st. joseph's foundation, volume 5, issue 2, 2009

ST. JOSEPH’SmagazineA magazine for the friends of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Volume 5, Issue 2, 2009

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAINSpecialized heart clinics

solve complex problems

New Medical School in PhoenixSt. Joseph’s partners with

Creighton University

Richard Horn, the chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Joseph’s Foundation, says it best in hisarticle on page 16: “St. Joseph’s is an incredible community resource that needs and deserves yoursupport.”

Read this issue of St. Joseph’s Magazine, and you’ll see plenty of examples of what Rick is talk-ing about. Frompioneering heart procedures, advanced genet-ic testing, and cutting-edgediagnostic technology to a newmed-ical school based right here in Phoenix, St. Joseph’s is a leaderin clinical care, medical education, and research.

None of this would be possible without you and the manyother benefactors who give so generously to St. Joseph’sFoundation. Your gifts enable us to do the extras that makeSt. Joseph’s a truly great hospital.

As this magazine was going to press, we learned thatModernHealthcare has namedSt. Joseph’s one of the 100 BestPlaces to Work in Healthcare—another example of what we can achieve with your support.

We encourage you to get more involved in St. Joseph’s and our healing ministry. Check out thelist of Miracle Tours for this fiscal year, and sign up for one that interests you. You’ll come away, asRick has, impressed by the amazing things happening at the hospital you have helped build.

Thank you for all you do!

Linda Hunt Mary Jane CristService Area President, CHW Arizona CEOPresident/CEO, St. Joseph's Hospital St. Joseph’s Foundationand Medical Center

OPENING THOUGHTS

Correction: Gregg Giannina, MD, was incorrectly identified as George Giannina, MD, in the last issue ofSt. Josephʼs Magazine. We apologize for this error.

On our cover: Joseph Kimball is a cowboy who received a career-saving valve replacement at St. Josephʼs Heart& Lung Institute. Learn about his journey in our cover article starting on page 2.

2 Back in the Saddle AgainSurgeons tackle difficult cardiac cases throughtwo advanced clinics.

7 A Tiny Heart in 3DAngiogram guides surgeons, helps parents understand.

9 Heart SavingsCoronary CTA rules out lethal artery blockages.

10 Breathing EasierFoundation-funded program helps children with asthmastay healthy, reduces healthcare costs.

13 Shared Vision and ValuesCreighton University and St. Joseph’s announceopening of only Catholic medical school in the West.

16 A Word from Our Chairman“St. Joseph’s is an incredible community resource thatneeds and deserves your support.”

17 All in the FamilyWomen turn to genetic testing to deal with familyhistories of breast cancer.

20 Saving TreesFoundations increase online communications.

22 Why We GiveFamily honors son through gifts to water-safety program.

24 Miracle Tours

26 Benefactor Briefs

30 News

ST. JOSEPH’SmagazineA magazine for the friends of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Volume 5, Issue 2, 2009

contents

Catherine [email protected]

Justin DetwilerArt Director/Designer

Panoramic Press

Brad Armstrong, Jeff NoblePhotography

Sally Clasen, Diantha Leavitt,Melissa Morrison, Sarah PadillaChristina VanoverbekeContributing writers

Linda Hunt,Service Area President, CHW ArizonaPresident/CEO, St. Joseph’s Hospitaland 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 twiceayearbySt. Joseph’sFoundation.Wewelcomeyourcomments, suggestions, and requests tobeaddedto or deleted from our mailing list. Call 602-406-1041, email [email protected], or send mail to St. Joseph’s Magazine, Office ofPhilanthropy,St. Joseph’sHospital andMedicalCenter, 350W.ThomasRd.,Phoenix,AZ, 85013.Please includeyourname,address, anddaytimetelephone number in all correspondence. Visit us online at www.SupportStJosephs.org andwww.SupportCongenitalHeart.org.

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

BACK IN THE SADDLESURGEONS TACKLE DIFFICULT CARDIAC CASES

THROUGH TWO ADVANCED CLINICSby Sally Clasen

Whenthe subject of heart surgery comes up,many people automatically think

of coronary bypass surgery, a procedure usedcommonly in theUnitedStates

to improve blood flow and open up clogged arteries. Yet, treating cardiovascular prob-

lems isn’t always a “routine” event, as JosephKimball, age46, andWilliam “Randy”Davis,

78, discovered this past year.

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

Fortunately, bothmen received cutting-edge care atSt. Joseph’s as part of programs that combine advancedcardiac diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up in one set-ting: the Heart Valve andAtrial Fibrillation clinics.The clinics were created by Lishan Aklog, MD, and

Brian J. deGuzman, MD, of the Heart and Lung Insti-tute (HLI) at St. Joseph’s.Drs.Aklog, deGuzman, and ateam of specialists, nurses and support staff meet eachweek to evaluate patients of all ages in both clinics.“Oneof the advantages of these clinics andourded-

icated team approach is that patients are offered coor-dinated rather than fragmented care in solving heartissues,particularly complexones,”explainsDr.Aklog,whois thechairof theCardiovascularCenter andchief of Car-diovascular Surgery at the HLI.That perspective was critical for both Kimball and

Davis,whoseheart surgerieswere routine for St. Joseph’sexperts but hardly normal in the scope of everyday car-diac procedures.Here are their stories:

The cowboy with a blocked valveJoseph Kimball, a Queen

Creek resident,didnot have ahistory of heart disease wheninSeptember2008while com-peting at a rodeo in Utah, hestarted coughing and feelinglousy.By the timehe returnedto theValley,his conditionhaddeteriorated significantly.“Iwasmiserable—cough-

ing all the time—so I went to the doctor and was pre-scribed antibiotics,”saysKimball,who shoes horses andis ablacksmithwhenhe’snotpursuingaprofessional rop-ing career.“I tried to shrug it off and continued towork.In November, I went to the National Finals Rodeo inLaughlin,Nevada, but got so weak I had to fly home.”In December, Kimball went to a local ER, where he

was immediately admitted to the hospital’s intensive

care unit with congestive heart failure, caused by aorticstenosis (valve blockage) that had reduced his heartfunction to 10 percent.He alsowas experiencing severeliver andkidney failure.A teamof physiciansworkedonhim throughout thenight.“The triage doctor said I had

been snatchedfrom the jaws ofdeath,” Kimballsays.It was recom-

mended thatKim-ball have amechanical valvereplacement,whichwould require tak-

ing the blood thinner Coumadin for the rest of his life.He alsowas told he’d have to change his lifestyle,whichwould endhis dreamsof becoming aprofessional roper,because of the risk of life-threatening bleeding fromCoumadin.It was devastating news for the dedicated cowboy.

“I couldn’t understandwhy I had learned all these skillsandwasn’t going to be able to use them again,”Kimball

“In November, I went to the

National Finals Rodeo... but

got so weak I had to fly home.”

Joseph Kimball

Lishan Aklog, MD, and BriandeGuzman, MD, in surgery atSt. Josephʼs Heart and Lung

Tower. Gifts from donorshelped fund a renovation

of the tower.


recalls.“I cried for quitea while.”Once he left the hos-

pital,Kimballmadea fol-low-up appointmentwith a surgeon to dis-cuss themechanical valveoption.Healso scheduledavisit toSt.Joseph’sHeartValveClinic.According to Kimball, he had two“heartfelt“ meet-

ings withDr.Aklog,who suggested to the father of twodaughters, ages 7 and 17, that it would be reasonable toconsider a bovine tissue valve replacement. The tissue-

valve replacement would eliminate the need forCoumadin—and save his roping career.Kimball agreed, and on Jan. 13, 2009, Dr. Aklog’s

team replaced Kimball’s damaged valve with a biologi-cal tissue valve througha three-inch incision inhis chest.In addition,Dr.Aklog repaired anunexpectedproblem

that was identified onhis preoperative evalu-ation—an ascendingaortic aneurysm. Theaneurysm required thesurgeon to stop Kim-ball’s circulation for 25

minutes to mend it with a Dacron graft.Kimball’s breast bone was reconstructed using a

unique system of titanium plates and screws instead oftraditional wire hoops, a method that accelerated hisreturn to a vigorous life.“It is gratifying that our team was able to offer this

rather ill young man a mini-mally invasive operation thatcorrected both his obstructedvalve and his aneurysm, andallowedhim toquickly returntohis very active life,” saysDr.Aklog.One week after his dis-

charge fromthehospital,Kim-ball was back on a horse, anda fewdays later,he started rop-ing again. His heart functionhas returned to near normal.While he says it’s been a

slow process of healing,Kim-ball has never felt better.“I’vegot blood flow now. I’m sostrong.Everything is different.Mymuscles are bigger.Myhat

size is bigger,” he says. “And I’m farther along than I’veever been inmywhole life. I still have a bit of numbing,but it’s a small price to pay.”

“The key in all valve patients is

careful, coordinated monitoring

so that intervention is performed

within the correct window of

opportunity, before permanent

heart and lung damage

develops.”

Lishan Aklog, MD


The grandfatherwith aquivering heartWilliam “Randy” Davis, a

retireewho lives inScottsdale,hasa family history of heart diseaseandhadtakenhighbloodpressuremedication since the 1960s. Fiveyears ago,hewas diagnosedwithatrial fibrillation (AF),an abnor-mality that occurs in the twoupper chambers—or atria—oftheheart and that creates irregu-lar heart beats (arrhythmia).Insteadof a coordinated contrac-tion, with AF, the heart musclesof the atria quiver, or fibrillate.While many with AF don’t

have symptoms, they must takeblood thinners and watch whatthey eat. They also may be atgreater risk for stroke.“When I first heard this, I

didn’t know what AF was butthought, ‘How horrible. I don’twant to live like this the rest ofmylife,’”Davis says.The grandfather of two

wasn’t thrilled with the idea ofcontinuing to take Coumadinevery day. Plus, the need to visit doctors every otherweek to get blood work done was becoming a strain.“Iwas tired of my arm being black and blue from wheretheydrew theblood,”saysDavis,whoalsohada catheterablation procedure to help manage the AF.So when he saw an ad in the Arizona Republic in

January 2007 promoting a free seminar on atrial fibril-lation, he was eager to attend.“I was expecting to see about 50 people.When I got

there, the auditorium was filled with more than 300people of all ages. I knew Iwas in the right place,”Davissays.The educational seminars are heldmonthly byDr.Aklog and Dr. deGuzman, associate chief of CardiacSurgery at theHLI anddirector of itsAtrial FibrillationClinic.Davis made an appointment at the HLI’s AF Clinic

and met with Dr. deGuzman. In addition to AF, testsrevealedDavis had leakymitral and tricuspidvalves,andcoronary blockage. He underwent open-heart surgeryonMay 19, 2008.

During the procedure,Dr.Aklog repaired the valvesand did a bypass graft in addition to aCoxmaze proce-dure to correct the AF. During the Cox maze proce-dure, surgeons used incisions and a special radiofre-quency device to create a pattern of lines in the wall ofthe atria, literally creating a “maze” through which theelectrical impulses are forced to travel and restoring anorderly electrical signal and regular heart beat.“All of this could have developed into something far

more serious. I feel that my life was saved,”Davis says.Soonafter surgery,Daviswore aheart-rhythmmon-

itor for 30days,and it showednot a single irregularheartbeat.As part of treatment,Davis did cardiac rehab threetimes aweek for threemonths andnow says he’s“hold-ing steady.” The most significant change: He’s been offCoumadin formore than a year and is only taking halfof his high blood pressure medication.“I just saw Dr.Aklog, and he has set me free. I’ll see

him in one year. I’m thrilled. I can’t say enough aboutDr.Aklog,Dr.deGuzman, and the the rest of the caringstaff at St. Joseph’s and how everything was handled.”


According to Dr. deGuzman, Davis is the perfectexampleof someonewho thoughtAFcouldn’t be cured.“He is theposter child for themultidisciplinary,patient-centered approach we have taken in ourAtrial Fibrilla-tion and Heart Valve clinics. In one, setting, he wasoffered the full spectrumof treatmentoptions,andaftera long, detailed discussion, he chose to pursue a surgi-cal cure for his AF,” says the surgeon,who adds that thesuccess rate for the Cox maze procedure is between 80and 90 percent.“He shows that even in an elderly

patientwehave theopportunity toper-form a relatively complex procedurethat can improve quality of life anddecrease long-term risks of stroke andcomplications from blood thinners,”Dr.Aklog adds.

Different hearts, one goalDr. Aklog points out that many

myths exist about heart disease—espe-cially valve disease and atrial fibrilla-tion.Manypatients simply donot fullyunderstand the options available tothem.“Most valve patients are in fact can-

didates for minimally invasive proce-dures. Nearly all those with leaky mitral and/or tricus-pidvalves can reap themanybenefits of valve repair overreplacement, includingbetterpreservationof heart func-tion, avoidance of blood thinners, and a longer life.Thekey in all valve patients is careful, coordinatedmonitor-ing so that intervention is performedwithin the correctwindowof opportunity,beforepermanentheart and lungdamage develops,”Dr.Aklog says.Similarly,many patients with AF are often told that

it is something they just have to livewith, that it is a dis-ease without a cure. ‘‘This just isn’t the case. AF can becured inmany patients,”he says.

“It is important to have strong, integratedprogramsthat canhandle complexheartproblems,suchas Joseph’sandRandy’s, andoffer individuals a personalized,mod-ern treatmentplan.HereatSt. Joseph’s,our teamhas triedto move from a traditional center focused on routinebypass surgery toone that excels broadly in the treatmentof all types of heart patients including those that requirecomplex and high-risk procedures. We hope this canenhance our patients’ lives.”

St. Josephʼs cardiovascular surgeons Lishan Aklog,MD, and Brian deGuzman, MD, are pioneers in treat-ing valve disease and atrial fibrillation.

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

CT ANGIOGRAMGUIDES HEART

SURGEONS ANDHELPS PARENTSUNDERSTAND

When MarkWright was born in May 2008 with a previously undetected heart defect, his parents wereunderstandably flustered.

“I knew a heart had four chambers, but that’s about where my knowledge stopped,” Molly Wright says.“It was very confusing and hard to get things right in our minds.”The two-day-old newborn was airlifted from the Gilbert hospital where he was born to St. Joseph’s Hos-

pital and Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed him with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which meanthis aorta and one half of his heart were underdeveloped.Traditional technology could not give a precise determination of the extent of Mark’s defect. But a newer

technique, called a cardiac CT angiogram, not only gave surgeons a clear road map to guide them, it gaveMark’s parents clarity about their son’s heart defect.“Everything was color-coded, and we could see the exact size of his left ventricle,”Mrs.Wright says.“They

could point it out, ‘Here’s the right and here’s the left, and it’s a tenth of the size it should be.’“It was invaluable because it helped us see for ourselves.”

by Melissa Morrison

A TINY HEART IN 3D


In adult patients, CT angiograms (CTAs) areemerging as a faster,more detailed replacement for con-ventional angiograms, which are riskier and moreinvasive.But until recently, cardiac CTAs took too long to

be used on a baby’s heart, which beats roughly twiceas fast as an adult’s.“In the past, high radiation exposure and the baby’s

rapid heart rate made this type of exam impossible,”says Randy Richardson,MD, chairman of Radiologyat St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.Technological advances, however, nowmake CTA

possible forinfants. The tech-nique, which St.Joseph’s radiolo-gists have beenusing for twoyears, is far lessinvasive, muchquicker, and veryaccurate.For the proce-

dure, an anesthe-siologist typicallyintubates the tinypatient and holds

the baby’s breath for the five-second duration of thescan.A contrast dye is injected into the infant’s veinsto limn, or delineate, the anatomy of the heart.Surgeons use the resulting color 3-D image to

guide themduring a heart operation. For example, theCTA image helps them avoid cutting across small butimportant coronary vessels in the heart.“You can evenmanipulate the images to put your-

self inside the heart and fly through the vessels andchambers of the heart to get a unique perspective indifficult cases,” Dr. Richardson says.It gives cardiothoracic surgeons like John Nigro,

MD, “the unprecedented ability to have an accuraterendering of the anatomy, which can be presented ina 3-D way that can be manipulated.“In prior eras we had to integrate two-dimension-

al studies with prior operative experience and then cre-ate an operative plan,”Dr. Nigro says. “This technol-ogy allows amore thorough and thoughtful evaluationprior to surgery.”So far, St. Joseph’s is only using the technique on

babies, although it can be performed on adults, as well.Even limited to pediatric patients, it has had a signif-icant effect. “We now do half the number of conven-tional angiograms than before we began this pro-gram in 2007,” Dr. Richardson says.Congenital heart disease is the most common

major defect in newborns, affecting one percent ofAmerican babies, according to the American HeartAssociation. The defects impede blood flow throughthe heart and can be fatal. They also put babies at riskfor heart-valve infection, abnormal growth, and heartproblems as adults.Since his birth, Mark Wright has undergone two

of three planned surgeries to reconfigure his heart soit pumps efficiently. His third surgery is scheduledsometime after he turns two years old in May.His parents, as well as his extended family, have a

clearer idea of how far he’s come, thanks to cardiacCTA.“We even emailed images to our family, because they

were, like us, confused,”Mrs.Wright says.“It was veryhelpful.”

This color-coded CTA of MarkWrightʼs heart shows a smaller-than-

normal left ventricle (orange) and anormal-sized right ventricle (purple).


Time is muscle,” when it comes to treating poten-tial heart attacks. A new technique employed by

radiologists in St. Joseph’s Emergency Departmentrules out lethal artery blockages in less than 10 min-utes and sends patients home sooner and safer.Chest pain can be caused by anything from indiges-

tion to heart attack.Coronary computed tomographyangiography—coronary CTA—creates a detailed 3Dpicture of a patient’s heart vessels. It quickly identifieswhether any vessels that deliver crucial oxygenatedblood to heart muscle are dangerously narrowed.Traditionally, ER physicians have looked for heart-

clogging plaques with a coronary angiogram. It’s aninvasive procedure that carries certain risks because itrequires threading a catheter through an artery and intothe heart. The procedure generally takes about onehour, followed by a four- to eight-hour recovery peri-od and sometimes an overnight hospital stay, even ifthe patient’s coronary arteries turn out to be healthy.Coronary CTA, on the other hand, takes only five

heartbeats to complete. It is noninvasive, requiringonly IV access, usually through a vein in the patient’sforearm. If the patient receives an all-clear, he or shecan be sent home immediately.“TheCTA test is reducingwait times andhealthcare

costs,”saysOlga Kalinkin,MD, chief of Cross Section-al Imaging at St. Joseph’s. “It reduces unnecessaryadmissions, shortens lengthof stay,and reduces charges.”It is also more comprehensive than traditional

angiography because it reveals blood vessel walls andplaque buildup thatmaynot be visible on angiography.

Available 24hours aday, the 64-sliceCTscanner takesmultiple x-rays—or “slices”—of the heart and thenputs them together into a high-resolution 3-D image.“Radiologists can look at the patient’s arteries from

an infinite number of angles and look at a cross-sec-tion of vessels,”Dr. Kalinkin says.If the coronary CTA indicates the patient’s vessels

are unobstructed,or only somewhat obstructed, the ERdoctor can safely discharge him or her.“Apatientwith no coronary artery lesions is assured

about his or her good coronary artery health,” Dr.Kalinkin says.“Apatientwithmild coronary atheroscle-rosis receives specific instructions tomodify his or herrisk factors to prevent progression of coronary ather-osclerosis.”Patients with more significant coronary disease

receive a consultation froma cardiologist or cardiac sur-geon in the ED and further treatment.The technology also gives doctors a chance to look

for other life-threatening causes of chest pain, such aspulmonary embolism, aortic dissection, and diseasesof the lung or chest wall.But its most important contribution is ruling out

life-threatening coronary artery disease as quickly andefficiently as possible.“The primary goal for the ED doctor in treating

patients with chest pain is rapid and early evaluation,”Dr. Kalinkin says.

Olga Kalinkin, MD, Chiefof Cross SectionalImaging at St. Josephʼs.

HEART SAVINGS

CORONARY CTA RULES OUT LETHAL ARTERYBLOCKAGES IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES

by Melissa Morrison

“

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

BREATHING EASIER

A low-cost neighborhoodoutreachprogramofferedby St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center for

young asthmapatients is dramatically reducing health-care costs and demonstrating the far-reaching value ofpreventative medicine and health education.“While President Obama’s proposed healthcare

reform legislation is promising that prevention andeducationwill reduce costs,we are already proving it,”saysMarisueGarganta,director of CommunityHealthIntegration at St. Joseph’s. “The Asthma EducationProgram ismaking an amazing difference in children’slives, and it is savingpatients and families huge amountsof money.”The savings are impressive.

A child with severe asthma islikely to have one emergencyroom visit and two nights inthe hospital per year. In 2008,the average inpatient care fora young asthma patient at St.Joseph’s was $14,600. Fami-lies of children enrolled in theSt. Joseph’s education pro-gramhave seen thesemedicalcosts reduced dramatically orcompletely eliminated.“It is safe to say that the

Asthma Education Programis saving the community hun-dreds of thousands of dollars a year,” says Garganta.“Many of these families are uninsured or underin-sured, so this is a real blessing to them, while for St.Joseph’s and other hospitals, it means cost efficien-cies.”In 2008,with approximately 84 children enrolled in

the program, emergency room visits were reducedfrom38 (the year before the children enrolled) to zero,andhospitalizationswere cut from seven to zero. Basedon average emergency department and hospital costs,that is a combined savings to these families and their

insurance companies of about $330,200.Additionally, school absences dropped from about 67days for all the children to only five.“This asthmaprogramopened our eyes and helped

my son stay out of the ER,”says Phoenix resident IreneContreras,whose son Jamesparticipated in theprogram.“He learned the importance of taking his medicines,and we all learned what to do if he had an attack. Ittook a lot of the fear away.” Contreras says that withthe information she gained from the St. Joseph’s edu-cator, she was able to offer advice to other parents.“A lot of parents are in denial about their children’s

asthma problems, but theyreally need to believe thedoctors and get as muchinformation as they can.”Since it began in 2001,

more than600 childrenhavebeen helped by theAsthmaEducation Program. Orig-inally launched by theCen-ter for Disease Control, theproject has been complete-ly funded by St. Joseph’sFoundation for the past fiveyears. The Foundation hascontributed about $140,000annually to make the pro-gram possible.

“There are so many levels of benefits and supportfrom this program,” says Garganta. “Because the chil-dren are healthy, parents can go towork and earn a liv-ing, children stay in school, schools benefit fromatten-dance, and hospital costs go down.”Children, ages 4-15, are identified as possible par-

ticipants by Roosevelt, Osborn, and Balsz school dis-trict officials or by clinical staff in neighborhood clin-ics or at St. Joseph’s. An educator and social workerdevelop a customized care plan for each child, whichcan include home visits from the educators, education-

FOUNDATION-FUNDED PROGRAM HELPS CHILDREN WITHASTHMA STAY HEALTHY, REDUCES HEALTHCARE COSTS

by Lynne Reaves

“It is safe to say that this

program is saving the

community hundreds of

thousands of dollars a

year.”

Marisue Garganta

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

al meetings for parents, counseling at schools, andmonthly contactwith the St. Joseph’s team. St. Joseph’ssocial workers and educators teach the child and fam-ily about medications, nutrition, environmental risksin the home, and how to talk with physicians.“The vastmajority of patients admitted to the emer-

gency room have either very limited or no asthmaeducation,” says Bonnie Harley, an asthma coun-selor/social worker who has been instrumental in theprogram’s success. “Patients are discharged from theER without an asthma management plan. That iswhere we come in.”The programhas accomplished its goals of improv-

ing quality of life, decreasing hospital stays and emer-gency roomvisits, anddecreasing theoverall cost of asth-ma, says Garganta. “The frustrating part is that manyinsurance providers do not allow us to bill for educa-tion or prevention, so St. Joseph’s bears the cost.”Metropolitan Phoenix is in the top five large U.S.

cities for asthma-related deaths. St. Joseph’s alone treat-ed 2,800 asthma patients of all ages during 2008.

Javier Bailon is one of more than 600 childrenwho have been helped by St. Josephʼs AsthmaEducation Program.


St. Joseph’s Radiology Residency Program hasbeen awarded the highest rating by the Ameri-

can Board of Radiology (ABR).The award is based onthe residents’ 100 percent pass rate over the past fiveyears of the rigorous certification exams adminis-tered by the board.The Tucson-based ABR doesn’t release the num-

ber of institutions that achieved similar pass rates, buta spokeswoman emphasized that only a few nation-wide do so.The oral component, for example, is a one-on-one, image-based exam of four-to-five hours inwhich candidates interpret images as they would inpractice.The residents’ success is testament to the quality

of St. Joseph’s residency program, which emphasizesresearch and education, according to its director,Randy Richardson, MD.“Our residents are extremely dedicated,” he says.

“They spend an average of one to two hours a day

studying radiology andmany additional hours goingover teaching files and questions to help themprepareto go out and make a difference as radiologists.”Each resident becomes involved in amajor research

project over the four-year residency that helps honehis or her expertise. Some have been honored withnational recognition, including the Caffey Awardfrom the Society for Pediatric Radiology in 2005 andthe Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Trainee BookAward from theAssociation of University Radiologistsin 2008.Residents are guided by a radiology staff that val-

ues teaching.Four St. Joseph’s radiologists have receivedTeacher of the Year awards over as many years, whilefour are currently examiners for the ABR.Board certification by the 75-year-oldABR assures

patients and employers that radiologists have achievednationally-designated performance standards.

RADIOLOGYRESIDENCY

PROGRAM WINSHIGHEST RATINGFROM BOARD OF

RADIOLOGY

From left: Randy Richardson, MD, director ofSt. Josephʼs Radiology Residency Program, withfour of the current residents, Sara Panahandeh,Eduardo Oyola, Matt Moore, and Jon Machayya.

TOP OF THE CLASS

by Melissa Morrison


In the face of a national physician shortage,newmed-ical schools and affiliations are cropping up through-out the country. Few, however, will offer students anexperience as unique as that offered throughSt. Joseph’snewest academic endeavor.This summer, the hospital and Creighton Univer-

sity School ofMedicine inOmaha formally announcedplans to operate a joint medical school campus inPhoenix beginning in 2010. The Creighton Universi-ty School of Medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital andMedical Center, part of CHW, will become the onlyCatholicmedical school campus locatedwest of Omahaand one of only five in the nation.

SHARED VISION & VALUES

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITYAND ST. JOSEPH’S

ANNOUNCE OPENINGOF ONLY CATHOLICMEDICAL SCHOOL

IN THE WEST

Jason Caplan, MD, a graduate of CreightonMedical School and an attending physicianat St. Josephʼs, with Creighton Universitystudent, Kimberly Daniel.


So much in commonTo some, the affiliation between

a university in theMidwest and anArizonahospitalmight seem incon-gruous. But, in reality, the two insti-tutions share many similarities.“St. Joseph’s talked to both local

and national medical schools tofind a partner whose mission andvision aligned with ours,” saysCharlesDaschbach,MD,director ofAcademic Affairs at St. Joseph’s.“Early on in our discussions withCreighton,we found a strong com-patibility in our commitment tothe under-served and excellence ineducation and research.”While both arewell-established

Catholic institutions (St. Joseph’swas founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1895, andCreighton by the Jesuits in 1878), that’s only the firstcommon bond. Perhaps even more significant is thecommitment to community service for which eachinstitution is known.In fact, both are recent recipients of theAssociation

of AmericanMedicalColleges’Spencer ForemanAwardforOutstandingCommunity Service. St. Joseph’s ded-ication to the community spans more than a century,while Creighton’smedical studentsmust demonstratea strong record of community service before beingaccepted.Then,while studying at Creighton, themed-ical students operate theMagisClinic, a free health clin-ic in Omaha.Another shared bond is a commitment to high-

quality education and research. Ranked among themost“wired”universities,Creightonhas set the bar highin terms of innovative teaching from faculty as well aslearning-effort expectations from students in thisunique educational affiliationwith St. Joseph’s, saysDr.Daschbach.

Energizer bunniesTeaching medical students is nothing new to St.

Joseph’s. The hospital hosts students from more than60 institutions on a rotating basis. There are about 25medical students on campus at any given time. Oncethe Creighton affiliation is fully implemented, thatnumberwill jump tomore than 100.And that’s a goodthing, for plenty of reasons.

“Medical students energizeteaching hospitals,” explains Dr.Daschbach.“The opportunity to

shape young physicians in their earliest clinical expe-riences energizes all of us, especially nurses, other sup-port staff, and faculty.”Teaching hospitals also count on

this positive energy to attract resi-dents, and where physicians com-plete their residency is a good indi-cator of where they will end uppracticingmedicine in the long run.This is good news in a state that hasa growing physician shortage.

Reaping the benefitsCreighton students started com-

ing to St. Joseph’s for month-longrotations in a handful of specialtiesin 2005, and the hospital is alreadyreaping the benefits of the partner-ship. Danielle Potter,MD, is a first-yearOB/GYNresident at St. Joseph’sand a Creighton alumna. She com-pleted rotations at St. Joseph’s dur-ing her third and fourth years ofmedical school atCreighton andwashappy to return to the hospital as aresident this summer.Froma studentperspective, she thinks that the geo-graphic arrangement of the newmedical school will offer some dis-tinct advantages.

Left, Tara Chettier, a third-yearCreighton student, cares forDeborah Hardesty in the Heart& Lung Tower. Right, Creightonstudent Thuy Koll (right) worksunder the guidance of FamilyMedicine intern HeeranAbawia, MD, of the Universityof Arizona. Below, among theaudience for teaching roundsin the Neonatal Intensive CareUnit are Hoyoung Chung, MD,a Pediatrics resident; DanielFarber, a Creighton student,Cherise Hamblin, MD, anOB/GYN resident; and TiffanyDavis, a medical schoolstudent.


“Not only is it a benefit to students to get to expe-rience two different environments, but they will beexposed to different patient populations as well,” saysDr.Potter.“For example, there’s a largerHispanic pop-ulation in Phoenix than there is in Omaha, so stu-dents are seeing a different clinical spectrum. I thinkit’s an added benefit to their education.”

The class of 2014The selectionprocess for the first class of 42 students

is just getting underway.Beginning in July 2010, thosestudents will spend their first two years receiving class-room instruction in Omaha and then will spend theirthird and fourth years doing clinical rotations at St.Joseph’s. The first Phoenix medical student class willgraduate in 2014.As theprogramprogresses,St. Joseph’s is looking for-

ward to becoming amore integral part of theCreightonteam, even before students arrive for their third-yearrotations. For starters, themedical school and the hos-pitalwill appoint an associate dean,whose primary rolewill be to oversee the regional medical campus andensure that all LCME (LiaisonCommittee onMedicalEducation) requirements are being met by early nextyear. From there, evenmore benefits will fall into place.Creighton has very competitive pharmacy andnursingschools, and further opportunities will be explored.“Many of our faculty members already have clini-

cal appointments with Creighton, but we look for-ward to playing a larger role on the Creighton team,whether through the student selection process or par-ticipating in lectures or by collaborating on research,”says John Boyd,MD, St. Joseph’s chief medical officer.“Eventually, we will have representation on all keycommittees,whichwill lead to scholarly activity growth,education growth, and curricular growth.”At the same time, St. Joseph’s will continue its aca-

demic and research relationships with the Universityof ArizonaCollege of Medicine,Arizona StateUniver-sity, the Translational Genomics Research Institute,and more than 20 other medical schools.“ThenewpartnershipwithCreightondemonstrates

our commitment tomedical education at all levels,”saysLindaHunt, service area president forCatholicHealth-careWestArizona andpresident andCEOof St. Joseph’s.


My first job in the pet industry almost didn’t hap-pen. It was 17 years ago, and I was interviewing

for a job with a chain of pet stores in the Midwest.The interviewshadgonewell,but after each, theown-

ers of the company both turned tome and comment-ed, “But you don’t have a dog.”While I was unfazed by their observations,mywife

quickly saw the writing on the wall, and after a week-endgolf trip, I camehome to find thatwewere the adop-tive parents of a two-year-old bichon frise.In no time at all, I got the job.But,more important-

ly, that dog turned me into a hardcore dog lover andgave me passion for and insight into my new field.Two years later, I joined PETsMART, Inc., and stayedthere until my retirement in 2002.When Gordon Murphy approached me in 2005

about serving on the Board of Directors for St. Joseph’sFoundation, I viewed that volunteer position inmuchthe same way I had my first job in the pet-supplyindustry. I had the financial andmanagement skills thatthe board needed. But, like somany people inArizona,I knew little about St. Joseph’sHospital. I had the skillsbut not the passion for the position.Let me tell you, that quickly changed!

At every boardmeeting, I learned a littlemoreabout this amazing medical center. Today, I ama big fan of St. Joseph’s, and I believe that one ofmy roles as a board member is to “friend-raise”for the hospital.Friend-raising involves telling my friends,

neighbors, and family about St. Joseph’s—whatmakes it important to our community and wor-thy of our support. It involves building relation-ships that increase advocacy for and financialcontributions to the hospital.Why should St. Joseph’s matter to you?St. Joseph’s is amajor teacherof tomorrow’s

healthcare professionals. Take a stroll throughthe hospital, and you’ll be blown away by theeducational activity occurring. You’ll find morethan 180 residents in 10 specialties getting post-medical school training, 13 fellows receiving sub-

specialty training, and dozens of nursing, medical-school, and technical-school students learning at St.Joseph’s. The newpartnershipwithCreightonUniver-sity illustrates St. Joseph’s commitment to education.

St. Joseph’s—in particular its Barrow Neurolog-ical Institute—isoneof thebiggestbiomedicalresearchenterprises inArizona.Did you know that researchersare conducting more than 400 studies at St. Joseph’s?That engineers from GE Healthcare are collaboratingwith St. Joseph’s researchers in the Keller Center forImaging and Innovation at St. Joseph’s? Or that anentire building at St. Joseph’s and a large part of the firstfloor of the TGen building are dedicated to St. Joseph’sand Barrow research? Few people are aware of theleading-edge research being conducted at St. Joseph’s.

St. Joseph’s focuses onproviding the services ourcommunityneeds.One great example is theCenter forThoracic Transplantation.Before the center opened atSt. Joseph’s in 2007,most people inArizonawhoneed-ed a lung transplant traveled to California for surgery,rehabilitation, and lifelong follow-up care. Now, theyget the care they need right here at home.St. Joseph’s is an incredible community resource

that needs and deserves your support. To learn more,call the Office of Philanthropy at 602-406-3041.

A WORD FROM OURCHAIRMANWHY ST. JOSEPH’S

MATTERS TO ARIZONA

by Richard Horn, ChairmanSt. Josephʼs Foundation Board of Directors


Sisters Shannon and Kyla Harris haddifferent outcomes from genetic testing.

Effective crystal balls may not exist, but genetictesting can help predict the risk of developing

certain types of cancers. Cathleen McCann, a geneticcounselor at St. Joseph’sHospital andMedical Center,informs clients of their options before they make thedecision to take a genetic test and peer into the possi-bility of developing cancer in the future.“It was a relief to know where the cancer came

fromand to know that the decision that Imade (to havea doublemastectomy) was the right one,” says SharonVail, a mother of two.While breast feeding her seven-month-old boy,Vail

discovered a lump inher breast.Later, shewasdiagnosedwith breast cancer. After undergoing two lumpec-tomies andmonths of chemotherapy earlier this year,she decided to see McCann about taking the test thatwould reveal if she had a genetic mutation that caus-

WOMEN TURN TOGENETIC TESTING

TO DEAL WITHFAMILY HISTORIES

OF BREAST CANCER

by Diantha Leavitt

ALL IN THEFAMILY

es breast cancer.With that information,Vail would bebetter prepared to take actions that could reduce herrisk of a recurrence of cancer.Genetic counselors provide information to people

whomay have developed ormay develop a health con-dition caused by a geneticmutation.They help clientsunderstand the probability of developing the condition,the chances of passing it on to their children, and theoptions for testing, treatment, and risk reduction.McCann says that being a genetic counselor is sim-

ilar to being a detective because genetic counselorsmust take into account hereditary and environmentalfactors when they try to ascertain if a person is likelyto have a genetic mutation.McCann pulled out her SherlockHolmes’ skills the

day afterVail’s last chemotherapy treatment. She drewa chart illustrating the medical history of Vail’s fami-ly. Based on that and other information, McCannshared the patterns of illness she saw and the likelihoodof geneticmutationswithinVail’s family.She helpedher

think through the implications of a negative or posi-tive test result and if she should take the test.“I needed her to help me think through that,”Vail

says.“I don’t want to do chemo again, and I don’t wantto get cancer again. Having a mastectomy and anoophorectomywill giveme the best chance of not hav-ing to do that again. ”ShannonHarris neverwants to go through the hor-

rors of breast cancer at all.As a healthy 24-year-old, sheunderwent a doublemastectomywhen she discoveredthat she carries the genetic mutation for breast cancerthat runs in her family. Several women, including hermother, died at a young age due to breast cancer.Harris says that the process of scheduling appoint-

ments andwaiting for test results to find out if youhavecancer is traumatic.“Youmight as well just find out ifyou have the gene and determinewhat you’re going todo after that,” she said.


Sharon Vail with her husband, Rick,and sons, Richard and William, at

Williamʼs first birthday party.

Genetic counselor Cathleen McCann atSt. Josephʼs Comprehensive Cancer Center.You can support the Comprehensive Cancer

Center by giving to the MultidisciplinarySecond Opinion Clinic at the Center.To learn more, visit the “Events and

Campaigns” section of SupportStJosephs.orgor call the Foundation Office at 602-406-3041.

Harris and her 18-year-old sister Kyla decided toseek genetic counseling after theirmother died frombreast cancer in 2006. Breast cancer in the Harrisfamilydates back to their great-grandmother,andeverygeneration has suffered from the illness. Harris’scousin passed away in her late 30s.At 29 and 27 yearsold, the two sisters of that cousin also took genetic testsand decided to undergo double mastectomies uponreceiving a positive result, Harris says.TheHarris sisters sought their genetic counseling

at St. Joseph’s. “We were clueless when we walkedinto (McCann’s) office,”ShannonHarris says.“Shedoesa great job atwhat shedoes.She’s informative andpos-itive and helped us to understand things.”McCann sees her job as a genetic counselor as a

ministry of sorts.“If I canhelppeopleunderstandwhatthey’re going through,what their medical conditionis, andput it in black andwhite for themand empow-er them with that knowledge, then when they walkout they’re a little less afraid.”


When should you considerhaving a genetic test?

• A person has a strong family history ofcancer.

• Cancer strikes at an early age in the person’sfamily.

• The test is likely to show whether the personhas a specific mutation.

• The person has met with a qualified geneticcounselor and thinks it’s important.

• The results will change the approach a persontakes to fighting cancer.

—The Society of Gynecological Oncologists

At right is a pedigreeprepared by CathleenMcCann for a patientconcerned about theprevalence of breast

cancer in her family. Thepedigree shows relatives

affected by cancer andthose who have had

breast cancer genetictesting.

Prostate CA

BRCA

BRCA

d50’s

BRCA+

29 BRCA+

26 dx32 24 19 16

2

3-14-565-25-06BRCA ‘97

50dx41

d.36


FOUNDATIONS INCREASE ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS WITHFRIENDS OF ST. JOSEPH’S AND BARROW

by Christina Vanoverbeke

The Foundations of St. Joseph’s have taken severalsteps this year in an effort to keep you informed

about all that is happening and to spread the wordabout the news and events taking place here to an evenbigger audience. Fromanewwebsite and newsletter toentering the world of Facebook and Twitter, we’redoingmuchmore to keep you informed and to expandthe philanthropic community surrounding St. Joseph’sHospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurologi-cal Institute.

New congenital heart websiteThe vision for the Scott and Laura Eller Congeni-

talHeart Center is to improve care for all patients withcongenital heart disease, from before birth throughadulthood. To support that vision, the CongenitalHeart Foundationwas founded last year to raise fundsfor this unique center of excellence.Now the foundation has launched its ownwebsite,

www.SupportCongenitalHeart.org, to keep the com-munity, benefactors,andpotential benefactors informedabout what is happening at the center.On the site, youwill find stories of patientswhohave

received care at the center,news about events,campaigns,programs, and services, and information about how togive.You also canmake a donation directly to the cen-ter in a secure online environment.

Ever-changing web pagesIn addition to our newwebsite,we’re expanding the

sites we already established for St. Joseph’s FoundationandBarrowNeurological Foundation.Additions includeposting the full content of Barrow and St. Joseph’sMag-azine in a flipbook format so that you can read themjust as they appear in print.We’ve also posted new pages about special projects

that need donor funding, including:

• TheAshlynDyerAquaticCenter –The staff of theDeborah and Bruce Downey Neuro Rehabilita-tion Center hopes to build a new aquatic therapyfacility to serve asmany patients needing this use-ful therapy as possible.These are patients of all ageswith a variety of diagnoses, including stroke, braininjury, spinal cord injury, back pain syndromes,injuries requiring restricted lower extremityweightbearing, and other musculoskeletal dysfunction.

• Multidisciplinary SecondOpinion Clinic at theComprehensive Cancer Center – This project isworking to create a kindof one-stop center that pro-vides patients a thorough diagnosis and treatmentplan, and that coordinates the patient’s carethroughout the cancer journey.

• TheCenter forAdaptiveBrainFunction - Barrowproposes to assemble a world-class team of med-ical and research experts to pioneer new paths forthe treatment of devastating brain disorders, par-ticularly bipolar disorder and depression, throughthe use of deep brain stimulation (DBS).

In the coming year, we hope to share even morepatient success stories, as well as articles about theinnovative programs and services being offered at thehospital, thanks toourbenefactors’generosity. Andwe’reexcited to be adding even more for you to look at,including photo slideshows and video.

We’re on FacebookIt’s likelymany of you are alreadymembers of Face-

book.Millions of people all over theworld use the siteto stay in touch with friends and family and keep upwith the happenings of their favorite companies andorganizations.We’ve created a Facebook fanpage as anothermeans

of keeping you up-to-date onwhat is going on at all of

SAVING TREES


our Foundations.To findus, simply search for “Foun-dationsof St.Joseph’s.”We’ve postedupcoming events,photo albums, and daily updates about all of the excit-ing things we’re working on.Facebook is a great place for you to enter into a dia-

logue with the Foundations. You can post picturesfrom events you attend, leave us messages, and more.Please becomea fanof the Foundations,and encour-

age the people you know to join us as well.

Follow us on TwitterTwitter is an online social networking site that has

millions of users and is gaining more every day. It’s away to get shortmessages to hundreds, if not thousands,of people worldwide very quickly.At the Foundations,we’re usingTwitter to announce

all of the good things that are happening within ourorganization to a broad audience. For example, we’ve“tweeted”about donations of toys,visits byArizonaDia-mondbacks players, and upcoming special events.

Youcan receive updatesfrom us by going to our Twitterpages,www.twitter.com/SupportSJHandwww.twitter.com/SupportBarrow, and clicking the“Follow Us” button.

Sign up for our e-newsletterThe Foundations want to keep you up-to-date on

all that is happening here,while at the same time beingawareof our environment andwise-spendingof thedol-lars donated. Therefore, we’re happy to announce thelaunch of an e-newsletter that will arrive in your inboxon a quarterly basis to keep you in the loop of foun-dation news. If you are interested in being added to theemail list, please send a message to the Foundation [email protected].


At the end of St. Joseph’s new Oliver Otter, YouOtter BeWaterWise video is a poignantmessage

from the Jana andClifford Johnson family,who fund-ed its production:

K.C. Johnson was born on Father’s Day 1976.He grew up in Mesa, played in a T-ball league,enjoyed the outdoors, and was a great fishermanfrom an early age. K.C. also loved the water andwas a very good swimmer.On a hot summer day just before K.C. turned

nine, his family allwent for a swim in the lakewheretheywere boating.K.C.was swimming close to theboat, but the water was cold and he went under...and didn’t come up.This production is in K.C.’s memory.His fam-

ily wants to make sure all children know how tobe careful aroundwater. So please follow theWaterWise Rules and stay safe.

This epilogue, delivered by a sweet young voice,explains the Johnson family’s dedication over the past24 years to funding programs that prevent drowningor assist in the retrieval ofdrowning victims.“We’re very honored

that we can help out,” saysJana, K.C.’s mother.The original Oliver

Otter video was producedin the late 1980s. Filmed inthe backyard swimmingpool of K.C.’s grandmother, the video featuredCandice,one of his sisters.The updated version was filmed in the same loca-

tion, with Candice and her children appearing. An

animated Oliver wasadded to the new ver-sion, along with thetribute to K.C. at theend.“Wewere able to do

the video in both Eng-lish and Spanish andwith closed captioning,”says Lucy Ranus, coor-dinator of Barrow pre-vention programs at St.Joseph’s.“In addition, the children in thenewvideo actu-ally model the safety rules, which meets the learningneeds of children with autism.”Community educators use the video in presenta-

tions to preschool children at Head Start programsand daycare centers. The St. Joseph’s employee readsthe children a story aboutOliverOtter andwater safe-ty, shows the video,andasks the childrenquestions aboutwhat they’ve learned. Then a costumed Oliver Otter

showsup to goover the safe-ty rules again.Ranus says the program

has reached hundreds ofchildren and their parents inArizona. “This programworks because childrenlearn through fun. Theylearn throughplay,”she says.Besides funding theOliv-

er Otter videos, the Johnson family produced a videofor older children aboutwater safety in lakes, rivers, andcanals.

WHY WE GIVEFAMILY HONORS SON THROUGH GIFTSTO WATER-SAFETY PROGRAM

by Catherine Menor

MMEEMMOORRIIAALL GGIIFFTTSS

Memorial gifts, such as the one made by theJohnson family in honor of K.C., are a thoughtfulway to remember a loved one while helping others.To learn more, visit SupportStJosephs.org. Memo-rial and tribute gifts may be made online.

They also have pro-vided ongoing supportto the Maricopa CountySheriff ’s DepartmentDive Team and LakePatrol. It was the DiveTeam that searched LakePowell for a week afterK.C.’s accident, finallylocating his body and giving the family the closurethey needed.“If the team hadn’t been as kind and thoughtful and

determined as they were, we wouldn’t have found him,”Jana says. “I’ll never forget them.”The Johnson family’s philanthropic activities are

funded through the K.C. Johnson Search and RescueWater Safety Education Foundation, established short-ly after K.C.’s death. For several years, the family spon-sored quail hunts at their ranch to raise money for thefoundation. Jana and Clifford Johnson were born and raised in

Mesa. They were high school sweethearts who married34 years ago, and now live on the family ranch inSpringerville. In addition to K.C., they have five chil-dren—Candice Miller, Christie Parker, Camber Wilson,Ashli Johnson, and Jesse Johnson—and 12 grandchil-dren. All their children except Jesse, who was out of thecountry, participated in the new Oliver Otter video.“The family has taken this tragedy and taught their

children to give back,” says Ranus. “They’re just anextraordinary family. It’s an amazing story of pullingtogether and working to prevent these tragedies.”

View the Johnson’s family’s tribute to K.C. atwww.YouTube.com/SupportStJosephs. Organizationsthat are interested in obtaining a copy of the video cancall Lucy Ranus at 602-406-3868 or Jana Johnson at928-333-5543.


The Jana and CliffordJohnson family

The new Oliver Otter


Sign up for a Miracle Tour and get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most fascinating areas

of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Bar-row Neurological Institute.The half-day tours begin at 8:45 a.m. and end at

noon. An optional lunch is offered immediately aftereach tour. Participants experience cutting-edge tech-nology in the Barrow TelePresence Suite as they viewa short clip of a surgery. Many of the tours include adocent-led walk through a department or research lab.Tours scheduled through June 2010 include the fol-

lowing:

Wednesday, Oct. 7 - Pediatric Epilepsy, presentedby Kevin Chapman, MD, John Kerrigan MD, Yu-tze Ng, MD, Jong Rho, MD, and Matthew M.Troester, DO.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 - The Center for Thoracic Trans-plantation, presented by Ross Bremner, MD,Tony Hodges, MD, Jasmine Huang, MD, BrandiKrushelniski, RN, Michael Smith, MD, and RajatWalia, MD.

Wednesday, Jan. 13 - The Cardiovascular Center,presented by Brian deGuzman, MD, and LishanAklog, MD.

Wednesday, Feb. 24 - Barrow Children’s Cleft andCraniofacial Center, presented by Stephen Beals,MD, Patricia H. Glick, DMD, Deborah Leach,MA, CCC-SP, Davinder J. Singh, MD, and CaraWright-Talamante, MD.

Wednesday, March 24 - Making the ImpossiblePossible: New Surgical Approaches to Care, pre-sented by Felipe Albuquerque, MD, CameronMcDougall, MD, Mark Preul, MD, and RobertSpetzler, MD.

Wednesday, April 20 -Women’s Specialty Services:Chronic Pelvic Pain and Menopause, presentedby Michael Hibner, MD, James Mouer, MD, andLinda Nelson, MD.

Wednesday, May 18 - The Scott and Laura Eller Con-genital Heart Center, presented by Steven Choi,MD, David Cleveland, MD, Amy Lowery, RN,and Stephen Pophal, MD.

Wednesday, June 9 - Parkinson’s vs. Normal Pres-sure Hydrocephalus, presented by AbrahamLieberman, MD, and Harold Rekate, MD.

If you are interested in signing up for a tour, pleasecall the Foundation Office at 602-406-3041. We areopen M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

LEARN ABOUT THE AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING AT ST. JOSEPH’S AND BARROW

MIR

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The Health & Wealth Ra� le has helped create wi� ers a� over Arizona. In

the past six years, more than 114,000 prizes have b� n awarded to Ra� le

participants, including cash, homes, trips, cars and so much more.

But the real wi� ers are the patients of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Ba� ow

Neurological Institute and everyone in Arizona who has benefi� ed from the

life-saving patient care, medical research and medical education that has

received funds from the Health & Wealth Ra� le.

Your su� ort is making a di� erence!


BENEFACTOR BRIEFS

More than 1,000 Ty Beanie Babies arrived at St.Joseph’s on Aug. 28, thanks to Jhenicea Morrow and herdaughter, Ravyn. The mother-and-daughter team planto donate beanies regularly to St.Joseph’s as part of their BeanieBaby Project. “The soft plush toys are

machine washable and easily ster-ilized. They are the perfect com-fort for our pediatric patients,particularly premature infantsin our Neonatal Intensive CareUnit,” says Julie Alvarado, direc-tor of Philanthropic Innovationat St. Joseph’s Foundation. “Onaverage, our hospital needs 1,500Beanie Babies a month to ensurethat each pediatric patient hasat least one.”

The Neonatal ICU cares for infants who are bornprematurely or who have serious medical conditionsat birth. Nurses and doctors in the Neonatal ICU work

hard to create an environmentthat will encourage the fragileinfants to survive and grow. Thesoft, moldable toys are used in theincubators to position the babiesand their equipment. St. Joseph’soften needs several beanies forjust one infant.For more information

about the Beanie Baby Proj-ect, visit Morrow’s website atwww.beanies4babies.org.

Jhenicea Morrow with a cribfull of Ty Beanie Babies.

Beanie Baby Project donates 1,100 plush toys to St. Joseph’s

Congenital Heart Center friends and family attend day at the ballparkAugust 22 was the Scott and Laura Eller Congenital

Heart Center Friends and Family Picnic at the Diamond-backs. Congenital heart patients, their relatives, and friendsenjoyed a picnic on Chase field, played catch in the outfield,participated in family-friendly activities, and even got achance to run the bases. A professional photographer tookfamily portraits in the dugout. Participants also received aticket voucher for a future 2009 or 2010 Diamondbacksgame.Proceeds from the event went to the Congenital Heart

Foundation at St. Joseph’s and the Arizona DiamondbacksFoundation. A $25,000 check was presented to St. Joseph’son Sept. 23.

Photo by Jon Willey/ Arizona Diamondbacks


The Steele Foundation has made a $50,000 gift toSt. Joseph’s Foundation to fund a web-based screening,diagnostic, and management system for the ArizonaChild Study Center at St. Joseph’s. The Arizona ChildStudy Center diagnoses and treats children with behav-ioral, developmental, emotional, or mental disorders,such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,learning disorders, and depression.The CHADIS system enables parents to complete

forms and questionnaires about their children online;the system then collects, scores, and tabulates theanswers for doctors to review. The system will improveoffice flow and efficiency at the Arizona Child Study Cen-

ter, increasing the number of children who can beseen. It will improve communication among doctors,nurses, and parents, and it will assist families in choos-ing the best available resources and locating appropri-ate informational materials.The Steele Foundation is a private foundation ded-

icated to the support of education, the arts, scientificresearch, and organizations focused on the growth ofchildren and families to achieve success across the stateof Arizona. Endowed by Ethel and Horace W. Steele in1985, it now donates approximately $5 million each yearto various community causes.

Laura’s Run funds Ambassador Program for lung transplant centerThe Laura Hart Burdick Foundation has made a gift

to create an Ambassador Program at the Center for Tho-racic Transplantation at St. Joseph’s. The funds wereraised by Laura’s 5K Run/Walk held March 21.Laura Hart Burdick was diagnosed with leukemia

in 1992. Although she was declaredcured in 1997, Burdick learned ayear later that her lungs were irre-versibly damaged. In 2003, sheunderwent lung transplant sur-gery at Stanford Medical Center

and returned to Arizona to live a full life with her hus-band, Jon. In September 2005, at the age of 33, Bur-dick died of an intractable lung infection.Because Phoenix did not have a lung-transplant

program at the time of her transplant, Burdick had totravel to California for surgery, rehabilitation, and reg-ular checkups, tests, and hospitalizations. The goal ofthe Laura Hart Burdick Foundation is to support lungtransplant patients in the Valley. Proceeds from Laura’s Run are being used to cre-

ate an Ambassador Program at the St. Joseph’s trans-plant center, the Valley’s only lung-transplant center.The program will provide patients undergoing a trans-plant evaluation with a knowledgeable companion tohelp them navigate the evaluation process. The Ambas-sador Program will also offer qualifying patients assis-tance with lodging expenses.The Fourth Annual Laura’s Run is planned for

March 20, 2010.

First Things First Foundation helps children at St. Joseph’sBrenda and Kurt Warner’s First Things First Foun-

dation is dedicated to the concept that all things are pos-sible when people put first things first. For the Warn-ers, that means putting faith and family first. TheFoundation sponsors a wide variety of outreach activ-ities, including several at hospitals. As part of their Basket of Hope project, Kurt and

Brenda make frequent visits to St. Joseph’s to spend timewith critically ill children and their families and todeliver baskets filled with inspirational materials,games, toys, and stuffed animals. Another project that the Warners hope to bring to

St. Joseph’s is Warner’s Corner, a recreational areawhere hospitalized kids can take a timeout from treat-ment. Each Warner’s Corner is designed to meet theneeds of the children in that hospital.For more information, visit KurtWarner.org.

Steele Foundation contributes to the Arizona Child Study Center


Emily’s Toys 4 Joy collects 2,000new toys for hospitalized childrenEmily Fawcett of Glendale turned a frightening

experience late last year into Emily’s Toys 4 Joy, a proj-ect that benefits hospitalized children.On New Year’s Eve 2008, Emily, 6, was badly bitten

by a dog. The Glendale child was taken to Mendy’s Placeat John C. Lincoln Hospital and then transferred to St.Joseph’s Hospital where hand surgeon Lloyd Cham-pagne, MD, operated on her. During her stay at St. Joseph’s, Emily says she was

comforted by having her long-time friend Sprinkles,a purple stuffed hippo, with her. She also got to choosea toy from Andrea’s Closet. “It made me really happy,” she says. “It made me want

to do a toy drive for all the other kids in the hospital.”When Emily went to her last appointment with Dr.

Champagne, she took a gift and thank-you letter. Thento encourage her healing and to say thanks to the hos-pital staff who’d helped Emily, Kelli and Gerry Fawcetttook their daughter back to both hospitals with new toys.Afterward, they stopped at Starbucks, where Kelli

mentioned that Emily wanted to continue collecting toys.The Starbucks staff offered to help, and thus beganEmily’s Toys 4 Joy. Emily’s first toy drive occurred inMay with 13 corporate partners and 60 drop-off loca-

tions. Kelli estimates that the community has given about2,000 new toys to the project.Emily is pleased that she was able to donate so many

toys to St. Joseph’s and John C. Lincoln, but she hopesto do more. “I want to collect as many toys as I can forlittle kids,” she says.The Fawcetts, including Emily’s brother, Riley, plan

to hold a second new toy drive in May 2010. For moreinformation, contact Kelli Fawcett at 602-653-6901 [email protected].

Emily Fawcett, a student at Desert Sage ElementarySchool in Glendale, shops for toys with ChristinaHall of St. Josephʼs Foundation.

Hundreds of bikers, led by Santahimself, rode to St. Josephʼs on ahot June 27 to deliver toys forhospitalized children. TheAndreaʼs Closet Christmas inJune Charity Toy Run began atArrowhead Harley in Peoria andincluded breakfast, raffles, andan auction. The ArizonaDepartment of Public Safetyescorted the riders all the way toSt. Josephʼs, where the bikersunloaded hundreds of new toys.Patients in the Childrenʼs HealthCenter each picked out a toyfrom the huge pile. St. Josephʼshas six Andreaʼs Closets, includ-ing a new one in the EmergencyDepartment. Kenny and TraciBrunk established AndreaʼsCloset in 2002 to honor their daughter Andrea, who died ofleukemia at age eight.


The St. Joseph’s Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit Ben-efit, sponsored by Fusion Storm, was held at on April11. The event is sponsored each year by the family andfriends of Cameron T. Haselhorst, who was a patient inthe Pediatric ICU in 2004. Now in its fourth year, it hasraised about $40,000 for the Pediatric ICU. The benefit included golf, horseshoe, and poker

tournaments, bands, an Easter egg hunt, and a volley-ball tournament between St. Joseph’s PICU and MercyGilbert/Chandler hospitals. The 2010 event will be heldApril 3 at the Superstition Paint Horse Ranch in QueenValley. For information, contact Marilyn Ehlebracht at520-463-2898 or [email protected].

Ford Motor Company Fund chooses St. Joseph’s for safety programSt. Joseph’s is one of two hospitals nationwide cho-

sen by the Ford Motor Company Fund and MeharryMedical College to participate in the See Me Safe pas-senger safety program. The program provides educa-tion to both healthcare providers and parents/caregiversto promote proper and consistent use of child safetyrestraints in cars.“The See Me Safe program is a great opportunity

for our staff to become advocates for child passengersafety,” says Brandyn Speckman, community educationspecialist. “The program recognizes the important rolethat hospital employees plan in promoting the use ofprecautionary, lifesaving devices in motor vehicles.”A press conference about the See Me Safe program

and the importance of child passenger safety will be heldat St. Joseph’s on Monday Nov. 12, at 10 a.m. At noonthat day, a “lunch ‘n learn” titled “Prescription for Safe-ty” will be held at St. Joseph’s for doctors, nurses, andothers who have direct contact with children and theirparents.Ford is donating 150 child safety and booster seats

to St. Joseph’s for distribution as part of the program.The hospital will host a booster seat check-up event onSaturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the St.Joseph’s campus. Appointments are required.For more information or to register for “Prescrip-

tion for Safety” or the child seat check-up, please callSt. Joseph’s ResourceLink at 1-877-602-4111.

Angelita’s Amigos presents checkfor family-friendly roomsLoui Olivas, PhD, Bob Olivas, and Ruben Olivas of

Angelita’s Amigos recently presented $25,000 to St.Joseph’s Foundation for the construction of family-friendly rooms in the Children’s Health Center. Becauseof the non-profit’s generous contributions throughthe years, St. Joseph’s has 12 Angelita’s Amigos patientrooms and three treatment rooms, with plans for more.The annual Angelita’s Amigos golf tournament was

held May 17 at the Wigwam Resort and Spa. The nextgolf tournament is scheduled for Sunday, May 16,again at the Wigwam. To register, contact Bob Olivasat (602) 290-1063 or [email protected] $100 entry fee entitles a player to 18 holes of golfat the Wigwam, lunch, a shirt, and other goodies.Bob and Joann Olivas founded Angelita’s Amigos

in 1988 to honor their daughter Angela Grace, who diedof leukemia when she was four.

Queen Valley family event benefits Pediatric ICU at St. Joseph’s


St. Joseph’s Foundation Boardelects officers, adds new memberThe Board of Directors of St. Joseph’s Foundation

has elected new officers, addeda new member, and changed onemember’s status to emeritus. Officers of the SJF Board of

Directors are Richard A. Horn,chairman; Michael Medici, vicechairman; Michelle Matiski,treasurer; and Kelly J. Barr, sec-retary. Hamilton Espinoza, a con-

tractor for DPR Construction, Inc., has joined the SJFBoard of Directors, while Joan Shapiro, PhD, hasmoved from active to emeritus status.

NEWS

Collaborative multi-specialty practice opens in Gilbert In a collaborative effort between St. Joseph’s and

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, the St. Joseph’s MedicalGroup has launched a new multi-specialty practice inGilbert. Building off of highly successful practices locat-ed in downtown Phoenix, the new Gilbert location com-bines services from the Scott and Laura Eller Congeni-tal Heart Center, Pediatric Cardiology, the Women’s CareCenter, and Maternal Fetal Medicine. The new SJMG EastValley office is located in the Mercy Gilbert Medical PlazaBuilding on the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campus.The practice provides a new home for specialized

pediatric and women’s care that is not currently availablein the East Valley. Providers include Joseph Harris, MD,Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Stephen Pophal, MD,Edward Rhee, MD, and Karim Diab, MD, Pediatric Car-diology. Additional physicians from the Eller Congeni-tal Heart Center and Women’s Care will likely provide serv-ices once the practice is fully up and running.The new medical practice is located at 3420 S. Mercy

Road, Suite 121, Gilbert, Ariz. 85297. Contact numbersare 480-728-9890 (fax), 480-728-9881 (Maternal FetalMedicine phone), and 480-728-9880 (Pediatric Cardiol-ogy phone).

University of Phoenix honors nurseGail Brown, RNC, WHNP, received the University of

Phoenix’s Spirit of Education Award for 2009. A graduate ofthe University of Phoenix, Brown works in the hospital’sComprehensive Cancer Center and in obstetrics and gyne-

cology, where she man-ages the MOMobile, amobile clinic for preg-nant women at St.Joseph’s. Brown also volun-

teers for the Phoenixchapter of the FlyingSamaritans, a nonprof-it organization that pro-vides medical care torural areas of Mexico.

Linda Hunt receives promotionSt. Joseph’s President Linda Hunt has been pro-

moted to the role of service area president for CatholicHealthcare West Arizona, which includes ChandlerRegional Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert Medical Cen-ter, and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Asthe service area leader, Hunt will work with the threehospitals to expand CHW’s presence and programsacross the Valley and state.“I am honored and excited to take on this new

role and a new set of challenges,” says Hunt. “Our threemedical centers and our employees are extremely ded-icated to providing healthcare to their communities.My goal is to expand those opportunities while build-ing upon our reputations for excellence.”Hunt will also continue to serve as president and

CEO of St. Joseph’s, a role that she has held since 1999.


Amazing campaign highlights St. Joseph’s expertiseSt. Joseph’s unveiled a major branding campaign in

July, highlighting its ability to successfully treat themost seriously ill and severely injured in the state.Titled St. Joseph’s Amazing, the campaign includestelevision, radio, billboard, print, and electronic adver-tising, and features individual patient stories.“We want people in Phoenix and around the state

to understand just how extraordinary St. Joseph’s hasbecome,” says Suzanne Pfister, vice president of Exter-nal Affairs. “Doctors from across the state and, indeed,around the world, turn to St. Joseph’s for help with theirmost difficult cases. They come to us when they needamazing medicine and cutting-edge research. There isno longer a need to go out of state for outstanding carebecause it is right here.”The St. Joseph’s Amazing campaign drives people

to www.StJosephsAmazing.org, which features detailedversions of the amazing St. Joseph’s patient stories thatare highlighted in the advertisements.

Hospital job opportunities now available on TwitterEmployment opportunities at St. Joseph’s Hospital

and Medical Center are now posted on Twitter. Tolearn about St. Joseph’s and its amazing work environ-ment and career opportunities, follow us atwww.twitter.com/stjosephsjobs.

Young Arts Arizona is partnering with St.Josephʼs to give children an opportunityto express themselves creatively whilehospitalized. Artwork by St. Josephʼs kidsis on display on a wall between theCamelback Elevators and the John andDoris Norton Healing Garden.

Modern Healthcare names St. Joseph’s a best place to workArizona’s three Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)

hospitals have been recognized nationally as Best Placesto Work in Healthcare for 2009 by Modern Healthcaremagazine. St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center,Chandler Regional Medical Center, and Mercy GilbertMedical Center are the only Arizona hospitals to receivethe national honor. Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work program

recognizes the top 100 healthcare organizations nation-wide that enable employees to perform at their opti-mum level to provide patients and customers with thebest possible care and services. “This is a tremendous honor,” says Linda Hunt,

CHW Arizona service area president. “Our employeesare the backbone of our organization. They put our mis-sion into action and create the environment that makesour organizations great places to work while provid-ing excellent patient care.” To determine the top 100 best workplaces, a firm

that researches regional best-places-to-work programsacross the country, conducted an extensive selectionprocess of healthcare companies. The process includ-ed a detailed questionnaire that required informationabout benefits, policies, and practices, and a confiden-tial random survey taken by employees to determinethe hospital’s working environment and employee sat-isfaction.


THE NON-PROFIT WAY

Agood way to think about and differen-tiate the three sectors in American

business, i.e., the public, private, and non-profit sectors, is this: • Government, the public sector, focuseson “using public sources for publicgood.”

• Business focuses on “private resourcesfor private good.”

• The nonprofit sector focuses on “mobi-lizing private resources for publicgood.”These are fundamental, yet important,

distinctions to make. There are more than1.5 million nonprofit organizations in thecountry, with an incredible assortment oftraditions. Most arepretty small placesdevoting themselvesto a variety of healthand human serviceactivity, faith-basedservices, education, orarts and culture.Some are enormous,such as the Red Crossor the Boy Scouts orthe YMCA. The nonprofit sec-

tor is important tounderstand, not just for its size andimpact, but for the way it gives character tocommunities everywhere in times ofchange … which pretty much means allthe time. Adding up how many of us there are is

pretty easy. The arithmetic of the nonprof-it sector finds much of its significance inless quantifiable and less precise dimen-sions, that is, in the human measurement

of who is served, who is affected. These“impact metrics” are far more difficult. Phoenix is rich in nonprofit tradition

and getting more fertile every year. Anactive and productive nonprofit sector isvital to the life and vitality of any city, andparticularly so for a large, rangy, andextraordinarily diverse city like this one. St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Cen-

ter was founded 17 years before Arizonabecame a state. Tens of thousands of Ari-zonans have been born here, and tens ofthousands more have been cared for,patched up, and made whole again at St. Joseph’s. We’re proud of the men andwomen who provide that care, people who

carry on the mission of the Sisters ofMercy.St. Joseph’s is just one of more than

30,000 nonprofit organizations in Arizona.Every one is here to support the medical orspiritual or educational or cultural needsof the community called Arizona. Pick theones most important in your life, and sup-port them. It’s not a fragile link we havewith one another … it’s fundamental.

by Robert HopkinsVice President

‘An active and productive non-

profit sector is vital to the life and

vitality of any city, particularly so

for a large, rangy, and diverse

city like this one.’

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 of community leaders who serve on a voluntary basis.

2009-2010 St. Joseph’s Foundation Board of Directors Richard Horn, ChairmanMichael Medici, Vice ChairmanMichelle Matiski, TreasurerKelly K. Barr, SecretaryRoss Bremner, MDL. Don BrownShelby ButterfieldMary Jane CristHamilton EspinosaLes M. GinC.A. HowlettLinda HuntJacquelyn M. MichelsonLoui Olivas, PhDCraig S. PorterJorge QuinteroTed 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 5, issue 2, 2009

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