Albert Julio Alvarez, FAHP: a conversation with the editor

Albert J. Alvarez and William C. Roberts, MD

From the Baylor Health Care System Foundation (Alvarez) and the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center (Roberts), Dallas, Texas.

Corresponding author: Albert J. Alvarez, FAHP, Baylor Health Care System Foundation, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246 (e-mail: Alvarez@BaylorHealth.edu).

Al Alvarez (Figure 1) was born in Uruguay on September 8, 1946. At age 5, he and his family moved to Texas, and after brief stays in Harlingen and Laredo, they settled in El Paso. He began college at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and after 2 years transferred to the University of Colorado, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1972. For the next 5 years he was an executive with the Boy Scouts and then in 1977 became the first executive director of the Poudre Hospital Foundation in Fort Collins, Colorado, a position he held until 1985 when he joined the Providence Health Care System as director of the foundation at their largest hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. After 3 years he became executive director of the foundation of Northridge Hospital and then 4 years later became the executive director of the Swedish Medical Center Foundations in Seattle. The fundraising of the 3 Swedish Foundations under his direction grew from <$2 million in 1995 to >$16 million in 2000. In August 2002 he became president of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation.

Al Alvarez has been active in many community activities and boards. He was president of the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra board of directors and served as vice chairman of the board of the Seattle Symphony. He has been a Rotarian for 30 years, served on the board of directors of the Rotary Club in both Fort Collins and in Anchorage, and served as president of the Rotary Club of Seattle. He is a fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. Among its 2500 professionals, only 150 are fellows. He has served as chairman of that international association. After spending 3 hours with Al Alvarez, I came away incredibly impressed with this man. He is a great guy. I'm convinced that he is an absolute straight shooter and superb executive. He and his lovely wife, Sally, live in Plano, have 3 children, and are wonderful additions to the Baylor family.