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Soroptimist gives from the heart for the heart


For The Madera Tribune Madera Community Hospital Trustees, Madera Community Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and the Madera Soroptimist President gather with a new EKG machine the hospital received recently. From left are Jane Kautz, Vice President, Hospital Foundation; Karan Long, President, Soroptimist Club; John Markle, President, Hospital Foundation; Ted Pistoresi, Director, Hospital Foundation Board; Deidre DaSilva, Vice Chair, Madera Community Hospital Board of Trustees; Stell Manfredi, Chair, Madera Community Hospital Board of Trustees; Peter Garcia, RN, Director, Hospital Foundation Board; Anna da Silva, Hospital Trustee; and Monte Pistoresi, Secretary, Hospital Board of Trustees.

 

Madera Community Hospital Foundation announced the leadership gift from Soroptimist International of Madera for $7,500 and was the first community gift received for Madera Community Hospital Foundation’s Capital Campaign to purchase new EKG Machines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease accounts for one in every four female deaths.

“Soroptimist is providing financial support for lifesaving diagnostic services at Madera Community Hospital to benefit the women of our community. We want to help ensure that women, and those they care about, receive timely and efficient cardiac diagnostic services close to home,” said Sue Harris, president, Soroptimist International of Madera.

Each month, nearly 600 patients receive an electrocardiogram using an EKG machine in the emergency department at Madera Community Hospital. It is also common for patients to receive an EKG prior to surgery, while in post-operative care or during the course of their hospital stay.

At the urgent request of the Hospital Board of Trustees, the Madera Community Hospital Foundation launched a capital campaign in February, to secure $200,000 in philanthropic funding to replace the health system’s existing EKG machines and add two additional units. The campaign began with 60 percent of Madera Community Hospital employees donating more than $50,000, in one time gifts and 12-month pledges through payroll deduction. Hospital Trustees and Foundation Board Members followed with their gifts and pledges to the campaign.

Soroptimist International of Madera was an early contributor to the campaign.

“After making her own generous gift to the campaign, hospital trustee and Soroptimist member, Jan Zitek, suggested the foundation submit a funding request to Soroptimist,” said Sherrie Bakke, staff liaison for the Hospital Foundation. “Speaking on behalf of the Madera Community Hospital Family of volunteer leaders, executives, physicians and staff, we are humbled by the support and confidence demonstrated by the investment Soroptimist International of Madera made toward advancing innovation at our hospital.”

In the past year, Madera Community Hospital has been recognized for clinical excellence and exemplary patient safety by regulatory and accreditation agencies, as well as leading healthcare consumer groups. The physicians and staff who earned the recognitions deserve, as do the patients, to have technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. The cost of one new, state-of –the-art, EKG machine is an estimated $15,000. The advanced cardio vascular diagnostic equipment will improve care coordination, including time to cardiology consult, time to diagnosis and time to treatment.

Phase three of the campaign was launched the beginning of May, with a written communication from the Medical Executive Committee, signed by Mohammad Ashraf, MD, Chief of Staff, requesting physician participation in the campaign.

“The entire hospital family has been asked to participate in the campaign,” said Bakke. “With gifts and pledges from trustees, including the physician members, as well as executive leadership and employees, the foundation has the support to confidently ask the community for the remaining financial support needed to fund the purchase of new EKGs.”

Soroptimist International of Madera was the first community gift to the EKG Campaign with a check pass ceremony in late July.

The Madera Community Hospital Foundation estimates they will need an additional $60,000 in one-time gifts and pledges, to fully fund the purchase of 12 EKG machines.

“Soroptimist set a high mark of support and we know there are others in Madera County who understand the need for philanthropic investments to advance innovation and technology at our hospital,” said Bakke.

To find out how you can invest in lifesaving technology and innovation at Madera Community Hospital, contact Bakke, 675-5502, or SBakke@MaderaHospital.org or donate on line at MaderaHospital.org/Foundation. Madera Community Hospital is a registered, 501-C3, non–profit organization.

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