Firmly
ROOTED
Fall 2014
MERCY MEDICAL CENTER MERCED FOUNDATION
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Stroke Support Groups Help Families Discover a ‘New Normal’
Proceeds from our Annual Stroke Awareness Run in May goes towards the Stroke Program, which includes the Stroke Support Group. Every 40 seconds in the United States someone will suffer a stroke. The good news is that thanks to stroke education programs and increased awareness nationwide, more people are surviving and thriving following strokes. The American Stroke Association estimates that there are currently as many as 7 million stroke survivors in the U.S. Mercy Medical Center Merced (MMC) recently completed a rigorous recertification process to maintain national accreditation as a Primary Stroke Center, and is proud to be progressive with regards to stroke prevention and patient care. Our community has greatly benefited from the Stroke Program for the last two years. Medical professionals have mastered techniques for assessing and treating stroke patients. The stroke robot, “Dr. Bot”, has enabled 24 hour real-time access for patients to neurologists when a stroke is suspected. There has been heightened awareness through enhanced education outreach about ways to lower the risk of stroke, to recognize symptoms of a stroke, and to act fast when a stroke is suspected.
Emergency Department Director Philip Brown has been instrumental in the certification process for the Stroke Program at Mercy. “We have increased our ability to treat patients and achieve the best result when a stroke is suspected.” A new area of growth at MMC is the development of a stroke support environment where survivors can be empowered during their recovery and beyond. Mercy Medical Center started offering monthly Stroke Support Group meetings in the spring free of charge, made possible by generous donors to the Mercy Foundation. We recognize that each survivor and family member differs in their injury, experience, and method of coping,” said MMC Community Educator Lillian Sanchez. “We want to address the need in the community for survivors of strokes and their families, friends, and caregivers.” Stroke survivors and their families experience a life-changing event. There are more serious long-term disabilities associated with strokes than with any other disease, such as lingering pain, disability, or mental impairment. (continued on page 2)
We Deliver in 30 Minutes ...And It’s Free The Mercy Foundation has developed two information-packed presentations that are available free of charge to service clubs, businesses, and organizations in the Merced community. Each presentation lasts approximately 30 minutes, and gives in-depth insight into heightened areas of concern regarding healthcare prevention and treatment. STROKE AWARENESS: Mercy Medical Center has a prestigious and nationally recognized Stroke Program Certification. Highlights: -who is at risk -what action to take -where to get support -when to begin prevention -how to recognize symptoms -why the Stroke Program at MMC benefits you CANCER AWARENESS: The Mercy-UC Davis Cancer Center is a university based cancer institute in Merced staffed with expert, compassionate professionals. Highlights: --who are the experts --what services are available --where to find support --when to get screened --why the Mercy-UC Davis Cancer Center is a big deal Your group could join other organizations in the area who have made steps towards being educated and creating a healthier community. If you are interested in taking advantage of one of the community presentations available free of charge through the Mercy Foundation, please contact Heidi Pedrozo at 209.564.4202.
Family Birth Center Sets the Standard Mercy Medical Center’s Family Birth Center has been able to acquire an excellent tool for educating and training nurses with help from the Mercy Foundation. The Perinatal Orientation and Education Program (POEP) is designed to help align the skills of Family Birth Center staff members based on the latest evidence-based research in perinatal nursing, to aid in building effective teams, and to provide a firm foundation for future education. The program was created by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) -- one of the most respected authorities in perinatal nursing. “Emergency procedures and assessment skills gained through the AWHONN POEP are priceless,” according to Clinical Educator Dawn Butler. “This program provides the most current knowledge base for new graduates and new hires coming to the Family Birthing Center. It also provides patients with continuity of care when staff members are educated using the same language and algorithms.” Butler added that the most recent
group of new nurses enjoyed the benefits of this flexible program, which allowed them to study at home and access the online testing at their convenience. The POEP modules are modifiable, which allows professionals who prefer textbook over computer-based learning with more options. The staff members who will benefit from this program include brand new graduates, experienced nurses who are new to perinatal nursing, and longtime Family Birth Center nurses who always strive to provide the best nursing care to our patients. “This contribution demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the community, since we now ‘own’ the information and will continue to use it to provide a higher quality of service to our patients,” said Butler. “Also, that we care about our staff by providing them great tools to stay current in their chosen specialty.” “We appreciate the Mercy Foundation and their donors for enabling us to make the Family Birth Center team the best it can be for the families of Merced.”
Stroke Support From page 1
Emotions commonly associated with survivors and their affected family members include anger, guilt, fear, frustration, loneliness, confusion, and inadequacy. With residual mental and physical impairment, expressing and managing these feelings becomes another obstacle for affected families. Often referred to as finding a patient’s ‘new normal’, stroke support groups can help families re-learn how to communicate in spite of the challenges. “Members who have attended the group use this intimate setting to share both frustrations and success with each other,” according to Mercy Accreditation/Regulatory Compliance Manager and facilitator Beatriz
Page 2 I www.supportmercymerced.org I Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation
Ramirez. “The conversation just blooms.” Ramirez admits that while she was prepared to talk about repeat risk factors, medications, and available resources in the community, she didn’t predict the discussions about topics like battling depression and how stressful family financial situations could be when an income earner suffers debilitation following a stroke. The Stroke Support Group at Mercy offers an opportunity to bring the community affected by strokes together, to accelerate recovery, and to prevent recurrence of stroke. For more information on how to be involved in this free support group, please contact Lillian Sanchez at 209.564.4310.
Meet Carla Kelley
Mercy Foundation Welcomes New Board Chair
Cancer Center Capital Campaign
$8,967.02 $113,831.57
Emergency Services $2,000.00 Endoscopic Ultrasound $83,075.00 Med/Surg Department Services
$50.00
Medtronic Fusion ENT Navigation System
$24,000.00
Mother/Baby and Pediatric Services
$11,567.54
Reach Out and Read Program Rehab Services Respiratory Services
$485.00 $100.00 $12,500.00
Simulation Learning Lab $183,613.24 Spirit Booster Program Stroke Program Unrestricted
Total
$157,000.09 $7,636.20 $30,502.87
$677,744.48
Funds Transferred to Medical Center July 2013-June 2014 Cancer Center
$42,007.61
Education $214,476.10 Emergency Services
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The Mercy Foundation is so fortunate to have a driven and dynamic professional with strong ties to the Merced community step into the board chair position! Fast talking and full of energy, Carla Kelley’s passion for giving back and making a difference in her community is hard to miss. “I just love the synergy going on in Merced right now,” says Kelley. “Mercy Medical Center, UC Merced, business owners, and the City of Merced are really working together to grow a strong, healthy community.” Carla has been a full time rehabilitation counselor and consultant with a private practice since 1985. She married George Kelley, whose family has raised six generations in Merced. She claims to have achieved “local” status after living in Merced for twenty years, raising two kids here, and recently building a home.
Philanthropic (and) fundraising experience for the new board chair prior to joining the foundation was her work with her kids’ schools, her church, on the Salvation Army Board of Directors, and with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She also enjoys a planning role each year in the Ma Kelley Memorial Shoot Out that her extended family hosts to benefit UC Merced Athletics. Her goal for her tenure as board chair is to continue expanding the educational outreach that the previous chair Garth Pecchenino initiated. She believes that people really need to understand both the health care needs and the health care opportunities that exist here in Merced. “I feel so blessed to be involved with the Mercy Foundation,” says Kelley. “It’s a great place to be.”
Contributions Received July 2013-June 2014
Carla Kelley with her husband, George Kelley.
$4,995.00
Rural Health Clinics
$9,314.77
Surgical Services
This Is How Your Dollars Have Made A Difference 2,500
8,000
Babies Born
Kids Care Clinic Patient Visits
16,000
11,000
Cancer Center Medical and Radiation Treatments
Patients Admitted
66,000
Surgeries Performed
$988.67
Mother/Baby and Pediatric Services
$586,940.00
Total $858,722.15
7,250
Emergency Room Patients Seen
Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation I www.supportmercymerced.org I Page 3
Thank You to our Taste of Merced Sponsors Garrett Hearing Center Raymond and Maria Giampaoli Helen & Louise/The Armory Hilmar Cheese Company Joseph Gallo Farms Kirby Manufacturing Laird Manufacturing Cyril Lawrence Leap Carpenter Kemps Insurance Merced Heart Associates Merced Honda
$5000 Sponsorship Dignity Health Medical Group Merced Faculty Associates Medical Group $3,000 Sponsorship Educational Employees Credit Union Marvin Nunes Farms Merced Pathology Medical Group Merced Radiology Medical Group Valley Emergency Physicians Medical Group $2,000 Sponsorship Rose Eager-Sabo Fagundes Dairy Kathy Kohrman Merced River Farms Marilyn Reese Stevinson Ranch Golf Course Dr. Robert Streeter UC Merced $1000 Sponsorship Bear Creek Anesthesia Medical Group Dr. Frank Berry, Jr. Congressman Jim Costa
Emma Edwards Favier Farms Dario and Josephine Giampaoli Dan and Danna Holmes ImageMasters William J. Koenig, Inc. Little Sisters Orchards J. Marchini Farms McAuley Motors NorCal Pump and Drilling Pacific Gas & Electric Company Dr. Mario Sablan Mark and Marcee Samberg Don and Betty Stewart Stewart Family Mike and Sally Strasser $500 Sponsorship Amie Marchini Senior Care AV Thomas Produce Bandoni, Inc. April Brewer Bristol Hospice Becky Cates Central Valley Nephrology Medical Associates Sal Dowhaniak Evergreen Funeral Home
Merced Irrigation District Karen Montgomery Sally Paasch Greg Rouleau Jose Soto Gordon and Susan Spencer Stratford Evans Cynthia Temple Travis Credit Union UBS Financial Services Dr. Mark Via Carrie Xiong Kathleen Crookham
Restaurant Sponsors 51 Fifty Energy At the Pier Black Bear Diner Bobcat Brewing Company Coffee Bandits DiCicco’s Five Ten Bistro Frozen Temptations Gateway Gardens J&R Tacos Mercy Medical Center Garden Café Pinnochio’s Pocket 8’s Sushi & Grill String’s Italian Café Taste of Little India Thai Cuisine II Thai Star Toni’s Courtyard Café Uncle Bucks Catering Vista Ranch & Cellars A Special Thank you to Delta Sierra Beverage Gallo Winery J. Marchini Farms
Media Sponsors Merced Sun Star Merced County Times Radio Merced Buckley Radio Downtown Life Magazine
Memorials & Honorariums July - Sept. 2014 With sincere appreciation, we acknowledge the patrons listed here who have chosen to pay tribute, preserve a memory or just say thank you to a loved one by donating to the Mercy Foundation. In honor of Marcee & Dr. Mark Samberg Jewish Community Foundation of the West In honor of Richard Webb’s Birthday Sandra Draney
In Memory of Marilyn McLaughlin Delene & Mark Meidlinger Marcee & Dr. Mark Samberg In Memory of Della Trovato Kathleen & Joseph Trovato
Page 4 I www.supportmercymercaed.org I Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation
In Memory of Peter Fluetsch Lorenzi Family In Memory of Richard Webb Sandra Draney
Sold Out Taste of Merced a Success
Ear Nose Throat Navigation System now $89k closer to being a reality at Mercy Medical Center Merced the care of our clients.” The Foundation was supported by 72 community sponsors that participated in the Taste of Merced this year. Levels of support ranged from $500-$5000. “We always like to support the Foundation campaigns and events that benefit this community,” said Mark Wagner, MD of Merced Radiology. Dr. Wagner has practiced in Merced for 26 years and has a unique perspective on how the Foundation has been able to help create opportunities for advanced patient care locally. Between community sponsors, donations, and the more than 550 tickets that were sold, the Mercy Foundation was able to raise almost $90,000 towards the purchase of an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Navigation System. It was accidentally appropriate that an event featuring festive smells, tastes, and sounds would also benefit a significant equipment purchase that provides treatment for the ears, nose, and throat.
It was hip to be at Bob Hart Square the last weekend in September for the Mercy Foundation’s Taste of Merced. “Having a ‘sold out’ event is such a fun problem to have,” joked Foundation Board Chair Carla Kelley. “We had people trying to get tickets right up to the day of the event.” The Taste of Merced is organized to raise funds for the Mercy Foundation, but the event also has the real benefit of bringing neighbors together to enjoy the restaurants, music, and atmosphere that downtown Merced has to offer. Over 20 local restaurants served up their signature dishes and drinks to an eager crowd. Local bands had people dancing in the square right until it was time to roll up the rugs at the end of the night.
“What a great event!” said Kelly Leonardo, Volunteer Coordinator for first-time business sponsor Bristol Hospice. “We work with health care providers on the phone, but it was very different to socialize with them and really thank them in person as partners who share in
The ENT is a desirable acquisition for a number of reasons. It provides very detailed images of internal organs and tissues related to the head and sinuses. Diseased tissue can be removed without harming critical areas, procedures would be more time efficient, and the optimal result would be achieved without the need for invasive surgery. Having the ENT available at Mercy Medical Center not only allows patients to stay in town for their treatment, but also makes Merced a more attractive destination for highly-skilled ENT physicians and medical professionals. The total cost for bringing the ENT to Mercy is $132,000. The Foundation would like to thank all of the incredible sponsors, volunteers, and supporting merchants who made the 2014 Taste of Merced such a memorable event!
Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation I www.supportmercymerced.org I Page 5
Celebrate a life
Celebrate a Life provides an opportunity to pause, remember and honor friends and family with a Reflection Ceremony & Christmas Tree Lighting followed by a Caroling Performance and Refreshments.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
5:30pm - Reflection Ceremony & Tree Lighting Mercy Cancer Center • 3850 North G Street • Merced
6:00pm Caroling Performance & Refreshments Mercy Medical Center Main Lobby • 333 Mercy Avenue • Merced
All gifts will benefit an ENT(Ear, Nose & Throat) Navigation System for Mercy Medical Center Tree Top Tribute For a gift of $1,000, the donor will receive a replica of the Tree Top Ornament. In addition, those honored will be recognized during the Holiday Season on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and be recognized in our Reflection Program.
Tribute For a gift of $100, those honored will be recognized during the Holiday Season on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and be recognized in our Reflection Program. A special name tag will be hung on our Trees for the honoree.
Light Up A Life For a gift of $500, those honored will be recognized during the Holiday Season on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and be recognized in our Reflection Program. A special name tag will be hung on our Trees for the honoree and the donor will receive a Celebrate a Life engraved *ornament.
Honor For a gift of $50, those honored will be recognized during the Holiday Season on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and be recognized in our Reflection Program. A special name tag will be hung on our Trees for the honoree.
Celebration For a gift of $250, those honored will be recognized during the Holiday Season on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and be recognized in our Reflection Program. A special name tag will be hung on our Trees for the honoree and the donor will receive a Celebrate a Life engraved *ornament.
Star Light For a gift of $25, those honored will have a special name tag hung on our Christmas Trees during the Holiday Season with recognition on our Electronic Donor Wall in Mercy’s Main Lobby and, be given recognition in our Reflection Program.
*Ornaments will be mailed to your home after the holiday season to adorn your tree in the coming year.
For more information call the Mercy Foundation at (209) 564-4200.
Yes, I will help Mercy Foundation to elevate healthcare with my gift of:
q$1,000 q$500 q$250 q$100 q$50 q$25 qOther All gifts will benefit an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Navigation System
q In Memory of . . .
q In Honor of . . .
Name
q
Please send acknowledgment and invitation to:
Name
Please charge my
State
Zip
Mail your gift to: Mercy Foundation 2740 M Street • Merced, CA 95340 Your contribution is tax-deductible according to IRS regulations. Tax ID#77-0035928
qVISA qMC qDiscover qAMEX
Name Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Address City Phone Email
Address City
PAYMENT METHOD Enclosed is a check payable to: Mercy Medical Center Foundation
Card# Expires Signature
State
Zip
Giving So You May Receive: the Charitable Gift Annuity Presented by Bill Altavilla In many instances today, people are looking for increased income from their assets. Returns from fixed investments have been reduced due to lower interest rates. The charitable gift annuity (CGA) can be a way of providing increased income, especially for those who are living on fixed incomes. Most philanthropy-minded people who choose the CGA are retirees who want to increase their cash flow, enjoy the security of guaranteed payments, and receive an income tax deduction. Others choose a CGA to provide financial assistance to an elderly parent or sibling. The gift of a CGA can benefit you, your family, the community and Mercy Medical Center Merced. In simple terms, a charitable gift annuity is a gift that is a contractual agreement between the donor and the Mercy Foundation. This legal contract states that Mercy agrees to pay the donor(s) a lifetime income. Upon the death of the beneficiaries, the remaining principal is available to the Mercy Foundation to help provide health resources to the community. Charitable gift annuities may be funded with cash and appreciated securities. The payments can be distributed annually, semi-annually, or quarterly. The size of the payment is dependent on several factors: the
age(s) of the annuitant(s), the number of annuitants, and the value of the contribution. While consulting your financial or tax advisor, you may discover that a Charitable Gift Annuity would be an ideal option for you. If you would like more information concerning the CGA program at the Mercy Foundation, please contact Lisa Wegley at 209.564.4200 or lisa.wegley@dignityhealth.org. Sample Gift Annuity Rates – Effective 1/1/2012 Charitable Gift Annuity Rates: Age 60 65 70 75 80 85 90+
Rate 4.4% 4.7% 5.1% 5.8% 6.8% 7.8% 9.0%
To find out more information about Charitable Gift Annuity, please visit our website at www.supportmercy.org Step 1: Simply click on the button to learn more
Step 2: Click on “Gifts that Increase Cash Flow” on the menu on the left side of the page
Planning Your Legacy
Step 3: Click on Charitable Gift Annuity in the center of the webpage
Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation I www.supportmercymerced.org I Page 7
NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID MERCED, CA PERMIT NO 702
2740 M Street • Merced, CA 95340
The mission of the Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation is to further Mercy Medical Center’s commitment to provide excellence in health care through stewardship, financial support and community collaboration. ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Mercy Foundation
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:00am - 4:30pm 2740 M Street Merced, CA 95340 Phone (209) 564-4200 Lisa Wegley Foundation Executive Director Bill Altavilla Planned Giving Specialist Delene Meidlinger Annual Giving/Event Officer Heidi Pedrozo Associate Development Officer Sally Strasser Data Entry Clerk Barbara Adams Volunteer Lannie Haslouer Volunteer Visit us on the web: www.supportmercymerced.org If you no longer wish to receive future fundraising information for Mercy Medical Center Merced Foundation, please identify yourself by contacting us at (209) 564-4200 or emailing us at mercyfoundationmerced@dignityhealth.org.
‘A Quilter’s Embrace’ The Quilters Embrace Project is an ongoing effort by the Gateway Quilters Guild to provide quilts to a variety of area organizations. The group first began meeting in 2004, and has grown to nearly 90 volunteer members here in Merced. “We like to think it’s like someone being wrapped in love,” said Virginia Wagner, an organizer and original member of the guild. The Pediatric Floor is fortunate enough to receive 15 blankets four times per year that patients can take home with them after their stay at Mercy. Each beautiful, handmade quilt has a small label sewn onto them that reads, ‘What you hold in your arms is a quilter’s embrace.’ Wagner meets with her fellow fabric-lovers each month to make good use of generous donations of fabric and talented volunteers. They created and donated an astounding 247 quilts to numerous organizations locally in 2013. “It’s very comforting for our families to re-
Board Members Carla Kelley Board Chair
Katie Favier
Vice-Chair, Fund Development
Parminder Sidhu, MD Vice-Chair, Marketing
Edward Macha Secretary
Steve Koenig Treasurer
Philip Brown Kathleen Crookham David Dunham Dan Holmes Daniel Ikemiyashiro, MD Ric Kirby Cyril Lawrence Shailesh P. Patel, MD Marilyn Reese Michelle Symes-Thiara April Zinser, RN
ceive one of those colorful, homemade quilts,” said Clinical Educator Emma Edwards. “It really makes a patient room feel more like home.” Mercy Medical Center Merced strives to promote purposeful acts of humankindness throughout the hospital. We believe that strengthening our connections with the people we serve is the key to providing excellent care. Special thanks belongs to the Gateway Quilters Guild for supporting this mission with your time, your talents, and your ‘quilter’s embrace’ for our pediatric patients!
Associate Members Walt Adams Vicki Bandoni Frank Berry, MD Lawrence Blazina, MD Anna Bolling, PhD Nancy Brawley Judy Campbell Suzanne Carpenter Bert Crane, Jr. Nettie Descalso Del Nero Catherine Fluetsch Doug Fluetsch Nini Freitas Skip George
Philip Golden Doris Gonella Steve Hale M. Stephen Jones Lydia Lobdell Carol Madruga, RN Amie Marchini Barry McAuley Dennis McKim Chuck Meyer Greg Olzack Mark Pazin Garth Pecchenino Judy Pfitzer-Boyer
Margaret Pia Billie Razzari Ken Robbins Marcee Samberg, RN Carol Soares Ed Spinardi, II Betty Santi Stewart Donna Tetangco, RN Nancy Whittaker, RN Honorary Members Bert Crane Rose Eager-Sabo E.J. Almo Lorenzi