Insider
Fall 2021
A Message from Susan Jandzinski, Executive Director
Tribute to Angels Honorees Announced
and Daniel Paolini, President
It goes without saying, 2020 and 2021 have been an unimaginable time for all, but especially for those caring for our community. COVID-19 has changed so much about our daily lives, but we continue to persevere! Thanks to the vaccine rollout earlier this year, we have been able to enjoy a little bit of “normalcy’ these past few months.
Gough
Koch
Ralabate
After much anticipation, the Kenmore Mercy Foundation announced its 2021 Tribute to Angels honorees in August. Joseph A. Ralabate, MD, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award while Eric J. Koch, DO, and Michael S. Gough, MD, will receive the Sister Mary Mechtilde Memorial Award. New in 2021 is the Angel of Care Award, which celebrates the outstanding contributions of Kenmore Mercy Hospital’s nurses.
Our annual Golf Event was a sell-out. We raised over $114,000! I think it is safe to say, our new format of assigned tee times is here to stay! Once again, thank you to our golfers and sponsors for making our annual event a success.
Dr. Ralabate has been a member of Kenmore Mercy’s family of surgeons for more than forty years, and took on the role of chair of surgery for Catholic Health in 2015. His experience and expertise has been integral in the success of the surgical program across all of the Catholic Health, especially over the course of the pandemic as guidance frequently changed.
We continue to work on our plans for the upcoming A Tribute to Angels. Out of an abundance of caution and as a responsible and trusted healthcare organization serving our community, we have made the difficult decision to move A Tribute to Angels to a virtual event. This decision was not an easy one, but we feel an extremely necessary one.
Dr. Gough, a pulmonologist and intensivist, and Dr. Koch, a hospitalist, have been key contributors to a successful patient experience at Kenmore Mercy Hospital for a number of years, and during the height of the pandemic in Western New York both experienced new challenges that they faced head on.
Our newly “reimagined” A Tribute to Angels will include an online auction that will begin on Monday, November 15, 2021 and conclude as it would normally on the evening of our event, Friday, November 19. While we can’t celebrate the evening together as a larger group, our generous sponsors and loyal guests will still have the option to enjoy their A Tribute to Angels dinner at home with pick-up dinner boxes. You can reserve your box now with or without a sponsorship. Dinner boxes can be picked up at Salvatore’s on Friday, November 19. We are hoping you will join us in celebrating virtually as we honor some very deserving individuals.
In addition to treating patients at Kenmore Mercy, Dr. Gough was integral in patient care in the Intensive Care Unit at Catholic Health’s dedicated COVID-19 Treatment Center at the St. Joseph Campus of Sisters of Charity during the height of the pandemic. He regularly sees patients at the Kenmore Specialty Center. With members of ICU team like Dr. Gough at the St. Joseph Campus, Dr. Koch, stepped up to the challenge of caring for Kenmore Mercy’s ICU patient and also guided residents in the care of these critical patients. He is a managing partner with Buffalo-Niagara Hospitalists. With 2020 designated by the World Health Organization as the Year of the Nurse, then extended into 2021 because of the impact of the pandemic and the increased visibility of nurses’ contributions, choosing Kenmore Mercy’s nurses to honor with the new Angels of Care of Award was an obvious choice. For more information, visit https://blog.chsbuffalo.org/kenmoremercy-foundation-events/.
chsbuffalo.org/ FCH/Kenmore Mercy
Kenmore Mercy Hospital Update The last year has remained a challenging one for the doctors, nurses, and the many other caring associates at Kenmore Mercy Hospital. But, just as they have since the hospital was established seventy years ago, they have endured and headed toward the challenges facing them. In December, the first doses of the COVID vaccine arrived, bringing a sense of hope after one of the longest and hardest years caregivers have experienced in modern history.
Give 716 Western New York is widely known to be a generous community and area non-profits need support more than ever right now. The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres Foundations created Give 716 as an effort to harness the generosity of the community and build a more united and prosperous Western New York for all by providing an outlet to come together on one day, our day – July 16th (7-16). The 28-hour period provided an easy and fun way for the entire community to unite in support of local non-profit in response the urgent needs local charities have been facing as a whole. Kenmore Mercy Foundation was a participating non-profit and received over $800 in donations during the campaign. Thank you to all who donated to Give 716 and to the Buffalo Bills Foundation and the Buffalo Sabres Foundation for their efforts to promote such an amazing day of giving in the Buffalo community.
Create Your Legacy With A Planned Gift Today A planned gift is one of the most impactful and meaningful ways to provide continued support for the things that matter to you most. If you would like to learn more on how, with gift planning, you can provide long-lasting support for Kenmore Mercy Hospital, please call Susan Jandzinski at (716) 447-6776 or visit our website www. catholichealthplannedgiving.org.
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In addition, Kenmore Mercy’s orthopedic program continues to see growth and supports that with the addition of new surgeons to the staff. Volumes in the Emergency Department and throughout the hospital are higher than normal. Associates are working hard to provide everyone with the quality care for which Kenmore Mercy is known. With that, supporting hospital associates has been a top priority as the year rolled on. This included the establishment of a “Fun in 21” committee to boost morale, engage our caregivers, and re-energize our healthcare heroes. The community has continued to support associates, with delivery of food from Buffalo’s first female Eagle Scout candidate Quinn Flaherty, special treats from Outlaw Popcorn, and meals from KenTon students. Their ongoing support is greatly appreciated. Actively promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives, Kenmore Mercy associates had the opportunity to enjoy several special presentations that provided opportunities to learn more about LGBTQ+ and race issues. In a year full of change, hospital associates completed an overhaul of their electronic medical record, moving to the Epic system in November 2020. The hospital also managed to maintain its “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group, proving Kenmore Mercy is one of the safest facilities in New York State. While we don’t know what the next year will hold, one thing is certain, the courageous associates at Kenmore Mercy Hospital are in this together. And together, they will overcome whatever comes their way.
Welcomes New Board Members The Board of Trustees of the Kenmore Mercy Foundation is pleased to welcome its newest members. Joining the Foundation Board are James Millard, partner and managing director at Mirror Matter, and Michael Szymoniak, employee benefits consultant at Lawley.
Millard
Szymoniak
“The Foundation looks forward to putting our new Board members — James and Michael— to work. Each will bring their own personalities, expectations and experiences to the Board of Trustees along with a shared interest in serving our community,” said Susan Jandzinski, the Foundation’s executive director. Members of non-profit boards of directors play important and valuable roles for area organizations like the Kenmore Mercy Foundation.
Reimagined Golf Event Continues To Be A Success
2021 Annual Fund Projects In November 2020, the Kenmore Mercy Foundation board of trustees agreed to fund the following in 2021. Metrx Set. This Surgical instrumentation is used in musculoskeletal surgeries. ($48,000) Cardiac Monitor for Orthopedic Nerve Blocks. Many total joint procedures require a nerve block performed just prior to surgery by the anesthesiologist. Patients are monitored for adverse effects during the blocking procedure. ($42,000)
Participating as the first tee time of this year’s Golf event are from left, Tim Bagovich, Dr. Nadeem Hussain, Stephen Griggs and Patrick Fino.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges to the Foundation last year, yet a reimagined golf event in 2020 seemed to be a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Capitalizing on the 2020 golf event’s success, event chairs, Dan Paolini and Nick Salvatore once again set out to use the reimagined golf format this past June to a well-received sell-out crowd of 144 golfers at Park Country Club. Golfers were once again treated to a member-like experience with scheduled tee times instead of a shot gun start and prepackaged meals ready to go. The fun continued with on course contests, beer, wine and spirit tastings, all while continuing to maintain social distancing. Dinner was available to go or served open air on the patio. We are grateful to all of the golfers and sponsors who supported this year’s golf event and hope to continue the success at next year’s event scheduled for Monday, June 6, 2022 at Park Country Club.
Thompson/Farley Retractor Set. This surgical instrumentation set is used in spine procedures. ($30,000) Three syringe Pumps for Spinal Anesthesia. As new orthopedic surgeons join our staff, there is a growing use of spinal anesthesia versus traditional general anesthesia. These cases require a sedating medication to be continuously infused via syringe pump. ($22,000) Two bariatric recliners for ICU. Recliners are needed for obese ICU patients whose recovery requires them to be out of bed for a period of time. ($17,500) Six Michael Graves transport chairs. We continue to replace older wheelchairs with this newer more comfortable model which is better for both patients and providers who are transporting patients. ($16,888)
Virtual Gift Gathering In Support of A Tribute to Angels Another reimagined event for the Foundation is our Virtual Gift Gathering in support of A Tribute to Angels. Last year the Foundation introduced this virtual option as a way for people to continue to support the upcoming gala auction safely. All those interested in donating an auction item to this year’s A Tribute to Angels event can visit the online gift registry on Amazon using this link: https://www.amazon.com/registries/ custom/2585997SJ2I6I/guest-view. There you can choose from a variety of items to donate to the auction which will be directly shipped to the Foundation office. This is a safe way for the community to continue to support A Tribute to Angels gift gathering event as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s virtual gift gathering was a huge success and added over thirty items to the auction. For more information about how to donate to this year’s auction, please contact Liz Russin, development specialist at (716) 447-6777 or erussin@chsbuffalo.org.
Staff Education and Department MiniGrants. Patient Welcome Kits . ($75,000) Each year, the Foundation board approves the funding of these three components as part of the “Grants to Hospital” program.
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2950 Elmwood Avenue Kenmore, NY 14217
Make a Gift to Yourself and Others That Will Last Forever The commemorative bricks and blocks in the John M. Repetski Healing Garden at Kenmore Mercy Hospital provide a unique, beautiful, lasting, and highly visible opportunity to honor or remember a loved one, or someone special for years to come. Contact the Kenmore Mercy Foundation for details at (716) 447-6204.