St. Joseph's Foundation, Volume 4, Issue 2, 2008

ST. JOSEPH’SmagazineA magazine for the friends of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Volume 4, Issue 2, 2008

MEET THE SPRING 2008HEALTH & WEALTH RAFFLE WINNERAnd get ready for the Fall Raffle—it’s going green!

Breathing EasierSt. Joseph’s Lung Transplant Center givesnew lungs and new life to 17 lucky patients

Summers used to be a little slower at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Not as many peo-ple came to the hospital for care during the hot months of June, July and August. But that has changed.With the continuing growth of Maricopa County and the entire state, more patients than ever beforerely on St. Joseph’s for vital medical services year round.

As you’ll see in this issue, the last few months have beenvery busy at St. Joseph’s. Our Lung Transplant Center cele-brated its first anniversary in April 2008. The Center performed14 successful transplants in its first year and a total of 17 byMay 15. The Children’s Health Center opened a new PediatricUnit that offers a spacious and family-friendly environment forhospitalized children. And, our outreach capabilities havegreatly expanded through a new MOMobile, featured in thisissue, and increased health education targeted at children andtheir families.

These efforts would not be possible without the many people, both individuals and organizations,who have chosen to support St. Joseph’s Hospital. In this issue of our magazine, you will read aboutall types of supporters:

• The Arizona Diamondbacks, who are partnering with us to educate children and their fami-lies about making healthy choices.

• Many energetic and dedicated teens who are helping brighten the lives of hospitalizedchildren.

• Golfers in the 35th Annual Lou Grub Friends Fore Golf, which has now raised a total of $3.5million for Barrow Neurological Institute and the Heart & Lung Institute at St. Joseph’s.

• Got Mask, a group of lung-transplant patients who have joined together to assist future patientsof the Lung Transplant Center.

Every benefactor contributes to St. Joseph’s ability to care for our community. Because of you,we are able to improve our services every year and to care for more and more children and adultsfrom throughout our vibrant state.

Thank you for your commitment to St. Joseph’s and to the Sisters of Mercy mission!

Linda Hunt Mary Jane CristPresident CEOSt. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center St. Joseph’s Foundation

OPENING THOUGHTS

2 A Deep BreathSt. Joseph’s Lung Transplant Center has given 17 luckypatients new lungs and new lives.

6 Champions for ChildrenThe Diamondbacks team up with St. Joseph’s to promotehealthy living to kids and families.

9 A Lifetime of CareAt the Scott and Laura Eller Congenital Heart Center, careoften begins before birth.

12 Rock Star TicketA 22-year-old ad salesman wins the top prize in theSpring 2008 Health & Wealth Raffle.

14 Miracle Tours

16 TGen PartnershipResearchers investigate a variety of topics in the St.Joseph’s laboratory at TGen.

18 Our Newest ArrivalHospital, community welcome new, roomier MOMobile.

20 New Pediatric Unit Opens

21 Lou Grubb Friends Fore GolfAn eight-year-old girl shows golfers what the fundraiser isreally all about.

24 Benefactor Briefs

28 Checks & Change for ChairsCocopah Middle School raises $5,400 for 29 new rockingchairs in the Children’s Health Center.

30 News

ST. JOSEPH’SmagazineA magazine for the friends of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Volume 4, Issue 2, 2008

contents

Catherine [email protected]

Justin DetwilerArt Director/Designer

D Squared Productions, Murphy/ScullyJackie Mercandetti, Jeff NoblePhotography

Panoramic PressPrinting

Linda Hunt, PresidentSt. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

Mary Jane Crist, CFRECEO, St. Joseph’s Foundation

• H o w t o R e a c h U s •St. Joseph’s Magazine is published twice a year by St. Joseph’s Foundation. We welcome your comments, suggestions and requests to beadded to or deleted from ourmailing list. Call 602-406-1041, email [email protected] or sendmail to St. Joseph’s Magazine, Office ofPhilanthropy, St. Joseph’s Hospital andMedical Center, 350W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85013. Please include your name, address and day-time telephone number in all correspondence. Visit us online at www.StJosephs-Phx.com.

S T . J O S E P H ’ S M A G A Z I N E2

A DEEPBREATH

TRANSPLANT CENTERGIVES 17 LUCKY PATIENTSNEW LUNGS AND NEW LIFE

StephenGarlish,No. 13, had to learn to stop reach-ing for his inhaler at bedtime, even though for the

first time in over 60 years, he no longer needed it.Larry Stilwell, No. 10, can now not only walk to his

truck without getting winded—he walks four milesaround hisWestValley acreage every night.

Elaine van Swinderen, No. 5, no longer has to leavehours early for appointments, pacing herself and lug-ging an oxygen tank along with her.

JoeNagel,No.7,doesn’t have to stand in the groceryaisles reading food labels as cover for catchinghis breath.

The first anniversary of St. Joseph’s LungTransplantPrograminAprilmarked the fact that 14people cannoweffortlesslydosomething thatmostof usnever think twiceabout: breathe.And,byMay 15, threemore people hadjoined their ranks.

When St. Joseph’s performed its first transplant on61-year-oldAnnWylie onApril 13, 2007, it became theonly Phoenix hospital and one of only two facilities inthe state to do lung transplants.

by Melissa Morrison

S T . J O S E P H ’ S M A G A Z I N E 3

“The need in the Valley was huge,” says programcoordinator Brandi Krushelniski.

Previously, patients such as Stilwell, whose lungswere failingdue toadvancedCOPD,had to travel far fromtheir homes, to Tucson or, more often, California, fortransplant surgery and lifelong follow-ups.

“It’s like a new life,”says Stilwell, 63,who had a dou-ble-lung transplant on November 17. “Before surgery,fora six-minutewalk [a standard lung-function test],evenwithoxygen,I’dhave to stop10 times.After surgery, theypulled the suction out of my nose, and that was it. It’slike you’re born again.”

‘I learned a lot about food’For transplantpatients,new lungs literallymeannew life.Most become eligible for transplantation when theirdisease is in its end stages.Nagel’s advanced lungdiseasehad forced him to cede the running of his truckingcompany several years earlier, and he mostly stayedhomewatchingTV.Hedid grocery shop,however.Evenwith his portable oxygen tank in tow, it was a lengthyundertaking.

“When Igot to the store, I’d grababasket,and insteadof looking stupid,I’d stand thereandread labels andcatchmybreath,”he says.“What should take 20minutes tookan hour.”

He adds wryly,“I learned a lot about food.”Before visiting St. Joseph’s, he estimated he had six

months left to live. After passing the center’s battery oftests—which include assessments of the patient’s psy-chological fitness, and financial and social-support sys-tems, along with medical tests—he was put on thenational transplant list. It happened to be his 60thbirthday.Twoweeks later,hegot thecallhehadbeenwait-ing for.

“I prayed for amiracle,and I think I got one,”he says.He received adouble-lung transplant onSeptember 27.

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),which includesemphysema,is alreadyoneof the topcaus-esof death in theUnitedStates and is rising. It limits lungcapacity, robbing the body of precious oxygen. Pul-monary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hyper-tensionareother lungdiseases that canbeaddressedwitha transplant.

Lung transplants have been reliably performed inthe United States since the 1980s.However, despite thePhoenix area’s huge population, the city lacked a trans-plant program,which meantpatients had to travel else-where for help—or, worse, not receive any at all.

“In this community, many of the patients withadvanced lung disease who were potentially trans-plantablewerebeing sent tohospiceornotbeing referredto care until we got here,”pulmonologist TonyHodges,MD, says.

Most of the lung transplant team—including Dr.Hodges,Krushelniski,and surgeonsRossBremner,MD,Michael Smith, MD, and John Nigro, MD—cametogether fromtheUniversityof SouthernCalifornia’s lung-transplant program. (Pulmonologist RajatWalia,MD,was recruited from the University of Florida.)

‘I will now celebrate my birthdayon August 4’“We work really well together,” Krushelniski says. “Webelieve in team camaraderie. At 2 in the morning, itmakes a difference.”

Thepatientshavenoticed.“Theywere alreadya cohe-sive team,andyoucan see that,”says vanSwinderen,whowas diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis 17 years agoand had a single-lung transplant on August 4, 2007.“Thanks to the transplant program, I will now cele-bratemybirthdayonAugust4," she saysof hernewbirth-day.

Patients arewait-listedonanational registry accord-ing to the severity of their illness and their geographi-

Above, Carol Toney checks Joe Nagel’s blood pressure at theLung Transplant Center. Opposite page, Carl Johnston gets ablood pressure check from Nora Ang, RN, before starting hisworkout in Pulmonary Rehabilitation.


cal location.WhenCarl Johnston,65,wasputon the list,a recentpulmonary function test hadputhis lung capac-ity at 19 percent.

Four weeks later, he was at St. Joseph’s for his twice-weekly exercise programwhen his life changed.

“I was there at the rehab center having a cup a cof-feewith someof the guys before going in to exercise andBrandi calls me...”He pauses, choked up at the memo-ry. “When I hung up, I told the receptionist, ‘Barb, I’mgetting my lungs.’” Two days later, he was breathingunaided.

The surgery takes fromfour to eighthours. It is tight-ly coordinated,because the less time thedonor lungs arewithout oxygen, the better the outcome. When lungsbecomeavailable somewherewithin a 1,500-mile range—no more than a two-hour flight—a team consistingof a surgeon and a perfusion technician travel to thedonor’s location. Back at St. Joseph’s, the recipient isnot usually given anesthesia until the team confirmsthat the lungs are indeed healthy and a goodmatch.

“We’re timing it so their lungs are coming out oftheir chest as new lungs are coming into the operatingroom,”Krushelniski says.

In a double-lung transplant, the patient’s ribcage isopened like a clamshell and thediseased lungs removed.“Fibrotic lungs are dense and contracted and have theconsistency of liver. Lungs that have emphysema arefloppy like a water balloon,”Dr. Hodges says. “Healthylungs are somewhere in between, like a sponge.”

As of May 15, the team had successfully transplant-ed a total of 17 patients. So far, all have survived. “The[national]one-year survival rate is about85percent,whichshould be looked at in the light that most of thesepatients would never live a year without the new lungs,and those thatdo live a yearwithout transplanthavehor-rible quality of life,”Dr. Bremner says.

‘I caught a 50-pound flathead catfish’Enjoying life again is the biggest side benefit of gettinga transplant. Stilwell, for example, celebrated his six-month anniversary by going fishing at Bartlett Lake, anactivity his previous bad health had denied him. “Icaught a 50-pound flathead catfish,”he reports.

The transplant teamwill continue to spread thewordof its program to patients as far away as Texas,Nevada,and the California border.

Elaine van Swinderen and Stephen Garlish in Pulmonary Rehab; Larry Stilwell at Lung Transplant Support Group.

“I prayed for a miracle,

and I think I got one.”

Joe Nagel, #7

Carl Johnston and Michele Hutchinson recognizedthemselves in thewomanthey sawat theRenaissanceFes-tival. Shewas toting oxygen,only able towalk short dis-tances before resting. The pair, who became friends asfellow lung-transplant patients, introduced themselves.Thewoman told them that her doctor had said shewasineligible for a transplant because of her diabetes.

“I told her, ‘I was Type 2 diabetes before the opera-tion,and theyoperatedonme,’”Johnston,65, says.Theyurged her to visit St. Joseph’s Lung Transplant Center.The woman has since been listed for transplant.

Now Johnston andHutchinsonhavebecome formaladvocates for theSt.Joseph’sprogram,co-foundinganon-profit organization called GotMask.A play on the GotMilk campaign, the name refers to the protective geartransplant patientswear in certainpublic venues topro-tect their precious new organs from bacteria.

Got Mask aims to help future transplant patientsovercomesomeof thehurdles theyandothers faced.That

includes limited financial aid formonthlymedical costs;gas cards, sopeople can afford to get to clinic; and, in thefuture, subsidizedPhoenix apartments, soout-of-town-ers aren’t burdened by the costs of relocating.

“Wehavebeengiven thispreciousandwonderful gift,”says Hutchinson, 35, whose cystic fibrosis promptedher transplant,making her St. Joseph’s youngest so far.“We feel we need to make the best of our lives for thedonor, donor family and friends, and for ourselves.” �


And, of course, Arizona patients who previouslymight have resigned themselves to a shortened lifespanand diminished breath, will continue to benefit.

Garlish, a retired schoolteacher from Casa Grande,had been suffering breathing problems since he wasdiagnosed with asthma at age two. For the next sixdecades,heusedan inhalerand,morerecently,ashis lungs

declined, supplemental oxygen. After his February 22surgery, though, that all changed.

“Mylungs tookover rightaway,”hesays.“WhenIcamehome from the hospital, I had all my oxygen equip-ment here, but just packed it all up and sent it back tothe company. I don’t need it at all.”�

St. Joseph’s Lung Transplant Center teamincludes Ross Bremner, MD, transplant surgeon;Tony Hodges, MD, transplant pulmonologist;Michael Smith, MD, transplant surgeon; JohnNigro, MD, transplant surgeon; Rajat Walia, MD,transplant pulmonologist; and BrandiKrushelniski, program coordinator. Funding frombenefactors helped recruit the team.

GOT MASK?TRANSPLANT PATIENTSREACH OUT TO OTHERS

Left to right, front row: LindaWest, Karen Bell,Michele Hutchinson, AnnWylie, Tiffany Smith; backrow: Alan Bear, Glenn Hutchinson, Ashley Ramirez,Dave Wylie, Steve Garlish.


CHAMPIONS FDIAMONDBACKS TEAM UPROMOTE HEALTHY LIVIN

Top, pitcher Doug Davis visitsAndrew Rios in the Children’sHealth Center; above, St. Joseph’sSandlot Experiences offers activi-ties for kids (Debbie Castaldo,director of PhilanthropicInnovation; Fox 10 weathermanCory McCloskey and the Dbacksmascot D. Baxter the Bobcat);right, St. Joseph’s signage can befound throughout Chase Field.

7S T . J O S E P H ’ S M A G A Z I N E

FOR CHILDRENUP WITH ST. JOSEPH’S TOG TO KIDS AND FAMILIES

Top, Phoenix Fire Department helps with CheckerAuto’s Bring ‘Em Home Safe Carseat Campaign;above, pitcher Dan Haren meets St. Joseph’s kidsand parents during the “Field of Dreams” experi-ence, sponsored by BrandonWebb and his KFoundation; left, right fielder Justin Upton visitsNoah Dreher in the new Pediatric Unit.


As theArizonaDiamondbacks celebrate their 10thyear as champions in our community, St. Joseph’s

has enhanced its partnership with the Valley’s home-town team. St. Joseph’s—the Diamondbacks’ officialhealthcare partner—isworkingwith the team to reachmore children and families with messages about theimportance of making healthy lifestyle choices.

Inside Chase Field, a new area for children nowbears the hospital’s name—St. Joseph’s Sandlot Expe-riences.This interactive area on the third floor of ChaseField features photos of St. Joseph’s pediatric special-ists and life-sized cut-outs of Diamondbacks starsalongwith rulers that allow kids to compare their ownheight to those of their baseball heroes. Sandlot Expe-riences features a playground, a stage for educationalpresentations about healthy living, and a mini replicaof Chase Field where kids can try out their battingskills. St. Joseph’s signage is prominent throughout theballpark, and the Seventh Inning Stretch now featurescolorful chasing lights with St. Joseph’s name.

Outside of Chase Field, St. Joseph’s children’s spe-cialists are partneringwithDiamondbacks players andsponsors to encourage children and their parents tobuckle up,wear helmets, avoid tobacco and get active:

• ThePresident’s Pass programgives teachers andprin-cipals at select schools near Chase Field a way toreward students for such things as good grades andgood character.Studentswho receive aPresident’s Passcan go to a baseball game along with five guests.

• Another program, theNoChewCrew,warns kids ofthe risks of chewing tobacco.

• Checker Auto’s Bring ‘EmHome Safe Carseat Cam-paign brings togetherDiamondbacks players, hospi-tal staff and the Phoenix FireDepartment in an effortto make sure car seats are properly installed.

Diamondbacks players are also reaching out to helpSt. Joseph’s and the patients it serves. Pitcher DougDavis and his team recently announced that they havecreated the 49 Fund, named after Davis’ No. 49 jerseynumber, to raise funds for cancer programs that servechildren and their families at St. Joseph’s.The club hasset a goal of raising $49,000 this season from peoplewishing to make donations of 49 cents, $4.90, $49,$490,$4,900,etc.Daviswas diagnosedwith thyroid can-cer inMarch andunderwent surgery inApril. Fans candonate to the 49 Fund online at dbacks.com/49fund.

Pitcher Brandon Webb invited 20 children fromSt. Joseph’sOutpatient RehabilitationUnit to his“Fieldof Dreams” experience at the ballpark on July 3. Eachchild received two tickets to the game, a chance tomeet pitcherDanHaren, and aDbacks t-shirt, hat andjersey. The event was sponsored by Brandon Webband the K Foundation, which has also donated threeBrandon’s Lockers to the Children’s Health Center.

Diamondback players continue to visit St. Joseph’spediatric patients throughout the season, a traditionloved by patients, their families and visitors. �

St. Joseph’sPresident LindaHunt tells stu-dents about thePresident’s Passprogram.

ENHANCED PARTNERSHIPIS EVIDENT INSIDE ANDOUTSIDE CHASE FIELD


AT SCOTT ANDLAURA ELLERCONGENITALHEART CENTER,CARE BEGINSBEFORE BIRTH

Paridhi and Bob Buonincontrowere hit with a doublewhammy

during the couple’s first pregnancy lastyear. First, they foundout that Parid-hi was carrying twins—a boy and agirl.A fewweeks later, theywere toldthat their little girl’s heart wasn’tdeveloping as it should.

Paridhi’s doctor sent the Peoriacouple to the FetalHeart Program atthe Scott and Laura Eller CongenitalHeart Center at St. Joseph’s,which isbelieved to be among the few emerg-ing comprehensive programs for fetuseswith or at-riskfor cardiac abnormalities in the country and the firstin Arizona. By managing pregnant mothers and theirfetuses from diagnosis through birth and beyond, theSt. Joseph’s teamworks tomake a difficult period a lit-tle easier on the entire family.

For Paridhi and Bob, the news of their daughter’scondition brought an onslaught of emotions.

“Aside from the heart condition,my pregnancywashealthy—but emotionally, it was tough,” says Paridhi.“I knew that babies could be born with a heart defect,but I didn’t really know what that meant.”

At St. Joseph’s, the couplemetwithpediatric and fetalcardiologist Ernerio T. Alboliras, MD, director of theFetal Heart Program.By using fetal echocardiography—ultrasound technology that uses high resolution andspecialized training to see the tiny hearts of fetuses—Dr.Albolirasmade a diagnosis.Diya, as theywould latername her, had double outlet right ventricle with ahypoplastic left ventricle, a condition in which the leftside of the heart is underdeveloped. The fetus wouldneed to be constantlymonitored throughout the preg-

nancy, and the babywouldmost likely need surgery fol-lowing her birth.

Caring for the baby and the familyToday, more heart disease is diagnosed in utero thanever before. Early detection of congenital heart condi-tions, such as cardiac defects and cardiac rhythm dis-turbances, allows for appropriate care not only of thefetus, but of the family aswell. Studies have shown thatparents of children with heart conditions cope betterif the diagnosis is made before birth.

“Our team not only consults families throughouttheir pregnancy, butwe also offer a full complement ofservices once the baby is born,” says Dr. Alboliras.“Knowing that we offer every possible resourcemakesthe families feel much more comfortable.”

Since the hospital began developing and enhancingthe Fetal Heart Program two years ago, it has fieldedreferrals from throughout the state, especially fromrural areas without the capability to treat high-riskpregnancies. At St. Joseph’s, mothers can deliver witha team skilled in high-risk deliveries,while cardiac andneonatal teams stand by to stabilize the newborn.

by Sarah Padilla

A LIFETIME OF CARE

Jeanette Calhoun, RN, with Diya Buonincontro in the Peds Cardiothoracic ICU.

10 S T . J O S E P H ’ S M A G A Z I N E10

“We can have a newborn in surgerywithinminutesof being born.That just isn’t possible atmost facilitiesunless you have a team in place like the one we haveformed at St. Joseph’s,”says Stephen Pophal,MD, chiefof Pediatric Cardiology.

The hospital has the added advantage of state-of-the-art facilities, such as the newly renovated Heart &Lung Institute Tower and a new Pediatric Cardiotho-racic Intensive Care Unit (Peds CT ICU). Also, as anacademicmedical institution,St. Joseph’s hostsmonth-ly fetal cardiac care conferences and trains its residentsin cutting-edge techniques.

On the horizon: fetal heart surgeryIn fact, the hospital hopes to one day be among only ahandful of institutions to perform fetal cardiac inter-vention,procedures performedon a fetuswhile it is stillin the womb.

Another highlight, St. Joseph’s pediatric echo labincludes five echocardiographymachines and five spe-cially trained sonographers.Onemachine remains onstandby in the Peds CT ICU. The service has becomesoprominent that St. Joseph’s pediatric echocensusmorethan doubled this year over last year and is now com-parable to that of a large children’s hospital.

“St. Joseph’s and theValley have a large obstetric andneonate population. The enhancement of these serv-ices makes it possible for more sick newborns to haveexpectant and immediate diagnosis and disease man-agement,” says Dr. Alboliras.

St. Joseph’smultidisciplinary team formed a plan ofcare for the Buonincontros that included frequent test-ingwith perinatalogist James Balducci,MD; consulta-tions with pediatric cardiovascular surgeons, DavidC. Cleveland, MD, and John Nigro, MD; and at leastweekly interaction with fetal and neonatal cardiacnurse practitioner Beth Rumack.

Giving moms a sense of normalcyRumack serves as a liaison,not only performingmed-ical exams but also helping the familieswith education,coping, and insurance issues.“We try to give ourmomsa sense of normalcy to their pregnancy,” she says.

Rumack also facilitates St. Joseph’s CHIEF (Com-plexCongenitalHeart Infant Evaluation andFollowUp)Program for babies who have had heart surgery intheir first weeks of life.Modeled after a program in theMidwest,CHIEF is a high-risk surveillance program forbabies with congenital heart disease who have only asingle ventricle or who are dependent on a shunt.Essentially, it allows the team to keep a close watch oninfants who are well enough to go home after surgery,but too fragile for general pediatric care.

Babies in the CHIEF Program have follow-upappointments every couple of weeks. They are senthome with a pulse oximeter, and parents learn to usethemachine tomeasure their baby’s oxygen saturationlevels on their own. They have access to the Scott andLaura Eller Congenital Heart team at all hours viapager, and they are also given a medical “passport”

11S T . J O S E P H ’ S M A G A Z I N E

card with the baby’s relevant information in case ofemergency.

Most CHIEF babies have a second surgery betweenfour and six months old, at which point they becomemore stable and graduate from theprogram—completewith a diploma.

“TheCHIEFProgramallows a good transitionperi-od forus, thebabies and the families,”saysBeth.“It allowsthe families to have their independence,while helpingthem through the most fragile period at the sametime.”

A normal life for DiyaDiya and her twin brother,Dolcelino,were born at St.Joseph’s on Nov. 27, 2007. The infant underwent herfirst surgery in mid-December. In late May 2008, shehad her second surgery—abidirectional Glenn proce-dure, which essentially allows blood from her upperextremities to flowpassively to her lungs,decreasing thework on Diya’s heart. Diya will undergo a third, andhopefully final, procedure at around two years old.

And while she will likely need to see a cardiologistand takemedication for life, the odds are good that shewill otherwise lead a relatively normal life.

For now, Diya has received her CHIEF diplomaand continues to recover and thrive at home. Thanksto the St. Joseph’s team, her parents are proud to havebeen a part of what they believe was only the first ofmany graduations that their daughter will accomplishin her lifetime. �

About the Fetal Heart ProgramThe FetalHeart Program is directed by Ernerio T.Alboliras, MD, pediatric and fetal cardiologist.Other members of the program are:

• Beth Rumack, NNP-BC, fetal and neonatalcardiac nurse practitioner

• Karim Diab,MD, pediatric cardiologist• Lourdes Guerrero-Tiro,MD, pediatric cardiol-ogist

• David C. Cleveland,MD, and John Nigro,MD,pediatric cardiovascular surgeons

• Ed Rhee,MD, pediatric cardiac electrophysiol-ogist

• Stephen Pophal, MD, pediatric cardiacinterventionist

• Jeanne P. Zenge,MD, neonatologist• Jennifer Acevedo, RDCS, registered diagnosticcardiac sonographer.

St. Joseph’s will host the first Phoenix Fetal Car-diology Symposium for health professionals Oct.31-Nov. 1. For information, call 602-406-5867.

Left to right: Paridhi and Bob Buonincontro withtheir twins, Diya and Dolcelino, and Paridhi’s mother,Laxmi Chaudhary; Beth Rumack, NNP-BC, JohnNigro, MD, and Ernerio Alboliras, MD, of the FetalHeart Program; Diya just days after her second heartsurgery; Dr. Alboliras examines Diya as her familylooks on.

ROCK STAR TICKETTedMyers of Glendale isn’t exactly well known,but

he’s getting a taste of the rock star life. As the topwinner of the Spring 2008 Health & Wealth Raffle,Ted won a prize package valued at $1 million, includ-ing a blackMercedesML320CDI, cash in the bank, andpeople“coming out of thewoodwork”whowant to talkto him.

The 22-year-old Phoenix NewTimes account exec-utive says hismomremindedhimabout buying anEarlyBird ticket for the bi-annual raffle on March 19, butbefore he could purchase one,Meyers won a free $100ticket fromKEDJ FM (103.9) during an on-air contestover his lunch break.

‘I couldn’t believe it’WhenKathyRice,manager of the raffle, called himandleft a voice message, he had no idea what was in store.“Her message was really casual. She said, ‘Hi, Ted, thisis Kathy Rice from the Health & Wealth Raffle, and Ihave some news for you.Giveme a call backwhen youhave a minute.’ When I called her back, I thoughtmaybe I had won a camera. Instead, she told me to sitdown and then said I had won the top prize. I could-n’t believe it,” he says. “I started to freak out and I raninto the courtyard.”

His mom was certain Myers would win, but afterreceiving the initial news, his dad called Rice to makesure his son did hold the winning ticket.According toRice, that’s a typical reaction.“The prizes in theHealth&Wealth Raffle are incredible, so we often have win-ners who thinkwhen they get the call, that it’s a prank.Once they realize it’s the real deal, their voices quicklychange from doubt to pure excitement,” she says.

‘I was broke’Myers,who graduated from theWalterCronkite Schoolof Journalism and Mass Communication at ArizonaState University in 2007, also won a T.W. Lewis homein Goodyear as part of the grand prize but chose thecash option instead of the house. “My mother imme-diately made me pay off my student loans,” he says.

While his economic status has changed dramatical-ly—“I was broke”—Myers is applying some commonsense aboutmanaging his new fortune.“I’mnot spend-ing themoney like an idiot. I’m looking at it as a long-term investment so I can retire.”He’s also sharing someof his cash flow with family and friends. “I’m helpingmy older brother and his wife who are in the middleof adopting a child from Kazakstan and my youngerbrother buy a car. I’malsomaking anonymous gifts hereand there. Some of my friendsmight see that someonemade a $1,000 payment on their credit cards,”he says.

‘I just found a big investor’Thewinning ticket couldn’t have come at a better timefor Myers. He called in to the radio station on his wayto Wells Fargo to get a $10,000 cash advance to fundthe production of his bandFaucet’s first full-lengthCD,whichwill be released in September.“I textedmy bandmembers and told themnot toworry about themoneyanymore—I just found a big investor whowill pay foreverything,” says Myers, who is a drummer.

Myers is grateful for his winnings but is experienc-ing the flipside of his newfound wealth, like a highertax bracket,media attention and the associated“costs”of upgrading from a Ford Focus to a high-end SUVimport. “I was filling up, and the pump stopped at$100, and the tank still wasn’t full,”he says.Despite theprice of diesel fuel, Myers says the SUV is the perfectvehicle for him to tote around his drums. Plus, heenjoys the reaction he gets when he pulls up in hisnew luxury auto.“I getmore looks from jealous oldmenwho probably think my parents bought me the car.”

Yet Meyers is keeping his new trappings all in per-spective.The instantmillionaire still works at theNewTimes and takes his Focus on sales calls to keep his pre-winning image intact. “I can’t really sell an ad for $100pulling up in a brand new Mercedes.” He also liveswith his parents, but that’s okay because he eventual-ly plans to hit the roadwith his bandmates to promotethe newCD.“Winning the raffle was great, but it’s notenough to retire at 22; it just makes it easier.” �

by Sally J. Clasen

22-YEAR-OLD AD SALESMAN WINSTOP PRIZE IN HEALTH & WEALTH RAFFLE



The Fall 2008 Health & Wealth Raffle goes green!Watch your mail for news about the next Health &Wealth Raffle, which officially launches on August 6.

The Fall 2008 Raffle features a green theme:A large portion of the vehicles up for grabs are hybrid or fuel effi-cient, and what could be greener than cash? Raffle proceeds support research,medical education and care forthose in need.Tickets are $100 each, and there are also a limited number of 3-for-$250 packs available.To learnmore or to buy a ticket, visit www.healthwealthraffle.org.


Miracle Tour Dates 2008-20099 a.m.-1 p.m. followed byoptional lunch

Thursday, October 9Thursday, October 23Thursday, November 13Thursday, November 20Thursday, Dec. 4Thursday, Dec. 18Thursday, Jan. 15Thursday, Jan. 29Thursday, Feb. 12Thursday, Feb. 26Wednesday,March 4Thursday,March 19Thursday, April 2Thursday, April 16Thursday,May 7Thursday,May 21

Call St. Joseph’s Foundation 602-406-3041to reserve a spot in a Miracle Tour.


Sister Madonna Marie Bolton is a St. Joseph’sveteranwhohas filled various nursing and super-

visory roles at the hospital. Now, this staff member ofSt. Joseph’s Foundation and Barrow NeurologicalFoundation is workingwith doctors, nurses, staff, andpatients to educate people in our community about theprograms and services at St. Joseph’s—and the impor-tance of philanthropy.

Sister Madonna recently redesigned the founda-tions’Miracle Tours.The newmorning tours give par-ticipants an up-close and personal look at specificareas of the hospital, such as the Children’s HealthCenter, the Heart & Lung Institute, Barrow, and theEmergency Department and Trauma Center.

“Each tour begins in the TelePresence ConferenceRoom where participants learn about this incredibleteleconferencing system and watch about five min-utes of a taped neurosurgery,”says Sr.Madonna.“Theyhear presentations fromdoctors, researchers, and staff,and personal stories from patients. Then we take ourguests on a tour.”

Hospital staff members have been instrumental inthe success of the tours so far, says Sr.Madonna.“I’vebeen extremely pleased with the willingness of ourstaff to make presentations and give tours of theirareas.They have reallymade our guests feel welcome.”

The tours actually begin before participants everreach the hospital. After they’ve signed up for a tourof a particular area, the foundation staff mails theminformation about the tour,patient stories, and a park-ing pass.

“We hope to touch their hearts and show themwhy St. Joseph’s and Barrow are so important to thiscommunity,” Sr.Madonna says.

For information about St. Joseph’s Miracle Tours,call St. Joseph’s Foundation at 602-406-3041.The officeis open Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. �

MIRACLETOURS

Photos, clockwise from top left: Researcher JongRho, MD, gives a tour of a research lab at Barrow;Sister Madonna Marie Bolton welcomes tour guestsin the TelePresence Conference Room; tour partici-pants Kathy Harris, David Miller, Jr., and DavidMiller, Sr., learn about research at Barrow during aspring 2008 Miracle Tour; Dr. Rho describes hisresearch into epilepsy.


Significant medical research occurs around theworld every day. InPhoenix, collaborationbetween

experts at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Centerand the Translational Genomics Research Institute(TGen) is creating a significant intersection of lab andclinical study in Arizona that will lead to better med-icine.

TGen is a non-profit organization focused ondevel-oping earlier diagnostics and smarter treatments for anumber of medical issues through cutting-edge trans-lational research. Translational research is a a relative-ly new field that takes innovative advances arising fromthe Human Genome Project and applies them to thedevelopment of diagnostics, prognostics and thera-pies for cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes, andother complex diseases.

The geneticmap is helping guide several physiciansand scientists fromSt. Joseph’s in their research effortsto interpret variations in DNA—discoveries that canultimately shift traditional treatment based on symp-toms to personalized treatment that targets the under-lying cause of an individual’s disease.

Below are three examples of the research beingconducted in the St. Joseph’s laboratories at TGen.Allthree receive major funding from St. Joseph’s Foun-dation.

Pre-term labor, preeclampsiaRobertGarfield,PhD, is studying the causes of pre-termand term labor during pregnancy, particularly uterinecontractions and cervical function. The focus on pre-term labor is aimed at unraveling what he describes asthe “biggest problem” in obstetrics.

“It’s still a very bigmysterywhywomen go into pre-term labor,” explains Dr. Garfield about his research.“What causes it, how to diagnose and treat it effective-ly are all unanswered questions.”

Dr. Garfield, a pharmacologist who has pioneeredstudies on the role of hormones, specifically proges-terone, in inhibiting labor, has developed two clinicalinstruments to help gauge the delivery time clock.Onerecords the electrical activity of uterine muscles, andone tracks the softening of the cervix.

Dr.Garfield says that these tools, alongwith TGen’scross-functional approach,will help decipher themys-teries of pre-term labor and potentially develop treat-ments to stimulate or inhibit labor.

In addition,Dr.Garfield is working on studies relat-ed to blood flow to the fetus and preeclampsia, anoth-er hugeproblem inobstetrics.Of his association atTGenhe says,“It’s an attractive link—a high-level of molec-ular biology that I’manxious to tie inwithmy research.”

Lung and congenital heartdiseaseBrighamC.Willis,MD,director of Car-diopulmonary Research for the Scottand Laura Eller Congenital Heart Cen-ter at St. Joseph's, is investigating themechanisms of lung disease, focusingspecifically ondiseases such as idiopath-ic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In IPF, theair sacs of the lungs are replaced withfibrotic tissue that causes an irreversibleloss of the tissue's ability to transfer oxy-gen into the bloodstream.

As the principal investigator of theLung Injury Lab at St. Joseph's down-

TGEN PARTNERSHIPRESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE VARIETY OFTOPICS IN ST. JOSEPH’S LABS AT TGEN

by Sally J. Clasen


town campuswithinTGen,Dr.Willis conducts researchfocused on understanding the cellularmechanisms ofthe alveolar epithelial cells (cells that line the air sacs)of the lungs and how they may contribute to scarringand injury.That understanding, saysDr.Willis,will leadto better treatments for thosewith the chronic,progres-sive disease.

“This particular lung disease is rapidly lethal, andthe survival rate for patients once diagnosed is three tofive years,” he explains.

In addition to these studies of the mechanisticunderpinnings of lungdisease,Dr.Willis also is engagedin helping to develop research programs designed touncover the genetic and physiologic basis of congeni-tal heart disease and its complications.

Lung cancerRoss Bremner,MD,PhD, chief of theDivision of Gen-eral Thoracic Surgery at St. Joseph’s, is investigating thegenetic mechanisms of metastasis and the role of newtherapies in treating lung cancer.

“When it comes to lung cancer, our understandingis way behind that of other cancers. With standardchemotherapy, it’s sort of a crapshoot at themoment,”Dr.Bremner says.“Only about 20 percent of lung can-cers respond well to current agents.”

As part of his research efforts, Dr. Bremner, alongwithKeithCoon,PhD,andLandon Inge,PhD, is study-ing the patterns of lung tumors and the effectivenessof different treatments, as well as looking at new lungcancer therapies. In addition,Dr.Bremner,who directsthe Thoracic Oncology Lab in the TGen buildingdowntown, is analyzingwhy lung cancer spreads tootherparts of thebody andhow to stop this process.Dr.Brem-ner's team is collaborating with TGen on many ofthese projects.

“The TGen connection is a great setup,” he says.“They provide a great deal of depth in genomics, andwe provide a strong clinical backup that helps with thetranslational aspect of cancer research.The arrangementallows us to take concepts from the bench to the bed-side.” �

Opposite page, RobertGarfield, PhD; above,BrighamWillis, MD; left,Landon Inge, PhD, post-doctoral fellow; ValerieFelton and JamieDechon, research tech-nicians; Ross Bremner,MD; and Keith Coon,PhD, research assis-tant. All three areasreceive major supportfrom St. Joseph’sFoundation.


OUR NEWEST ARRIVALHOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY WELCOMENEW, ROOMIER MOMOBILE

by Sarah Padilla

MOMobile staff members Lupita Villa and Gail Brown, RNC,WHNP, with patient Viridiana Munoz and her daughter Evany.


Weighingmore than 12,000 pounds andmeasur-ing 60 feet long, St. Joseph’s newest arrival was

welcomed to the community this springwith an equal-ly sizable baby shower.

On March 10, St. Joseph’s debuted its brand-newMaternity OutreachMobile (MOMobile) with a cele-bration in the hospital circle that included a blessingand tiny pink andblue cupcakes.The following day, theunit hitValley streets to continueprovidingprenatal careto women in the community who otherwise mightnot receive any.

ThenewMOMobile,a 20-foot truckpulling a 40-foot trailer, replaces anailing 13-year-old RV that was proneto frequent breakdowns. Among theimproved features of the new unit aretwoworking exam rooms, an expand-ed waiting area with a flat-screen tele-vision, an office in which staff andpatients can have private conversa-tions, andupdatedmedical equipment.

“We have so much more room forour patients now, and it’s more com-fortable for everyone,” says MOMo-bile manager Gail Brown, RNC,WHNP. “The extra space has reallyenhanced our patient care.”

The MOMobile team, whichincludes an outreach coordinator, aclinical coordinator, and three nursepractitioners, helped design the customunit practical-ly from the ground up. Since much of the team hasworked on the unit for more than 10 years, they knewwhat they wanted.

“Before ourmechanic somuch as put in a screw,hewould call and ask for our input.What we wanted,wepretty much got,” says Antonieta Salomon, outreachcoordinator.

Nextup for theMOMobile is equipping theunitwiththe capability to access the hospital’s electronic med-ical records system.Currently, the team charts patientinformation by hand and then inputs that informationinto computers on the hospital campus—a time-con-suming process that eats up hours eachweek.Electron-ic charting could enable the team to add an extra dayof patient care each week.

Today, the MOMobile treats women three days aweek at sites inMesa,Avondale, and a new location inWest Phoenix.The teamhopes that the unit’s improved

efficiency and reliability will allow them to reach outtomore patients.Currently, they have an average of 200patient visits eachmonth, andmore than 170MOMo-bile babies are born at St. Joseph’s each year.

The purchase of the new MOMobile was madepossible by generous gifts from the Virginia G. PiperCharitable Trust, the BHHS Legacy Foundation, andStephen andShelbyButterfield.U.S.Senator JonKyl andU.S.Representative EdPastorwere successful in procur-ing additional federal funding for the new unit andequipment. �

The new MOMobile was made possibleby donations fromThe Virginia G. PiperCharitable Trust, the BHHS LegacyFoundation, and Stephen and ShelbyButterfield. U.S. Senator Jon Kyl andU.S. Representative Ed Pastor procuredadditional federal funding for the unit.


NEW PEDIATRIC UNIT OPENSAnew 30-bed pediatric unitwhere all of the patient

rooms, except one, are private opened May 1 intheChildren’sHealthCenter at St. Joseph’s.This is a dra-matic change for the hospital,where semi-private pedi-atric rooms have been the norm.

“We made this change in response to parent feed-back.We know that private rooms make patients andtheir family members more comfortable and providea better atmosphere for recovery in a family-centeredenvironment,”says Kathleen Rodriguez, clinical nursemanager of Pediatrics. “We’ve been wanting to makethis change for a very long time,and it’s exciting towatchit happen.”

The new unit features child-friendly nurses sta-tions, a playroom,a teen room,and a Pediatric Epilep-syMonitoringUnit.New flooring, televisions, a nurse-call system, and ceiling tiles were installed throughoutthe floor, and improvements were made to the firealarm system.Each patient room contains its own pri-vate bathroom.

Renovations are now being made to the old Pedi-atricUnitwherepatient roomswill be transformed fromsemi-private to mostly private pediatric rooms. �

The new Pediatric Unitfeatures private rooms,child-friendly nursesstations, and aPediatric EpilepsyMonitoring Unit.


LOU GRUBB FRIENDS FOREGOLF EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL SHOWS GOLFERS

WHAT THE FUNDRAISER IS REALLY ABOUT

Organizers of the annual LouGrubb Friends ForeGolf tournament,dinner and auctionhave always

described the fundraiser as an event that stresses fun,food and fellowship.

But there’s another vital element to LGFFG, and itwas well represented this year by young Taylor Radke.The eight-year-old child traveledwith her family fromtheir home in Illinois topersonally thankgolfers for theirsupport of Barrow Neurological Institute.

You see, Barrow saved Taylor’s life.In September 2007,Taylorwas diagnosedwith a rare

brain tumorbetween thebaseof her brain andher spinalcord. Taylor’s doctor told her parents, Laurie and Jeff,that sheneeded immediate surgery.But theRadkes could

find no one whowas willing to tackle the difficult andrisky surgery. After consulting numerous doctors, theRadkeswere near despair.Then they contactedRobertSpetzler, MD, at Barrow.

“He told us, ‘I don’t know if I can save her, but I’lltry,’”Laurie says.“Hewas the only doctor out of 27whosaid that.”

In late October, Taylor underwent surgery at Bar-row. Surgeons used an endoscopic approach to reachthe tumor, eliminating the need formajor incisions inthe child’s skull.

“It’s just the greatest thing they’ve done for us,”saysLaurie.“Howdoyoupayback someonewho’s savedyourdaughter’s life?”

Taylor Radke and herlittle brother, Blake


Photos clockwise from top left: Rufus Watts and Calvin Culpepper;Patti Boyd Gentry, LPGA tour professional and instructor Tina Tombs,and Mary Jane Crist; Steve Heit sinks a hole-in-one on the Party-Puttgreen; Anne Robbs poses with the Mustang offered by Dan GrubbFord for a hole-in-one at the tournament; Ginny Sparks putts whileTim Craghan, Matt Turney, and Dave Burgstahler look on. Dan Grubb,Kevin Egan, Norman Stout, Tom Blanchfield, and Terry Rochford.


Taylor is just one example of how proceeds from the golf tournament helppatients at St. Joseph’s.Now in its 35th year, LouGrubb Friends ForeGolf has raised$3.5million for BarrowNeurological Institute and theHeart & Lung Institute at St.Joseph’sHospital andMedical Center—including a record $500,000 raised this year.

The 2008 LGFFG began with a dinner and auction on the evening of April 24 atthe Arizona Biltmore. An 18-hole tournament and awards dinner was held the fol-lowing day at McCormick Ranch Golf Club.

Sponsors were Photo Sculptures–Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona;Event–Angelica,DPRConstruction,GreenbergTraurig,LouandEvelynGrubb,KitchellContractors, and XEROX; Gold Tee–Tom Blanchfield, Roger Ferguson, The HuntCorporation, SmithGroupArizona, Inc., andUniversityMechanical and Engineer-ing; Silver Tee–Blind Ideas, and Scottsdale Private Bank; and Party-PuttTable–McCormick Ranch Golf Club, Inc., and Salt River Project.

A special thanks goes tothis year’s golf committeemembers:Charles Alfano,MDL. Don BrownScottie ButtonWayne S. DoranMike FordCassandra GrohLou GrubbWilliam HuntStuart KirkGene L’HeureuxTony HodgesWilliam LongRoger MaxwellMike MediciLoui Olivas, PhDTom ReahardAnne RobbsDennis Sage, chairDennis Scully.


BENEFACTOR BRIEFSBasha family’s gift honorsNadine’s mother, Louise MathisA fountain was dedicated in honor of Louise Mathis,the latemother of Nadine Basha, on June 5 in the hos-pital’s Healing Garden.

“Louwas a very caring, charitable, loving woman,”said Eddie Basha of his latemother-in-law.“Her lifewasfilled with love, caring and compassion. The foun-tain's water is a fitting symbol of her life."

The Bashas were accompanied by their sons, Joshand Jeremy. The Basha family has a long history ofgiving to St. Joseph’s.The iconic statue of St. Joseph andBaby Jesus,which greets visitors at the hospital’s mainentrance, was a gift from the Basha family.

Josh, Jeremy, Eddie, and Nadine Bashain the Healing Garden

Two new Andrea’s Closets openin the Children’s Health CenterTwonewAndrea’sClosets have opened in theChildren’sHealth Center at St. Joseph’s. Traci and Kenny Brunk,the founders of Andrea’s Closet, donated a closet in thehospital’s Children’s Rehabilitative Services. The stor-age unit, which was officially introduced on March19,will be kept full of new toys and games for childrenundergoing procedures at CRS.

Former Miss Arizona Teen Erika Franzve and herfamily donated anAndrea’s Closet full of goodies to thePediatric Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. It is the29th Andrea’s Closet in Arizona. The newest Andrea’sCloset at St. Joseph’s was unveiled on June 6.

Andrea’s Closet is a non-profit charity that has beenhelping hospitalized children since 2002.When a child

is facing a difficult medicaltreatment, injury or illness,caregivers can take them toAndrea’s Closet where thechild chooses a special toy orgame.Andrea’s Closet was cre-ated at St. Joseph’s by theBrunks in honor of theirdaughter,Andrea,whopassed away fromleukemia just shy of her10th birthday.Formoreinformation aboutAndrea’s Closet, visitwww.andreascloset.org.


Grandmother has given over 500teddy bears for kids at St. Joseph’sSharon Likos, a grandmother of five, handmakeshospital gowns for a very exclusive club at Children’sRehabilitative Services (CRS) at St. Joseph’s—a teddybear club. The idea originated more than three yearsago when Likos’ grandson, Carter, was undergoingsurgery.Likemanypediatric patients,Carterwas scared.To help comfort him, Likos handmade a miniaturehospital gown, tied it on a teddybear, and gave it to him.

“IwantedCarter to feel like he had a buddy, a friendto accompany him at the hospital,” says Likos. “As agrandmother, I know how hard it is on a family to seetheir child undergo surgery. I wanted the bear to pro-vide extra comfort.”

After seeing howwell Carter responded to the teddybear, Likos decided to start a club, the Carter BearClub,namedafter her grandson.Since then shehasdeliv-ered more than 500 teddy bears, around 15 a month,

toCRSpatientswho are under-going surgery.Many of thesepatients havechronic condi-tions such asspinabifida andcerebral palsy.

Each bear isdressed in ahandmadehos-pital gown andcomes with acardwelcoming

thepatient to theCarterBearClub.The teddybearsLikosuses are donated by family and friends; she purchaseseverything else needed for the clad bears.

Sharon Likos and Child Life coor-dinator Lori Takeuchi

Patient writes winning essayin tribute to Child Life at St. Joseph’sTaylor Landreth, 14, is not only a budding writer butalso a budding philanthropist. The student recentlywon a Soroptomist essay contest with a piece about theimportance of Child Life to hospitalized children, and

then donated the$2,250 shewon tothe hospitaldepartment.

A formerpatient at St.Joseph’s, Taylorwrote inherprize-winning essayabout the impactChild Life had onher stay at St.Joseph’s and thedepa r tmen t ’sneed for moretoys and supplies.Taylor and herfamily visited St.

Joseph’s on June 24 to present the check. During thevisit, Taylor read the essay toChild Life staff members.

In addition to hermost recent donation,Taylor hasgiven $5,000 in toys and $2,000 in scrapbookingmate-rials, alongwith 1,500handmade cards, to thePediatricsUnit andChildren’sRehabilitative Services at St. Joseph’s.

“As her mom, I cannot express the joy and pride Ifeel seeing Taylor accomplish her goal of giving backto others,”said Taylor’smom,Mari Landreth, after thefamily’s visit to St. Joseph’s.“Seeing all the families thatare touched by the Child Life Department was amaz-ing.”

The Child Life specialists are trained to deal withthe emotional needs of hospitalized children and teenswho are coping with both illness and separation fromhome. Support extends to siblings.

Child Life staff members supervise playroom ses-sions, the teen room, pre-surgical education, and toy,Nintendo and video libraries.

Taylor Landreth read her winning essay about the importanceof Child Life during a visit to St. Joseph’s.


Then and now: St. Joseph’s alumreturns with 300 books for childrenAlex Scheererwas born14 years ago at St. Joseph’s.His proudfather,Don, is picturedwith his newborn son in front of theSt. Joseph statue, then located at theThomasRoad entrance.

Fast forward to early 2008. That’s Alex again in front ofthe statue, which now graces the hospital’s circle drive. Seethe books Alex is holding? They’re a few of the more than300 books this youngman collected to give to theChildren’sHealth Center. Alex even produced brochures about hiscause and distributed them to fellow students in his socialstudies class at All Saints Episcopal Day School.

Alex took a tourof the children's areas at St. Joseph’swhenhe delivered the books.“I felt proud because I knew that thebooks would supply countless hours of entertainment forchildrenwho are undergoingmedical procedures,”he said.

Betsy Scheerer, Alex’s mother, was born at St. Joseph’s,too.Alex, a freshman at BrophyCollege Preparatory, hopesto help St. Joseph’s more in the future.

Fry’s “Giving Hope a Hand”gives $50,000 to BreastEvaluation CenterFry’s Food Stores donated $50,000 to the BreastEvaluation Center at St. Joseph’s as part of thecompany’s statewide “Giving Hope a Hand” pro-gram.Fry’s sponsors“GivingHope aHand”annu-ally to increase awareness of breast cancer preven-tion and treatment, and to raise funds for breastcancer services.During the campaign,pink tabs aredisplayed on all participating products on shelvesin Fry’s stores, and each time a customer purchas-es an item, a portion of the purchase goes toward

this fundraiser.The Breast Eval-

uation and Treat-ment Center is avolunteer-run pro-gram that providesfree, multidiscipli-nary cancer care to low-income,unin-suredwomen.“We are very apprecia-tive of Fry’s ongoing support of thisvital program,”saysDr.EdwardDon-ahue, medical director.

Lupita Villa, EdwardDonahue, MD, andGail Brown,WHNP,accept a check fromKendra Doyel ofFry’s Food Stores.

Leader Circle chooses threehospital areas to supportThe Leader Circle, a group of community leaders whosupport St. Joseph’s, recently announced it will makegifts to three different service lines at the hospital.Formed just two years ago, the Leader Circle engagesphilanthropic-minded individuals in supporting theVal-ley’s oldest and largest hospital.

“What’s really innovative and unique about thisgroup is thatmembers are able to engage directly withphysicians and scientists about the newest develop-ments in themedical community and reallymake a tan-gible impact,” said Kathy Kramer, vice president ofLeadership Gifts at St. Joseph’s Foundation.

Members contribute at least $1,000 each to partic-ipate,and this year,with a total of 34members, the groupraised nearly $40,000,which will be split among threedepartments:• St. Joseph’s ComprehensiveCancerCenter, anAmer-ican College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer-approved center that guarantees access to quality,comprehensive care;

• TheArizonaChild StudyCenter, a center that is ded-icated to improving the quality of life for children andfamilies affected by mental, emotional, behavioralor developmental disorders; and

• The Cardiovascular Center, a center of excellencewithin theHeart andLung Institute at St. Joseph’s that

provides the most up-to-date, cutting-edge surgicalcare to patients with cardiac and vascular diseases.

“The Leader Circle is a testament to the power ofbringing together a group of philanthropy-focusedindividuals,”saidDanielKessler,MD,director of theAri-zona Child Study Center.

For more information about joining the LeaderCircle, please contact KathyKramer at (602) 406-1042or [email protected].


Brother and sister give birthday giftsto kids at Children’s Health CenterFormost kids, a birthday is a time to bask in the spot-light and haul in asmany gifts as possible.But this year,brother and sister Dylan and Isabella Steidley decidedto share their blessings with other childrenwhomightnot be as fortunate.

The six- and seven-year-old siblings had recently hadapersonal experiencewith St. Joseph’s. InFebruary 2008,Isabella, then 6, fell backwards off a chair at home andhit her head.At a hospital emergency room,doctors dis-covered a large hematoma in her brain and flew her toSt. Joseph’s for care. Barrow neurosurgeons operatedon the child, and Isabella spent several days in the hos-pital, including three days in the Pediatric ICU.

Her parents,Dr.DeboraGamaLima andDr.DavidEric Steidley, were impressed with the care Isabellareceived, especially the emphasis onmaking the expe-rience as positive as possible for Isabella.

“ W h e n e v e rIsabellawas having apainful procedure,shewas given a toy,”saysDr.GamaLima.“For kids, it makesthe process somucheasier, and I thoughtthe staff did a verygood job.”

Isabella andDylan,whose birth-

days are just amonth apart, had a joint birthday partyin the spring. They gave a good portion of their giftsto the Children’s Health Center and used gift cardsthey’d received to buy additional toys. Isabella hasmade a full recovery.

Leader Circle members Dee Nowell, Jill Krigsten-Ormsbee, and Randy Smith, and guest DougRobinson enjoy a reception at Wally’s Pub.


Who we areWe are the Cocopah Middle School Student Councilseventh and eighth grade representatives. We are theCommunity Outreach Committee under the direc-tion of the committee president,KaitlynHertzog. Themembers include: Haley Augur, Jacob Kaye, EmmaKitnick,HayleyMann,SheaMcAdoo,MadiRaskin,andMolly Wagge. As the first Community OutreachCommittee, we knew we wanted to give back in anexceptional way.

Why we chose St. Joseph’sThere were many deserving hospitals in the area, butSt. Joe’s caught our eye. We chose St. Joes’because theyhelp kids, like us, every day. We wanted to give backwhatwas given to us.Many students that attendCoco-pah Middle School have special connections with St.Joe’s. For example, one of the members of our com-mittee, Haley Augur, and our president’s younger sis-ter,HaileyHertzog,have bothundergoneheart surgery.St. Joe’s prevented two possibly fatal conditions.

COCOPAH MIDDLE SCHOOLIN SCOTTSDALE RAISES

FUNDS FOR 29 NEWROCKING CHAIRS IN THE

CHILDREN’S HEALTH CENTER

CHECKS &CHANGE

FORCHAIRS

Opposite page, Cocopah StudentCouncil sponsors Julie Harris andJamie McCrensky (both seated)accompanied Student Council

members to St. Joseph’s to pres-ent a check for the chairs. Afterthe presentation, the students

visited the heliport on top of theBarrow Neuroscience Tower.Below right, Kaitlyn Hertzog,student body president, wasinterviewed by a TV station.


Furthermore, they give equal care to everyone nomatter their financial situation.For this reason, theywerein dire need of many new rocking chairs for their neo-natal units.When we called, they were ecstatic to hearthat someone was willing to help them out.We knewimmediately that they were the one to help.

How we were successfulTo start the drive, we held a kick off assembly. Theassembly consisted of many speeches. One in particu-lar was given by Debbie Castaldo, who is the directorof Philanthropic Innovation at St. Joseph’s.We also hadfun games to boost motivation for the drive. After-wards, we distributed crayon collection banks to eachclassroom,which were color coordinated according tograde level. We gathered the raised money one dayevery week for two and a half weeks. To elevate thelevel of donations,we enabled a grade level competition.The amount of money raised was more than we everexpected.

The outcomeDuring the two week period we raised $5,386.88 andmanaged to supply St. Joe’s with 29 new rocking chairs.Wewere amazed at howmuchCocopah really does care.Wewere so grateful for all that everyone had donated.The winner of the grade level competition was sixthgradewith the donation amount of $2,252.18. Seventhand eighth grade followed not far behind. It felt sorewarding to make a difference, and we hope to workwith St. Joe’s again in the near future. �

by the Community Outreach Committeeof Cocopah Middle School


SJF Board of Directors electsnew members, officersFour community leaderswere recently elected to serveon the St. Joseph’s Foundation Board of Directors:

Shelby Butterfield is an Arizona native who hasserved on various boards andheld leadership positionsatASU,NorthCentral ParentingGroup,PVUMCPre-school, and Scottsdale Healthcare’s Pediatric Adviso-ry Board. A graduate of the University of Arizona,Butterfieldworked atOgilvy&Mather inNewYorkCityand is an expert in medical ethics and the allocationof scarce medical resources.

Les Gin, the president of Asian Bank of Arizona inPhoenix, is a Tucson native andUniversity of Arizonagraduate with more than 28 years of financial servic-es experience. An active volunteer, Gin serves a widevariety of organizations, including the United WayBoard, Pima Prevention Partnership, MetropolitanEducationCommission, Small Business Commission,Pan Asian Community Alliance, and Chinese Cham-ber of Commerce.

RacheleA.Nichols is the executivenational vicepres-ident of Arbonne International and owner of RacheleNichols & Partners, Inc. A native of Oklahoma, sheearned a bachelor’s at ASU and a master’s at NAU. In2003, she founded her ownbusiness,which distributeshealth and wellness products internationally. Nicholshas volunteered for Collaboration for A New Centu-ry, Sojourner’s Center and Rancho Solano Schools.

Christina A. Palacios held various managementpositions at Southwest Gas, including director of cus-tomer relations anddivisional vice president,before herretirement from the company. Active in the commu-nity, she serves on the Arizona Board of Regents,Greater Phoenix Leadership, Arizona Chamber ofCommerce, and theGreater Phoenix EconomicCoun-cil. Palacios was named Hispanic BusinessWoman ofthe Year, 2004, by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber.

The board also voted to:• Re-elect the following board members—RichardHorn, C.A. Howlett, Louis Olivas, PhD, and TedWilliams (three-year terms); and ChristineWilkin-son, PhD (two-year term).

• Award emeritus status to three board members—Charles Alfano, MD; Patrick Madigan; and JerryNichols.

St. Joseph’s named 100 TopHospital; Barrow makes U.S. News& World Report top-10 list againSt. Joseph’sHospital andMedicalCenter is the onlyVal-ley hospital to benamed a 100TopHospital® byThom-sonHealthcare, a leading provider of information andsolutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare.The 100TopHospitals:National Benchmarks for Suc-cess recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellencein clinical outcomes, patient safety, financial perform-ance, and efficiency.

According toThomson, thehighest performance lev-els in patient safety were achieved by the 100 hospitalsin the study that delivered thehighest balancedperform-ance across quality, efficiency, and financial stability. Ifall hospitals had performed at the level of these lead-ing hospitals on the eight patient safetymeasures stud-ied, they would have saved $253 million and 7,914lives during the time period examined.U.S.News&WorldReport recentlynamedSt. Joseph’s

a top-10 hospital for neurology andneurosurgery.Themagazine’s annual edition of America’s TopHospitalslists St. Joseph’s as #9 in the nation for neurosciences.U.S. News &World Report ranks 170 medical cen-

ters nationwide in 16 specialties. The rankings arebased on three elements: reputation, death rate, and aset of care-related factors such as nursing and patientservices.

St. Joseph’s is the only Arizona hospital ranked onthemagazine’s list for neurology andneurosurgery, andhas the highest ranking of any hospital in the state.

NEWS

Boardmembers form project teamsMembers of the St. Joseph’s Foundation Board ofDirectors and the Barrow Neurological FoundationBoard of Trustees have formed four project teams toraise funds and support for selected areas/projects atthe hospital. The areas/projects are:

• Arizona Child Study Center.

• Comprehensive Cancer Center

• Neuro Rehabilitation Pool

• Pediatric Genetics Center.

Each team seeks to raise $1 million for its project.If you are interested in getting involved on one of theteams, contact the FoundationOffice at 602-406-3041,Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

WIN GREEN GO GREEN

1 .866 .390 .9034 HEALTHWEALTH RAFFLE.ORG

IN SUPPORT OF ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL & BARROW NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE

With every ticket you purchase, you play an important role in supporting health care in Arizona through St. Joseph’s and Barrow’s medical research, patient care and education programs.

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L O O K F O R Y O U R B R O C H U R E I N T H E M A I L !


THE CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY

The charitable gift annuity is a per-fect example of how our tax laws

continue to provide special ways foryou to accomplish two objectives withone asset. In fact, a close look at thegift annuity reveals a true win-winproposition.

The gift annuity enables you toreceive high returns on an asset for therest of your life and also make a chari-table contribution. So, while you cantake steps to secure a high annuity pay-ment for the rest of your life, you canalso realize philanthropic goals.

It is simple.Wewill send you a char-itable gift annuity agreement inexchange for your contribution (check,stocks or bonds). Each year for the restof your life, we will mail payments toyou. Or, if you prefer, the agreementcan run for the lives of you and yourspouse.

A gift annuity is a contract. Pay-ments are backed by all the assets ofthe charity. Therefore, you can be con-fident that theGiftAnnuitywill providea reliable income.

In addition, two tax benefits addvalue to the gift annuity. First, you willreceive a current income tax deduc-

tion—something you will appreciatewhen you file this year’s tax return.Sec-ond, part of each annuity payment wemake to you may be tax-free!

With the benefits of high paymentrates, reduced taxes, and an ultimategift to charity, it is easy to see why somany friends consider the gift annuityto be the ultimate win-win proposi-tion! Please giveme a call at 602-406-1042, and I’ll be happy to provide youwith a personalized example. �

by Kathy KramerVice President, Leadership Gifts

“The gift annuity

makes it possible for

you to receive high

returns on an asset for

the rest of your life

and also make a char-

itable contribution.”

A TRUE WIN-WIN PROPOSITION

ST. JOSEPH’S FOUNDATION

St. Joseph’s Foundation (SJF) was established in 1981to raise funds for projects throughout the hospital. Sincethen, benefactors have contributed millions that havebeen invested in:

� Promising new research� Endowments that attract top physicians and

researchers� Medical education� Programs and services to meet the needs of our

community� Construction and renovation projects� The latest technology.

St. Joseph’s Foundation is governed by a board ofcommunity leaders who serve on a voluntary basis.

2008-2009St. Joseph’s Foundation Board of DirectorsChristine K. Wilkinson, PhD, ChairmanJudy Egan, Vice ChairmanRichard A. Horn, TreasurerJorge Quintero, SecretaryKelly J. BarrRoss Bremner, MDL. Don BrownShelby ButterfieldMary Jane CristTimothy J. DrexlerScott EllerMichael FordLes GinC.A. HowlettLinda HuntMichelle M. MatiskiMichael L. MediciJacquelyn M. MichelsonGordon MurphyRachele A. NicholsLoui Olivas, PhDChristina A. PalaciosCraig S. PorterJoan Rankin Shapiro, PhDTed Williams

For more information, contact St. Joseph’s Foundationat 602-406-3041 or toll-free at 1-800-925-9514. Ouroffice is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

CHW ArizonaSt. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center350 W. Thomas Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85013

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 685Phoenix, AZ

St. Joseph's Foundation, Volume 4, Issue 2, 2008

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