Donor Stories

Eskenazi Health is thankful for support from a spectrum of community leaders, including those in the health care family. Charles Wunsch, M.D., and Linda Hojnacki, RN, are one such couple.

Charles earned his Doctor of Medicine and undergraduate degrees at Indiana University, where he also served as an associate professor of medicine and practiced as a board-certified cardiologist. Charles worked as director of cardiology at Community Hospital until 1976 and held residency in cardiovascular diseases at Wishard Memorial Hospital (renamed the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in 2013) before his retirement. Linda obtained her nursing degrees from Purdue University and Indiana University. She was one of the first registered nurses in the country to be certified in critical care nursing and wrote the guide, “Handbook of Cardiac Rehabilitation: For Nurses and Other Health Professionals.” She also worked as a registered investment banker.

Both Charles and Linda have made an effort to improve the communities in which they work. They have established several scholarships for students in the arts and sciences, including the Charles M. Wunsch, M.D., Scholarship in 2006 for medical students in need. The couple’s support of their community has won them several awards, including the IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Award for their gift to name the Campus Center Atrium at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009.

Continuing his practice of philanthropic involvement in Indianapolis, Charles donated to Eskenazi Health’s capital campaign and construction of the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital and downtown campus. In honor of his gift, the Cardiac Diagnostic Center in the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital was named for him.

In 2019, the couple’s generosity expanded to the nursing field at Eskenazi Health. The Linda Hojnacki, RN, Nursing Residency Program helps hundreds of nurses to develop their skills, knowledge and clinical decision-making abilities. This program, part of the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Center for Nursing Excellence, is propelling Eskenazi Health to the forefront of nursing education, development and distinction in Central Indiana.

Linda and Charles’ support of the Cardiac Diagnostics Center, the Nursing Residency Program and the Wunsch/Hojnacki Trust Nursing Residency Endowment Fund show the depth of their dedication to our health system and our community. Their varied and continued support of Eskenazi Health cements their place as philanthropic leaders in the community and their impact on the people of Indianapolis.