A message from Chairman Tom
Fanning
My first involvement with St. Francis Hospital began approximately 30 years ago at the annual golf outing. Years later, I had the privilege of chairing this remarkable event. Since then, through the St. Francis Hospital Foundation, I’ve had the opportunity to meet wonderful supporters and excellent clinicians, witnessing firsthand the tremendous impact St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center has had on our community.
Over the last 100 years, St. Francis has built a national reputation as a leader in cardiac care and research. With the establishment of the Cancer Institute a decade ago, we continue to build our track record of excellent, personalized medical care to grow our hospital to new heights. In fact, St. Francis has once again been rated one of the top hospitals in the country in the latest U.S. News & World Report received a 5-star rating from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, received an “A” safety grade from Leapfrog and more.
In the pages that follow, we encourage you to learn more about the new initiatives, technology, research and training happening at St. Francis and consider how you would like to become more involved.
From The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health to the Cardiology Innovation Research Fund, we are continuing our work to be the best place to receive medical care – but we don’t do this alone. Advances like these do not happen without philanthropy and we are profoundly grateful for your steadfast support of St. Francis. Thank you for investing in St. Francis to ensure that we will be able to continually respond to our community’s ever-changing needs.
With gratitude,
Thomas J. Fanning, Sr. Chairman, Board of Directors
Cardiology Innovation Research Fund: Advancing care through research and innovation
In 2023, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center established an endowment in support of cardiovascular innovation and research to propel the hospital’s leading role in cardiology even further.
Under the direction of Richard Shlofmitz, MD, Chair of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center and Chair of Cardiology at Catholic Health, the volume and impact of research efforts at St. Francis has greatly expanded in recent years to help develop new therapies that can give patients longer, healthier lives. This research has also led to safer and more effective options in care for an aging population with complex health conditions. Under this new endowment, Dr. Shlofmitz will have consistent available funding for the talented physician-scientists who are part of his high-level training and research efforts.
The endowment was announced at the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Gala in October 2023, with a goal of $25 million. Honoree Wilbur F. Breslin, of Breslin Realty Development Corporation, and family, committed a $5 million gift to seed the fund, thus starting a fundraising campaign to guarantee that resources are perpetually available to invest in highlevel cardiac training and research. According to Dr. Shlofmitz, “This transformational effort is an opportunity to help shape the next generation of care, not only at St. Francis, but worldwide. Our goal is to focus on consistently building capacity in clinical care, research and recruitment.”
Breslin explained, “Without similar contributions by many others before me, I’m not sure I would be in this position today giving back to the next generation of world-class care offered by the hospital. Together, we can ensure that St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center has the resources available to remain one of the preeminent cardiovascular care facilities in the world.”
With the Cardiology Innovation Research Fund, St. Francis Hospital’s bold commitment to research and innovation will continue to deliver first-in-class care to its patients. According to Dr. Charles Lucore, President, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, “By paving the way, our clinical teams are also set on making a global impact that is helping to educate clinicians around the world in these new standards of excellence.”
St. Francis Hospital Foundation
Dr. Richard Shlofmitz and Dr. Evan Shlofmitz in the cardiac catheterization lab.
Broadcast studio serves as a global classroom
As part of its commitment to being an industry leader in cardiology, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center is investing in its broadcast studio to expand educational opportunities for clinicians around the world.
With support from the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation, St. Francis is upgrading and purchasing broadcast equipment for Cath Lab 1 which focuses on coronary artery and atrial blockages and Cath Lab 6, which broadcasts neurointerventional procedures to treat strokes. Currently, the Cath Lab livestreams or pre-records an estimated 55 procedures per year. With this new equipment, team members expect to nearly double that number in the coming year.
Many physicians who view these sessions would not have access to interventional cardiac procedures that focus on state-of-the-art intravascular imaging, without the broadcasts. “We were so grateful to help the Interventional Cardiology Educational Broadcast Studio purchase state-of-the-art cameras to be used in their training classes,” says Bob Brull, president of the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation. “Helping St. Francis build their worldwide impact through these classes truly makes health care better for everyone.”
The DeMatteis Center for Cardiac Research and Education: Outpatient physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation
The Outpatient Rehabilitation Program, which includes physical therapy, is dedicated to improving patients’ quality of life with better mobility, function and independence. The team of experts at The DeMatteis Center, including board-certified physiatrists and physical therapists, use the latest and most advanced rehabilitation therapies and techniques to treat a variety of conditions, ranging from post-operative joint repairs to sports and orthopedic conditions, back pain to balance problems, and more.
In recognition of the outstanding cardiac care provided to two generations of the Jagenburg family, Robert and Patricia Jagenburg were motivated to support the DeMatteis Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. “We chose to make a gift in recognition of the excellent care provided by the physical therapy team,” said Robert Jagenburg. “The compassionate care and positive impact that physical therapy has on individuals recovering from injuries or surgeries inspired us to invest in outpatient physical rehabilitation.”
The Jagenburgs also support the Cardiology Innovation Research Fund. Robert Jagenburg noted, “Having witnessed the dedicated care provided by St. Francis to our father, and now, as the second generation of patients, we are committed to ensuring that the clinical staff, who played a pivotal role in making St. Francis one of the best heart hospitals in the country, have the most up-to-date equipment, technology and resources to care for the next generation of patients.”
Cardiac rehabilitation fitness area
As part of its approach to heart health, St. Francis also recognizes the critical importance of recovery and helping patients develop positive habits to prevent another cardiac event. St. Francis’s DeMatteis Center for Cardiac Research and Education offers the largest medically staffed cardiac fitness and rehabilitation program on Long Island.
St. Francis cardiac rehabilitation received extra support from BraveHearts of St. Francis, a 49-year-old and 700 -member strong support group for cardiac patients, including those who have had cardiac care at the hospital and use the cardiac rehabilitation program. The BraveHearts pledged $100,000 in support of the cardiac rehabilitation fitness area to update the equipment. According to BraveHearts president Fred Strobel, “We BraveHearts inherently understand the importance of recovery and the focus on the next chapter. We are proud to help equip the cardiac rehabilitation center with the most up-to-date equipment to help so many people on their cardiac care journey.”
Optimizing health and wellness through the The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health
“We need to look beyond the symptoms and put food first,” says Robert Graham, MD, MPH and Chef, the new director of the The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health at Catholic Health. Dr. Graham is recognized as a national leader in the fields of integrative medicine, functional medicine, food-as-medicine, urban farming, culinary medicine, food policy, health disparities and cultural competency. With these skills in hand, he is leading the way in setting a new standard for proactive patient engagement for health care on Long Island.
Through the generosity of two local Long Island families, Geoffrey and Rene Boisi and Dan and Kathleen Denihan, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center is able to launch this center to advance Catholic Health’s vision of “precision medicine,” an innovative approach to disease management that incorporates genetic, biochemical and lifestyle factors to develop individualized treatment plans for patients.
“The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health is so important as our society is evolving past ‘sick care’ and instead focuses on ‘well care’,” says Dan Denihan. “We are investing in the center because of our deep belief in a proactive approach to one’s health.” Adds Geoffrey Boisi, “There is such a wealth of information out there about how our lifestyles, food choices and even environment can equally affect us as much as our genetics. Catholic Health is at the forefront and we hope their approach leads to a ‘soup to nuts’ program of aiding a family’s health needs.”
The treatment options at the The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health get to the root cause of illness instead of focusing only on symptoms. In turn, patients lead healthier lives and lower their risk for chronic diseases.
The center’s multidisciplinary team works with each patient’s primary care physician and specialists to coordinate a care plan. They look at symptoms and beyond, considering other factors including genetics, environment, nutrition, physical activity and prior health history. They can then customize a personalized plan with the ultimate goal of preventing or managing disease – and optimizing wellness. “What most attracted me to get involved with the center is the opportunity to be proactive with our family’s health care and to expedite visits to the necessary providers – all within a holistic structure of comprehensive health management,” says Rene Boisi.
Members of the care team under Dr. Graham have expertise in pain medicine, lifestyle medicine, oncological rehabilitation, osteopathic manipulative medicine, regenerative medicine, longevity, cardio metabolic health and genomics.
“The concept of designing a program that focuses on a patient’s specific medical needs is the future of medicine,” said Kenneth Cron, who supports the center. “The goal of this program is to offer patients a unique way of addressing their medical concerns and designing a treatment plan that is individualized to them.”
The Center for Integrative Medicine and Optimal Health expands care options for St. Francis and Catholic Health patients, advancing personalized patient-care, disease prevention and helping Long Islanders live long, healthy lives.
Legacy Society enables donors to forever honor compassionate care at St. Francis
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” This is the motto of the Sr. Jean M. Pignone Legacy Society, a group of grateful patients and supporters who give back to St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center through thoughtful gift planning, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, appreciated securities, gifts of life insurance and more.
The society was named after Sr. Jean, who was part of the hospital’s founding order, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Members of the Legacy Society ensure that the hospital’s life-saving work will continue far beyond their lifetimes, and inspire others to commit themselves to supporting the leading-edge, compassionate and personalized health care found at St. Francis.
Each autumn, Linda Pons celebrates the anniversary of her life-saving surgery at St. Francis Hospital. She last marked number 12. “I am grateful for my life that I feel that St. Francis has given to me. I am happy to share my blessings in gratitude for my health,” says Linda. “Being a part of the Sr. Jean M. Pignone Legacy Society means that can help ensure that St. Francis is able to help patients long into the future. That’s important to me.”
Members of the Sr. Jean M. Pignone Legacy Society, 2012 – 2024
William Adams*
Fortuna Adessa*
Frances Amicone*
Belle Amodeo*
Anthony Anzalone*
Michael Apollo
Patricia Astor*
Joel S. Balsam*
Lorraine and Barry Bangel
Virginia and Bernard Bartley*
Millicent and Maurice Bellah*
David M. Bernstein*
Raymond Blaszky*
Gerard Bottini*
Susan and Tom* Brahms
Joan Brakman
John Brancaccio*
Wilbur F. and Dorothy Breslin
Aniko and Phillip* Burzo
Louise O. Butler*
Catherine* and Dom Camera
Roseann and Al Campagnola
Lyn and Nick Casale
Robert B. Catell
Daris Chasas*
Esther Chassen*
Fern and Hersh Cohen
John and Gloria Confort*
Virginia Ann Connors*
Edna M. Delloiacono*
Thelma J. Demarco*
Nancy DeMatteis*
Kathleen and Daniel Denihan
Gregor Denning*
Maria DiFasano
Anne Wilson Duerden*
Lilian Ebbitt*
Rose Eletto*
Carol L. Failla*
Thomas J. Fanning, Sr.
Melvin Finkelstein
Barbara Fitzgerald*
Carolyn Fostel*
Mary E. Fowler*
Barbara Fredel*
Barry Friedberg*
Susan Friedman-Russo
Elizabeth Gaeta*
Maud Gallagher*
Geraldine and Leonard Genovese
Eleanor Giammarino*
Edward E. Giles*
Charles A. Greiner*
Alice M. and Abraham* J. Gross
Mary and Dino Guiducci*
Joan and Leo Haberman*
Olga V. Hargis*
Daniel P. Hays*
Richard D. Hemley
Edwin* and Florence Hess
Lewis S. Hollins*
Thomas P. Huller*
Patricia Ierardi
Mildred Jacobs*
Emmy M. and Raymond P. Kane*
Marcia Kaplan-Mann
Inge K. Kauders*
Margaret Keene*
Chester L. Kelting*
Jane D. Keresey*
Agnes J. Kestner*
Irma Keppler Kiene*
Janet and Jerome* Kroll
Joseph C. Kugler*
Joseph Edward Landy*
Jeffrey A. Lang
Marilyn and Patrick Lanza
Ina* and Larry Lind
Hyman Livingston*
Marie Logothetis*
Gabriella Losasso*
Francis Lyle Lunson
Catherine T. Maas*
Anne Maione
Yvette and Joel Mallah*
Gloria Marsloe*
Herbert J. McCooey
Margaret McDevitt*
Arlene*and John McGrotty
Donald G. McKeon*
Riva Metcalf
Selma R. Miller
Irma M. Monahan*
Nancy K. Munson*
Allen E. Murray*
Francis Neilson*
Frank J. Ollari*
Lawrence Orilia
William Peterman*
Emilia and Daniel Petrasek
Paul A. Pezar
Arlene Pinkus*
Brian M. Poissant
Joseph A. Pollicino*
Linda L. Pons
Frank Quattrocchi*
Regina Quick*
Katherine L. Renzulli*
Lindsey J. Rockwell*
Florence Rose*
Benjamin J. Rosof
Carmen Russo*
Rosemarie Russo*
Nancy Russo-Rumore
William F. Ryan*
Henry E. Salzhauer
Anthony Santasine*
Anne T. Schwab
Laura Schweber*
Joan Durso Serra
Henry H. Shepard*
Edward E. Shorin*
Ronny Soderstrom*
Werner Sonn*
Thomas L. Spadaro*
Sonja Caron Stein*
Lotte and Murray Steingart*
Charles W. Steinmetz*
Frank Strnad*
Sylvia and Howard Swanson*
Iracema Talbott
Gerald Tambasco*
Hugo Todebush*
Jacqueline Tommaso-Polon*
Anne Marie Troiano*
Robert Typermass
William P. Urig
Dorothy Vislocky-Steigerwald*
John F. Wagner
Margot and Kenneth Walker
Eleanor Wetzel*
Gabriel Wiesenthal
Patricia and Domenico* Zuzzi
1. Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, President & CEO of Catholic Health, with riders at the Empire State Ride Long Island to raise funds for cancer research.
2. BraveHeart members at the 2023 St. Francis Hospital Gala.
3. (L-R) Michael Alderman; Beth Alderman; Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, Chair of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center and Catholic Health; Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, President & CEO of Catholic Health; Ken Breslin; Dr. Charles Lucore, President of St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center; Joy Breslin; Jillian Breslin; Karen Cooper; Michael Perkowski; and Steven Hess at the 2023 Gala.
4. Gala Physician Honoree Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, Chair of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center and Catholic Health, with nurses and staff from the Cath Lab.
5. The Guild of St. Francis Hospital at the 2023 Gala.
6. (L-R) Sean and Mary Jo Collins with Nancy and Paul Cuneo, St. Francis Hospital Foundation Board member.
7. (L-R) Father John Worthley, Joan Vizza, Dr. Robert F. Vizza, Robert G. Vizza, Peter Quick, Daniel Denihan and Thomas Christman at the 2023 Gala.
8. (L-R) Bert McCooey, former Chair of Board of Directors of St. Francis Hospital Foundation and his foursome at The Creek at the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Golf Classic.
9. (L-R) Dr. Charles L. Lucore, President of St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, with Golf Tournament Chairs John and Peggy O’Brien, and Bert McCooey, former Chair of Board of Directors of St. Francis Hospital Foundation.
10. Geoffrey Boisi and his foursome at the 7th hole at The Creek at the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Golf Classic.
11. (L-R) Matt Gerson, Jeffrey Filone, Thomas Fanning, Sr., current Chair of Board of Directors of St. Francis Hospital Foundation, and Marc Hiatrides at the Meadow Brook Club at the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Golf Classic.
President’s Fund
President’s Fund keeps St. Francis ready to address changing needs
“Being ready to respond to whatever comes our way is one of the most important priorities for St. Francis Hospital,” said Dr. Charles Lucore, President, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center.
The creation of the President’s Fund does exactly that, ensuring the hospital is nimble, flexible and able to provide excellent health care in a highly populated and diverse service area.
The President’s Fund allows St. Francis to address urgent needs throughout the hospital, such as new technology, staffing support, recruitment and retention efforts and clinical care initiatives.
“Designating support to the President’s Fund allows Dr. Lucore to apply it to the areas of greatest need over the upcoming year, including staffing or a new piece of equipment.”
– Arne Arnesen, St. Francis Hospital Foundation board member
“Over the years, we’ve had many friends and family with great experiences at St. Francis,” said Michael Falcone, who supports the President’s Fund. “My wife Sharon and I understand that the community’s needs and hospital operations are dynamic and constantly evolving. The hospital’s ability to easily pivot is of paramount importance.”
In fact, St. Francis Hospital fared well during the pandemic, in no small part due to the community’s philanthropic support and its ability to respond as needs arose.
Proud supporters of the President’s Fund also include The Guild of St. Francis, with a generous five-year commitment to helping Dr. Lucore address the hospital’s most pressing needs and The Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation, who were recognized for their generosity to the President’s Fund with naming the elevator banks serving the Heart Center and The DeMatteis Center, as well as the new Physicians Lounge.
Foundation leadership step forward with support
No one understands the importance of The President’s Fund more than the leadership of the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Board.
Longtime board member Dick Winslow has spent years working with the leadership of St. Francis. Over that time, he has participated in many initiatives, including the Endowment for Nursing Leadership & Education, Cardiac Research and Education, Emergency Department enhancements, as well as special events such as the annual Gala.
He strongly advocates backing the St. Francis Hospital President’s Fund, explaining, “The pandemic taught us much about the importance of being prepared for future contingencies and the flexibility gained in hospital operations, an imperative that drives my continued support.”
Other members of the Foundation Board of Directors also support the President’s Fund, and hope others will see their commitment and join with them in support.
Arne Arnesen joined the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Board more than a decade ago and knows first-hand the dedication of the hospital’s leadership. “Designating support to the President’s Fund allows Dr. Lucore to apply it to the areas of greatest need over the upcoming year, including staffing or a new piece of equipment,” says Arnesen.
As mayor and police commissioner for the Village of Sands Point, St. Francis Hospital Foundation board member Peter Forman appreciates planning, forecasting and readiness across the community.
“It’s important to not just my family and me, but also to our local community, that St. Francis has the funding it needs to be at-the-ready.
I’m proud to support the President’s Fund.”
Kornheiser Clinical Scholars Program enables students to pursue careers in medicine
Passionate aspiring medical students continue to make their journey into medicine with the support of the Charles and Muriel Kornheiser Clinical Scholars Program.
Each year since 2020 the program supports two year-long paid research internships and clinical observerships with top physicians at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center. The students selected have finished their undergraduate educations and are taking a “gap year” before entering medical school.
Two generations of heart care
It’s been more than 64 years since a young Don Lia peered into the first floor window of his father’s room at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center. Since then, he has raised children of his own, built a successful business and entrusted St. Francis with his own heart.
“All along, I’ve felt fortunate that we have a hospital like St. Francis right here on Long Island,” Lia shared. “While we lost my father a few years after he returned from military service and required heart surgery in the early 1960s, the care he received at St. Francis made a tremendous impact on me and my family. take solace in knowing that his experience, as one of the early heart surgery patients, helped pave the way for so many miracles throughout the decades.”
Lia explained that due to his young age and his father’s condition at the time, he was not allowed to visit with him directly, but the Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary from the hospital’s founding order made it possible for him to see his father and share his love and support, if only through a window.
After turning to the hospital for his own heart health in recent years, Lia decided that he too should be part of the reason that others will find hope and benefit from advanced care going forward. “I want to be a part of the St. Francis Hospital story and asked that my support be directed wherever the need is most urgent,” explains Lia in describing his recent pledge in support of the President’s Fund. Lia’s motivation is driven in part by the opportunity to continue a meaningful tradition. Because of the support the hospital received from others before him, Lia has seen St. Francis Hospital become a nationally recognized center for cardiac care and research. He now wants his support to do the same for generations to come.
The program is made possible by the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund.
Close friends for over 40 years, the Davis family wanted to honor Charles Kornheiser, now 103 and his late wife, Muriel, with a charitable donation made in the Kornheiser name. Both had been long-time patients of the hospital and St. Francis cardiologist Meyer Abittan, MD.
“When the family insisted on honoring us by asking us to choose where to make a charitable donation in our name, we immediately thought of St. Francis Hospital, especially if we could then honor Dr. Abittan,” Kornheiser said. “What made this complete — going full circle — was that Dr. Abittan was also a graduate of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at City College. We specifically asked the Davis’s and the creators of the Scholars Program to have Dr. Abittan help design the program. It is no wonder that it serves underrepresented minority students.”
The Clinical Scholars Program is designed to be accessible and inclusive, with recruitment announcements shared publicly and broadly, especially within networks for underrepresented minorities in medicine. Without this program, many of these students might have opted to secure paying jobs unrelated to medicine in order to save for the expense of medical school. Instead, they receive a salary and benefits while gaining exceptionally valuable research experience and exposure in the clinical setting. The program also helps these scholars set their resume apart from others.
Kornheiser says he feels honored to be part of the Clinical Scholars program. He said, “It is gratifying to have well-deserving college graduates have the chance to further their careers in medicine. The opportunities that are offered to the students as a result of this program are endless.”
The Charles and Muriel Kornheiser Clinical Scholars Program was funded by a generous seed grant and a matching opportunity for continued program support. This coming year is the final year of match-eligible gifts and the St. Francis Hospital Foundation welcomes a chance to work with other members of the community who would like to support this important program.
St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center and its community partnerships promise health
As Catholic Health continues to form new partnerships all over Long Island to promote health and healing, St. Francis is doing its part in creating lasting partnerships with area schools. These partnerships underscore the importance of healthy habits and provide students with early exposure to health-related careers.
• Saint Anthony’s High School in Huntington is home to the St. Francis Hospital Medical Education Lab. The first program of its kind in New York State, it provides students with unparalleled exposure to state-of-the-art equipment, services and medical care. The lab includes an Anatomage digital dissection table to perform mock surgeries in a medical theatre. The table is the most technologically advanced visualization system for anatomy education and is used by many of the world’s leading medical schools and institutions. Through this partnership, the St. Francis Hospital Medical Education Lab brings medicine to life and helps students understand underlying concepts in health care, setting them up for careers in medicine.
• Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset partnered with Catholic Health and St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center to offer an educational internship program. Students received firsthand experience and exposure to the field of medicine, including educational seminars on a variety of health care professions, on-site shadowing at the hospital, certificate trainings and networking opportunities. According to student Mariana Michalakis, “The program provided me the opportunity to see the medical field in real time, and visualize what my life could look like. The Catholic Health Internship program was a highlight of my senior year at the Academy, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to enter medicine. Not only will you have access to a large network of doctors and medical professionals who are eager to pass on their knowledge, you gain insight to medical specialties that you may not have known even existed. Every expectation that I had for the Catholic Health Internship was met, and I could not name one thing I wish the program had organized differently,” Unfortunately Our Lady of Mercy Academy recently closed to low enrollment, however our efforts to reach students across Long Island with these rich experiences continue.
• The St. Francis Hospital Cardiac Screening for Student Athletes program offers free screenings to students in grades 9-12 to help identify heart conditions. Using electrocardiograms (EKGs) and echocardiograms, Sean Levchuck, MD, Director of Pediatric Cardiology, and his team help diagnose potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions that might go unnoticed in a routine medical exam. Since the program’s inception in 2009 these cardiac screenings have helped more than 3,000 high school students across Long Island.
• Chaminade High School and St. Francis have partnered in a few ways over the last year. St. Francis’s Community Health team led a “Heart Saver” training event for 40 faculty and staff from the school to learn how to perform chest compressions, administer CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED. In addition, after a senior on the basketball team went into sudden cardiac arrest at practice and was saved by his coach and trainer using an AED, the teen’s father began training for a marathon and undertook a fundraising campaign to place more AEDs around Chaminade and other local high schools. Dr. Levchuck served as the pediatric cardiology expert in media stories related to the incident, saying that everyone should learn how to use an AED. He also recommends student-athletes undergo cardiac screening, like the one offered at St. Francis.
• St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset presented the Cancer Institute at St. Francis Hospital with a generous donation collected by students during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Students fundraised by making and selling bracelets, as well as holding a donation-driven “dress down day.” According to student Anastasia Sutton, “We wanted to make sure the money we raised went to people actually facing this disease. I’m so glad that we could make a small impact. I’m so proud of everyone. [It] feels so amazing to help in some way.” Other schools raising funds for cancer services across Catholic Health include St. Martin of Tours School in Amityville and Our Lady of Peace School in Lynbrook.
The Medical Education Lab at Saint Anthony’s High School.
Our Lady of Mercy Academy students.
St. Mary’s High School students visit the St. Francis Hospital Cancer Institute to present their generous donation.
Dr. Levchuck examining a student as part of the St. Francis Hospital Cardiac Screening for Student Athletes program.
Award-winning care and nursing excellence
National recognition for clinical leadership and quality performance.
St. Francis by the numbers
We strive to provide the best patient experience with every patient, every encounter, every time.
19,769 Hospital Admissions
7,082 Inpatient Surgeries
38,056 Emergency Department Visits
14,106 Ambulatory Surgeries
1,427 Open Heart Procedures
A message from Chief Development Officer Peggy Maher
A look toward the future at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center
As close this year’s impact report, I’d like to tell you a story about an amazing young woman in the U.S. Merchant Marine, Alyssa. Her experience at St. Francis goes back to 2005, when her father received quadruple bypass surgery and her mother received bi-weekly infusions at the hospital. At the time, she was just 13 years old.
Eight years ago, Alyssa found herself back at St. Francis, this time for her own medical care. After several trips to other hospitals and urgent care centers and being dismissed for her symptoms, Stefan Muehlbauer, MD, and the team at the St. Francis Emergency Department took her seriously and found she had middle lower right lobe pneumonia. They immediately admitted her to the hospital for five days of treatment and Alyssa believes they saved her life.
Stories like these are not uncommon at St. Francis. Our patient-centered care means we treat our patients with personalized health care characterized by deep listening. What is remarkable about Alyssa’s story is that she decided – at only 30 years old – to make a generous gift commitment to give back in gratitude for the life-saving care she received.
think of Alyssa and others like her as guardians of St. Francis Hospital and our commitment to the human touch. Our donors help drive innovation forward, equip our care teams and attract and retain dedicated caregivers. With friends like Alyssa, we can be confident that St. Francis Hospital will be around for another 100 years and beyond. Thank you to everyone who made a gift this past year – you truly are our partners in healing!
632 TAVR Procedures
20,935 Infusion Center Visits at The Cancer Institute
13,665 Women’s Health Center Procedures
12,628 Cardiac Catheterizations
3,834 Angioplasties
With gratitude, Peggy Maher
Chief Development Officer, Catholic Health Vice President for Development, St. Francis Hospital Foundation
Thank you!
