Marlene Zahnke Hoerle - Perspectives on Wheeler’s Beginning

On January 8, 2018, we kicked off our 50th anniversary with a look at the future: our new Family Health & Wellness Center in Hartford. Now, we’re going back to the very beginning and hear from one of Wheeler’s first leaders, Marlene Zahnke Hoerle, chair of Wheeler’s board from 1971 to 1975. The video is embedded and transcribed below, or available here. Read more about Marlene here from a story we wrote in 2017.

Introducing Marlene Zahnke Hoerle, Chairman of Wheeler Clinic Board (1971-1975)
She played a vital leadership role in the early years of the organization

OUR BEGINNING: The vision and contributions of some of Wheeler's earliest leaders shape and guide our direction and delivery of integrated, whole-person care to individuals and families of Connecticut.

HOERLE: "At that time, there was a hospital, New Britain General, there was Bristol Hospital, there was Southington Hospital, and then we had all our Hartford hospitals. So, there was opposition to a small public hospital in Plainville. And at that time, the regional mental health council was very active. And Dottie Hubbard, who headed that regional mental health council, really pondered the situation and she said, 'You know, there are no facilities for mentally ill children. Why don't we see if we could get the money to build a hospital for mentally ill children in Plainville.'"

Wheeler was created through a generous 1960 bequest from prominent Plainville resident Bertha Wheeler. Local attorney Bonnie Barnes also played a key role in creating Wheeler, taking on the effort pro bono.

HOERLE: "The concept of Wheeler Clinic originated, but there was a problem: how do you get something like this started? So they tried to get a board together, and that got four people, one of whom was my sister-in-law, Peg Hoerle. So, Peg was on the board, and she attended three meetings and she said, 'You got the wrong one. You want the other one.' So that's how I got on to the board of Wheeler Clinic. And, of course, like always, I was always the one willing to do all the work, so I became its chair."

AN EARLY LEADER: Marlene served on many local boards, including New Britain General Hospital. She and her husband were committed to serving the community and inspiring shared vision. Marlene Hoerle was presented with the Liberty Bell Award in 1974 as the citizen who made the greatest non-financial contribution to the field of mental health in the state of Connecticut.

HOERLE: "We were both very committed to trying to increase services to the town and the population. We really wanted people to have more; as much as they could have."

INTEGRATING CARE: Marlene helped lead the organization to become a whole-person care provider. Marlene's passion about quality health care became even more important when she herself became seriously ill.

HOERLE (Reading from her book, "Riches to Rags to Riches"): "When were they ever going to learn that the physical and psychological dimensions of the self are intertwined. And that medicine is only partly about the body. The spiritual needs and emotional reactions we experience at the time of serious illness are not only real, they are profound. To ignore them, or dismiss them, is, in fact, wrong."

HOERLE: "I said to Susan [Walkama] when I saw primary care and integrated care, I said, 'Oh god, I need to talk to the staff to tell them how important it is.' We have multiple needs, and Wheeler now does that, and I am so proud of Wheeler. We had this little thing we started with, and look at what you have done. I can't tell you, and I hope all the staff sees this because I want to say, 'Thank you. Congratulations. Well-done.'"

HOERLE: "So, I thank all of you, and I wish you well. Keep up the good work. Your leadership is great. Your clinicians are great. They are needed. Just continue the quality and the the creativity and the hard work you're doing, and know how important it is. And savor it, my friends. Reap from it. You know, be proud in your own hearts."