St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation
bridges Rural healthcare Improving emergency and health services
Love and loss Memorializing a loved parent
Racing Awareness StLukesEarlyDetection.com boat
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HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION stlukesfoundation.com
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What’s Inside
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation welcomes new leadership and staff
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t. Luke’s Health Care Foundation proudly serves a critical philanthropic mission for St. Luke’s and works to bring together the best people to oversee that purpose. We’re pleased to announce several new members to our staff and board.
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St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation news
Jim Sealy
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Rural Health Care Endowment Fund improves health services
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Love and loss becomes an opportunity to heal
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Racing awareness with the “bat boat”
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Scholarship winner
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Donor spotlight: Jay and Bonnie Petersen
Jim Sealy, former chair of both St. Luke’s Hospital and Iowa Health System, is serving as the Foundation President. Sealy brings extensive executive and board experience to the position. He has also led several community fundraising campaigns and recently joined the Foundation board. Since mid-September, Sealy has been providing full-time leadership to the staff at the Foundation.
Mary Klinger Mary Klinger began as the director of major and planned gifts for the Foundation on September 30. Klinger is a well-known, seasoned fundraiser with 23 years of experience at United Way of East Central Iowa. In her tenure, she implemented strategies that continually increased charitable giving to United Way. “St. Luke’s has an outstanding reputation in our community, as well as achieving national recognition in several areas of specialty,” said Klinger. “I am honored to have been selected to join the team at the Foundation and look forward to building upon the many successful programs in place.”
New members to St. Luke’s Heath Care Foundation Board
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation
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HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION 855 A Ave. NE, Suite 105 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 319/369-7716 stlukesfoundation.com
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Paula Roby is a senior partner at Elderkin & Pirnie, P.L.C., in Cedar Rapids and practices in civil litigation. She received a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, a J.D. with distinction from the University of Iowa and was admitted to the bar in 2000. Shirley Holtey recently retired from St. Luke's Hospital after 31 years of service. Holtey held numerous positions at St. Luke's, including vice president Information Systems, Business Development, and finally retiring as vice president of Clinical Support. Shirley and her husband, Bill have two children and five grandchildren.
Communications minus the clutter Would you like to receive messages from the Foundation directly to your e-mail inbox? St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation is currently building an e-mail database of our friends. Our goal is to send e-mail instead of postal mail as often as possible to be environmentally and fiscally conscious. If you’d like to be added to our e-mail database, please send the following information to foundation@crstlukes.com or call 319/369-7716. We’ll need: • Your name • Preferred e-mail address • Preferred postal mailing address (Postal mailing addresses are only needed to confirm we are updating the correct record.) As always, your personal information will be kept confidential and handled with care.
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Rural Health Care Grants:
Improving healthcare in rural communities Victor First Responders, front: Pat McLeod, Bill Roberts, Dan Stowell, Brad Jahlas. Back: Mary Roberts, Dave Prather, Rob Nowotny, Dennis Robinson, Lucas Bayer. Not pictured: Steph Thys and Scott Stowell
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ost travellers on Interstate 80 drive past Victor, Iowa, not knowing who would be the first to arrive if a medical emergency stopped their progress. Eleven volunteers take those calls in this rural community northwest of Williamsburg. The Victor First Responders — a Volunteer Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Agency — provide immediate, basic life support for medical emergencies and traumas until the nearest responding ambulance arrives from 16 miles away, a drive of about 20 minutes. “We have a resident population of 1,500, along with a steady stream of passersby on the major highways that intersect our response area,” explained Luke Bayer, director of Victor First Responders, in addition to being a volunteer firefighter in Victor, full-time paramedic at Iowa County Ambulance and working part-time at Washington County Ambulance. Most of the Victor First Responders also volunteer for the fire department. “We provide coverage to Interstate 80, Highway 21 and Highway 6. Our response area is 62.5 square miles,” Bayer said. “We are a 100-percent volunteer and donationfunded organization.”
Emergencies happen in the most inconvenient locations. Far from hospitals and emergency transport vehicles. St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation awards grants to rural emergency response services through the Rural Health Care (RHC) Endowment Fund. It matches donations to not-for-profit projects working to improve the health and wellness of rural residents. Since its inception in 1980, the program has awarded nearly $250,000. This year the Fund awarded the Victor First Responders $2,000 to fund Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B) training to grow the first responder program from 11 to 14 people and for a monitor to use in training. It’s the third grant they’ve received from St. Luke’s.
“Our first responders go on all types of medical and trauma calls,” Bayer said. “Many of our first responders/EMTs work outside of the Victor area, so it is important to bring on new volunteers for better coverage and continuity of the program.” “We, as first responders, don't get taxation money and operate on donations from fundraisers,” Bayer said. “Grants from St. Luke’s mean a lot to our group. It has assisted us with getting necessary equipment.” “Many of the services provided by these organizations are critical to the health and well-being of the citizens in these communities,” said Terri Christoffersen, St. Luke's Health Care Foundation Board vice-chair and chair of the RHC Grant Program. “Much of the work is done by volunteers and unfortunately there is minimal, if any funding to assist with vital equipment and training. The Foundation puts the hospital’s mission in motion by partnering with these groups.” Learn more about giving to the RHC Endowment from the Foundation at 319/369-7716 or go to stlukesfoundation.com and click on the “Give Today” button.
Eastern Iowa organizations received a combined total of $24,848 in grants from St. Luke’s RHC Endowment Fund this year. Victor First Responders Hiawatha Fire Department RSVP Jones County Belle Plaine Area Ambulance Blairstown Volunteer Ambulance Service North Benton Ambulance Volunteer Services of Cedar County Clarence Community Ambulance Mechanicsville Fire and Ambulance Robins Fire Department Parnell First Responders
EMT basic training Advanced pediatric training Medical and dental transportation expenses for older, rural residents Training mannequin Pediatric supplies Two cardiac monitors Funds toward handicap-accessible van Power-PRO ambulance cot Cardiac monitor Two automated external defibrillator units Pagers bridges | fall 2011 | 1
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Love and loss
When grief becomes an opportunity for healing
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en-year-old Logan Trumbull is a highenergy kid. He loves football and used to practice with his dad, Ray, on their front lawn after dinner. In 2006, Ray became ill with cancer and died a year later. The sadness, confusion and loss Logan experienced as his family struggled through his father’s illness and death became the subject of a picture book Logan wrote shortly afterward. Logan’s Story takes young readers through the journey of sickness and loss through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy. “It was his way of continuing to remember his dad even though it was a tough time,” said his mom, Deanna. “It was therapeutic for him. I was surprised at how clearly he could identify his feelings.”
Illustrator Mary Moye-Rowley worked with Logan to prepare the book for publishing. A group of donors helped fund the first print run. Now the book can be ordered from Iowa City Hospice, with proceeds going back to hospice. “When Ray was sick, this was my first personal interaction with hospice. I kept thinking, ‘How does one give back in a way that can compare to the level of support and care they provided to us? We as a family are going to show our support. We can’t afford to write a big fat check. But we can volunteer.’ Though we wanted to do something more. This became our family’s way of continually giving back,” Deanna said. Logan’s instincts to honor his father while helping others resonated with Logan’s aunt and uncle, Wayne and Jackie Meier. They
wanted to memorialize a beloved parent, Wayne’s mother, Beverly J. Meier, with a gift that would help others. “My mother had breast cancer. It dates back to 20 years ago when she was first diagnosed. Then she had a mastectomy and was a survivor. Eight years ago the cancer came back. In April of last year she lost the battle with cancer,” Wayne said. This summer the Meiers donated copies of Logan’s Story to St. Luke’s Hospice in memory of Beverly, the first manager of the St. Luke’s Flower Stall, who retired in 1991 and passed away in 2010, and also as a memorial to Ray. “I think sometimes children think they’re all alone and it’s happening to them only,” Wayne said. “Logan’s book helps them realize there are other people, not just them, experiencing similar circumstances. It helps them to understand that there are other kids and there is a shining light at the end of it all.” If you see a need and want to make a difference while honoring the memory of a loved one, the Foundation can help facilitate that connection. Call the Foundation at 319/369-7716 or go to stlukesfoundation.com/ways-to-give. Left: Children at St. Luke’s Hospice Camp Embracing Memories received donated copies of Logan’s Story. Camp Embracing Memories is a free overnight grief camp for children who have experienced the death of a loved one and is financed by Cedar Memorial.
St. Luke’s Guardian Angel On May 17, 1989, 19-year-old Luke Johnson suffered severe brain damage from a devastating car accident. He was in a coma for nearly six weeks and in rehabilitation at St. Luke’s for three months. Today, he works in banking in Washington, D.C., is married and has a young daughter. “He was pretty severely brain injured,” said Luke’s father, Tom Johnson. The family credits neurosurgeon Dr. James LaMorgese for helping Luke make a complete recovery.
Dr. LaMorgese for a Guardian Angel Award, the second Dr. LaMorgese has received.
Tom and his wife, Meg, have maintained close ties to St. Luke’s over the years. It made sense to honor Dr. LaMorgese when Tom and his wife donated money to St. Luke’s. They nominated
“From intensive care – to acute care – to therapy – we dealt with extraordinary caregivers at St. Luke’s,” said Tom. “We continue to be so grateful for all of them – and especially for Dr. LaMorgese.”
The Guardian Angel program honors St. Luke’s associates, departments or volunteers for making a difference in the healthcare experience of a family, such as the Johnsons. It’s an opportunity for patients and families to express appreciation through a donation. The gifts are directed to the associate’s department or to the Guardian Angel Fund.
When you make a Guardian Angel donation on behalf of your St. Luke’s caregiver, your Guardian Angel receives a card and lapel pin. To nominate a St. Luke’s associate whose care made a difference in your family’s lives, please call 319/369-7716, to request a Guardian Angel donation pamphlet.
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Attracting attention for early detection of breast cancer
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y mother (Linda Palmer) is a breast cancer survivor,” said Cedar Rapids businessman Jeff Palmer. Her diagnosis, about 10 years ago, changed both of their lives. Palmer said her doctor noticed something had changed in her yearly mammogram. After a series of tests and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “If she would not have had the historical data from previous annual mammograms, this little change probably would not have been detected,” Palmer explains. She was successfully treated for breast cancer at St. Luke’s and has been cancer free for five years. “A few years back, my wife Connie had a concern and we relied on the St. Luke’s system to help us through it again,” Palmer said. She, too, had something on her mammogram that required further investigation. A biopsy came back negative for cancer. “The same people and technology that diagnosed my mom’s cancer relieved our fears and gave my wife and me the all clear. I really appreciate what St. Luke’s has done for us,” Palmer said. Inspired by these experiences, Palmer decided to use a newly purchased V-24 “Bat Boat” to crusade about the importance of early detection for breast cancer through mammograms. “The boat’s uniqueness makes it the perfect marketing piece,” Palmer said. St. Luke’s teamed up with Palmer to become the main sponsor of the boat so it
Designed by Ocke Mannerfelt of Sweden, the StLukesEarlyDetection.com boat is an offshore racing boat with a unique “batwing” design to stabilize the boat, keep it on top of the water and help it remain level when it becomes airborne. The boat travels locally and does on and off the water events throughout the Midwest to raise awareness about early detection for breast cancer.
prominently displays StLukesEarlyDetection.com. The boat appears at parades and events, such as the RoughRiders Pink in the Rink Breast Cancer Awareness game in October. “Literally anytime we take the boat out of the garage it is an ‘event,’ and we take the opportunity to share the background of the boat wherever we stop. We have some ‘autograph cards’ that have a picture of the boat on the front, along with information about early detection on the back. We hand them out everywhere we go,” Palmer said. Kids often climb on board to have their photographs taken.
special women we want to protect from this deadly disease. My hope is the StLukesEarlyDection.com boat will bring about more awareness of breast cancer and serve as a conversation starter about the importance of annual mammograms.”
“At each and every event, I have people tell me it’s a reminder for them to call and make an appointment for their annual mammogram,” Palmer said. “We all have
If you’d like to donate money to help cancer care, please call the Foundation at 319/369-7716 or visit stlukesfoundation.com/ways-to-give.
As the boat works to raise awarenenss about breast cancer, it has also become a vehicle for inspiring philanthropic support. Recently, after the Coralville Lake Poker Run, the Scales Pointe Marina donated nearly three throusand dollars to the Cook Cancer Wellness Program.
Since 1990, fewer women are dying from breast cancer reports the American Cancer Society. Early detection through screening, increased awareness and improved treatment are all believed to be contributing factors.
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Scholarship winner improving lives by teaching better critical care
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heri Bosch, RN, loves the rewards of challenging work. After earning a nursing degree at the University of Iowa 11 years ago, Bosch began working in St. Luke’s cardiac intensive care unit then moved to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, where she works on cardiac interventional procedures such as angioplasty and stenting.
“This year we’ve used this for 19 patients,” Bosch said. “It’s something you can do to give somebody a chance to make a recovery when their odds aren’t very good. It’s pretty emotional when you see the number of people we’ve helped…we’ve seen a lot more people wake up that otherwise wouldn’t have. It’s an intervention for patients who would basically receive supportive care otherwise.”
Four years ago she planned to begin the Acute Care Nurse Practitioners Program at Allen Hospital. “Two weeks prior to the program start date, my daughter had an unexpected medical event that forever changed me. I realized at that time, the timing was not right for me to pursue that dream,” Bosch explained. However, she continued working to increase her knowledge and further her professional experience.
“I have been sharing my work by giving multiple presentations throughout the hospital and will speak at the Nelson Criswell Conference,” Bosch said.
The experience has also inspired Bosch to teach critical care nursing education. She received a scholarship from St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation to help her pursue a Master’s of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in education. The Dr. Charles Last year, Bosch attended a critical care Schwartz Scholarship Fund awarded nursing conference in Las Vegas where she her $1,000 toward her education. Bosch’s learned about the newest developments in goals to become a healthcare educator align therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment to with the impact Dr. Schwartz made on our improve select patient’s neurologic outcomes community before he passed away in 1978. after cardiac arrest. She returned from He was heavily involved in mentoring healththe conference passionate to teach others care professionals in Cedar Rapids. about the information she learned. Bosch performed research and presented evidence- “I am excited for this journey,” Bosch said. based practice research to the intensivists at “I truly love the job that I currently have. St. Luke’s before rewriting existing St. Luke’s Completing my Master’s will allow me to also become a critical care nurse educator.” protocols for therapeutic hypothermia.
To contribute toward the educational advancement of healthcare professionals, call the Foundation at 319/369-7716 or visit stlukesfoundation.com/ways-to-give.
School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship winners announced St. Luke’s School of Nursing Alumni Association continues to promote professional development in the healthcare field 24 years after the nursing school closed. Each year alumni and/or children and grandchildren of alumni receive funding to study in a health-related field at a college or university through scholarships awarded from the organization’s endowment. “St. Luke’s School of Nursing closed in 1987 as hospital-based, three-year Registered Nurse (RN) programs gave way to four-year RN programs at colleges and universities,” said Mona Cook, RN, BSN, CBCN, St. Luke’s nurse and board chair of the alumni association.
However, the more than 100-year-old alumni association continues its mission of promoting the educational advancement of alumni and their family members through the scholarships it grants. This years’ School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship winners are: Tamara Roseberry, Mount Mercy University Melissa Klinkkammer, Clarke University Katie Fetter, University of North Florida Melissa Prier, Mount Mercy University Ann Goyke, Marian University Melissa Phillips, University of Iowa
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Making a difference: St. Luke’s donors Jay & Bonnie Petersen
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ay Petersen’s first encounter with St. Luke’s was the day he was born. December 16, 1939. “You hang around something as special as St. Luke’s, you start to burn fires inside and develop a lot of passion,” Petersen said. He’s been involved in a variety of roles with St. Luke’s throughout the years, first as a member of the executive board, later as a Foundation board member, a donor and finally as a patient family member. His second wife, Bonnie, passed away in July after suffering a stroke in September of 2009 from which she never recovered. They were married for 33 years and together watched the hospital blossom. “I’ve been blessed with a tremendous amount of history at St. Luke’s,” Petersen said. Petersen was a young father and married to his first wife, Georgia (who died in 1977) when he was appointed to the St. Luke’s board in 1972. He was only 32 years old and the youngest person serving on the board at the time. Not long afterward, he became part of the executive committee. “I happened to be the senior high Sunday school teacher. In my senior high group were two of Lou Blair’s children,” Petersen explained. Blair was St. Luke’s administrator and asked Petersen to join the board. Petersen served on the board for 19 years. “I saw a lot of growth. The surgery center. The parking lots. The medical complex. On and on there were improvements within the hospital itself. I remember when we applied for open-heart surgery,” Petersen said. “I watched the NICU grow from nothing. The experiences are so numerous. I watched the unveiling of the change in the organization to the Iowa Health System.…I got to be a part of the very intricate work done to put together St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation.”
“Bonnie was a true friend to the hospital and the Foundation and she will be missed. Jay continues to be a strong supporter of St. Luke’s. We are fortunate to have him as a friend and advocate.” Jim Sealy, Interim CEO, St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation
Throughout the years, Bonnie supported and inspired his work with the hospital. They both had busy careers, Bonnie handling medical malpractice claims, and Jay providing corporate retirement plans through SCI Pension Services. “We had an interesting life. We both retired early,” Petersen said. “We spent three to four months in Florida for 14 years. In Florida, we were just inseparable.”
Iowa Hospitals revealed bad news, “that was the toughest day in my whole life,” Petersen remembered.
Then on Sept. 23, 2009, Bonnie had a massive brain hemorrhage while at lunch with two friends in Cedar Rapids. She was taken to St. Luke’s and airlifted to the University of Iowa where she had brain surgery. She was later transferred to St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “We thought Bonnie would make a comeback. As time went on it became very obvious that Bonnie would never, ever recover,” Petersen said. When a brain scan performed at the University of
Jay has set up an endowment for St. Luke’s on both his and Bonnie’s behalf through the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. “Most of what I have set up in my endowments is human welfare,” Petersen explained. “It’s about caring where my money was going and to see, hey, we’re making a difference.”
“Bonnie was a true friend to the hospital and the Foundation and she will be missed. Jay continues to be a strong supporter of St. Luke’s. We are fortunate to have him as a friend and advocate,” said Jim Sealy, President, St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation.
To learn more about planned giving call the Foundation at 319/369-7716 or visit stlukesfoundation.com/ways-to-give.
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HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION 855 A Ave NE Suite 105 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
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Karma Smith Endowment
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ifteen years ago, holistic healing wasn’t an intricate part of cancer therapy. However, it was something Karma Smith believed in. A graduate of St. Luke’s School of Nursing, she pushed the medical community in Cedar Rapids to incorporate healing touch, listening to music during chemotherapy, exercise therapy and other cutting-edge approaches for patients dealing with cancer. Serving as St. Luke’s community coordinator in the early ‘90s, Karma met with doctors, nurses and community leaders to educate them about the benefits of wellness treatments that promoted comfort and healing. She believed mind and body wellness promoted faster healing and wanted to give patients the choice to use extra healing in their recovery. “She was kind of a pioneer in that particular area,” said Karma’s husband, Marty, who has since remarried to Julianne. “As new approaches are introduced, I am confident she would have liked to be known as a catalyst in seeing them introduced in the future.” At age 50, Karma was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. Karma closely adhered to her
wellness philosophy—using healing touch, listening to taped music during chemotherapy, and exercising—while she battled the disease for four and a half years. It claimed her life in February of 1998. Using the proceeds from a life insurance policy and funeral guests’ donations in her honor to St. Luke’s, Marty set up the Karma Smith Endowment. Today, St. Luke’s offers holistic healing treatments to promote recovery during and after cancer treatment. The Karma Smith Endowment funds holistic healing through the Cook Cancer Wellness Program, which helps improve cancer patients’ quality-of-life through physical, nutritional and psychosocial support. Services are free for any cancer patient at any point during and after treatment. Last year, the program supported nearly 200 cancer survivors. To support holistic healing for those dealing with cancer, go to stlukesfoundation.com or call the Foundation at 319/369-7716.
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation Mission The mission of St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation is to support St. Luke’s Hospital as the premier resource for improving the health of eastern Iowans. For estate planning purposes, our legal name is St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation. Bridges fall-2011.indd 8
Health Care Foundation Board Members Steve Allsop, Chair Ken Anderson, MD Milt Aunan Terri Christoffersen, Vice Chair Sondy Daggett Tiffany Earl Sally Gray Phil Hershner Bill Hochstetler Shirley Holtey James LaMorgese, MD Dina Linge Ritu Munjal, MD Doug Neighbor, Treasurer Lon Olejniczak Paula Roby Nancy Skogsbergh Lynn Sundall Ted Townsend Kim Wilkerson
Foundation Staff Jim Sealy, President Tonya Arnold, Grants Manager Mary Klinger, Director, Major & Planned Gifts Megan Moffitt, Annual Fund Manager Karen Newland, Administrative Assistant Nancy Schoeben, Director of Finance St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation 855 A Ave. NE, Suite 105 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 319/369-7716 • fax 319/369-8822 stlukesfoundation.com
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