impact advancing health care
through philanthropy
Fall 2012
THE GIFT OF LIFE Organ Transplant program celebrates 40 years
$100 million
and counting
The Campaign for Swedish surpasses initial goal
from the TOP
impact advancing health care
Thanks to your support, The Campaign for Swedish exceeds expectations As Swedish’s chief executive, I am extremely pleased to report that The Campaign for Swedish has successfully reached its $100 million milestone. Surpassing our initial goal with over a year left until the Campaign’s official end in 2013 is the result of a remarkable outpouring of support from generous individuals, foundations and corporations in our community. It is also a deeply gratifying acknowledgment that Swedish is an important and valued resource for the people we serve. The Campaign’s success is especially remarkable because it occurred during such a challenging time for our nation’s economy. Once again, let me say how grateful we are to you, our donors and volunteers, for your support. By making yourselves part of this great institution, you have had a profound impact on our ability to continue providing the kind of world-class care that Swedish has long stood for. Although we have reached this milestone, we are not yet finished. We will, as planned, continue the seven-year Campaign until December 31, 2013. During this “homestretch” period, we will continue seeking the philanthropic support needed to develop and sustain key projects and activities throughout Swedish. We still have a list of critical unmet needs, and we are committed to making sure that the enhancements to Swedish that were made possible by the Campaign remain strong and vital resources for our community well into the future. In this issue of IMPACT, you will learn about recent programs and activities that have been launched at Swedish thanks to philanthropic support. The Swedish RN Residency program, for example, provides training and mentorship to newly graduated nurses, building their competencies and confidence, and strengthening their commitment to nursing careers. This issue also features the Swedish Organ Transplant program. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, this program has been growing and expanding its services in exciting ways in the past few years. In these pages you will learn how this dedicated team of transplant physicians and caregivers is dramatically changing the lives of patients from our community and beyond. On behalf of everyone at Swedish, thank you once again for your extraordinary support and ongoing commitment. The community’s generosity and belief in Swedish that enabled us to reach our $100 million milestone are a source of pride and inspiration to everyone who works here. We look forward to continuing this partnership and working together with you to improve the lives of the patients and families we serve. Warmest regards,
Kevin Brown Chief Executive
I M P A C T FA L L 2 012
through philanthropy
Swedish Medical Center Fall 2012 Volume 4, Issue 3
EDITOR Lindsay Hopkins DESIGNER Angela Bogdanovich Turk FEATURE WRITER Jennifer Schaefer CONTRIBUTING Colleen Bromen WRITERS Mary Hackett Gaynor Hills Bob Hinck Randy Mann
FEATURE Rosanne Olson, PHOTOGRAPHERS Rosanne Olson Photography Ben VanHouten, VanHouten Photography, Inc.
CONTRIBUTING Swedish Medical Photography and Video PHOTOGRAPHERS
Thor Radford Photography Ben VanHouten, VanHouten Photography, Inc.
impact advancing health care
through philanthropy
Fall 2012
THE GIFT OF LIFE Organ Transplant program celebrates 40 years
$100 million and counting
The Campaign for Swedish surpasses initial goal
ON THE COVER Swedish transplant patient Albert Behar, with his daughter — and kidney donor — Lea Hanan. Here they pose with her kindergarten students after story time. Cover photo by Rosanne Olson Welcome to Swedish Medical Center’s IMPACT magazine. This publication is designed to provide you with the latest information about Swedish services and events, health care and medical topics, and the activities of the Swedish Medical Center Foundation and its supporters. IMPACT is published as a community service by Swedish Medical Center. Any questions or comments may be addressed to Lindsay Hopkins, editor, Swedish Medical Center, 747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4307.
CONTENTS
FALL
For additional content and information on ways to give, visit us at www.swedishfoundation.org To receive our newsletter with information about Foundation news and events, register online at www.swedishfoundation.org/newsletter-signup
2012
To learn more about The Campaign for Swedish, visit www.campaignforswedish.org
16
Capsules 2
Achieving — and surpassing — a milestone Initial $100 million Campaign goal reached, making a dramatic impact on patients at Swedish
4
www.twitter.com/swedish www.youtube.com/swedishseattle
Pedal power
Cross-country ride generates $50,000 gift for Swedish MS Center
14 15
Nurse Residency program
www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter
2012 SummeRun recap Fundraising continues through year-end
5th annual Brain Cancer Walk Event inspires record-breaking attendance
Photo by Rosanne Olson
Swedish creates program to ensure success of new nurses
Feature 6
A gift beyond compare Swedish’s Organ Transplant program celebrates 40 years of changing lives
Foundation News 12 13
Leaving a legacy Ruth and Milt Shindell make generous gift to the Rivkin Center
Introducing the Turner Society New group honors longtime Swedish donors Thanks to the Swedish Organ Transplant program, Albert Behar has resumed the activities he loves — like volunteering in his daugher’s kindergarten classroom.
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CAMPAIGN
The Campaign for Swedish surpasses initial $100 million fundraising goal CANCER INSTITUTE: $18,853,636
OTHER SWEDISH PRIORITIES: (includes Rivkin Center) $17,794,150 NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE: $17,377,743
UNRESTRICTED: $12,081,190
HEART & VASCULAR INSTITUTE: $11,985,659
COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS: $10,413,718
WOMEN & INFANTS: $ 4,946,359
CAMPUS SPECIFIC INITIATIVES: $ 4,609,348 SYSTEM WIDE INITIATIVES: $ 3,315,010
$0
January 2007 The Campaign for Swedish begins
March 2007 First Campaign gift of $1 million received from Bill and Cheryl Gossman to advance care in pediatrics through simulation training
January 2007 Jonassen and Turner families each establish $100,000 endowed funds to support art at Swedish
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May 2008 David and Sandra Sabey pledge $2 million to help establish comprehensive brain cancer program
December 2007 McDonald/Jonsson families make $3 million investment to launch Stellar Club program to inspire additional philanthropy from the community
July 2009 $3 million research grant from The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation creates the Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment
April 2009 The True Family makes a $2 million gift to launch an $11 million effort to open the True Family Women’s Cancer Center
$ 50M
January 2010 Campaign reaches half-way point; over 39,000 donors have participated
Thanks to more than 50,000 community members who made gifts to help improve the health and well-being of our region, Swedish Medical Center Foundation is proud to report that The Campaign for Swedish has reached its initial $100,000,000 fundraising goal, nearly 17 months early. On behalf of the 2,000,000 patients who have benefited, thank you. Fundraising to continue during the “Campaign Homestretch.”
T
he Campaign for Swedish began over five years ago on January 1, 2007, with an ambitious goal of improving the care we provide to patients in some of the most important areas of health care, including Women & Infants programs, cardiovascular care, cancer and the neurosciences. The response from the community has been overwhelming. Below are just a few facts and figures that highlight how much our friends and neighbors value the important role Swedish plays in the overall health of our region: – There were more than 50,000 donors to the Campaign, with gifts ranging from $1 to $3,000,000. – Generous donors gave 26 gifts of $1,000,000 or more. – The average gift size to the Campaign was $350. – Over $11,800,000 was donated by Swedish’s own physicians and physician groups.
– Before The Campaign for Swedish began, community members contributed $8,000,000–$10,000,000 a year.
May 2010 Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute receives two generous gifts to advance research and patient care: $1.5 million from the John L. Locke Jr. Charitable Trust and $1 million from Joe Clark
August 2010 $1.5 million given by 450 donors to expand the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Today, Swedish benefits from nearly $20,000,000 annually in community support. While we are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received, we are not yet declaring victory. We will continue to rely on support from the community to meet some of our most pressing needs. Over the course of the next 15 months — through December 31, 2013 — we have entered the “Campaign Homestretch.” Gifts generated during the Homestretch period will be used to support a wide variety of programs throughout the healthcare system. Additional support is needed to achieve remaining priorities, as well as to meet the increased patient volumes generated thanks to new programs and services created during the Campaign. On behalf of all of us at Swedish who benefit from your generosity — the doctors, nurses, and patients — thank you for helping us reach our initial $100,000,000 goal. Together, we’ll continue to make a lasting impact on the health of our community. i
August 2011 Bob and Pattie Arnold endow new medical director for Heart Failure Program with $2 million gift
December 2011 Child life specialists at Swedish/Issaquah are funded by generous support from Mary Pigott
November 2011 Swedish/Edmonds gala raises $420,000 to support the funding of charity care and a major expansion of cancer services
June 2012 The True Family Women’s Cancer Center opens, funded entirely from $11,000,000 in community support from 2,500 donors
April 2012 The MS Center at Swedish opens thanks to $3.6 million in generous gifts
$ 100M
July 2012 Initial Campaign goal reached
October 2012 Lytle family gives $1 million to create The Lytle Center for Pregnancy & Newborns
October 2012 through December 31, 2013 The Campaign enters the “Homestretch” as we continue to seek gifts for critical needs
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RN Residency program ensures a bright future for Swedish nursing Intensive orientation period ensures successful transition for new grads into hospital setting.
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s the largest professional group in our national senior Swedish nurses who spent months studying national health-care system, nurses are poised to play an in- best practices for training new RNs before designing the procreasingly important role in improving health-care gram to fit Swedish’s needs and resources. So far, the program is meeting this goal. “We are excited by what delivery in America. Unfortunately, the aging of America’s registered nurse (RN) workforce and the high rate a difference it is making,” Altaras says. “Nurses who have comat which younger nurses drop out of their demanding pro- pleted their residencies haven’t had to cope with much of the stress that can arise during a sudden transition fession — estimated to be 35 to 60 percent during the first year of employment — are “Thanks to this program, from nursing school to a job in a hospital like Swedish, where nurses work with seriously forcing hospitals across the country to prepare for a serious impending shortage of skilled we are recruiting some of ill patients and routinely face life-threatening situations. Retention is up, and we think it’s RNs in the next decade. the best new RNs because the morale of these residents is way The good news is that Swedish has moved up. Their confidence is way up. The senior to address this looming problem with an innoout there....” nurses keep telling us how impressed they are vative new program that, since its start-up in by the level of professionalism the residents 2010, has become a model for turning newlyJ U N E A LTA R A S show after just a few months on the job.” hired nursing graduates into skilled and comChief Nursing Officer Annika Pisciotta, a new nurse who mitted career nurses. came to Swedish in November 2011, parThe Swedish RN Residency program provides recently graduated RNs with an intensive 12- to 16- ticipated in the RN Residency program after receiving her deweek orientation period of instruction, simulation, evalua- gree from the University of San Francisco and echoes Altaras’ tion, and mentoring from senior nurses while they transition enthusiasm for the program. “It’s one of the reasons I came to working in a hospital setting. The program, which started to Swedish,” she says. Pisciotta is now working in the Intenout training new RNs for assignment to Medical/Surgical sive Care Unit at First Hill. “It could have been overwhelming and Adult Critical Care departments at Cherry Hill and First to start fresh in an ICU after college,” she says. “There is Hill, is currently serving four Swedish campuses and provid- so much information you need to have, so many things you ing training in a growing list of specialties that now includes need to know to give these patients the care they need. The Neonatal Intensive Care, Telemetry, Labor and Delivery, Post- instructors in the RN Residency program made it manageable and made sure we were up to speed and comfortable partum Care and Emergency Care. Following assignment to a Swedish department after their before we took on all that responsibility.” Altaras is confident that the Swedish RN Residency proorientation period, residents continue to receive mentoring, support and training from the program’s nurse educators dur- gram will continue to expand its ability to prepare more ing their first year at Swedish. “The goal is to build compe- nurses in more specialties. “This is important to our future,” tency, confidence, professionalism and commitment to nurs- she says. “Thanks to this program, we are recruiting some of ing through a growth experience that is comparable to the the best new RNs out there, and more of them are becoming training physicians receive during their residencies,” says June the kind of nurses we will need to keep providing the kind of Altaras, Swedish’s chief nursing officer. Altaras led a team of care that Swedish stands for.” i
Make an impact On Monday, February 11, 2013, the first annual Destination Swedish luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. This new event will raise critical funds to support the RN Residency program. To learn more about how philanthropy will make an impact on this program or to make a gift in support of nursing excellence, please contact Becca Kelly at (206) 386-2138 or becca.kelly@swedish.org. 4
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Left to right: Michelle Sinnett, M.D., chief of staff, Swedish/Edmonds; Lily Jung Henson, M.D., chief of staff, Swedish/Issaquah; and Mary Weiss, M.D., chief of staff, Swedish/Ballard, Swedish/Cherry Hill and Swedish/First Hill.
Swedish shatters any vestige of a glass ceiling chief of staff, chief medical officer, and VP of Medical Affairs, Dr. Auer was a role model for glass ceiling for women in medicine many women physicians. They were fortunhas existed throughout history. Lower ate to witness firsthand her ability to juggle her acceptance rates at medical schools trans- personal and professional life, while assuming lated into lower graduation rates. Fewer demanding leadership responsibilities. Lily Jung Henson, M.D., a neurologist practicing physicians created a smaller pool of eligible women for leadership positions and one of the three current chiefs of staff, and fewer mentors for women considering acknowledges Dr. Auer as her mentor and role model. “This very strong and articulate a medical career. There has been considerable progress woman took a special interest in me when I since the first woman graduated from a first came to Swedish,” says Dr. Jung Henson. “She was our pioneer — a tremenU.S. medical school in 1849, with dous role model for all of us.” women accounting for 48 percent Dr. Jung Henson is the first of medical school graduates in chief of staff at Swedish/Issaquah, 2011.(1) Nevertheless, women rewhich opened in late 2011. Rathmain underrepresented in the er than taking the helm of an exranks of senior academic and isting medical staff, she has been hospital leadership in many responsible for unifying disparate health-care organizations. groups. Dr. Jung Henson calls At Swedish Medical Center, Nancy Auer, M.D., however, the glass ceiling has been Chairwoman, Swedish Issaquah a “laboratory” for best practices. She has used her cogshattered. In addition to Nancy Community Board. Auer, M.D., an emergency-medicine phy- nitive skills, as well as her passion for sician serving as chairwoman of the Swedish patient care, to engage physicians in develCommunity Board, Swedish currently has oping a medical-staff culture that embodies three female chiefs of staff. This is not the the essence of Issaquah. In January 2011, three months after first time a woman physician has been elected chief of staff at Swedish, but it is Stevens Hospital in Edmonds affiliated with the first time women have filled all three Swedish, Michelle Sinnett, M.D., assumed the chief of staff position of the newlypositions at the same time. This unique benchmark has gone largely created Swedish/Edmonds campus. She unnoticed at Swedish — a testament to the knew physicians were supportive of affilimedical center’s progressive nature and ation, but also anxious to retain their indehistory of being at the forefront of positive pendence. It fell on Dr. Sinnett to guide change. Dr. Auer has been a trailblazer at them through the challenges that naturally Swedish. Throughout previous tenures as occur during mergers. By John H. Vassall II, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, Swedish Medical Center
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“It was comforting to meet the other Swedish chiefs of staff,” says Dr. Sinnett. “I was instantly reassured that we shared a vision to provide exceptional care for our patients.” In addition to being chief of staff, Dr. Sinnett is a full-time surgeon and mother. Despite never been gender focused, she brings to her job some of the best characteristics commonly associated with women — setting clear expectations and consequences, and leading through gentle persuasion and a sense of fairness. In Seattle, Mary Weiss, M.D., is completing her second year as chief of staff of the hospitals at Swedish’s Ballard, Cherry Hill and First Hill campuses. The collegiality and multispecialty collaborations she relies on and fosters as a family-medicine physician has earned her the confidence of her peers. “As a practicing physician I wanted things to work better,” says Dr. Weiss. “It was a natural step to accept leadership positions, so I could help improve the practice environment and patient care.” Dr. Weiss’s leadership style blends outreach to seek input from those most affected by an issue with the desire to keep meetings lively and physicians engaged. Diplomacy and extensive leadership experience have made her an effective change agent. At Swedish, these four exceptional women have replaced the glass ceiling with a higher bar for all physicians. i John Vassall, M.D, a board-certified internist, oversees patient safety, regulatory compliance and other medical affairs matters. Reprinted with permission from the Washington Healthcare News. To learn more about Washington Healthcare News visit wahcnews.com. (1) Association of American Medical Colleges, “U.S. Medical School Applicants and Students 1982-83 to 2011-12.”
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Lea Hanan,
an upbeat 46-year-old who lives with her husband and three sons in Renton, is the first to admit that she’s a daddy’s girl. It’s obvious to all who meet them that the kindergarten teacher at Seattle Hebrew Academy and her dad, Albert Behar, share a special bond. As the firstborn daughter (she has three older brothers and a younger sister), Lea has always been known to Albert — a onetime vice president at Pierce County Medical — as “Princess No. 1.” “As a child, I was quite the tomboy, and it felt special to have one person see me as others did not,” says Lea, who benefited along with her siblings from many significant life lessons imparted by Albert, including the importance of giving back to her community. From encouraging his children to bring gifts to a home for disabled kids in rural Pierce County each holiday season to serving as a longtime volunteer in Lea’s kindergarten classroom (where he’s known as “Grandpa Albert”), “he taught me from a very early age to help people less fortunate than myself, and about the joy found in giving to others.” Lea had a chance to put this lesson
Daughter and donor, Lea Hanan, with her father and kidney recipient, Albert Behar.
into practice in June 2010, when, a week after Father’s Day, she gave her dad a very special gift — one of her own kidneys, a donation that saved his life.
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FEATURE
Words by
Jennifer Schaefer Pictures by
Rosanne Olson Contributing photography by Ben VanHouten
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lbert learned that his kidneys weren’t functioning properly during a routine checkup in 2006 — a discovery that surprised her very active father, says Lea. Since he learned about the condition at an early stage, he was able to manage it with regular visits to a nephrologist and also by making healthy changes to his diet to improve his overall health. “My father is very proactive — whenever the need for care presents itself, he confronts the issue and takes the necessary medical steps to address and hopefully resolve it,” Lea reflects on her dad, who has beaten basal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer and thyroid cancer in the past 15 years. By 2008, however, Albert’s kidney function had declined to the point where he had a crucial decision to make: to begin dialysis or start the
Initial tests determined that Lea was the best match for Albert. It took her a year to prepare for the surgery, which requires that donors be in top physical condition. She tackled the challenge head-on by improving her diet and working out five to six days a week. “I became a gym rat,” she says of her workout program at the Renton Community Center, which, along with regular walking, she continues today. Despite the inherent risks of donating an organ, Lea’s husband, Kevin, and three sons — Jacob, then 15; Albert (named after her father), then 13; and Joey, then 9 — were supportive of her decision from day one. “Their encouragement and comfort made me realize that this was a true family affair and that every person played a role in healing my father,” says Lea. “I believe my sons learned a valuable lesson from this experience: that we as a family would do anything to support each other, and that we have the capability to share our good health with others.” Since Lea is a teacher, it was decided that the surgery would take place on June 28, 2010, to allow her to finish the school year and spend the summer recovering. Albert — who has said he is “humbled by his daughter’s generosity” — “was very much looking forward to the surgery so he could begin the process of healing,” says Lea. With Swedish’s Andrew Precht, M.D., performing Albert’s surgery and Marquis Hart, M.D., performing Lea’s, both procedures were a success. “I had no complications, and neither did my father, which is a real blessing,” says Lea. “I remember walking into his room the day after the surgery, and the enor-
The gift that
KEEPS ON giving
process to receive a kidney transplant. His response was to ask doctors to place him on the U.S. Organ Transplant Waiting List, where he joined more than 80,000 men, women and children suffering from end-stage kidney failure (including 1,400 in Washington) awaiting transplants. “My dad never asked any of his children to donate a kidney,” says Lea. “He’s a matter-of-fact kind of man — he simply explained the situation to us.” But when they discovered how long the waiting list was, as well as a few other key facts — such as that the chances of a successful transplant are higher for patients who have the surgery before starting dialysis, and that receiving a kidney from a family member carries the best chance of compatibility — Lea and her brother, Michael, decided to be tested. “It’s so important to all of us that our father has a long, healthy life,” says Lea.
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FEATURE PANCREAS TRANSPLANTS. Most pancreas transplants — usually performed on patients with type 1, and occasionally type 2, diabetes who require lifelong insulin therapy — are performed at the same time as kidney transCelebrating 40 years of transplants plants. Recipients are often battling advanced chronic renal lbert and Lea’s experience is just one of thousands failure or end-stage renal disease, and/or are on dialysis. The of happy outcomes brought about by Swedish’s Organ surgery can improve the quality of life for diabetics by proTransplant program, celebrating its 40th anniversary this viding them with a healthy pancreas that can produce insulin year. Part of only a handful of such programs in the Pacific from a donor who has been declared brain-dead but is still Northwest, the world-class Transplant Center on Swedish’s on life support. • LIVER TRANSPLANTS. Swedish’s newest transplant First Hill campus serves as an invaluable community reprocedure, started in source and also provides 2 010, prolongs life for transplants to patients patients suffering from from as far away as Wyoend-stage liver disease ming, Alaska, Montana and acute liver failure. and Idaho — states that The treatment is highly do not have transplant successful, with more programs of their own than 80 percent of pa— thanks to physician tients going on to beoutreach. come long-term survi“T h e S w e d i s h vors, and the quality of Transplant program — life for these patients is one of the first in the excellent. state — has a long, good The vast majority standing in this comMarquis Hart, M.D., director of the Organ Transplant program at Swedish. of transplants performed munity,” says Dr. Hart, the Organ Transplant program director. “It’s always been at at Swedish are kidney transplants — doctors have done the forefront of innovations, from adopting the less-invasive nearly 2,000 of these surgeries in the past 40 years and curlaparoscopic procedure for kidney transplantation to devising rently perform 80 to 100 annually. Comparatively, only four different strategies for steroid withdrawal after kidney trans- to five pancreas transplants a year take place at Swedish. plants, so that patients don’t have to take steroids for the rest In the 18 months since the medical center’s Liver Transplant program was introduced, doctors have completed 11 of these of their lives.” He adds, “We’re also one of the few medical centers where surgeries, with the number expected to rise to 50 to 60 transthe transplant team all belongs to the same department. We’re plants annually as the program continues to grow and new doctors are recruited, says Dr. Hart. all aligned in the same clinic, which is helpful for patients.” “We’re excited by the liver program’s initial success and The program’s highly skilled surgeons and multidisciplinary staff — ranging from hematologists to nutritionists to hope to soon be able to care for many more transplant patients social workers who focus on the emotional needs of donors throughout the Pacific Northwest,” he says.
mity of it all hit me — I thought, ‘Wow, my kidney is inside my father’s body right now, keeping him alive.’ I felt so lucky that I could give something so important to such an amazing man.”
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and recipients — specialize in three types of transplantation: • KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS. The most common of all solid-organ transplants, kidney transplants offer patients with kidney failure the opportunity to lead healthy, more normal lives. The procedure has an excellent one-year post-surgery survival rate: 97 percent for those who receive a kidney from a living donor and 92 percent for those who receive a kidney from a deceased donor. 8
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New developments in kidney transplants
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ince the first kidney transplant was performed at Swedish in 1972, the medical center’s growing program has benefited from many innovations. Two of the most significant, the Benevolent Community Donor program and the Paired Kidney Exchange, are designed to increase the number of kidneys available from living donors, and thus
the transplant surgery’s success rate. As its name implies, the Benevolent Community Donor program matches patients on the national donor waiting list with altruistic individuals from the community who volunteer to anonymously donate a kidney, without having a specific recipient in mind. “The program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year,” says Lisa Florence, M.D., director of the Kidney Transplant program. “Swedish was the first in the Northwest to offer this type of program, which is now growing around the nation.” Rather than soliciting organ donors, says Dr. Florence, the Benevolent Donor Program simply acts as a resource for people who want to help, many of whom are longtime blood donors and/or are on the bone-marrow donor list, or have known someone who died waiting for a transplant. Since the program’s launch, it has matched nearly 30 people in need of a kidney with a donor. Potential donors are required to undergo a rigorous screening process, both physical and psychological, with only one out of every 10 meeting all the necessary requirements (those who don’t are counseled about other ways they can help).
Kidney transplant patient, Chenta Chen.
One patient
who experienced firsthand the profound significance of the gift of a kidney from an individual he didn’t know previously is Redmond resident Chenta Chen, who received a kidney transplant at Swedish in November 1998. Born in Taiwan in 1953, Chenta — father of three daughters with wife Su Ling — is the founder and president of Protrade International Corporation, a multinational trading company based in Redmond and Asia. After being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in the early 1990s, Chenta added his name to the national donor waiting list and also started dialysis. “I felt good on dialysis,” he says. “A lot of dialysis patients don’t choose to pursue a transplant; they depend on dialysis for the rest of their lives because it becomes a daily routine The Chen family (left to right): Jamie, wife Su Ling, and makes them Edenne and Chenta. comfortable. But the longer you spend on dialysis, the riskier a transplant becomes.” In time, daily dialysis started to wear on Chenta, and w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
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Marquis Hart, M.D. is the Organ Transplant program director, and Lisa Florence, M.D. serves as the Kidney Transplant program director.
he began losing weight and feeling tired. It was at that point that a client put him in touch with a friend from church who was interested in donating a kidney. “The donor believed in doing something good for others,” says Chenta, who met the 29-year-old a few times during the months-long screening process. The two even exchanged gifts — Chenta presented him with a sweater, and the donor gave Chenta a Pink Floyd CD, a band they both liked. After their successful surgeries, the two talked on the phone a few times. “I thanked him, and he told me, ‘I’m OK’ and to take care,” says Chenta. He continues, “To me, organ donation is about appreciating the belief that a person can do good and come out and help society. It shows the beautiful side of the human spirit.” Since his transplant, Chenta — who has made the most of his clean bill of health by traveling to destinations from Antarctica to Japan — has become a major donor to Swedish’s Organ Transplant program. His gifts have helped fund innovations such as the creation of a robotic kidney transplant procedure that results in a smaller surgical incision, says Dr. Hart. Giving back to the program that helped save his life feels good, says Chenta. “I was lucky to get this kidney, and now I want to carry on and help others suffering from organ failure — to extend the luck.”
Another Swedish program that’s saving lives, the Paired Kidney Exchange, was introduced in 2006 for friends and relatives willing to donate a kidney to a loved one in need, but who subsequently discover that their blood or tissue type is incompatible with that person’s. Sometimes, another potential donor finds himself or herself in a similar situation, and the two donors might be compatible with each other’s intended recipient. In this event, they can donate their kidneys to one another’s loved one — a win-win situation that, on average, occurs at Swedish at least once a year. “To increase the chance that compatible recipient/ donor pairs are found, the Swedish Transplant program has partnered with other transplant centers in the state and across the nation,” says Dr. Florence. What’s more, she continues, the Paired Kidney Exchange and the Benevolent Donor program can work together to create a domino effect, benefiting more patients than either would independently. Dr. Florence cites a recent example where a kidney donation through the Benevolent Donor program went to a patient with an incompatible donor in the Paired Kidney Exchange. The incompatible donor, in turn, gave a kidney to another patient in the Paired Kidney 10
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FEATURE Exchange, whose own loved one, in turn, donated a kidney to another patient in the program. That patient’s loved one, in turn, donated to a patient on the waiting list. As a result, four patients received the kidneys they so desperately needed.
The role of philanthropy Of course, not everyone can donate a kidney, but the financial donors who support the Swedish Organ Transplant program help provide a multitude of other essential services. “Donations are used in several ways, such as to help provide medication for those who can’t afford it post-surgery or lose their insurance,” says Dr. Florence. In addition, “Some of the patients who come to Swedish for a transplant from outside the Washington area don’t have the money to stay here for as long as they need to, and philanthropy can help with that,” says Dr. Hart. The promotion of donor awareness and the funding of research are two other areas where charitable contributions make a difference. Philanthropy also helps support the program’s future goals, including increasing and enhancing outreach services to Northwest states that do not have transplant programs, so more patients can benefit from Swedish’s expert care.
A new lease on life Lea Hanan says that the removal of her kidney was, in some ways, tougher than she expected. “Thinking back on the entire kidney donation experience, the positives outweighed any difficulties a thousand to one.” This positive reaction from donors is typical, says Diane
Gould, RN, Swedish’s living donor clinical transplant coordinator. “Most living donors who have gone through the process are happy they did it, and if they had another kidney to give, they would do it in a heartbeat,” she says. “Despite the effort and pain, donating a kidney gives them such a good feeling that they want to spread the word and don’t have any regrets.” Both Lea and Albert were discharged from the hospital within a week of their surgeries and spent the next few weeks growing stronger at home, with help from their family. That fall, Lea was able to return to her classroom without difficulty, and she’s successfully kept off the weight she lost for the surgery. “I feel strong, healthy and ready for anything,” she says. As for Albert, he continues to live life to the fullest and “goes a mile a minute, as he always has,” says Lea. “He stops for nobody — his days are always jam-packed. He’s in impeccable shape, always owning his health.” These days, Albert is only required to get his kidneys checked once a year, although he’ll be on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of his life. “My father and I are indebted to the staff at Swedish,” says Lea, reflecting on her dad’s good health. “The role they played in our lives is nothing short of a miracle.” She adds, “My dad’s doctors tell him, ‘Albert, your daughter sure gave you a good kidney.’ Nothing could make me happier than hearing that.” i Writer Jennifer Schaefer can be reached at schaefer.jen@gmail.com. Rosanne Olson is an award-winning photographer, teacher, lecturer and published author. To learn more, visit rosanneolson.com. Ben VanHouten is a freelance photographer in Seattle. To learn more, visit vanhoutenphoto.com.
Make an impact
Patients around the world come to Swedish for the pioneering expertise, highly-skilled surgeons, state-of-the-art facilities, and patient-centered care we offer. Because Swedish is a nonprofit medical center, philanthropic support is vital to sustaining and advancing critical programs, including Organ Transplant. If you would like to learn more about the program, or to make a gift in support of high-quality care and cutting-edge services, please contact Ellen Kuo at (206) 386-6928 or ellen.kuo@swedish.org.
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LEGACY
Rivkin Center receives generous estate gift Shindells make a huge impact on the Rivkin Center, ovarian cancer research.
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aring, humble and altruistic are just a few words family members use to describe the late Ruth and Milt Shindell, longtime residents of Seattle. Clint Burwell, executive director of the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, adds extremely generous to that list. Ruth and Milt met and married in Seattle before World War II. A watchmaker and jeweler by profession, Milt went into business with Ruth’s brother Joe Berol. Throughout several decades, the two had three separate jewelry stores in downtown Seattle, the last of which closed in the late ’90s when the building it was housed in was demolished to make way for Benaroya Hall. Milt was known for his watch repair expertise and his willingness to help everyone, even people who could not pay. Ruth and Milt were married for 61 years. During their long lives, Ruth and Milt gave generously to numerous charities, taking time to think about their impact in the greater community. They founded the Berol-Shindell Scholarship Fund at the University of Washington Hillel. When Ruth passed away in July 2011 at the age of 97, her estate plan included several significant bequests, including one for the Rivkin Center. At her request, this extraordinary gift will be put to use funding ovarian cancer research. “Donor generosity, like that of the Shindells, has allowed us to increase our annual investment in research from just $200,000 five years ago to more than $1.2 million this year,” says Saul Rivkin M.D., founder and chairman of the Rivkin Center. “I am moved and overwhelmed by the trust the Shindells have placed in us by making such a significant gift through their estate plan.” The Shindells’ nephew, Steve Hone, and his wife, Kate, are proud of the impact that this generous gift will make, adding: “We would be extremely pleased if their story inspired others to follow their lead in supporting the Rivkin Center’s very important mission.” Since its inception in 1996, the Rivkin Center has been a principal catalyst for national and international research efforts aimed at finding solutions to ovarian cancer. In addition to funding research pilot studies and scholar grants to up-and-coming investigators, the Rivkin Center conducts earlydetection screening and produces an internationally attended biennial research symposium. i
Make an impact Have you considered making a gift to the Rivkin Center through your estate plans? Making a planned gift is a generous and thoughtful way to impact the future health of people in our community and beyond. To learn more about the Rivkin Center and for more information about planned gifts, please contact Gaynor Hills, development director, at (206) 215-2204 or gaynor.hills@swedish.org.
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Celebrating loyalty: Swedish Foundation announces the Turner Society to honor longtime donors The Turner Society is named for Ned and Joyce Turner, whose extraordinary commitment to Swedish spans more than 40 years.
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hen Ned Turner walked in the importance of art in the healing into the first day of fresh- environment, she started the Art Comman English at the Uni- mittee with Nancy Auer, M.D., and versity of Washington, he Marlene Dorsett as a means of enhancdidn’t know he would be meeting his ing the patient experience and bringfuture wife. As the professor arranged ing staff and volunteers together. The the students in Committee has alphabetical orstewarded and der, luck would enriched Swedhave it that Joyce ish’s art collec(née Tye) was placed tion since 1988. right beside Ned. Joyce also finds That chance entime and energy counter would lead to volunteer at to what is now a the Corner Shop 56-year marriage. each week and Joyce learned serves on the Desof the Turner famtination Swedish ily’s affinity and event committee. loyalty to Swed“Ned and ish early on, and Joyce truly emwhen it was time body the word to have children, loyalty and how there was no quesimpactful it can tion where they be over time for would be born. an institution,” Ned’s grandfather says Don Theowas one of the philus, executive original 11 Swedes director of the Society namesakes, Ned and Joyce Turner. who started SwedSwedish Medical ish Medical Center, and like his father Center Foundation. “When I think of our and grandfather, Ned served on the hos- most devoted donors and volunteers, pital’s board, his term spanning 40 years. Ned and Joyce are always at the top of “It’s a family business, but we didn’t get that list.” paid,” a smiling Ned says. The Foundation is honored to celebrate After raising three children born and the loyalty of donors who have concared for at Swedish, Joyce decided she sistently supported the work of Swedish wanted to give back. An ardent believer Medical Center. i
Established in 2012, the Turner Society recognizes donors who have demonstrated their commitment to Swedish and the health of our community through 25 consecutive years of giving. This society is named in honor of Ned and Joyce Turner, whose long-standing support of Swedish is unparalleled.
2012 Inductees Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth N. Anderson (Sylvia) Nancy Auer, M.D. Dr. and Mrs. Robert C. Bain (Diane) Janet and Glenn Edwards Elizabeth Flett and Tommer Peterson Mrs. Ruth Genauer Donald G. Graham, Jr. Dr. Martin Greene and Ms. Toby Saks Marilyn and James Jonassen Cynthia and Joe Kearney Mrs. Frances Lindquist Elizabeth Miller Ms. Sharon Ogmundson Mr. Robert Resta Dr. and Mrs. Floyd A. Short (Faye) Dr. and Mrs. Martin S. Siegel (Mimi) Ned and Joyce Turner
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Ovarian cancer survivors being honored from the stage at the 2012 SummeRun & Walk. More than 3,000 individuals participated in this year’s event.
2012 SummeRun & Walk is a huge success. Wanda Jankelson Foundation’s challenge to match SummeRun gifts lasts through year’s end.
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ray skies and cool breezes did not dull the spirits of the 3,000-plus participants in this year’s SummeRun & Walk for Ovarian Cancer. The mood of the event was one of camaraderie and honor. On the morning of the event, the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research received a huge boost from longtime supporter Roland Jankelson, who offered a challenge from the Wanda Jankelson Foundation for Health Care and Research to match all gifts raised post-event — up to $100,000. Attendees were encouraged to give or raise an additional $30 to help meet the goal. To date, more than $500,000 has been raised through this event. Gifts can be made until the end of 2012 to take advantage of this challenge, either through the Rivkin Center website, www.rivkin.org, or by check sent directly to the Swedish Medical Center Foundation. This year’s theme was “Celebrate the Teal.” The teal ribbon is the symbol for ovarian cancer, and participants wore teal shirts as a reminder to onlookers that ovarian cancer is a devastating disease that needs strong support. The waves of runners and walkers moving through the Capitol Hill neighborhood made a powerful statement.
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An emotional and heartfelt tribute to ovarian cancer survivors started the event. A survivor of both breast and ovarian cancer, this year’s honoree, Joan Elvin, eloquently shared her moving story and passionate commitment to advocacy. Carol’s Cause was recognized as the lead fundraising team (more than $48,000 raised). Team Leslie once again brought an army of supporters and was awarded for having the largest team for the fourth year in a row. The Rivkin Center’s wonderful partner, glassybaby, helped thank team leaders with gifts of beautiful aquamarine votives. The glassybaby goodwill program donates 10 percent to the Rivkin Center from the sale of each aquamarine votive. With 100 percent underwriting by Swedish, all event proceeds directly benefit the Rivkin Center and its mission: to save lives and reduce suffering through improved treatment, early detection and prevention of ovarian cancer. Special thanks to BDA, the presenting sponsor, and all the other event sponsors, including Alaska Airlines, Aquafina, Celgene, Click 98.9, Free Road Films, glassybaby, HCP, 1150 AM KKNW, LUNA Bar, Seattle Nuclear Medicine, Skacel Collection, Inc., Swedish Medical Center Auxiliary/First Hill and Whole Foods Market. i
EVENTS
5th annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk breaks records Attendance totals reach all-time high for fifth straight year.
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ith more than 2,700 partici- Foltz, M.D., director of the Ivy Center. Founder’s Court and featured a walking pants and a fundraising total “Patients who have brain cancer have path through the Fountain lawns, live of over $675,000, the 2012 needs that transcend those of patients suf- musical performances, activities for children, a Patient & Survivor area where Seattle Brain Cancer Walk enjoyed those with brain cancer were given a fifth consecutive year of success. “gifts of experiences” donated by Proceeds benefit the Ben and Cathethe community, and a memorable rine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tent of Honor, where participants Tumor Treatment and its partner shared stories of those who inspire institutions in the Seattle area. the fight for a cure. Funds raised through community Honorary event chairs Andrea support and sponsorships are used Millikan and Mike O’Brien shared for clinical trials, immunotherapy their personal experiences, highresearch and genetic classification lighting the importance of philanto improve predictive therapies. thropy in the fight against brain They also bring hope to families, cancer. friends and the 220,000 Americans Special thanks to corporate — 1,200 here in the Pacific North- Emotions run high as survivors, families and friends join together sponsors Bonneville Seattle, west — who are diagnosed annu- for an important cause. ally with a malignant brain tumor. fering from other diseases. The goal is Northwestern Mutual, Seattle Radiolo“Five years ago, we started the Seattle to bring together brain cancer survivors, gists, Snoqualmie Tribe, Swedish Medical Brain Cancer Walk to bring hope and their families and friends, and walk to- Center Auxiliary/First Hill, Talking Rain, inspiration to patients and their loved gether to provide support and love for all United Healthcare, US Bank, Wells Fargo ones. After years of tackling this disease, who are going through a very hard time.” Home Mortgage, Wenatchee Valley Medical I’ve come to learn that it takes more than The event was held on Saturday, Sep- Center and Westlake Associates, Inc. for a purely medical approach,” says Greg tember 22nd at the Seattle Center’s their outstanding leadership. i
Turning a difficult diagnosis into progress toward a cure
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olly Zimmerman’s life took an unexpected turn in June 2011, when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after experiencing a seizure on a family camping trip. Fortunately, within days of her diagnosis, Holly, her husband, Eric, and their two young children were surHolly, c, ri E rounded by family, friends s: erman The Zimm d “Paddy” the dog. and colleagues who offered an — Jill, Cal encouragement and helpful advice, including the recommendation that Holly seek specialized treatment at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment at Swedish. Ivy Center director and neurosurgeon Greg Foltz, M.D., removed Holly’s tumor on June 29, 2011, and Holly began radiation and chemotherapy soon after. “Dr. Foltz and his team keep my spirits buoyed with hope, data, research innovation and a shared passion that
better options for brain cancer treatment — and even a cure — are within reach,” says Holly. In Dr. Foltz’s good hands, Holly returned to the tennis courts 17 days after surgery and returned to her job at Amazon 13 weeks later. Besides treatment, Dr. Foltz connected Holly to the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk in September to take an active part in raising funds and improving outcomes for brain cancer patients in the Pacific Northwest. Holly and Eric quickly rallied a team of more than 80 family members, friends and colleagues — Holly’s Heroes — who became the top individual fundraising team their very first year, raising more than $31,000 in 2011. This year, Holly and Eric set the bar even higher, raising over $43,000 at the 2012 Walk, in addition to making a personal pledge of $50,000 to establish the Holly G. Zimmerman Fund for Advanced Brain Tumor Research. “I am excited for all the advances, breakthroughs and treatment options on the horizon that move brain cancer from the orphan disease it is to one that reaches for and receives the hope-based funding it deserves,” says Holly. i w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
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Cyclists deliver $50,000 gift
glassybaby supports Cancer Patient Assistance fund
Swedish MS Center beneficiary of cross-country ride.
Local company to donate portion of sales from Bellevue store during month of December.
to Swedish MS Center T
he afternoon of Saturday, August 4th saw an enthusiastic group of Swedish employees, family and friends gathered outside the Cherry Hill campus to welcome more than 30 cyclists who were wrapping up a 68-day, 4,295-mile ride that began in Bar Harbor, Maine, and culminated at the Swedish Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center.
Don Fraser founded Bike the US for MS in 2007, in honor of his mother, who has been living with MS for most of her life. Since the organization’s founding, Don and his colleagues have raised $610,000 for the cause, in addition to completing more than 50 service projects in the homes of people living with MS throughout the country.
The cyclists, pictured here with Dr. Jim Bowen, started their 68-day, 4,295-mile journey in Bar Harbor Maine.
The ride was coordinated by Bike the US for MS, a Virginia-based nonprofit that organizes cross-country bike trips to raise money and awareness for MS research and treatment. The group selected the MS Center at Swedish as one of three sites in the nation to receive a 2012 grant. Teva Neuroscience, one of the group’s key sponsors, hosted a reception at the Swedish MS Center following the riders’ arrival. Bike the US for MS program director, Don Fraser, presented a $50,000 check to Jim Bowen, M.D., the Center’s medical director, to support MS wellness programming and research at Swedish. “This group’s commitment in support of MS patients is fantastic,” says Dr. Bowen. “Very few of the riders in this group have MS, and yet what they have accomplished for MS patients around the country is quite inspirational. I am thrilled that Bike the US chose the MS Center at Swedish as a recipient of their hard-earned funds.” 16
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“We were happy to make the MS Center at Swedish one of our beneficiaries this year,” says Fraser. “It is exciting to contribute to such a state-of-the-art Center in its first year and to know that our gift will impact such a large group of MS patients.” When the 11,700-square-foot space opened at the Cherry Hill campus in April 2012, it became one of the largest MS centers in the country, offering medical and wellness spaces specially designed to meet the unique needs of the 2,000-plus MS patients who will receive care there this year alone. With support from Bike the US and many other generous donors, nearly $3.6 million in philanthropic support has been raised to date for the MS Center at Swedish. Swedish Medical Center Foundation is committed to raising an additional $1.4 million to expand the array of programs and providers available to help patients live their best lives with MS. i
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atients in need at the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) will benefit from the support of glassybaby throughout the month of December. The local company, which creates handmade glass votives, has generously committed 10 percent of all proceeds from their Bellevue store during December to Swedish’s Cancer Patient Assistance fund. Supported entirely through philanthropy, this critical fund offers financial assistance to patients for nonmedical needs — including help with child-care costs, rent, or groceries, for example — to patients undergoing cancer treatment. “This fund is a safety net for our patients who might otherwise forgo lifesaving treatment because they struggle to afford basic costs,” says SCI social worker, Sandi Johnson. “We are so grateful for the generous support from glassybaby.” Founded by cancer survivor Lee Rhodes, glassybaby is committed to giving back to the community, particularly to those affected by cancer. “When I was fighting cancer, I shared the waiting room with many patients that were struggling with the financial chaos that cancer can create,” she recalls. “Everyone is fighting for the same thing: to live another day. Even the best medical insurance doesn’t cover all the costs associated with getting well.” On behalf of the Swedish Cancer Institute and the patients who will benefit, we thank glassybaby for their generous support. The Bellevue glassybaby store is located at 10230 Main Street, and is open seven days a week. i
A glassybaby votive.
When you make a legacy gift to Swedish, you invest in the future health of our community.
Bequests, gift annuities, retained life estates, trusts, and other life income arrangements are
incredibly meaningful: not only are they a vital source of revenue for our current patients and programs, but your generosity will continue improving lives long into the future.
To learn more about creating your legacy with Swedish, please contact the Foundation at
(206) 386-2738 or email plannedgiving@swedish.org.
A nonprofit organization
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 1564
Swedish Health Services 747 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122-4307
IMPACT magazine highlights how you, our generous donors, have improved the health of our community. Now is your opportunity to also improve the health of our environment. To electronically receive (when available) news and information, video tours, event invitations, as well as future issues of IMPACT, please sign up at swedishfoundation.org/go-green Thank you.
Swedish Community Board
Foundation Board of Governors
Campaign Leadership Council
Nancy J. Auer, M.D. Chair
Cheryl Gossman Chair
Kirby McDonald Co-Chair
Charles S. Lytle Vice Chair
Nancy J. Auer, M.D. Vice Chair
David Sabey Co-Chair
Janet True Secretary
Lucius A.D. Andrew III Pattie Arnold Anita Braker Kevin Brown Barbara Buchman Lida Buckner Sarah Everitt Tom Gores J. Scott Harrison Rod Hochman, M.D. Jessica Jensen Hughes Gwendolyn Grim Johnson Lorna Kneeland William W. Krippaehne, Jr. Todd Lee Rae Lembersky Eric Liu Charles S. Lytle Dan Madsen Molly McCullough Kirby McDonald Tracy Morris Michael Peters, M.D. Diane Sabey Janet True Jane Uhlir, M.D. John H. Vassall II, M.D. Jean Baur Viereck
Janet True Co-Chair
Teresa Bigelow Donald Brennan John Connors Cheryl Gossman William W. Krippaehne, Jr. Martin Siegel, M.D.
Lucius A.D. Andrew III Nancy J. Auer, M.D. Kevin Brown Deborah Crabbe Anne Gittinger Wayne Gittinger Cheryl Gossman Rod Hochman, M.D. Charles S. Lytle Karen Lytle Howard Maron, M.D. John N. Nordstrom Janet Sinegal John H. Vassall II, M.D.
Officers Betsy Vo Corporate Secretary Don Theophilus Executive Director, SMC Foundation Dan Harris Corporate Treasurer