Tuesday, April 15, 2008
At the VMC Foundation, we work to ensure you know why your donation makes such a difference: The Santa Clara Valley Heatlh & Hospital System, your community's safety net, is struggling to serve literally thousands of people every day that seek medical care across Silicon Valley...at a time when resources are scarce.
But we also work to make it FUN to support us - so, please join us for Vino & Vistas!
This amazing party happens May 9 at the stunning Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose. We'll be pouring the finest wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains, serve you a sumptuous dinner, and provide entertainment that will leave you breathless.
The cost is just $125 - a bargain for what the Mercury News called one of the best events of 2007. For your tickets, and more information, click here: www.vmcfoundation.org/vinoandvistas
Don't miss this spectacular event - and feel free to call us with any questions: 408-885-5299. Thanks!
But we also work to make it FUN to support us - so, please join us for Vino & Vistas!
This amazing party happens May 9 at the stunning Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose. We'll be pouring the finest wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains, serve you a sumptuous dinner, and provide entertainment that will leave you breathless.
The cost is just $125 - a bargain for what the Mercury News called one of the best events of 2007. For your tickets, and more information, click here: www.vmcfoundation.org/vinoandvistas
Don't miss this spectacular event - and feel free to call us with any questions: 408-885-5299. Thanks!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Rich or poor, executive or unemployed - accidents don't discriminate, and in times of need we all want to know that professional, competent help is available and accessible.
That was the case for Dr. Peter D. Poullos, when he went for a bike ride on January 4, 2003, "and never made it home."
Instead of the bike ride he planned Dr. Poullos found himself as a patient being treated by his own trauma team at San Francisco General, and later in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Rather than recovering quickly to the life he used to have, he was transferred to what Dr. Poullos calls Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's "elite spinal-cord injury treatment center".
A little over five years later Dr. Poullos is described by Ron Sidell, friend and former fellow patient at VMC's Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, as "happier than I have ever known him to be."
Read the entire original story by Dr. Poullos here at S.F. Gate
Yet two things may be slightly disturbing, and even a bit alarming. First, is the unfortunate social bias that clashes with Dr. Poullos' desire to reclaim a full, active lifestyle. This bias produces an automatic assumption that people in this situation are poor, needy, require special care, or need be ignored socially, when in fact they are just people too.
More alarming, and a truth that should in fact make us quite proud, is that this elite...center sits within a public facility. Santa Clara County's Health & Hospital System, and specifically the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation Center is staffed by a truly world-class team that care for hundreds of patients like Dr. Poullos, and that care affects literally thousands of their family members.
In closing, please share this story with friends, and remember that it is not our public health care system that needs help, as much as our entire Santa Clara County community needs their health to remain viable.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
That was the case for Dr. Peter D. Poullos, when he went for a bike ride on January 4, 2003, "and never made it home."
Instead of the bike ride he planned Dr. Poullos found himself as a patient being treated by his own trauma team at San Francisco General, and later in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Rather than recovering quickly to the life he used to have, he was transferred to what Dr. Poullos calls Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's "elite spinal-cord injury treatment center".
A little over five years later Dr. Poullos is described by Ron Sidell, friend and former fellow patient at VMC's Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, as "happier than I have ever known him to be."
Read the entire original story by Dr. Poullos here at S.F. Gate
Yet two things may be slightly disturbing, and even a bit alarming. First, is the unfortunate social bias that clashes with Dr. Poullos' desire to reclaim a full, active lifestyle. This bias produces an automatic assumption that people in this situation are poor, needy, require special care, or need be ignored socially, when in fact they are just people too.
More alarming, and a truth that should in fact make us quite proud, is that this elite...center sits within a public facility. Santa Clara County's Health & Hospital System, and specifically the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation Center is staffed by a truly world-class team that care for hundreds of patients like Dr. Poullos, and that care affects literally thousands of their family members.
In closing, please share this story with friends, and remember that it is not our public health care system that needs help, as much as our entire Santa Clara County community needs their health to remain viable.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Did you hear about the man that was "hit, dragged and pinned" beneath a light rail train Saturday the 19th, as reported in the SJ Mercury News ?
It only takes a split second to find out why Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC ) was essential to approximately 211,000 people here in Silicon Valley in 2007. Imagine driving down the highway, minding your own business, and an instant later find yourself catapulted into an unwanted, life-changing drama. Within the Bascom campus incoming helicopters, ambulances, and lightning fast decisions are a daily occurrence for SCVMC's renowned Emergency and Level 1 Trauma teams. But when they need to, and they did that Saturday night, these teams go out to bring their invaluable skills to the scene.
Just after 1AM the SCVMC team, which included top surgeon Gregg Adams, joined Police and Firefighters at the accident scene, and began the precarious task of removing the man from beneath the light rail car in an operation that literally saved his life. Dr. Gregg Adams' response reminds us that trauma care happens not just at SCVMC, but sometimes, at the scene of an accident where life hangs in the balance.
SCVMC is our community's only public hospital, and provides critical care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. But SCVMC needs your help. If you, or someone you know has been in a similar situation, and you can afford to help keep this critical care available to the community, please consider a donation to SCVMC's Emergency & Trauma teams through the VMC Foundation.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
It only takes a split second to find out why Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC ) was essential to approximately 211,000 people here in Silicon Valley in 2007. Imagine driving down the highway, minding your own business, and an instant later find yourself catapulted into an unwanted, life-changing drama. Within the Bascom campus incoming helicopters, ambulances, and lightning fast decisions are a daily occurrence for SCVMC's renowned Emergency and Level 1 Trauma teams. But when they need to, and they did that Saturday night, these teams go out to bring their invaluable skills to the scene.
Just after 1AM the SCVMC team, which included top surgeon Gregg Adams, joined Police and Firefighters at the accident scene, and began the precarious task of removing the man from beneath the light rail car in an operation that literally saved his life. Dr. Gregg Adams' response reminds us that trauma care happens not just at SCVMC, but sometimes, at the scene of an accident where life hangs in the balance.
SCVMC is our community's only public hospital, and provides critical care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. But SCVMC needs your help. If you, or someone you know has been in a similar situation, and you can afford to help keep this critical care available to the community, please consider a donation to SCVMC's Emergency & Trauma teams through the VMC Foundation.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
SCVMC's Emergency Department sees a new emergency every 4.8 minutes !
A new record was set this week at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Emergency Department, as 300 individuals received care in a 24-hour period - nearly twice the number of people in 2005. Just last year, the Emergency Department ( ED ) was averaging 200 patients a day. That prompted the creation of its new rapid medical exam process to ease the load and reduce patient wait times.
While this week's situation is seemingly taken directly from an "ER" script, this milestone underscores three important points:
1. PLEASE get a flu shot. Flu season hasn't really hit yet, and these numbers could go drastically higher - in fact, it could help protect you from becoming a real life member of the cast!
2. Wash your hands. Frequent, thorough hand-washing has been shown to dramatically decrease the odds of sickness, and passing germs on to others.
3. Support the VMC Foundation- as you know, SCVMC needs it. If you like, your tax-deductible gift can be designated to their Emergency Department and Trauma Center.
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
A new record was set this week at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Emergency Department, as 300 individuals received care in a 24-hour period - nearly twice the number of people in 2005. Just last year, the Emergency Department ( ED ) was averaging 200 patients a day. That prompted the creation of its new rapid medical exam process to ease the load and reduce patient wait times.
While this week's situation is seemingly taken directly from an "ER" script, this milestone underscores three important points:
1. PLEASE get a flu shot. Flu season hasn't really hit yet, and these numbers could go drastically higher - in fact, it could help protect you from becoming a real life member of the cast!
2. Wash your hands. Frequent, thorough hand-washing has been shown to dramatically decrease the odds of sickness, and passing germs on to others.
3. Support the VMC Foundation- as you know, SCVMC needs it. If you like, your tax-deductible gift can be designated to their Emergency Department and Trauma Center.
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Happy Holidays Everyone!
I want to extend a heart felt THANK YOU for ALL the help and support the VMC Foundation has received this year!
Please join us at this time of celebration, and take a moment to reflect on these two wonderful areas of focus, which your contributions have made possible:
- Extraordinarily lower mortality rates among VMC's smallest patients, the Neonatal babies. Over the past year VMC's NICU treatment program has reduced the mortality rate of very low, and extremely low birth weight babies from over 50% to 9%.
- The launch of a huge new program to prevent obesity and diabetes in children throughout Silicon Valley. As you may know, childhood obesity is skyrocketing in our communities. Health officials predict that if nothing is done to reverse the trend, 50% of American kids born today will contract diabetes in their lifetimes!
In closing, as continued support is critical, particularly when our community is experiencing such pervasive health issues, we have added two new ways in which you, and your friends and loved ones, can help:
- IRA Tax Reducing Contributions - If you, or a loved one is over 70 and 1/2 and facing a tax burden from a pending IRA minimum withdrawl, there is a new opportunity to increase the efficacy of your hard earned money, AND reducing the tax burden via a contribution to The VMC Foundation, a 501c3 public benefit corporation.
* Please, consult your CPA, Tax Advisor, or Financial Advisor for details.
- Recurrent Monthly Contributions - If you would prefer a recurring donation plan we have just added the capability to take monthly credit card donations. Simply follow the link at the beginning of this paragraph to submit your first payment, AND WE WILL SET UP A MONTLY RECURRING DONATION IN THE SAME AMOUNT.
Again, thank you all for a wonderful 2007. On behalf of the VMC Foundation Board and staff, we wish you a safe, happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.
Sincerely with warm regards.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
I want to extend a heart felt THANK YOU for ALL the help and support the VMC Foundation has received this year!
Please join us at this time of celebration, and take a moment to reflect on these two wonderful areas of focus, which your contributions have made possible:
- Extraordinarily lower mortality rates among VMC's smallest patients, the Neonatal babies. Over the past year VMC's NICU treatment program has reduced the mortality rate of very low, and extremely low birth weight babies from over 50% to 9%.
- The launch of a huge new program to prevent obesity and diabetes in children throughout Silicon Valley. As you may know, childhood obesity is skyrocketing in our communities. Health officials predict that if nothing is done to reverse the trend, 50% of American kids born today will contract diabetes in their lifetimes!
In closing, as continued support is critical, particularly when our community is experiencing such pervasive health issues, we have added two new ways in which you, and your friends and loved ones, can help:
- IRA Tax Reducing Contributions - If you, or a loved one is over 70 and 1/2 and facing a tax burden from a pending IRA minimum withdrawl, there is a new opportunity to increase the efficacy of your hard earned money, AND reducing the tax burden via a contribution to The VMC Foundation, a 501c3 public benefit corporation.
* Please, consult your CPA, Tax Advisor, or Financial Advisor for details.
- Recurrent Monthly Contributions - If you would prefer a recurring donation plan we have just added the capability to take monthly credit card donations. Simply follow the link at the beginning of this paragraph to submit your first payment, AND WE WILL SET UP A MONTLY RECURRING DONATION IN THE SAME AMOUNT.
Again, thank you all for a wonderful 2007. On behalf of the VMC Foundation Board and staff, we wish you a safe, happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.
Sincerely with warm regards.
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone,
Who would think that our affluent community has significant health issues? Well those health issues are real, and when combined with a pervasive, underdeveloped philanthropic culture here in Silicon Valley it points to significant complications just over the horizon.
Several Family Foundations have stepped up to meet these challenges, and this morning I specifically want to thank the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation for their most recent gift of $45K to The Valley Medical Center Foundation / Santa Clara Valley Medical Center ( SCVMC ), and SCVMC's Dr. Dan Delgado.
Last year, Ms. Reinhard became the first philanthropist to support the new Pediatric Healthy Lifestyle Center (PHLC) at SCVMC. PHLC is a group of programs launched by SCVMC's inspiring pediatrician Dr. Daniel Delgado, which are aimed to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity and diabetes in our community.
Today, PHLC has taken off, and is now supported by SCVMC leadership and The Health Trust organization as well. Because the problems are still very serious, with more obesity seen in our young patient population than ever before, Dr. Delgado needs to expand the effective range of these PHLC programs.
With the help of Judy Maassen, Jan Cokely, Elizabeth Nielsen on the VMC Foundation staff, along with the partnership of Nora Manchester at the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation, we're helping Dr. Delgado and his team fight childhood obesity like never before.
Of course, the real thanks go to Myra and Dr. Daniel - your vision is truly improving children's lives and those of their families here in Silicon Valley.
THANK YOU!
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Who would think that our affluent community has significant health issues? Well those health issues are real, and when combined with a pervasive, underdeveloped philanthropic culture here in Silicon Valley it points to significant complications just over the horizon.
Several Family Foundations have stepped up to meet these challenges, and this morning I specifically want to thank the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation for their most recent gift of $45K to The Valley Medical Center Foundation / Santa Clara Valley Medical Center ( SCVMC ), and SCVMC's Dr. Dan Delgado.
Last year, Ms. Reinhard became the first philanthropist to support the new Pediatric Healthy Lifestyle Center (PHLC) at SCVMC. PHLC is a group of programs launched by SCVMC's inspiring pediatrician Dr. Daniel Delgado, which are aimed to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity and diabetes in our community.
Today, PHLC has taken off, and is now supported by SCVMC leadership and The Health Trust organization as well. Because the problems are still very serious, with more obesity seen in our young patient population than ever before, Dr. Delgado needs to expand the effective range of these PHLC programs.
With the help of Judy Maassen, Jan Cokely, Elizabeth Nielsen on the VMC Foundation staff, along with the partnership of Nora Manchester at the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation, we're helping Dr. Delgado and his team fight childhood obesity like never before.
Of course, the real thanks go to Myra and Dr. Daniel - your vision is truly improving children's lives and those of their families here in Silicon Valley.
THANK YOU!
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The Santa Clara County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), developed by Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Emergency Department nurses and physicians in 1987, observes its 20th anniversary today.
This program is the longest, continuously operating sexual assault care and forensic evidence collection program in California. Specially trained Nurse Examiners from hospitals in Santa Clara County are on call 24/7 to staff VMC's SART program when victims of sexual assault are brought in, primarily by law enforcement officers as the result of a 911 call.
In addition to providing victims a safe place, medical care and support, the SART program often results in rapid solutions to sexual assault crimes. SART nurses undergo rigorous training in forensic evidence collection as well as in how to deal with sexual assault victims, both medically and emotionally. SART nurses handle an average of 30 cases a month at SCVMC.
The program officially began at SCVMC on November 7, 1987. Founded by Drs. James Lane and Bob Violante and Anita Ruiz Contreras, RN, the SART program had early support from the County and SCVMC and was initially funded through grants. Now the program exists on reimbursements from law enforcement agencies and the Emergency Department budget. The VMC Foundation also raises funds from private sources to supplement public funding.
Linda Richards, RN, BSN, program manager of SART, has been with the program for 14 years. "Our work with sexual assault victims is crucial in finding suspects and proving their guilt or innocence, and we're gratified that we can help to solve not only the crime at hand, but cold cases as well. We testify as expert witnesses in court, but more importantly, the evidence we collect often results in a plea bargain, which protects the victim from having to go through the trauma of a trial."
The SART program also operates a clothes closet so that victims whose clothing becomes evidence can leave the hospital with dignity. The program provides hot showers, STD medication and toiletries and connects victims with YWCA rape counselors. About three percent of the victims seen are male.
To contribute to the SART program, please use the link below, or call us at 408-885-5299.
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director
This program is the longest, continuously operating sexual assault care and forensic evidence collection program in California. Specially trained Nurse Examiners from hospitals in Santa Clara County are on call 24/7 to staff VMC's SART program when victims of sexual assault are brought in, primarily by law enforcement officers as the result of a 911 call.
In addition to providing victims a safe place, medical care and support, the SART program often results in rapid solutions to sexual assault crimes. SART nurses undergo rigorous training in forensic evidence collection as well as in how to deal with sexual assault victims, both medically and emotionally. SART nurses handle an average of 30 cases a month at SCVMC.
The program officially began at SCVMC on November 7, 1987. Founded by Drs. James Lane and Bob Violante and Anita Ruiz Contreras, RN, the SART program had early support from the County and SCVMC and was initially funded through grants. Now the program exists on reimbursements from law enforcement agencies and the Emergency Department budget. The VMC Foundation also raises funds from private sources to supplement public funding.
Linda Richards, RN, BSN, program manager of SART, has been with the program for 14 years. "Our work with sexual assault victims is crucial in finding suspects and proving their guilt or innocence, and we're gratified that we can help to solve not only the crime at hand, but cold cases as well. We testify as expert witnesses in court, but more importantly, the evidence we collect often results in a plea bargain, which protects the victim from having to go through the trauma of a trial."
The SART program also operates a clothes closet so that victims whose clothing becomes evidence can leave the hospital with dignity. The program provides hot showers, STD medication and toiletries and connects victims with YWCA rape counselors. About three percent of the victims seen are male.
To contribute to the SART program, please use the link below, or call us at 408-885-5299.
Tell Six Friends to Tell Six Friends
In community service,
Chris Wilder
Executive Director