access is often limited by costs that fall outside insurance coverage or research protocols.
The Foundation focuses on three priorities:
- Patient Access to Theranostics Care
Prioritizing financial assistance for treatment costs not fully covered by insurance or research protocols, as well as imaging, lodging, and travel needs as they arise. - Advancing Nimble Research
Supporting investigator-initiated research that can move quickly, answer meaningful questions, and accelerate progress where traditional funding falls short. - Education and Awareness
Increasing understanding of Theranostics among patients, providers, and communities so that access is not limited by a lack of awareness.
Early funding includes founding and family gifts, in-memoriam donations, and early research investments.
Looking Ahead
The Foundation will begin living out its priorities right away. The Founding Board is raising a goal of $2 million to establish a patient access fund for underinsured and uninsured patients while exploring several innovative research project investments.
“This Foundation exists because too many patients face financial barriers at the very moment they are fighting for their lives,” shares Afton DeVos, Consulting Director. “We are actively fundraising so we can respond quickly — helping patients access care now while also investing in research that moves the field forward. We invite the community to be part of making leading-edge medicine accessible to everyone who needs it.”
