Because of You... Hope and healing prevail New technology improves care Expertise blends with compassion Our 2009 annual report to donors and friends. Table of Contents Building on our Neurosciences expertise ..............................................2 Providing cutting-edge Cardiovascular care ..........................................4 Advanced Oncology care helps restore health ......................................6 Supporting our Mission .........................................................................8 Gifts enhance patient care and comfort ..............................................12 Fundraising events benefit patient services ........................................14 Donor Recognition ..............................................................................17 We are St. John Providence Health System Throughout this annual report, you will notice that our name is now St. John Providence Health System. “This name change represents a milestone in our commitment to being a unified, spiritually centered system coordinated across all points of care,” said Patricia Maryland, Dr.PH, President and CEO, St. John Providence Health System. “The names of St. John and Providence are well known for representing skilled, expert care. The new name reinforces our commitment to the communities we serve.” While the system name has changed, the names of our hospitals remain the same. As an Ascension Health ministry, St. John Providence Health System is dedicated to continuing the mission and caring legacy of our founding sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Daughters of Charity. Most importantly, patients will continue to receive the high level of care they’ve come to expect from us. Dear Friends, On behalf of the many thousands of people who find healing and comfort at St. John Providence Health System, thank you sincerely for your generous support. Because of you, we are able to attract and retain the finest physicians and associates, acquire state-of-the-art technology, enhance community programs, and provide compassionate, spiritually centered care to every person we serve. As you read this annual report, you will discover the breadth and depth of generosity that exists in our community. From major gifts to memorial tributes to attendance at a fundraising event, every dollar we receive is vitally important to the success of our health care mission. Susan E. Burns We are especially grateful for the continuing exceptional generosity of Art Van Elslander and Gretchen Valade. Because of Mr. Van Elslander’s outstanding gift, we are enhancing our Neurosciences Center of Excellence, where brain, spine and nervous system disorders and injuries are attended to by world-renowned specialists. At the same time, Mrs. Valade’s gener- ous gift to create a Cardiovascular Hybrid Surgical Laboratory will advance our position as a nationally recognized leader in the detection and treatment of heart and vascular disease. With the bequest of their entire estate to benefit the lymphoma program, William and Ann Birdseye became the first members of our Legacy Society, a special recognition group for those who remember St. John Providence Health System through a planned gift. Additional estate gifts will benefit the Webber Cancer Center and Orthopedics, while other friends have funded enhancements in Pediatrics and patient education. Their reasons for giving are often touching and always hopeful, and we are committed to honoring the trust they have placed in us. Joan S. Gehrke As we look to the future, our fundraising efforts will continue to focus on the growth of four Centers of Excellence: Cardiovascular Care, Oncology, Neurosciences and Bariatrics, which draw upon expert medical research, leading-edge treatment and innovative technology. These key centers represent areas of great patient need and are already recognized for their high quality. We will continue our efforts to support the Centers of Excellence, along with many other programs, services and technology necessary to provide the best patient care possible. We are proud to recognize you as a valued partner in our ministry and ask you to continue walking with us on our journey to excellence. Yours sincerely, Joseph V. Walker Susan E. Burns President, St. John Providence Health System Foundations Joan S. Gehrke Chair, St. John Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees Joseph V. Walker Chair, Providence Health Foundation Board of Trustees (Executive photos by Karlest Ford) 1 Center of Excellence NEUROSCIENCES “Angels from God… ...in our lives forever” Cheryl and Jeff Forstrom’s daughter Alyssa was born with spina bifida, a condition in which the bones of the spine do not form prop- erly around the spinal cord, limiting her mobility and causing pain. The couple quickly learned that this would bring a life of hospital visits, surgery and physical therapy for Alyssa and the family would need the expertise, support and care of many individuals. The Forstroms have been by their 9-year-old daughter’s side as she has undergone more than 20 surgeries over the years. They have utilized medical services close to their Upper Peninsula home near Iron Mountain but most recently came to Providence Park Hospital in Novi. Last summer, they drove nine hours so Michael Mendelow, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, could perform three surgeries to straighten Alyssa’s spine, which was bent at a 150-degree angle. Cheryl said it was “scary going that far away from home,” espe- cially knowing they would be gone for over a month. It wasn’t long, though, before they found a home away from home. Cheryl fondly speaks about her family’s experience at Providence Park, recalling their first visit with Dr. Mendelow. He spoke with them “eye-to-eye and didn’t talk down” to them, even when Cheryl took out two pages of questions. Over four hours later, they knew Alyssa Alyssa cheers up when Parker comes for a visit. was in good hands and never looked back. (Photo by Cheryl Thrushman) Remote technology brings stroke experts to bedside New remote robot technology is now being The sooner a stroke is treated, the better used within St. John Providence Health the outcome for the patient. System to leverage the expertise of stroke The robot is a sophisticated, audiovisual, experts for real time evaluation and treat- Internet-based system. Using laptop control ment of stroke patients. A remote presence stations, physicians and hospital staff can network connects stroke specialists and activate the robots at the patient’s bedside. patients, enabling physicians to evaluate Patients, physicians and staff can see and patients without travel time to reach hear one another. The specialist has access off-site locations. to labs and patient imaging data such as Art Van Elslander’s generous gift to the CT and MRI. Family members can also talk Photo by Cheryl Thrushman Photo by Cheryl Providence Neurosciences program funded to the remote physician and hospital staff, Neurologist Dr. Bruce Silverman, the purchase of this technology. Robots easing the transition when transfer to another visible on the robot’s screen, are currently in place at Providence and location is necessary for advanced treatment. evaluates a stroke patient off-site Providence Park Hospitals and Genesys, Depending on their condition and while Janice Richmond, RN, a sister hospital in Grand Blanc. St. John location, patients may be treated with tPA – and Vickie Gordon, NP, Hospital and Medical Center (SJH&MC) intravenous thrombolytic drugs, which must help communicate and assess and St. John River District Hospital are be administered within 3 to 4-1/2 hours of the patient’s condition. next to be added. the onset of stroke. If endovascular treat- Using robots, specialists can be at the ment is required, patients are transferred to patient bedside within minutes, enabling one of the Comprehensive Stroke Centers patients to be treated up to one hour faster. at Providence, Providence Park or SJH&MC. With quicker evaluation and treatment, the The key is getting expertise to the bedside possibility of injury to the brain decreases. and making decisions quickly. 2 Art Van Elslander proudly supports the Neurosciences That Alyssa is doing well in school and having fun bowling and Center of Excellence. playing in “bouncy houses” attests to the successful outcome of the surgery. But there was more that took place during that time… The kindness and care of the staff combined with their passion for healing enabled the Forstroms to focus their energy and atten- tion on Alyssa’s healing. They were able to stay at the Staybridge Suites on the hospital campus, courtesy of Providence Park Hospital. The attentiveness and concern of doctors, nurses and physical therapists, along with daily kindnesses, such as invitations to dinner, special visits and get-well cards from staff, friends and The best just got better family helped ease the stay of Alyssa and her parents during the Van Elslander gift advances Neurosciences program intense month away from home. St. John Providence Health System’s the first phase of the Regional Alyssa remembers one special visitor, Parker, Providence Park (SJPHS) internationally recognized Tele-Health Network, which allows Hospital’s Therapy-Facility Dog (see related story). Having left the Neurosciences Center of Excellence physicians to visit a patient’s two family dogs behind to make the trip, Alyssa looked forward is moving years ahead in expand- bedside “virtually” through ing technology and enhancing remote-presence technology. to the days when the