Health
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- Written by: Editor
This year’s gala is themed “Generations” in honor of Ms. Torres and her family for creating a legacy of generosity and changing lives for the better — today and for future generations.
A believer that charity begins – and mostly stays – at home, Torres is widely known for giving back to the community and institutions that contribute so much to the quality of life she appreciates.
Proceeds will benefit St. Helena Hospital’s Women’s Services, including expansion and renovation of the Family Birth Center.
Planned renovations include creation of a state-of-the-art cesarean/delivery room for high risk and emergency deliveries, and attractively furnished, remodeled birthing suites with private baths.
The hospital is also opening a new facility in St. Helena dedicated to comprehensive medical care for women.
Respected physicians and medical staff will provide care and diagnostic services in offices conveniently gathered in one location at the Inglewood Plaza.
A preview of the gala auction catalog is available online at www.shhfoundation.org.
To sponsor or for more information, contact the foundation office at 707-963-6208 or visit www.shhfoundation.org.
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- Written by: Susan Stout
The hospital’s contribution will provide financial support for a full-time faculty member in the college’s nursing program, allowing the college to continue bringing new individuals into the program yearly, according to Superintendent/President Kathryn G. Lehner and Nursing Director Dr. Barbara French.
The college’s nursing education program was facing the possibility of reducing student admissions, cutting back to a new class every two years instead of annually, French has indicated.
“Sutter Lakeside Hospital is proud to partner with Mendocino College in its efforts to provide excellent clinical education through its nursing program,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer of the hospital. “As part of our commitment as a not-for-profit community partner, we hope that our donation will serve to further the education of nurses for many years to come.”
The contribution came about as a result of a meeting between Mendocino College Foundation President Channing Cornell, Superintendent/President Lehner, the chief executive officers and other representatives from Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Ukiah Valley Medical Center in Ukiah, and Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits.
The hospitals’ leaders indicated a willingness to assist the nursing program, said Cornell. “This is an excellent example of members of our community coming together to help out until the state of California can provide funds for the College like they used to do.”
Nelson lauded the college’s nursing program and its ability to give students the opportunity to obtain training in nearby hospitals. “Mendocino College provides local students access to higher education in the field of health care, which allows us to support those same students by providing them with job opportunities upon graduation.”
She added, “Over the years we have had the opportunity to provide many nursing students with a hands-on learning experience in the fast-paced hospital setting. It always excites me to see students in their blue-and-white scrubs, taking notes, asking questions and working hard to understand our intense medical care environment. The residents of Lake County are fortunate to have access to Mendocino
College. We hope that our partnership will continue to grow as more students continue to enroll in the nursing program.”
French expressed her gratitude for the hospitals' contributions. “The nursing shortage is still expected to be critical in the next 10 years so it is vital that we prepare nurses locally to ensure we have nurses with roots in our community.”
She thanked Sutter Lakeside Hospital for its financial support that has allowed the college to hire a full-time instructor and to make fall admissions possible this year.
The Mendocino College Nursing Program was established in 2003 as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) to registered nurse (RN) bridge program, according to College Superintendent/President Lehner.
“It quickly became evident that to meet the local needs of our community the college needed to have a full two-year generic RN program which began in 2005,” said Lehner. “ That cohort had a zero percent attrition rate, and all are licensed in the state as registered nurses.”
In 2006, due to the local demand, the college obtained grant funding and foundation support and started yearly admissions, said Lehner. To date there have been 100 graduates of the program, and 86 percent of these graduates work in local facilities.
Mendocino College Foundation relies on contributions for providing scholarships to students and for helping it in its support for the College.
Information about the foundation, its directors, events and giving opportunities can be found on the Foundation’s Web site, http://foundation.mendocino.edu, or may be obtained by calling the foundation office at 707-467-1018.
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- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Sutter Lakeside Hospital (SLH) declared Friday, Oct. 15, as Pink Glove Day.
Patients, family members and visitors alike saw SLH employees in high-traffic patient care areas wearing the pink gloves beginning on Friday and continuing through the weekend.
“I’ve worked on raising money for breast cancer since I was 7 years old,” said James Huston, Materials manager at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “Cancer has affected my family personally as well as many of my fellow workers here at Sutter Lakeside.”
Huston, who is responsible for procurement services at SLH, ordered the pink gloves from Medline who donates a portion of the each box purchased to breast cancer awareness.
“We are in the health care business and this disease affects entire families,” Huston said. “Anything that we can do to promote research to eliminate or find a cure, we should do. If that means we have to wear pink gloves, we will wear pink gloves.”
Huston continued, “We are hoping to make this an annual event for Sutter Lakeside, and we hope that it grows from pink glove day to pink glove week and then ultimately to pink glove month.”
Ideas from SLH employees have already begun pouring in as to other ways to bring awareness to breast cancer.
The director of medical imaging, Don Pifer, has decided to stock the pink gloves in the mammography suite all year long.
“Breast cancer does not affect families only in the month of October. It happens every day,” said Pifer. “We want our patients to know that we are always committed to breast cancer awareness. Pink is here to stay!”
The medical imaging department at SLH offers digital mammography and breast MRI scans. If you would like to make an appointment or if you have any questions, please call us at 707-262-5030.
At Sutter Lakeside Hospital, pink is here to stay!
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Dr. Smith said the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center now has access to large national clinical trials covering most types of cancer. They can enroll a patient for treatment in as little as 24 hours. Since the trials are National Cancer Institutes approved, Medicare and most insurance companies also cover them.
“Most trials do not involve the use of placebo unless there are no approved treatment options” Dr. Smith, a medical oncologist and hematologist emphasized. “We will be able to add our patients to national studies of promising drug treatments involving thousands of patients. Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center patients will get treatment available only in major cancer centers.
“Only 3 percent of patients in the United States are placed on clinical trials, and this is a shame because they are not being offered the best treatment available. Only through participation in clinical trials are we going to find cures for cancer,” he added.
Dr. Smith noted that one clinical trial drug “puts calcium back in the bones to make them stronger so there is less pain and fracturing in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. “We have lots of treatment options, but can now offer those, plus something new that has shown promise.” For example, other trials for breast cancer offer promise of new drug treatments added to standard treatment.
Oversight of the clinical trials for local patients is rigorous, according to Dr .Smith. “UCSF, our clinical trial affiliate, and the National Cancer Institutes Review Board will be looking over our shoulder at every patient enrolled in one of trials.”
The UCSF affiliation, initially set for five years, further enhances the services of the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center by providing coordinated access to a comprehensive array of treatment options at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is one of the nation’s largest clinical and
research cancer programs.
The Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center, opened in November 2009, and is a 12,500-square-foot facility dedicated to outpatient cancer care using the most advanced technology and a commitment to whole-person care. It is part of the new Johnson Pavilion that was funded by $26 million in community
contributions and includes the Trinchero Surgery Center.
For more information, visit www.napavalleycancercare.org.