On multiple occasions, John Leggett 
has received exceptional care at 
Concord Hospital. The octogenarian 
recalls that, during one hospital stay 
when his condition put him in great
discomfort, the night nurse would 
finish her paperwork and simply sit 
with him. Her presence alone made a 
significant difference.
Leggett shares another memory of a 
time when he was undergoing a pre-
surgery stress test for removal of a lung 
tumor. Anxious about whether or not 
he would make it through the test, 
a technician simply placed her hand 
on his back. This small gesture was 
comforting enough to help Leggett 
complete the test successfully.
“These are the kinds of things 
that make a huge difference,” 
Leggett explains.
Grateful for the care he received, 
including lifesaving lung cancer surgery 
from Dr. Alexandru Vaida, Leggett 
wanted to show his appreciation 
to the staff at Concord Hospital. In 
consultation with his three adult 
children, Sue, Carrie, and John, he 
established the Leggett Family 
Endowment and its companion Leggett 
Family Endowment Award as a way to
acknowledge the hard work and 
commitment of hospital staff. The 
endowment serves as both
acknowledgment of exceptional care 
and as a way to encourage others to 
learn from compassionate examples.
Today, the Leggett Award partners 
with the Trust’s Grateful Heart 
Program to provide meaningful 
financial recognition to caregivers 
who demonstrate extraordinary 
compassion. Leggett believes that 
direct, tangible recognition has more 
impact than annual raises or general
acknowledgments.
“It’s nice to hear ‘you did a great job 
this year,’” Leggett says, “but the hope 
is that a financial award will have an 
immediate impact.”
A former business owner who moved 
to New Hampshire in 1985, Leggett 
previously worked in electronic sensing 
and weather equipment. Before that, 
he spent time in the semiconductor 
industry and at Bell Labs. Though he 
lost his wife in 2024, his commitment to
recognizing compassionate health care 
remains steadfast.
Beginning in January 2025, all 
recipients of either a Grateful Heart 
Gram or Grateful Heart Award became 
eligible for a monthly drawing to 
receive $500 through the Leggett 
Award. Leggett emphasizes that 
the award amount is intended to be 
“enough to allow recipients to do
something meaningful for themselves.”
“These examples are the kinds of things 
they don’t really teach you in nursing 
school,” he says. “These are the kinds 
of things that make a huge difference, 
and the intent of the endowment is 
to reward and acknowledge this kind 
of behavior.”
In May 2025, Britney Waldrip, a nurse 
practitioner at Concord Hospital 
Primary Care in Meredith, was 
announced as the first recipient of 
the Leggett Award. Waldrip always 
envisioned a career in medicine, with 
a desire to follow in the footsteps of 
her nurse grandmother. Previously 
recognized with a Grateful Heart, 
Waldrip prioritizes connections 
with patients and helping them feel 
comfortable with their care. With that in 
mind, she was honored to 
be the inaugural recipient of the 
Leggett Award.
“Medicine is a selfless career,” Waldrip 
says, “but being appreciated and 
acknowledged in this way is an 
unexpected reward. Recognition of 
hard work and quality care to patients is
important because that’s what I strive 
to achieve, so this acknowledgment is 
very much appreciated.”
Another recent recipient of the Leggett 
Award, labor and delivery nurse 
Brooke McLain, has been recognized 
with multiple Grateful Heart Grams. In 
addition to her nursing duties, McLain 
also teaches expectant moms and dads 
about infant care. Known for going 
above and beyond for the families in 
her charge, McLain was particularly 
touched by the Leggett honor.
“Labor and delivery nursing is rooted in 
compassion, trust, and being present 
during one of life’s most powerful and 
vulnerable moments,” says McLain, who 
joined the Concord Hospital staff in 
2023. “It’s an incredible honor to be a 
part of our families’ 
precious 
memories, and 
I’m beyond grateful 
to be able to do 
this work.”
TRUST PROFILE    |     Leggett Family Endowment 
9
2026

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