The Wilder Side of Health

I've moved!

2011-11-21T16:35:00.001-08:00

The Wilder Side of Health is leaving Blogger for the new VMC Foundation website.

Please set your browsers to http://vmcfoundation.org/vmc/wilder-side-of-health-blog/.

You can find a complete archive of old posts on the new site. All future posts will only be visible on the new site.

Thanks for reading.

Health Care: The View from France...

2011-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

The British author Terry Pratchett, in one of his early books, has a character describe the concept of “insurance” thusly: “It’s like a bet. You’re betting that something bad will happen to you, and the insurance company is betting that it won’t.”

With that in mind, I spoke with a few folks last week while travelling around rural France. It comes to this: They think we’re just bonkers. The average French citizen keeps well-versed with world news, and they are mystified that so much of Obama’s health care reforms are being challenged, skewered and hostilely vilified. “It seems like if you can afford it”, one wine maker told me, “you get good health care. If not, you have a problem.”

That simplistic assessment is about right, and his next guess was too: “If someone who doesn’t have insurance gets really sick or hurt, don’t you basically have to pay for them anyway?” Well, yes, I told him. We have laws that ensure that if you are having a heart attack and get yourself to a hospital, they will stabilize you.

“Yes, but then what?” My wine maker friend asked.

“Well, depending on where you live, and whether you can qualify for a government program, you either get follow up care, or you don’t.”

“And if you don’t, won’t you wind up back in the hospital with maybe another heart attack, and then everyone pays all over again?”

Simplistic, and again, true.

“I have travelled a lot,” said the wine maker, “and have been called a Communist in some places for supporting the French social medicine. I am surely not a Communist, but ours is a good system. The government pays, we are taxed, and that's that. Everyone should have good care, and it’s just our way.”

We talked further, and what was clear to him was that our system is more expensive (true) and not as humanistic. Ouch. The truth can hurt, but it helps remembering why I’m so proud to work in Santa Clara County, which has a great public health and hospital system…thanks to our local political leadership and a supportive community. The dedicated team at VMC is even working to solve the problem described above – to offer all needed preventative and follow-up care to the insured and uninsured alike, which is better for them and cheaper for all of us. For much more on this topic, check out the brilliant blog post by Ezekiel Emanuel called “Saving by the Bundle”. It truly reads like what Valley Medical Center is doing – and speaks to the human element of what we’re on about.

Or, to remember Terry Pratchett’s assessment, the French have decided a better wager is for EVERYONE to bet that something bad will happen to SOMEONE, and that since any of us could be that someone, we should all look after our own.

Anyway, it's good to be home with a head full of memories...and perspective.

Forget swimming...how about BOWLING with The Sharks?

2011-11-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to announce last month a new partnership with the Sharks Foundation that will transform a VMC pediatric clinic into a Sharks-themed center of health, fun and overall awesomeness.

Well it gets even better.

To help raise funds for the project, the Sharks Foundation is hosting the inaugural “Sharks & Strikes” charity bowling tournament on November 14^th, and you are invited. Join the Sharks Foundation, Sharks players, coaches and broadcasters for a night of bowling and raise money for a great cause. Prices start at only $100 for youth and $150 for adults with proceeds benefiting the “Sharks Pediatric Clinic at Valley Health Center Tully.”

The event will take place at 300 San Jose, near the Oakridge Mall. Tickets are limited, so act fast. For more information or to register, visit www.SharksFoundation.org.

When is a Shark Bite a Healthy Thing?

2011-10-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

The San Jose Sharks are a team of tough, big, scrappy and talented hockey players…but they are also deeply committed to their community. No wonder, then, that their entire organization and Foundation are too. Here's a picture of them visiting Valley Medical Center a while back...and our work together continued...

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce a new partnership between the Sharks Foundation and the VMC Foundation: The San Jose Sharks Pediatric Clinic at VHC Tully!

The clinic is already there at Valley Health Center Tully in San Jose, and serves more than 6,000 children each month! And while it’s long on quality care for kids, it’s short on décor and inspiration.

Enter the Sharks, who are investing up to $100,000 to “re-imagine” the Clinic. We’ll have Sharks images of players, team colors throughout and of course “Sharkie”, the team mascot everywhere. More than just looking good, the clinic will be full of healthy tips for kids and parents: Take a BITE out of your veggies, drink water not soda, get your exercise and immunizations…all positive messages to match the positive look and feel.

Parents will love it too, and of course this “Legacy Project” will help the Sharks show off their involvement in our community. They already do a lot, but this is a very big deal. Huge thanks to Jeff Cafuir, the Sharks Foundation Manager, for spearheading the project along with our team here at the VMC Foundation and throughout the Sharks organization.

So yes, the Sharks are caring, humble, community-minded idealists…unless of course you meet them on the ice. Wearing an Anaheim Ducks uniform.

Reducing soda intake...and all that jazz.

2011-10-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Music is more important to me than most things, and for years I’ve served on the Board of Directors of San Jose Jazz. Our Summerfest is the biggest deal in town every August, bringing 100,000 music lovers together for a weekend of celebration and performance. This year’s was maybe the best festival yet…

…and yet, when going over the books at our last board meeting we noticed something odd as compared to last year. Soda sales were off. WAY off. Like 50% down!

Fifty percent.

Ticket sales, beer, food, weekend weather…all similar to 2010. Could our efforts to promote a “Soda-Free Summer” be working? Well, let’s look at some facts:

The Bay Area Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (BANPAC, part of the VMC Foundation) has data that shows parents and kids are starting to get the message and reduce soda consumption.
There’s been a sharp rise in local media about the dangers of sweetened drinks this year.
The American Beverage Association (representing soda makers) recently called Santa Clara County’s anti-soda messages “misleading”. They’re not, and we have reams of data to prove it…but they’re worried, and that’s good.
Kaiser Permanente, the biggest supporter of our “Re-Think Your Drink” efforts in Silicon Valley, became a major sponsor of San Jose Jazz’s Summerfest this year!

Yes – this is a big deal. For the first time, KP was a major player in our Jazz Festival, setting up wellness stations around the Salsa Stage (the most physically active of the Summerfest, with non-stop dancing all weekend). They gave away water with fresh lemon to all revelers, promoting a healthier alternative to soda.

My friend, colleague and VMC Foundation Board Member Kathleen King takes all the credit: “My giving up diet soda this year is personally responsible for the decline”, she joked with me yesterday. But she’s on to something: The fight to reduce unhealthy drink intake is going to ultimately be fought one person, one family at a time. And with obesity and diabetes rates still climbing, a fight is exactly what this is. Please, join us—it starting to work!

What WOULDN'T I do to raise $10,000?

2011-09-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Let me start by answering the most common questions I've gotten about this caper over the last 48 hours:

1. Yes, I was sober. Mostly.

2. No, it wasn't pre-planned, other than the thought crossed my mind a couple hours earlier. David DuMont's amazing band provided unplanned appropriate music though, which made it seemed rehearsed. It wasn't.

3. Yes, I left my good shoes on, but remembered to take my blackberry out of my pocket.

Here's how it reads in today's Mercury News:

Pizarro: VMC Foundation Executive Director Chris Wilder takes a giant leap for charity

By Sal Pizarro

spizarro@mercurynews.com

Posted: 09/19/2011 03:51:42 PM PDT

Updated: 09/19/2011 09:29:04 PM PDT

Chris Wilder will do anything for a good cause.

The executive director of the Valley Medical Center Foundation raised $10,000 for the foundation in a single bound Saturday, leaping into a swimming pool while wearing a tuxedo.

The momentous jump took place during the VMC Foundation's Soiree Under the Stars at Greg Pinn's Saratoga estate. Wilder has built quite a reputation for going to great lengths to get people to bid during auctions, whether it's for the VMC Foundation, San Jose Jazz or the Healthy Kids program.

So it shouldn't be surprising that during the live auction Saturday, he volunteered to take the plunge from a deck about eight feet above the pool for 10 grand. Several people quickly pledged money toward the total, and in he went.

On Sunday, with his tux still drying out on the deck of his house, Wilder conceded he was a little nervous. "It was eight feet, plus another six feet up to my eyes," said the towering Wilder.

Towering??? Please, Sal!

Anyway, thanks to all who pledged big bucks for me to do this, and for Greg's daughter who brought me a towel...which I didn't use. I just danced instead, which seemed to work!

If you can't see this video at work, email it to your private account...it's pretty fun.

A New Direction in Homelessness...

2011-08-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I met recently with Jennifer Loving, the CEO of Destination: Home. They are a great Silicon Valley agency working to end chronic homelessness, and I’m inspired by their effort.

I’ll admit something to you: There are times when I’ve turned away at seeing a homeless person or family, as it’s just too painful. But let’s take the emotion out of the issue for a minute: Our community spends tens of millions annually (yes, right here in Silicon Valley) without addressing the core issue that people need a home.

Because if they had one, we ALL would benefit. Several studies show that a person that is chronically homeless costs $60,000 a year…in shelters, food assistance, law enforcement – but mostly, medical care. In our community, that means Valley Medical Center.

You may know that Jennifer Loving’s team surveyed some of our county’s homeless a couple of months ago. Here’s some of what they learned from the 943 people they met:

- 100 were 60 years old or more
- More than half visited the emergency department in the last 3 months, resulting in
- 644 hospitalizations in a year.
- Half reported a serious medical condition like heart disease, hepatitis or liver disease.
- 144 were veterans (this, IMHO, is a national disgrace).
- Almost all reported a behavioral health issue or mental illness.

There is a ton more data at http://www.housing1000sv.org/ but you get my point: Even if I didn’t care about the homeless (I do), I’d sure care about the money they cost us all. And I won’t live in a society that just lets them die. I’ll leave. Goodbye.

While Destination Home works on longer-term solutions, Valley Medical Center meets short-term needs with an award-winning program called New Directions. VMC staff see frequent users of our county’s Emergency Department and provide housing, transportation and specialized assistance…the goal being to keep them healthier and out of the hospital.

The VMC Foundation raises money to support New Directions, but funds have run dry. If you would like to help, please click here and give as generously as you can.

There are more than 7,000 homeless people in Santa Clara County on any given night. Help us help them, with my thanks.

Introducing Buck for a Bike!

2011-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to help announce the newest, coolest campaign by Turning Wheels, the VMC Foundation program that provides brand-new bikes to underprivileged kids. The benefits are so many: The sense of independence and responsibility, the freedom of movement, and the health aspects of riding a bike vs. sitting inside. What's not to love?

Now, it's even easier with Buck for a Bike! The idea is so simple: If everyone in Santa Clara County gave just a dollar, we could buy a bike for pretty much any child that needs one. And if you gave $10, or maybe $100...now we're talking program expansion, bike build clinics - the sky is the limit.

Visit www.buckforabike.org to see some really fun videos, and make your own! The website also makes it easy to share with friends, and to donate what you can.

Oh yeah...when I say I'm proud to HELP announce, that's because local media beat me to it. Take a look here, and support Buck for a Bike!

Giving up your DIET soda...can it make you thinner?

2011-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

The avid reader of this blog remembers that I gave up my beloved diet sodas a year ago. Today I learned my dear friend Kathleen King has joined me...and she loved her Diet Coke more than I did!

But I hear you: "Sure diet soda isn't GOOD for me, but c'mon...it's not BAD for me, is it?" Well, maybe.

A recent study highlighted in the San Jose Mercury News confirms that diet soda drinkers have much larger waistlines than those that say no to diet (and all) soda.

Reasons given: Some people splurge on calories in their food because they're saving on calories in their drinks. Think Big Mac and super-sized fries with a Diet Coke.

Another factor [the researcher] says plays a role in expanding waistlines is "taste dysfunction." Because artificial sweeteners taste hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar, our bodies come to expect sugary foods to be extremely sweet. So we start to seek out more sugar-laden options.

A third explanation is that our bodies are smarter than we think. When we suck down sweet things, our bodies register the sugary taste and wait for the accompanying calories, said Lillian Castillo, a public health dietitian with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

Click here to read the full article, which I think misses another key point: Maybe - just maybe - people who drink diet sodas (which clearly aren't good for you) are not as averse to eating other things that - whaddaya know - aren't good for you? Seems logical to me, and I know I am 100% guilty.

But I'm working on it. How about you? Join me in making it a truly soda-free summer!

We will always remember Richard Patterson

2011-06-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

The VMC family has lost a true hero.

Richard Patterson passed away last night peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends, to a personal rendition of his favorite song.

In the words of Dr. Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, who leads VMC's Rehabilitation Research Center: Richard was an amazing man who influenced so many diverse circles and will be missed terribly. He led the peer-support counseling program at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for the past 15 years. He was a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities, peer support coordinator, committee member for the Public Authority for In-Home-Supportive-Services, a co-chair of the Disability Advisory Commission for the City of San Jose, brother, son, fiancé, colleague, and friend. His loss will impact the thousands of lives he has touched.

One life was mine. I met Rich eight years ago, and there's no end to what he taught me. Rich was the first to explain to me that "you never really 'accept' your spinal cord injury, rather you learn to live and work with it, the best you can, which is why peer support is so critical." As much as someone not living with a disability can understand, Richard Patterson helped me understand.

Our work together saw Richard leading adventurists (like him) with disabilities on glider rides, whale-watching and SCUBA trips, and other excursions that proved what was possible. Great men like Steve Lyon and Marv Tuttle worked with Richard for years to demonstrate to thousands that life after a spinal cord injury can be full and exciting. The VMC Foundation will be forever proud to be part of his legacy.

We have, therefore, established a fund in his name, to ensure that his peer support and community work will grow. His family requests that gifts be sent to the VMC Foundation, 2400 Moorpark Ave. #207, San Jose CA 95128. Be sure to write "Richard Patterson" in the memo of your check, or to give by ccard, call us at 408-885-5299 or visit us on line.

Rich, I'll miss you buddy. We all will.

Soda-Free Summer...but let's not stop there!

2011-06-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

It's a pretty rare thing that I reference Men's Health, a publication that spends a lot of time trying to improve one's sex life. But, on occasion, they actually focus on - yes - men's health...which oddly is often the same thing as women's health, and kids' health!

Who would have thought?

Anyway, as the VMC Foundation launches another year of our Public Health Department's Soda-Free Summer campaign, it's important to remember that you can ingest a lot of unhealthy drinks without guzzling Dr. Pepper or Jack Daniels - often without thinking about it, or worse, thinking you're doing the right thing.

Here, then, is a great article from Men's Health that should raise your eyebrows...and hopefully, your water glass. Cheers.

Another amazing story from a VMC family...

2011-05-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

After receiving permission from the family, I am excited to share this story with you. As difficult as it is to imagine feeling "locked in" your own body, imagine being given a chance to start communicating again. That's what VMC's team did for Laure, and part of what the VMC Foundation proudly supports.

When I asked Mr. Chow if I could share this with you, in fact, he responded right away, saying You can certainly share. We credit the staff at SCVMC, especially Dr Duong and your PT/OT/ST staff for challenging while respecting Laure. Laure always faces her challenges head on.

You should also know the nursing staff has always been fantastic. Laure was very particular about her care and Laure felt both safe and genuinely cared for by your nursing staff.

Laure has a long way to go, but your staff has been a source of compassion, support and encouragement towards her recovery.

This, then, from Mr. Chow:

To Laure’s extended family:

It has been a long and difficult year for Laure and her family. She is still paralyzed and mute, and everyday life has been extremely challenging. Today however, I share some good news.

Since Laure has been working diligently with physical/occupational therapy every day, she has managed to gain enough head control to hold her head steady. This allows her to use a machine called Dynavox.

The machine tracks her eyes along a keyboard and when Laure blinks, it accepts this as if she were pressing a key. Once she completes a sentence, she uses her eyes to “click” on the “speak” button and the machine speaks what Laure has just typed with her eyes.

At first Laure spelled, “I am tired”, then “thank you Larry”, and “Annie (her caregiver) you are special”. Then Laure was on a roll, spelling:

I want Internet.

I want email.

I want email.

I want email.

She was then able to spell / speak, “I love Ton Ton” and “I love Caillou”.

Finally, she spelled, “ I am happy” and “I have a voice”. We all cried.

All this took well over an hour; the device is not 100% accurate, and Laure gets exhausted just trying to hold her head steady, but we will keep practicing and hopefully send a few emails soon.

I know you share in our joy, and thank you for your thoughts, prayers, love and support of Laure.

Larry Chow

A new troubling study on our health...

2011-05-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

What do you suppose makes the biggest difference to your health? Genes? Kicking the cigarette habit?

These things are important, sure, but according to a groundbreaking new study done by our own Public Health Department, racism you experience and where you live are MORE important.

Troubling? You bet it is. I've been fighting racism and injustice where I see it for a long time, and if this study (done in partnership with The Health Trust) doesn't get make you as mad as it does me, then I'm sorry for you.

The way people treat you based on the color of your skin, and the amount of money you make, and the neighborhood you live in have a dramatic effect on your health. This is unfair, and as a society we need to figure out what to do about it...at least that's how I feel.

Check out the study here, and let me know your reaction to it.

VMC Foundation and Silicon Valley lose a dear friend

2011-05-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

I met Leonard Ely in 2007, and by 2008 he had become such a strong supporter of our "Measure A" campaign to rebuild Valley Medical Center that I'm not sure we'd have won without him.

"VMC saved my life", he often said of his time with us, which was told and retold by news sources around Silicon Valley.

Now Leonard Ely has passed away at 87, and will be greatly missed and remembered. A generous man, he was also a shrewd business leader - and woe unto anyone who misjudged that!

Mr. Ely, thank you for all you have done for our community...your gifts will keep giving for generations to come. The full obituary can be read here.

Social media and fund raising...we're getting there!

2011-04-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'll be in San Diego for a couple of days this week, attending a national conference on behavioral health. My presentation is on social media and how we in the public benefit sector can use it to raise awareness - and money - for the work we do.

One fun little tool I like is QR codes, which turn your web address or file into a Jackson Pollack painting...which you can then read with your smart phone, and have a video or website pop up. The one above right is a funny video we made for hospital staff demonstrating phone etiquette.

I'll be wearing one at the conference as a name tag, which will be my electronic business card...anyone who scans it with their smart phone will land on this blog page, and have my contact info:

E. Christopher Wilder
Executive Director
Valley Medical Center Foundation
2400 Moorpark Ave. #207
San Jose CA 95128
408.885.5299
echristopher.wilder@hhs.sccgov.org
www.vmcfoundation.org

Fun! Think of ways you might use these neat little tools, and of course, follow me and the Valley Medical Center Foundation on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Also, if you want to get an idea of what I'll be talking about this week in San Diego, here's the slide show.

Summer starts here. June 4 - get ready to party!

2011-04-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

For most of the northern hemisphere, summer starts on the twenty-first of June.

However, this year, for a select few, summer will come early.

This year, the season of barbecues and baseball, of suntans and lemonade, of long days and warm nights, will begin on June 4 on a rooftop in Silicon Valley...

We invite you to "Swing Into Summer," a fundraiser for the VMC Foundation, presented by Lexus Stevens Creek and American Medical Response. It just may be our best party yet.

Dance to the big band sounds of the 18-piece "Full Spectrum Jazz".

Savor the delectable cuisine of Parsley Sage Rosemary &Thyme.

Taste local artisan wines from 8 local winemakers.

Enjoy gift bags and prizes that include music, gift cards to local restaurants and attractions...this is just about worth the price of admission by itself, seriously. Thanks to Armadillo Willy's for sponsoring these great gifts.

And that's not all. One lucky couple will win airfare for two to Hawaii courtesy of Peak Travel Group, just for showing up! It might be you (I promise it won't be me, sadly).

Saturday, June 4th 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Rooftop of Lexus Stevens Creek 3333 Stevens Creeks Blvd., San Jose

Tickets are a bargain at $100.00. Click here to purchase or call 408-885-5299.

VMC Among "America's Best Hospitals"

2011-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Silicon Valley is home to some of America’s best hospitals. So when the competition is this tough, there is no shame in taking the silver. In U.S. News and World Report just released “America’s Best Hospitals” annual report, VMC was ranked second only to Stanford for best hospitals in the San Jose Metro Area. VMC was specifically recognized for “high performing specialties” in Ear, Nose and Throat, Gynecology, kidney disorders and rehabilitation care. Rankings aren’t everything, of course. But the recognition is well deserved. VMC and Stanford, of course, share a long-established bond. Together, both hospitals operate Santa Clara County’s only top level trauma centers. VMC is an official teaching hospital of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and numerous VMC physicians also serve on the Stanford faculty. To see the report, check here.

Why do we give to charities, anyway?

2011-03-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Is healthcare philanthropy in big trouble?

I agree that #1 and #2 of the "triple threat" to healthcare giving are real, as reported by Health Leaders Media: Uncertanty of health care reform and local (county) budget crises nation-wide.

#3 I'd like your opinion about. Here's the situation:

President Obama's proposed 2012 budget caps charitable deductions at 28%, while a Bowles-Simpson Deficit Reduction Commission proposal would reduce the tax incentive for charitable giving to a 12% tax credit for donations that exceed 2% of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income.

Nine out of 10 AHP [Association of Healthcare Philanthropy] respondents surveyed in February said the Bowles-Simpson proposal would cause significant reductions in overall giving to their organization, with 64% saying the adverse impact on major gift-giving would be considerable. About 40% said giving would fall between 10% and 30% if significant changes are made to the current tax incentives for charitable donations—which conservatively could amount to more than a $1.07 billion drop in total annual giving to nonprofit hospitals, AHP said, based on its own FY2009 statistics.

AHP Chair Mary Anne Chern said any reductions in the tax incentives for charitable giving could be "devastating for healthcare in the U.S."

The implied assumption here, of course, is that people donate to get a tax deduction. While that may be true, I cannot believe it's the driver. Especially here in data-driven, outcomes-based Silicon Valley, my strong sense is that we donate because we want to see a positive, measurable change in our community as a result of our help. We want to make Santa Clara County a better place for everyone.

Let me know: If your donation was only partially tax-deductable, would you give as much to the charities you support? Frankly, the future of the VMC Foundation may depend on how we collectively answer this question. I welcome your thoughts: vmcfoundation@gmail.com

Read all about it: VMC's Rehab Center Rebuilding Lives...

2011-03-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

VMC’s Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brian Injury Rehabilitation Unit changed my life.

And I was never even a patient - just on my first tour of VMC, considering an offer to become Executive Director of the VMC Foundation. Seeing VMC Rehab up close made that decision very easy.

You probably know that our rehab center is one of the best in the country. This week, we’ve got news for you – it’s even better than you think.

Check out “Rebuilding Lives,” the special 12-page section in the March 11, 2011 weekly edition of the San Jose/Silicon Valley Business Journal, for an up-close profile of VMC Rehab. Read remarkable stories from patients, and meet the amazing staff. Learn about our efforts to use technology; from stem cell research to bionic exoskeletons, to find the next great breakthrough in rehabilitation care.

Buy your copy of the Business Journal on newsstands now, or download the special section here.

Community Effort helpes Clothe Victims of Sexual Assault

2011-03-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

Need proof that only takes the power of one person to make a positive change in the lives of others?

Look no further than Lisa Blanchard and the Grateful Garments Project she has just launched to benefit VMC’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). The idea for Grateful Garments began when Lisa was working on a school project. Tasked to develop a fundraising initiative, Lisa chose a cause that aligned with her volunteer work with SART. She knew that the clothes of the clients treated by SART were being collected for evidence, leaving the patients in need of comforting, warm clothing to wear home after their exam.

The Grateful Garment Project's mission, then, is to ensure that every client that crosses the threshold of the SART facility is provided with whatever clean, new clothing, toiletry and food items they may require to reduce any additional impact on their being. Additionally, VMC’s SART Program can benefit from upgrades to equipment and supplies…sadly, this need is real, no matter how we wish it wasn’t.

Lisa’s project has put her passion into action. Working with resources provided by the VMC Foundation and SART, Lisa has raised hundreds of dollars to support this act of compassion, and she is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Grateful Garments Project is now a Facebook Cause: http://www.causes.com/causes/588638-the-grateful-garment-project Join the cause and use your donation to say “thank you” to Lisa, for showing us that it only takes the power of one person to make a positive change in the lives of others.

Newsflash: This actually isn't funny...

2011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'm a little astounded by how far we need to go in educating people about signs of stroke. When I saw this video, I was very alarmed - but based on the comments and how it went viral, seems most folks thought this was funny.

I like funny. This isn't it.

As of this writing, I'm not sure anyone knows whether this reporter was suffering a stroke...but that's not really the point. The point is, she exhibited some tell-tale signs - and way too many otherwise intelligent people had a good laugh.

Am I out of line, here? Watch the video and tell me what you think.

Ow. Help?

2011-02-02T07:46:00.001-08:00

Every few years I like to experience the emergency services at Valley Medical Center for myself, to make sure the excellent care I always tell people about is for real. Last weekend, Saturday 3am seemed like a super time…nothing much on TV, ya know.

I’ll leave it a mystery how it exactly happened, but I’ll say this: If you gave me a hundred bungee cords and had me try to replicate the accident—on purpose—I’d never manage it again. It was in so tightly and deeply, there was no way I was getting it out without expert help.

So off we went to VMC’s Emergency Department…my friend Lydia drove, thankfully. She was visiting from the Southland, and I think she was pretty surprised to see how efficient and, yes, cheerful everybody was in OUR “county hospital”. Many—okay, most—folks waiting were in worse shape than I was and had priority, but it couldn’t have been an hour before they were taking x-rays of my finger to see if I’d gone through the bone or something else important.

By this time I was pretty freaked out. If you know me, you know that playing guitar is more important to me than pretty much anything else I use that finger for, so you can imagine my relief when the news came back that I’d missed serious damage by, oh, the width of an eyelash or two.

I’m not used to being the least chipper person in the room, and it really helped that all the doctors and nurses and techies around me were so upbeat. Maybe they thought this case was pretty cool. I wasn’t looking (believe me!) when they finally got the bungee hook out, but in no time I was anesthetized, sterilized, trussed up and we were on our way.

Yes, this wasn’t a life and death situation like so many others that come through the doors (or land on the roof via helicopter) at VMC every day, but I cannot thank the team enough for saving my finger.

Maybe you have a VMC Emergency story more compelling than mine (most are, I recon). Feel free to share if you like at echristopher.wilder@hhs.sccgov.org , as we at the VMC Foundation pass on the kudos when we can. Until next time, make sure your bungee cords have those rubber safety tips on each end. It could save your weekend.

"New VMC" is really taking shape!

2011-01-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick look at the framing of the New Valley Medical Center. The team from URS, Turner and all have been working very fast, with the benefit of great weather this month, to build our new, state-of-the-art hospital. We should see the last piece of steel in place by next week, giving us the complete "skeleton" of what will surely be the finest public hospital in the nation.

Okay, I'm a little biased, but it's going to be amazing. I'll write more about it soon, including the important part: What will go on inside when it's done, two years from now?

Join me for a good laugh for a good cause...

2011-01-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

Nobody enjoys a good laugh more than I do...but sometimes when I attempt humor, friends tell me I should leave the comedy to the professionals.

Okay, fine.

We've hired comedy star Dat Phan, who won NBC's "Last Comic Standing" competition, has appeared on Leno and "Family Guy", and who also cares about our community. That's why he's agreed to headline our fund-raising evening on Tuesday, February 1, at the San Jose Improv.

The night will benefit the Ira Greene PACE Clinic, which is Valley Medical Center's HIV/AIDS treatment and education clinic. They provide state of the art and compassionate care, and deserve our support...and what better way to help than enjoying a fun evening out in downtown San Jose!

Tickets are only $45, and can be found here. I'll be there, and I hope you will be too.

The Great Turning Wheels Bike Build!

2010-12-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday saw the 6th Annual "Wow, I can't believe how BIG this is" event at the San Jose Convention Center...the Turning Wheels Bike Build!

You, dear avid reader of this blog, know how amazing Turning Wheels is...from the money they raise through the Death Ride, to the dedicated volunteers who make it all happen - and it all comes together in mid-December where thousands of bikes are built for underprivileged kids who might not otherwise get anything for the holidays...let alone a new bike.

Watch the Turning Wheels website for the soon-to-come complete run-down on this year's build (2400 bikes, the first-ever Great Trike Race, tons of money raised on the spot, etc. etc. etc.) But I wanted to tell you of this year's best innovation while honoring Sue Runsvold.

Yes - Sue is the Founder and Fearless Leader of Turning Wheels, who first came to me five years ago in a conversation that led to their organization joining the VMC Foundation. Since then, she's led a growing army of inspiring idealists who all have the same question on Bike Build Day: "Where's Sue? Anybody seen Sue?"

She's in constant demand, what with Channel 2 needing her for a live interview, or City Team needing a signature on something, or a donor presenting a Giant Cardboard Check...and if you've never been in the SJ Convention Center's South Hall, just imagine a cigar shaped circus tent the size of a city block.

So at any given time on Bike Build Day, there are a dozen people running around trying to find Sue Runsvold. And walkie-talkies don't work, because it's too loud and chaotic. Also, there are balloons and people and boxes and bikes everywhere. But this year, someone (I think it was Dave) got really smart. The ONLY yellow balloon in the whole place was tied to Sue's belt, on a 20-foot string!

To find Sue, just look up, and as far away as she could be, you could still see the bouncing yellow balloon. Parents, is this a great idea to keep tabs on your toddlers during the holiday shopping crunch or WHAT?

Thanks to EVERYONE, especially the Board of Turning Wheels, who never fail to achieve the impossible. Thanks to the Celeb's who competed in the Great Trike Race, except for those who beat me. Okay, everybody beat me...but that big shark in the photo up above? He totally cheated - riding a TWO-wheeler. I'm calling the league.

Bionic legs help patients walk again!

2010-11-29T10:35:00.001-08:00

At the VMC Foundation, 2011 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years ever. One reason is eLegs: A new technology that literally could replace the wheelchair for millions living with paraplegia.

Yes - think of it.

As profiled in TIME Magazine a week ago, this new invention by Berkeley Bionics promises a new reality for people with spinal cord injuries, stroke, MS, or any condition that has them unable to use their legs. This amazing "exoskeleton" fits over the user's legs, they stand up, and they walk.

But here's what TIME didn't specify: There is only ONE rehabilitation center in the country that will be the first to test eLegs. You guessed it: Valley Medical Center.

This fact recently captured the attention of TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, one of the nation's most respected tech gurus. He then blogged about it, we set up a Facebook Cause, and with his encouragement, the donations are coming in to support this vital program.

Please join us, and if you're looking to be a part of history, please consider donating today...years from now, we all may look back and say "I helped change the future."

From coma to community...

2010-11-17T07:10:00.001-08:00

The avid reader of this blog knows that Valley Medical Center contains the most awesomest* brain injury rehabilitation center on this planet and many others. You now have a chance to learn why...and learn so much more.

The VMC Foundation is proud to help present the 2011 Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference on Feb. 24-26. Led by VMC's fabulous Rehab Research Center Team...and you might think this is just for clinical people with long titles after their names. Well, yes and no.

Lots of cutting edge medicine will be discussed, but we'll also hear from Tricia Meili, known nationally as "The Central Park Jogger" who was beaten and left for dead in 1989. Her story of survival is about more than recovery, and will inspire any and all conference attendees.

Plus, we're holding this event at the Dolce Hayes Mansion, a beautiful conference center - read more about this amazing three-day event that will educate and amaze. Please share this information with anyone you think would be interested - and that's likely a long list.

*I read this word last night in TIME Magazine. If they can use it, so can I.

Welcome to the new Valley Health Center Milpitas!

2010-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween came a day early this year for the City of Milpitas, with the Grand Opening celebration of our new Valley Health Center...and what a day it was!

Hundreds of families packed the new three-story, 60,000 square foot facility to enjoy arts and crafts, health screenings, hula hoop contests, safety classes and healthy food...none of which would have been possible without the sponsorship of Kaiser, Valley Health Plan, the Public Health Department and Allied Waste (and your very own VMC Foundation, of course).

VHC Milpitas is truly something to be proud of. The clinic offers care in pediatrics, OBGYN, family medicine, allergy clinic, the VMC Foundation-supported Pediatric Healthy Lifestyle Center, and so much more.

Perhaps the biggest hero of the day was County Supervisor Dave Cortese, whose idea it was to have a huge community party rather than a plain ol' "ribbon cutting". I got to emcee the program which included remarks by Supervisor Cortese, County CEO Dr. Jeff Smith, Milpitas Mayor Bob Livengood and Doctors Marcie Levine and Dan Delgado. Ashley Roybal from Congressman Honda's office was there to present a commendation.

Halloween should be full of surprises. At around 1pm, we were, uh, treated to one.

FIRE ALARM! Everyone exit the building!

Thing is, you pack that many kids into a new health center, and one of them is bound to double-dog-dare another to pull the red lever. Either that, or it could have been a San Jose State University Recreation/Leisure Studies major. I was one of those once, and was taught that the best time to suspend a recreational activity is at the peak of its participants' enjoyment.

Special thanks to Michael Elliott and Andy Groggel of the VMC Foundation for deftly dealing with this unexpected "challenge"...and of course to the Health Center staff. The good news is they will NEVER have to evacuate that many people from the clinic again. Ever.

I guess the moral of the story is that, when the question is "trick or treat?", sometimes the answer is "both!" Anyway, congratulations VHC Milpitas and to the community it serves!

October is EVENT month!

2010-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

We're flapping our arms just as fast as we can here in VMC Foundationland, with more going on than at any other time of the year. Just two Saturdays ago was our annual Gala, a black tie affair that set the bar for all other parties to come. Thanks to Cindy and David Lazarus for opening their incredible home to us, and for all who made it such a success.

Oh, but there's so much more:

Tomorrow, 10/15, is the opening of a new medical thriller at the San Jose Repertory Theater, and each performance of "Secret Order" will also benefit the VMC Foundation. I'm always saying "I love the theater but never seem to go as often as I should". Here's our chance; get your tickets here!

This Saturday 10/17 is "Day on the Bay" in Alviso, a multicultural celebration presented by the VMC Foundation and Supervisor Dave Cortese...come on down for a day of family fun.

(Psst...you've probably gotten your voter guides by now too...remember: YES on A)

Since we all eat lunch and dinner, why not make it count? Assemblyman Jim Beall has arranged for California Pizza Kitchen and BJ's Restaurant to donate 20% of your check to the VMC Foundation - but here's the catch: You have to go on Wednesday, 10/27, and you have to bring the corresponding flyer with you, which you can get here. Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month by supporting our Mammography Access Program!

The annual "Buddy Walk" takes place on Saturday, 10/23 at Lake Cunningham Park in San Jose. This is a great event produced by the Silicon Valley Down Syndrome Network and the VMC Foundation, raising awareness and community involvement for families with members who have Down Syndrome. This is a very inspiring day.

We are thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of Valley Health Center Milpitas on Saturday, 10/30, 10am-2pm. Come on down to 143 N. Main Street in Milpitas for a festival for the whole family, tours of the new clinic, health screenings, and fun. Call 408-299-5030 for more info. Thanks again to Supervisor Cortese for co-presenting this event.

And for you golfers, there MIGHT be a spot or two left in the Turning Wheels Golf Tournament, sponsored and led by Strikeforce! At the exclusive San Jose Country Club, this event happens 10/25...but I'd call soon to get in: 408-391-6720.

Whew. There's probably more...and as always, you can contact us at vmcfoundation@hhs.sccgov.org for more info on ANY of these great events. See you soon!

YES on A this November...for the health of our kids!

2010-09-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a great deal of my spare time (!!!) supporting the YES on A campaign, and hope you'll join me making sure we protect children's health in Santa Clara County.

But don't take my word for it - here's the most recent in a long string of VIP and media endorsements...from the local paper in "my town", The Los Gatos Weekly:

Editorial: Measure A gets universal support for Healthy Kids

It's safe to say that none among looks forward to any additional tax burden, no matter how small it might be. But it's also pretty safe to say that few among us want to see children in our community going without health care.

That's why Measure A on the Nov. 2 ballot is getting such universal support. The proposed $29 per year parcel tax will generate $13-14 million per year for 10 years to fund the "Healthy Kids" program in Santa Clara County.

According to supporters, "Measure A will fully fund the Healthy Kids program and ensure that all eligible county children have access to health insurance, including preventative health care services and early detection and treatment for such terrible illnesses as asthma or diabetes."

Whether we like it or not, county taxpayers are going to pay to provide health care for the more than 15,000 uninsured children in Santa Clara County, whether through emergency room services or through this plan for preventative care.

Families should not have to wait until their children are sick, thereby requiring emergency room services to deal with their illnesses. The "Healthy Kids" program would provide for immunizations and regular check-ups to keep children healthy and in school, and to help to prevent childhood obesity.

It's more cost effective to keep children healthy than to deal with their health issues after the fact, and certainly better for the children and their families. It's for that reason that Measure A has garnered the support of the League of Women Voters, The Health Trust, the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the San Jose Mercury News and many more organizations.

Area hospitals are certainly in favor of the measure. El Camino Hospital, Kaiser and Valley Medical Center, along with the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, are all supporting Measure A.

Two important points brought out by supporters of the measure are that "children enrolled in Healthy Kids reported a 50 percent decline in missed school days due to illness" and, "Once enrolled in Healthy Kids, children with a usual source of care almost doubled and children with unmet medical need dropped by more than half." Simply put, children in the program were healthier.

The County Board of Supervisors has placed Measure A on the November ballot, and it's a coalition of health, business, community and labor leaders who are joining together in universal support of the plan. The program, first launched in 2001 as the Children's Health Care Initiative, needs this funding to continue.

Voters need to consider what supporters of the county parcel tax emphasize: "Without Measure A, thousands of children in Santa Clara County will lose health coverage."

It seems like $29 per year is a small price to pay to make sure that doesn't happen.

Kids' health is key to their education...

2010-09-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

...but don't take MY word for it!

Hey, let's be honest...you very likely already know that without access to a doctor and basic health care, children will suffer in the classroom. We've got data to prove it.

We also have yesterday's letter to the editor of the San Jose Mercury News, penned by my pal and brilliant CEO of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Here's what he wrote:

Measure A would help kids' learning
source: Mercury News

As president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, I am proud to support Santa Clara County's Measure A -- Children's Health Protection Act -- on Nov. 2. After several years working on education initiatives that promote student achievement, college and career goals and in general providing children and families a better life, I feel it is important to continue supporting quality of life needs for these families.

Families who have benefitted from the current program that provides medical, dental and vision care call it a lifesaver. It has kept children healthy and in school, with the goal of academic success and some day college and a bright future.

Children enrolled in Healthy Kids report a 50 percent decline in school absence because of illness, which is great news for all students. Children's Health Initiative school outreach has helped raise $6 million to $7 million for local school districts annually. Thus Measure A is not only a necessary act to improve the quality of health for our future Silicon Valley professionals, but it is also a program that will help further other organizations' missions, including the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.

Muhammed Chaudhry

President and CEO Silicon Valley Education Foundation

A Little Sunshine in VMC Rehab

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Rehabilitation Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Recognized nationally as a center for excellence, the VMC Rehab Center treats patients with severe head, spinal cord and stroke related injuries, regardless of ability to pay. Since its founding, over 15,000 patients have been served.

Each one of those patients represents an amazing story of struggle and hope. Here is one, as told by Connie Pugh, Nurse Manager, SCVMC Rehab (2Center)

“A Little Sunshine in VMC Rehab”

For the last six months, a group of nurses from 2Rehab (a Rehab unit within VMC) have been brainstorming ways to improve the patient experience. In May, 2010 one of the new programs launched was the Sunshine Club.

The Sunshine Club was developed to provide a bright and energizing breakfast experience for the 2Rehab patients to help them start their day in a positive way. The Club involves setting up the Rehab Day Room with small tables covered with brightly colored tablecloths, fresh flowers, uplifting music and serving the patients coffee, tea and juice before breakfast. Breakfast then arrives and the staff is there to assist the group of patients with their meal. Conversation is encouraged between patients, families and staff.

On the first day of the Sunshine Club, the staff had the Day Room bright, shiny and ready to go. The problem was the patients didn’t want to get up. They had previously been eating their morning meal in their rooms alone. With a little encouragement, the patients got up and joined the group in the Day Room.

One patient, “Mr V,” just did not want to attend on that first day. I went in to speak to Mr. V and said to him “Mr. V, people just are not made to eat alone in a dark room - we would really like to have you join us in the Day Room.

Mr. V replied back “but I like my dark room and I want to eat alone.” I said to Mr. V, “We want to add some hope and brightness to your morning here in rehab,” and Mr. V replied “but I don’t want hope and brightness, I want to be in the dark.”

At that point I explained to Mr. V that the Sunshine Club was new and we would really like to have him come the first day and then if he did not like it we would not ask him again. He reluctantly agreed to come, although he muttered complaints on the way in to the day room and throughout breakfast.

Later in the day, Mr. V wheeled himself to my office and said he wanted to “fess up about something.” He said the Sunshine Club was a real nice thing we did for patients, including serving coffee, the music and the flowers. Why he really objected to go, he said, was because he had been a youth counselor at one time and seeing young head injury patients in rehab made him very sad.

I then asked Mr. V, “You were a youth counselor?” He replied yes. I said, “Then Mr. V, I really need you to help me with the Sunshine Club. I need you to bring brightness and hope to our young patients – in fact, you can be Mr. Sunshine and come help me each day.”

Mr. V replied to me, “Well if you really need me to help I guess I could do that.”
Bright and early the next morning, and every morning after until discharge, Mr. V helped with the Sunshine Club. He had a special way of getting patients to talk and laugh and have a good time, particularly the young patients.

On Mr. V’s day of discharge, I didn’t see him come into the Sunshine Club at the usual time. A little later he wheeled himself in and said “Everyone, I have an announcement to make: I’m going home today.” The group of patients all clapped for him. He then said, “You all know me as Mr. Sunshine, well today I’m leaving and want to pass the torch to someone else. I’ve chosen ‘Mr. E’ to be the next Mr. Sunshine.”

Mr. E looked up and said “I don’t know, man, what do I have to do?” Mr. V said “Well you have to show up early to help Carlo and Connie get the Day Room Ready and help serve coffee and you have to bring sunshine to all the patients.” Mr. E said he would think about it.

The next morning when I arrived at 0630, Mr. E was already up and in the Day Room. He said with a smile “What do I need to do to help?”

Our new Mr. Sunshine had arrived.

Measure A: A MOST important vote...

2010-09-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, Santa Clara County became the first county in the nation to provide health coverage for all children.

Today, that coverage is about to end...but we can save it by voting YES on Measure A this November.

From today's Mercury News comes a very logical editorial, which in part says this:

There's a reason Measure A has no major campaign opposition and is supported by Silicon Valley industry. Business leaders and health experts alike understand that the current method of providing medical care for indigent and uninsured children costs them, as taxpayers, dearly. A hidden tax comes due when poor families have no choice but to take sick kids to hospital emergency rooms. That's by far the most expensive care, and taxpayers end up paying the bill.

To learn more about this all-important issue, which truly does affect us all, visit http://www.avoteforkids.infoand please, PLEASE share this with others...we have to get the word out now about Measure A!

How is the "New VMC" coming along?

2010-08-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

I just learned about a job that might be as fun and exciting as mine: Aerial photography! Enjoy the series of photos taken by the 111th Aerial Photography Squadron of the construction zone at VMC - your 2008 Measure A dollars hard at work!

To view the series, click here...

Finally, proof that palliative care works...

2010-08-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

Dr. Gary Lee (that’s him at the keyboard) came up to me a couple days ago and asked me this:

“Chris, if you had a terminal disease, and you knew there was a drug that would not only make you feel a lot better but also give you three more months with your family and friends, how much would you pay for it?”

The obvious answer is “Everything I’ve got!” Gary’s next sentence was less obvious:
“There already is a treatment like that. We give it away to our patients, and now we can prove it works.”

Gary then shared with me the study in the New England Journal of Medicine that demonstrates the value of palliative care. That’s what Dr. Lee does at VMC, along with Dr. Shoshana Helman and their team. Palliative care, as just reported in the NY Times, “… typically begins with a long conversation about what the patient with a terminal diagnosis wants out of his remaining life. It includes the options any oncologist addresses: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and their side effects. But it also includes how much suffering a patient wishes to bear, effects on the family, and legal, insurance and religious issues. Teams focus on controlling pain, nausea, swelling, shortness of breath and other side effects; they also address patients’ worries and make sure they have help with making meals, dressing and bathing when not hospitalized.”

So, palliative care isn’t actually a drug or procedure, but rather a better way of thinking about how a patient’s end of life will be for them and those they love. Yes—better, as proven by the study; Patients with lung cancer who received palliative care lived more happily, and actually lived longer.

Doctors Helman and Lee were obviously thrilled at the study’s results, but they weren’t surprised. They’ve been demonstrating it at Valley Medical Center for years, and the VMC Foundation has assisted with grants to expand their palliative care program. Gary and Shoshana are already leading experts in this relatively new field…and now, we’ve got a scientific study to support what they do.

The next step is to ensure palliative care remains in the health care overhaul happening at the federal level. The cries of “death panels” absolutely need to be silenced, and science seems to be the best way to do that.

…not that scientific proof ever throws ideologues off their game. Spread the word about palliative care, because it’s a proven way to improve life and stop thinking of patients as a bunch of symptoms. We’re proud at VMC that our team thinks of patients’ whole lives.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, there’s a reason I posted the photo of Dr. Lee rocking out in our band, Idol Hands. It’s a perfect example of how our MD’s are creative, well-rounded idealists, not just academics in white coats. In fact, it was while setting up for this performance last week that Gary told me about the study. Then we went on to rock the party.

My job? I think I’ll keep it.

How is a winery like a hospital?

2010-08-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

If you’re not a wine lover, this post may not be for you…but you never know until you read it...

Last weekend I stopped in to my favorite winery, Burrell School Vineyards (that's them, in the old red school house). My wife and I have been members of their wine club for years, and I appreciate their “futures” tastings.

For you non-wine-nerds, “futures” are young wines that aren’t quite ready to drink or even release, that the winery will sell you at a discount for you to pick up months later…and cool wineries like Burrell School will let you taste from the barrel to get an idea how the wine is shaping up.

I was with just one other couple, and the wine maker/owner Dave Moulton, who answered a question the other couple had of him: Why do some wineries produce better wines than others?

“If a winery gets too big, it’s hard to take an individual approach to every barrel, every bottle”, Dave explained. “Here? It’s just me. No one else.” Pointing to the racks of barrels behind him, Dave said “I know every patient here.”

“Dave, did you say ‘patient’? Are you comparing your winery to a hospital?” I asked.

“In a manner of speaking, yes”, he said. “I monitor the health of each barrel, make sure the ‘patients’ are comfortable, quiet, and at the right temperature. I monitor their vital signs all day, every day.”

He went on. “Just like a hostpital, we are meticulous about cleanliness and infection control, and if infection does happen, and we catch it right away, we can cure it. And, none of my patients gets discharged until they are healthy enough, and if I’ve done my job, each bottle will stay healthy for years, even decades to come.”

Sounds like Valley Medical Center to me! That’s why it should be no surprise that, for the fourth year running, Burrell School is the wine sponsor of the VMC Foundation’s annual Gala. If you are attending “Luxury by the Lake”, you will be enjoying the result of Dave’s (and of his wife Ann, and their great team) efforts.

If you’re not yet attending our gala on October 2, there may be just a few tickets left available…for more info, call Judy at the VMC Foundation: 408-885-5205.

And, if you’re up on Summit Road in Los Gatos this weekend, stop by Burrell School and taste for yourself. If you love wine, you’ll be glad you did.

VMC's first-ever Car Show (with just one car)...

2010-07-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

Join Valley Medical Center on Tuesday for our first-ever Car Show!

Yes, I know it's only one car, but it's a historic one: The first-ever automobile designed and built from the ground up for the disabled community.

Naturally, the car, called the MV-1, is attracting attention nationwide...and naturally, it will be visiting your public hospital's Spinal Cord Injury Unit--since ours is one of the best in the nation.

Come see this unique and inspiring vehicle and meet the designers:

Tuesday, July 20, 12 noon through 3pm (come any time)
Valley Medical Center's "Rehab Parking Lot"
751 S. Bascom Ave, in front of the Rehab Center (facing Bascom, between Renova Drive and Enborg Lane)

Mingle with VIP's, elected officials and VMC's patients and former patients for whom this car could be a real game-changer. See you there!

Three events up and coming...come one, come all!

2010-07-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Allow me to fill your summer/fall social calendar with some worthwhile events. Each is unlike the other, but all have one thing in common: They promote and support Valley Medical Center. Get ready to mark your calendars, friends…

1. VMC’s Rehab BBQ, Thursday July 29, 11:30 to 1pm. Taking place on the “Rehab Lawn”, 751 S. Bascom Ave. in San Jose, this event benefits VMC’s Therapeutic Recreation Program. Enjoy great food, drawings, prizes, and live rock n’ roll provided by the Idol Hands Band (your humble writer plays bass guitar). All this for just a $5 donation? Amazing!

2. National Health Reform Law: Implications for Silicon Valley
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Mayer Theater, Santa Clara University.
9:00-11:00 am (free to the public)
rsvp: nicolek@healthtrust.org

Speakers will address topics including implications for our safety net, coverage, children’s health, seniors, public health and the health care workforce.

Confirmed Speakers include:
Congressman Mike Honda
Sarah Muller, Director of Health Care Policy, Working Partnerships
Chris Wilder, Executive Director, VMC Foundation
Kathleen King, Executive Director, Santa Clara Family Health Plan
Lisa Shugarman, Director of Policy, The SCAN Foundation
Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, Public Health Officer, Santa Clara County
Ellen Schaffer, CA Public Health Association North

3. VMC Foundation’s Annual Gala: Luxury by the Lake - Saturday, October 2

This will be the signature event in our 22-year history, held at the stunning Sunnyridge Estate in Los Gatos, one of the finest mansions in the Bay Area. Tickets are $200 per attendee for this black-tie optional ball, which will be the highlight of the social season. Sponsorship opportunities and details can be obtained by contacting the VMC Foundation's Judy Cosgrove at 408-885-5205. This is one fund raising ball you won’t want to miss!

Why I oppose toys in fast food (and why you should)

2010-06-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

When I directed City Year in San Jose, we called this a "ripple", as in, the waves that radiate out from a rock dropped in a pond that get bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

The alert reader will remember my wacky, mixed-up support for Ken Yeager's new law passed on April 25. Ken is the President of the Board of Supervisors for Santa Clara County, where it is now illegal to sell fast food meals with toys inside. This made national news, you'll recall.

Fast forward to today.

I'm as supportive of the law as I was when it passed, but to offer equal time, here is an opposing viewpoint that mirrors the opinion of many in our community and others. I support the ban, which actually affects very few fast food restaurants in the county (and NO McDonalds), and I'll share my opinion by paraphrasing what I said publicly when the law was being debated:

"President Yeager, members of the board, when I first heard about this proposed ordinance I thought 'come on...surely local government could better spend its time on the budget, or on public safety.' Public safety? Well, that got me thinking.

"And I remembered that as a 17-year-old freshman at San Jose State University, in 1985, it was common practice for tobacco companies to give away their products free in front of the student union. By the time I graduated, in 1989, they weren't there anymore. Clearly, some policy decision had been made, changing the behavior.

"But policy can change more than behavior; it can change culture and attitude. If those same tobacco companies showed up tomorrow and started giving out 'free samples', I bet the community would be outraged, just as you would be if someone walked into these chambers with a lit cigarette. People would go nuts, yet thirty years ago it was commonplace.

"That's what's at stake here. Kids want the toy, they bug mom and dad for the fast food, and our childhood obesity epidemic is further fuelled. This really is a public health issue, and a seemingly small policy change can - and I think will - ultimately change culture and attitude...and we'll look back on the time when fast food companies lured kids with toys to their meals loaded with sugar, salt and fat, and wonder what we were thinking."

The law passed that morning, national media went ballistic...and here's the punchline (which you already know if you clicked the link above): San Francisco City and County is now proposing a similar ordinance!

So that's the "ripple". I hope it spreads, and believe it will. I welcome all thoughtful responses, as always.

...and THIS is what collaboration looks like!

2010-06-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's ground-breaking - as in, it's never happned before, and it's happening here in Silicon Valley. Funny...that happens a lot here.

But usually that means it's happening in the tech sector. Probably by Apple. What if it happened for the benefit of the poorest segment of our population who rely on Second Harvest Food Bank to feed their families, and on Valley Medical Center to keep them healthy?

See where this is going? Click here - you'll be inspired I promise. A Huge thanks to Pat Morino at Citizen Blog for the publicity!

Saying goodbye to my DIET soda?

2010-06-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was it. I'm quitting Diet Pepsi.

I'm doing this in support of our "Soda Free Summer" campaign, and also in light of some new information about what sweet sodas actually do to you...and by "you", I mean "me."

First, you may have heard recently on the news about Santa Clara County's ongoing effort to convince more families to go soda-free this summer. What you may not know is that the VMC Foundation is the fiscal agent of this campaign, working with Kaiser, our public health department and the Bay Area Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative.

The plan is simple: Educate folks about how sodas fuel the raging childhood obesity epidemic, can lead to diabetes and oh-by-the-way, have no nutritional value. A 20-oz bottle of Coke has 17 teaspoons of sugar! As Santa Clara County Board President Ken Yeager said on the news earlier this week, "It's like opening your mouth and spooning in 17 teaspoons of sugar. Nobody in their right mind is going to do that."

No, of course they wouldn't (but they do). "But Chris," I hear you saying, "You said you were giving up DIET sodas...they have no calories and no sugar!"

A Fair point. HOWEVER...it turns out that diet sodas have their own problems, beyond not really knowing what the artificial sweeteners do long-term. "When you drink that much ultra-sweet soda," explains Dr. Rami Keisari, VMC pediatrician, "it seems your body gets used to and craves more sweets...and not just desserts, but also starches. They can make it very hard to lose weight."

Now THAT is a problem I understand! And I know it's true for me - I practically live on carbohydrates, and I can't seem to stop.

So I'm putting down the diet sodas, which I've guzzled since High School. I'll let you know if it helps me lose weight, and if you care to come along with me on this journey, let me know if it works for you. Together, let's make it a SODA-FREE SUMMER!

Our report to the community...VMC 2.0!

2010-05-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to VMC 2.0 – the most comprehensive and best-looking publication the VMC Foundation has ever produced.

We’re not just proud of this report, of course…we’re proud of the men and women of Valley Medical Center who spend their lives saving ours every day. We’re proud of the innovations that make VMC a world-class medical center, and probably the finest public hospital in the state.

We’re proud of the fact that, after nine consecutive years of budget cuts, we’re still able to serve our community…and those same nine years have seen the patient population grow and grow.

…but you, alert “Wilderside” reader, already know that.

What you may not know is the value proposition that VMC provides the taxpayers of Santa Clara County – but you will when you see page 33. You may not have seen the breath-taking renderings of our “new VMC” that’s being built as we speak – but you will if you look at 44.

And you may not know what VMC is doing to prepare for health care reform…so please, take a few moments to peruse VMC 2.0. I think you’ll find it a beautiful and educational publication. Let’s face it: Not all the media attention VMC has received this year has been positive…and to be frank, not all has been accurate. This report, in part, helps tell the full story.

A huge thanks to The Health Trust and the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal for assistance in getting VMC 2.0 released, and to PRx Inc. for making it look so beautiful.

As always, if you have questions about what you’re reading, call me any time at 408-885-5299. If what you learn has you considering a donation to support our work, well then we’ve done our job! Thanks so much.

"Pedaling what they preach"...

2010-05-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Leah Toeniskoetter is not just a board member of the VMC Foundation, and not just the most recent Chair Emeritus...she's also a die-hard cyclist.

How die-hard? She rides her tires off every year in one of the world's most treacherous bike races: The Death Ride.

Leah does this to raise much-needed money for the VMC Foundation's "Turning Wheels for Kids" program, which provides new bikes to children in low-income families. This is great for their health, their self-esteem and their sense of independence.

Leah's energy is catching: She now has a huge team of "Death Riders", and if you want to hear more from this young dynamic leader on why she does it, she just appeared on Carl Guardino's CEO Show on KLIV Radio, along with Sunpower CEO Tom Werner. Check it out here, and if you would, join me in supporting Leah's efforts!

2010-05-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

The man they call “Sweden’s Christopher Reeve” visited Valley Medical Center today. Claes Hulting, M.D.(find him on Facebook) is consulting with the Palo Alto VA, about his dream of 20+ years ago to build the world’s greatest spinal cord injury rehabilitation center.

Many say he’s done it, and predictably, it took a combination of private donations and new thinking. Dr. Hutling was injured in 1984, and his doctors immediately told him he should not follow through with his marriage (planned for two weeks later) because he’d just be a vegetable. Shocking and outrageous, yes, but it set him on a path to create Spinalis.

Spinalis is his amazing rehab center in Sweden which looks more like a Silicon Valley tech company. Bright colors, elliptical corridors, a huge central kitchen, tables that bolt to the ceiling (great for users of wheelchairs), and a vibrant atmosphere that makes you think you’re in Google’s café rather than a hospital. “I wanted a Studio 54 feel”, he told VMC’s assembled physicians this morning.

That “feel” begat media coverage, more grant funding, and allowed him to spread his methodology of healing – summed up best by Iggy Pop’s immortal “Lust for Life”. “As time goes by,” Dr. Hulting told us, “I’m less interested in the body and more interested in the mind” as it relates to life beyond a spinal cord injury.

So here’s the good news: We’ve been operating with the same philosophy for decades at Valley Medical Center, which is partly why we’re a nationally-recognized rehabilitation destination. Better news: VMC’s rehab center is moving in a couple years to the new wing we’re building as a result of 2008’s “Measure A” passing.

The best news: We have an opportunity to incorporate many of the great ideas that Dr. Hulting shared with us today…but like his Spinalis center, the “New VMC Rehab Center” will need private philanthropy and partnership to reach its full potential. The alert reader of this blog will remember that we’re already out in front on patient technology access, and in fact Dr. Steve McKenna simul-cast today’s lecture to the VA Hospital, but there’s so much potential.

So, if you are able and interested in helping create our own “Spinalis” concept right here in Silicon Valley, contact me and let’s talk!

VMC Foundation music video launches internal giving campaign

2010-05-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that the 2010 Give a Booster Shot campaign officially launches today!

Give a Booster Shot is our annual employee giving campaign, and it’s a great way for Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System staff to invest in VMC by making a donation to the VMC Foundation.

To show you that I will do anything to earn the support of hospital employees, we put together a little video to promote the campaign.

This year’s campaign is all about showing your love for VMC and HHS. If you’re an HHS employee (and even if you’re not, but just want a dose of fun), please visit the http://bit.ly/dfq5EF and make your donation today.

Now, let’s just take a step back here…

2010-04-28T08:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, a Mercury News story said some disparaging things about Valley Medical Center, and while I don’t often get into these kinds of things, I just can’t sit idly by and let it go. Not this time.

Because, you see, the story was based on a consultant’s report that wasn’t discussed or accepted by county officials until AFTER the story was published. The discussion yesterday at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting didn’t make the paper, but I was there.

Some of the findings were called into question, by the consultants themselves, and data sets backing up the claims haven’t been released yet. If you read the Mercury News’ story, you’ll remember they claimed that, based on the report:

- VMC is overstaffed
- VMC spends more on salaries as a % of overall expenses than other hospitals
- Births are declining at VMC

That last stat is true, and is true for the entire nation. Welcome to a recession, in the most expensive place in the nation to live! But, let’s step back and remember the two most basic facts I’ve been telling you for some time now:

- VMC’s budget: Reduced nine years in a row
- VMC’s patient population: Increased nine years in a row

VMC is overstaffed? By what metric? I wish I knew whether the hospitals VMC was being compared to had award-winning spinal cord and brain injury programs, or top-level NICU’s. VMC spends more on salaries than other things? Proudly, the VMC Foundation’s generous donors see that expensive devices like Giraffe Beds for infants and linear accelerators for cancer patients are provided, so the county spends less on equipment when times are tough…and it seems they always are.

County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith pointed out yesterday that the report wasn’t meant to imply that VMC was anything less than fantastic. “VMC’s staff work their butts off every day,” he said, “We’re just trying to find ways to be even better, and even more efficient.”

Again, that part didn’t make the paper. And I hope that more efficiency doesn’t mean doctors spending seven minutes on a patient visit. That’s how it was for me before I got here…when my doctor worked for a for-profit system. I’m proud that my VMC doctor takes time with me, and I know the opposite is one of the major frustrations people site when discussing health care. I’m also proud that the care I get is excellent, and that someone with no job and no coverage can get the exact same quality care.

And I know I’m not alone. Our community is justifiably proud of VMC, and amid efforts to make it even better, I will never forget that.

Capping a political week...

2010-04-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today our Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren paid a visit to Valley Medical Center, a place she knows more about than I do.

That's because, among other reasons, she helped save it.

Back in the mid-90's, there were some who wanted the County of Santa Clara to get out of the medical center business. Zoe, a county supervisor at the time, said, essentially, "nope - that ain't gonna happen" and fought to keep VMC open and available to everyone.

Today, she came to learn about our Medical Legal Partnership Clinic. The alert reader of this blog knows about how we have attorneys from the SV Law Foundation on hand to help our patients with problems that doctors cannot solve. She was really excited about this innovation, and pledged to help us keep the program going.

She's not the only one impressed by VMC's creativity.

Yesterday, we had a visit from Michael Blake, who does intergovernmental affairs for the White House. Yes, THAT White House. He was also blown away by what he heard from our team of doctors, nurses, and administrators who never stop thinking about how to serve Silicon Valley better than the day before. Big thanks to Supervisor Liz Kniss who made sure Mr. Blake came to see VMC during his whirlwind tour of Silicon Valley.

Both Michael and Zoe also had a lot to say about health care reform, but to keep from getting TOO political, let me just say that not all the good news about it has made the papers, and not all of it is even worked out yet. I'll just quote Congresswoman Lofgren who said, about those on the fringes who oppose ANY reform at all: "We're living on the same planet, but we're breathing different air."

Visits like these certainly demonstrate one thing: VMC has a lot to show off, and many of our programs and ideas can (and should) serve as models for medical centers across the nation. Wanna hear more about what VMC is doing? Visit our website and see what's new!

A Call to Service - "because that's what we do."

2010-03-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

History was made yesterday at Valley Medical Center.

In a moving ceremony, our new flagpoles were commissioned and the colors flown, thanks to our own VMC Color Guard, Veteran Marines all, from VMC's Protective Services Department. No ceremony like it had ever taken place before. The need was a result of Measure A's passing in 2008, requiring the installation of new flagpoles (the old ones are where the new hospital will go).

Also, for the very first time, the POW/MIA flag now joins the California Flag and the Stars and Stripes. Colonel Dean Winslow, M.D., who actively serves in the Air Force while also as Medical Director of VMC's PACE Clinic, thanked the administrators of YOUR public medical center for the opportunity to do both. His tours of duty to Iraq and Afghanistan are only part of his riviting personal story.

(Photos are here, courtesy of Flickr and VMC's Luis Gonzalez)

Perhaps the most moving speech of the day was delivered by retired Colonel William Peacock. I'm proud to call Bill a friend, and his service to our nation goes back to his time in the White House under Carter and Reagan, and before that, Viet Nam. Bill is also a member of the Soverign Order of St. John, which has built hospitals around the world for over a thousand years.

Below is a transcript of his speech, which perfectly brought home the idea of service - both in the military and the medical field. PLEASE READ AND SHARE with others...this one deserves to be spread around:

To all veterans and Colonel Winslow, MD: I honor you for your noble service in our nation’s latest wars, and in many ways I wish I could join you. It is probably best, however, that I do not join in this expedition because we all know that we old veterans are pretty cranky and doggone impatient, and in this new and different kind of battle, as it is coming to be well known, patience is more a virtue in this new kind of war than it may have been in our earlier and seemingly simpler military conflicts.

In this connection, just the other day, an email came over the net that showed a photograph of an Army medic, the same caliber youngster as a Navy corpsman. Please note my pronunciation of “corpsman,” for those who follow the news. [laughter, especially from the vets in the crowd].

The medic was carrying on his back a badly wounded Iraqi soldier through the middle of a vicious firefight. A member of the European press yelled out in a jeering and derisive manner to the U.S. Army medic as he ran with this heavy and bleeding body in the “fireman’s carry” to the nearest combat medical facility. The foreign cameraman yelled out, “Why are you risking your life for him? He’s only an Iraqi.”

The American soldier replied through gritted teeth, “Because that’s what we do.”

A great phrase, “That’s what we do!” Think about it: it applies with near-perfect congruence to what every man and woman here at Valley Medical Center does every hour of every day, 24/7, 365. That is what you do—you take care of them all—the sick, the wounded, the needy, the disenfranchised, the poor. Just like our nation’s Army medics and the Navy corpsman. You take them all: That’s what you do.

So it is all too fitting that proud members of your military, past and present, are here, standing tall to honor you, the women and men of Valley Medical Center, as you dedicate and commission your new flagpole: a flagpole that flies at its apogee the stars and stripes, a symbol of freedom known everywhere on this troubled planet.

So too it is fitting that Captain Schork, his Honor Guard of Marines, Colonel Dean Winslow, MD of the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps, and I, a Vietnam era Marine, salute you: because you, the people of VMC, here safe in Silicon Valley, are a very close analogy to our front-line combat troops. Why? Because like the troops, you could exercise your freedom of choice and do something else all day or all night, but you choose to care for them all. Therefore, you may have other slogans, but I suggest that underlying it all is the crystal clear ringing phrase: “That is what we do.”

For your service to others, may God bless and thank you.

Col. Bill Peacock, retired Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

Thanking our donors: A selfish thing to do...

2010-03-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Friday marked the unveiling of the VMC Foundation's new Donor Wall outside the Sobrato Cancer Center in the newest building on VMC's campus. VIP's and wealthy philanthropists mingled with doctors, nurses and administrators as we celebrated the generosity of our community.

...and I've gotta say, A little gratitude goes a long way.

For one thing, our staff and that of VMC felt so good to hear from our donors, including the famous Peggy Fleming-Jenkins and her talented wine-making husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins. They pulled back the curtain to reveal the new beautiful donor wall, and we all felt a surge of pride.

But hearing John A. Sobrato tell the group why he is so committed to VMC, well that is a gift so heartfelt and powerful, I feel like we all came away enriched. Yes, I know that sounds overly-emotional, but if you were there, then you know.

...and if you weren't there, please read this wonderful blog post from Erica Cosgrove, regular contributor to the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. She describes the day better than I ever could. If you're moved by what you read, please share it with others. Our donors deserve the notoriety, and frankly, so does the beautiful Sobrato Cancer Center at VMC.

If you're REALLY moved, please visit

Social Media...what are we doing here, anyway?

2010-03-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

San Diego, CA – This year’s conference of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (thankfully known as NACHRI) included a workshop on how medical centers can and should be using social media.

The presenters were me, Ed Bennett and Deb Braidic. Ed directs media strategy for the University of Maryland Medical System, and Deb manages web content for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. We had a great time and I think the audience did too…some came all the way from the UK to be there, and if the tweets and comments and reports are an indication, we rocked the house.

Here are a few take-aways, without attributing them to any of us (we were all brilliant, of course):

• Hospitals are behind in using social media, and most that do are large institutions. Out of 6,000 hospitals in the USA, only 557 have social media accounts.
• Almost all block employee access to social media, yet the rules about privacy or “wasting time at work” are the same as with email…and nobody blocks that!
• Best quote of the conference: “The control issue of social media is very important to people who care about being in control”.
• …which is why we all should do social media: We are NOT in control of our own message anymore. Time to face that reality.
• Social media can help win campaigns (2008’s Measure A), can help keep donors connected, and spread the word faster than ever before.
• Therefore, don’t worry about the ROI just yet…focus on ROC: Return on connections. Besides, these tools are free and don’t take up too much time.
• 5 years from now, a conference like this will sound as silly as one advertising “the strategic uses of the fax machine.” This is increasingly how people communicate, and there’s no going back.

To see more comments and links to the four-hour discussion, search for #2010cc in Twitter. What? You don’t use Twitter? You should, in my not-very-humble opinion. It’s fun and keeps you connected…you can use it to populate your Facebook status as well. No, Facebook and Twitter are NOT just for 16-year-olds. They really can help medical centers reach the audience they seek – I know it works for the VMC Foundation.

http://http://bit.ly/b3F7AU for more on my presentation…thanks NACHRI, Deb and Ed!

VMC Foundation: Jobs, health, and Silicon Valley

2010-03-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

Next Friday, please consider attending a breakfast forum I'm helping present...and I promise you'll be glad you did, because it's important and engaging.

I'm in this year's class of American Leadership Forum, and our event Friday March 12 is called "A New Recipe for Job Growth." What it WON'T be is a typical "panel discussion with Q&A." Rather, you will be a participant in this uncommon conversation aimed at solving what many feel is our #1 problem: Jobs.

How does the VMC Foundation fit in? That's easy: Your public hospital's patient population is soaring as unprecedented numbers of people have lost their jobs/ health coverage and are turning to VMC. The stress is at an all-time high, and we've got to do something. Several things, actually.

Silicon Valley's unemployment rate is WAY higher than the national average. Add to that Colorado's Governor declaring "Colorado Loves California" Day last month, trying to lure companies away from here to relocate there. Yikes.

We've assembled a top group of leaders to participate in this critical discussion. Please be one of them, and register by clicking here.

Details:

A New Recipe for Regional Job Growth - a Conversation for Change
Friday, March 12, 7:30 am - 10:30am
Computer History Museum
1401 North Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA
$25 general, $15 seniors/nonprofits, free for students

Hope to see you there!

2010-02-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the President’s health care summit, I spent a day in Sacramento with my American Leadership Forum class. We’re a small group, but represent a cross-section of industries at fairly high levels – so we got a high-level look at how things roll at the state-level.

In short, things are NOT rolling well.

Whether you care about health care reform or solving the $20B budget shortfall mess, Sacramento is “broken”. We heard this consistently, starting with Senator Joe Simitian, who painted a grim picture of what he called Hyperpartisanship. “If you even appear to reach across the isle”, he told our group, “you wake up to find you’ve been stripped of committee assignments or that no one will support ANY bill you author – regardless of the topic."

We met with Possibly-Maybe-Soon-to-Be Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, who agreed. “Used to be,” he said, “that we were Republicans or Democrats when debating on the floor, and then Californians when spending time together after hours. No more.” I agree that he should be confirmed, and that the hold-up is a great example of Simitian’s Hyperpartisanship. It’s also silly. It’s the Governor’s choice, and unless Abel has a screw loose, they should give him the job and move on (his screws aren’t loose; I’ve gotten to know him and although I don’t agree with him much of the time, he’s a good man and incidentally, really loves Valley Medical Center).

Speaking of the Governor, I got to visit his cigar-smoking tent. Yes! No one gets to do that! More importantly, we had lunch with his Chief of Staff, Susan Kennedy, who is one of the most experienced and brightest bulbs in the chandelier. A career-long Democrat, she risked (and lost) life-long friendships when she agreed to work for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

She lost ME only when I asked her if she could provide her opinion of just how the partisan divide grew so wide over the past dozen years or so, as described by every legislator we’d met with that day. Ms. Kennedy shot back that it hadn’t; it’s always been this way, and in fact we’ve gotten lots of great stuff done in the past couple years. I kept myself from reminding her that 2007 was supposed to be the Year for Health Care Reform in California. Other than supporting Obama’s plan, let’s be honest: Schwarzenegger hasn’t shown up for health care at all.

So we cannot even agree on the problem.

Can we agree on any solutions? Possibly.

Pretty much everyone we met with understands that term limits have screwed everything up (I agree) and should be extended or even abolished. We met with many moderate Dem’s and Rep’s who all want the “Open Primary” to pass in June (I’m not sure yet). Pretty much everyone opposes the idea of a Constitutional Convention (me too), and I have to disagree with Assemblywoman Fiona Ma’s suggestion that “Democrats dislike public/private partnerships”. This Democrat doesn’t, and in fact many VMC Foundation successes have come from them.

We ended the day with a final meeting with Joe Simitian, where he handed out hankies to dry our crying eyes. We’ve got to change the system – we all agree. How long has it been broken, you ask? Well, in thanks for reading this far, two quick stories offered by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher: He was asked recently how he felt about California’s legislature having a 9% approval rating. His response: Who are those 9% and what could they possibly be thinking?

Second, he took us back to the 1850’s and why Mount Whitney is called that. It’s the highest peak in our state, and is named for a geologist/surveyor named Josiah Whitney. When legislators moved the State Capitol to Sacramento, it was to be near and with the railroads. Railroads attracted mucho dinero in Federal subsidies to build track, and building in mountainous regions cost more – and therefore meant the fed’s paid more dollars per mile than those built on flat ground.

Can you guess? According to Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, our legislature (largely controlled by railroads then) benefitted greatly when Mr. Whitney reported to the federal government that all land east of Sacramento in California was mountainous. Cha-ching! To show their gratitude, our elected officials named our highest peak for Mr. Whitney.

So some things change…and some don’t!

We're dominating the blogosphere!

2010-02-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

Getting tired of reading my thoughts and musings in "The Wilder Side of Health?" No, of COURSE you're not...but, there's more to say, and more voices with which to say it.

That's why The VMC Foundation is proud to announce the launch of its new blog: VMC Foundation Lifelines. This forum will be used to highlight trends in heath care, philanthropy and how "The Great Recession" is impacting people in all walks of life in Santa Clara County.

It will also provide you a venue to meet the doctors, nurses, administrators, therapists, technicians and others who make Santa Clara Valley Medical Center one of the finest county hospitals in the country.

Follow our blog at: http://www.vmcfoundation.org/blog

Just now, you can learn about how many High School students fainted during a recent tour, and about the biggest grant we've ever sought (help us by crossing your fingers!)

You can also connect with us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/vmcfoundation

AND Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/vmcfoundation

A hospital is no place for sick people.

2010-02-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure you know - or can easily understand - hospitals work really hard to prevent infections in patients...but the truth is, infections of all kinds happen, and in hospitals it's a major concern.

That's why Valley Medical Center is very proud of its record in preventing them, as described in today's release by Consumer Reports. CR is all no-nonsense, so you know their putting us in the top tier really means something.

Ironically, as VMC works to increase our use of technology, it's a low-tech solution that works to prevent some infections. Just goes to show you - or remind you - it's really all about the dedication of the team, isn't it?

Below is a portion of their report, with additional info available here. See the fourth paragraph, where they refer to VMC as an "urban giant". Is that like the green guy on the broccoli package?

Consumer Reports Health: Many Hospitals Fail To Lower Infection Risk Despite Lifesaving ChecklistNew online ratings provide patients with easy access to hospital infection rates, a first for consumers

YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 2 -- Far too many hospitals expose patients to deadly central-line bloodstream infections despite the availability of a simple life-saving checklist proven to prevent hospital acquired infections, says a new investigative article in the March issue of Consumer Reports.

The report coincides with the addition of infection rates to Consumer Reports' in-depth hospital ratings available online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

A First for Consumers; For Too Long "in the dark"

"For far too long, consumers have been in the dark, with no easy way to find out how well their hospitals perform when it comes to these often deadly infections," said John Santa, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center. Consumer Reports collected and compared data for ICUs in 926 hospitals, finding tremendous variations within the same cities and even within the same health-care systems. Bloodstream infections cause at least 30 percent of the estimated 99,000 annual hospital-infection-related deaths in the U.S. and add on average $42,000 to the hospital bills of each ICU patient who gets a central-line infection.

Poorly performing hospitals include several major teaching institutions in major metropolitan areas. Some examples include New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Strong Memorial in Rochester, New York, Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, New Jersey, and the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center in California.

Meanwhile, determined reformers across the country have shown that hospitals can cut their infection rate to zero or close to it by following a low-tech program that includes a simple checklist. Those hospitals range from modest rural hospitals to urban giants such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian, St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Harris Methodist in Houston, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, and seven Kaiser hospitals in California. The full list of 105 U.S. hospitals that have tallied zero central-line infections in their most recent reports can be found at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

The State of the County...not bad, considering!

2010-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today the baton was passed from Liz Kniss to Ken Yeager, who is now the President of the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara County - that's the "county of Silicon Valley", for youse out-of-towners.

In a ceremony before hundreds led by VMC Foundation Board Member Susie Wilson, Ken outlined his plans for 2010. I won't recount them all now, because you can do that here, and I encourage you to read his official "State of the County" address.

That's beacuse most of his initiatives have to do with our health. He wants to keep teens off tobacco, create a council on health, and fight childhood obesity. Ken is also a big-time environmentalist, which is also good for...yes! Our health!

So congratulations, Ken, and here's to a successful 2010. As you stated powerfully in your address, the economy may be in the tank, but our community is TOPS.

"The doctor will see you now. Like, RIGHT now."

2010-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

We're having crazy-bad weather in Silicon Valley, which always makes me grateful for Valley Medical Center's Emergency Department - at the ready 24/7/365.

But it's gotten harder to meet the need, what with fewer hospitals around, and a skyrocketing number of unemployed coming to the "ED" (we don't call it an "ER" like the TV show) because they just don't have anywhere else to go.

So, to meet the need, the team opened an "Express Care" clinic across the hallway. It's there for folks who are sick, but not sick enough to need a bed in the ED. "When you get there," explains Dr. Jeff Arnold, Chief of the ED, the first person you see, right when you check in at the registration desk, isn't a clerk or an administrator. It's a doctor."

Dr. Arnold has seen this speed up care dramatically. "If the first person you meet is an M.D., they can say things like 'Okay, I want you to see the attending physician, but while you're waiting I'll refill your blood pressure medication'". Then the doctor does it with a few key strokes, just moments later. The medication can be ready before the patient is ready to leave!

He's really bothred by the number of newly-uninsured who have to choose between their vital medications and, say, groceries or paying the rent on time. "The advantage of having a doctor see patients right there at the desk extend beyond the obvious," Dr. Arnold says. "Our patients know that right away, their care has begun. It gives them a feeling of comfort at a time when they are feeling pretty vulnerable and lousy."

Sometimes, that's as important as the clinical care VMC provides. If you want to help fund this unique program, visit the VMC Foundation website, or as always, give us a ring any time. To learn more about VMC's emergency services, click here!

A gift shop that's MORE than a gift shop

2010-01-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone...hope 2010 brings good things your way. At the VMC Foundation, I'd like to start the year by celebrating a sometimes underappreciated part of our organization: The VMC Gift Shop.

Managed by Kathy Trutz and staffed by volunteers, our gift shop is a really special place. That's a group of our volunteers there in the photo, pitching in to build the new VMC Bed Building.

NOTE TO BLDG. & TRADES COUNCIL: YOUR HUMBLE BLOGGER IS JUST KIDDING! OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE POWERFUL, YET NOT SUITED TO CONSTRUCT A HOSPITAL. HONOR LABOR!

So why is our gift shop more than a gift shop? It's really a place of refuge and community. Patients might go there to buy a book while waiting for an appointment, but what they'll find is a team of caring people willing to listen. Even VMC's staff visit to escape, share a laugh with a volunteer, or pick up a gift for a friend. Let's face it, many of our daily schedules don't leave room for shopping.

The intent may be that the gift shop is a place for family and friends to buy something nice for their loved one while staying at VMC...but over the years, it's become known as the place where you can just escape for little while. In fact, during last year's audit of the VMC Foundation, the gift shop was figured as a program expense, not just a fund raiser...that's how powerful the human element is.

Oh - and of course, everything is low-priced, high quality, and every dime of "profit" gets donated right back to VMC. So, next time you are visiting your public hospital, stop in and brouse...you'll be surprised what you find, and delighted with whom you meet.

Toby Gerhart visits Matt Blea at VMC - what a winning team!

2009-12-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

You likely remember reading about Matt Blea, the high school student injured on the football field on Thanksgiving. Well today Toby Gerhart, Stanford University football star and Heisman Trophy runner-up, came to visit while Matt is back at Valley Medical Center for rehab!

Matt, just weeks after life-saving surgery, started his day jogging in the grass outside the Rehab Unit where his progress has been amazing. Matt had no idea that Toby, one of the players he especially looks up to, was planning to visit him. Toby had heard about the high-schooler's injury from his coach, and decided to pay Matt a visit.

Coming directly to Valley Medical Center from The Stanford team's practice for their New Years Eve Sun Bowl game against Oklahoma , Toby met Matt in the day room of Valley Medical Center's Brain Injury Rehabilitation unit.

Toby was accompanied by Stanford football assistant coach, Tom Steiner, and as family, staff and other patients looked on, Matt accepted gifts of a Stanford jersey and a signed football.

Matt told Toby that he was a huge fan, and shared that his goal was to become a high school coach one day. Toby said how impressed he was with Matt's progress, and congratulated Matt on his planned discharge from VMC on Christmas Eve - the perfect present!

Our best Bike Build EVER. Again!

2009-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, something happened so amazing that you pretty much have to see it to believe it...which you can do Turning Wheels for Kids.

My favorite coverage so far is by Tonic.com, and they've made the 2300 bikes and 600 volunteers their big inspiring story of the week. Read it here, and seriously now, share this with others. People deserve to know that the biggest all-volunteer "elf" event for the holidays involved this astounding program of the VMC Foundation.

Huge congratulations to Sue Runsvold, R.N., and her team of dedicated "Wheeler Dealers" whose contribution to holiday joy in Silicon Valley is unparallelled.

Last year's Bike Build was so big, I wondered if they could do it again. Serves me right for wondering...this was the biggest and best ever. Hooray!

Please help VMC help patients with brain injuries!

2009-12-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

You may have seen the recent story in the Mercury News of a case involving a football player from a local high school being treated at Valley Medical Center. Our thoughts go out to his family, and we at the VMC Foundation wish him a full recovery. We treat cases like this young man’s all too often at VMC, and we have a need directly related to patients with head injuries on our Holiday Wish List.

Watch the video below to learn about this project, and to see how you can help.

Wish List success continuing...

2009-12-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

The VMC Foundation "Holiday Wish List" is now officially 75% granted, thanks to a great group of folks with big hearts...and led by two of the biggest:

Elaine Elkin, philanthropist and business owner, offered a challenge grant to fund the H1N1 Infection Control Stations this week, which was immediately matched to fulfill the $9,500 needed. VMC will now be stopping flu at the door, thanks to this holiday generosity.

Also, Silicon Valley foundation and development powerhouse John A. Sobrato funded the balance of the "art for oncology patients" program, providing a soothing atmosphere for patients undergoing radiation treatment - hugely important, and we're so thankful!

Click here to learn more about Ms. Elkin and Mr. Sobrato, and if you happen to know them, help me thank them...and watch this space next week for updates on our final "Wish List" item. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Cheer...it officially starts now!

2009-11-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

Our 2009 Holiday Wish List is only a few weeks old and we already have one project fully funded! Last Friday we got a call from the Hammond Family Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation saying that they wanted to cover the remaining costs for the Patient Lift described in this video.

Now, it wasn’t magic that the Hammond Family Fund called us out of the blue. They saw a need and were generous enough to make our wish come true, and for that we thank them. What IS magic is what that gift will do for the staff and patients at Valley Medical Center .

We need to make that sort of magic happen for the three remaining projects. Check them out and see what you can do!

How about some EXTREMELY local health care reform?

2009-11-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

Alert readers of this blog remember that Measure A, passed a year ago by the oh-so smart and good-looking electorate of Santa Clara County, provided not just $790M to rebuild VMC, but $50M for health services in downtown San Jose.

So you want progress? Here's progress - and a huge congrats to San Jose residents and thanks to the team that negotiated this deal...from today's Mercury News:

Surprise deal for downtown San Jose hospital site
By Joe Rodriguez

Five years after downtown San Jose lost its hospital, Santa Clara County on Tuesday announced a surprising $28.3 million deal for the site in a plan that promises to bring back more than doctors and nurses.

"It gives the downtown a shot in the arm," said Sam Liccardo, the neighborhood's city councilman. "I know the community will be thrilled to hear that medical care is coming back."

Read the full story here!

Presenting the VMC Foundation Holiday Wish List!

2009-11-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

I know that you - and many families - often make tax-deductible charitable gifts at the end of the year, around the holidays. That's why I am pleased to announce the new VMC Foundation Holiday Wish List!

This new opportunity to support vital health & hospital services comes after a tough selection process. Front line professionals from Valley Medical Center, our clinics, and all parts of the Health & Hospital System know best what our patients need...so we asked the staff, and narrowed down submissions to four top-priority projects.

They all have a goal we can reach, but only if we do it together. Please visit www.vmcfoundation.org/wishlist and learn about the four areas to which we ask you to direct your year-end giving. We hope that, with your help, we can fund all four and help a great number of patients. Giving is easy, too: Right from the website, or by check...but our deadline is Dec. 31, and I invite you to be among the FIRST to get our campaign off on the right track.

So please consider making your tax-deductible gift today - visit our site and know that your gift will fund a very important unmet need at Silicon Valley's busiest medical center, where everyone is offered world-class care regardless of ability to pay.

THANK YOU, and may I be the first to offer you a hearty and heart-felt HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Sharks visit VMC's young patients...check out these photos

2009-10-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

VMC Foundation sports reporter Chris Wilder, here…the question I’m most often asked is “So the San Jose Sharks can win big on the road and have a great penalty kill, but how are they with children?”

Yesterday we found out: They RULE! Spending the afternoon with some of our young patients at Valley Medical Center was the following star lineup:

Joe Pavelski
Dan Boyle
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Jody Shelley
Kent Huskins

Supported by their wives and girlfriends who helped raise $17,000 for our pediatrics department, these hockey heroes could not have been more terrific. On their own time, they spent time with kids who, despite the excellent quality of their care, are not stoked to be in a hospital. S.J. Sharkie (the team mascot) was of course also on hand…it never fails to amaze me that kids love Sharkie, even though he’s a 7-foot carnivorous fish with big teeth.

Seriously, this was a magic day at VMC…check the photos here, and help us root our team on to the Stanley Cup this year – these guys, and their wives and girlfriends, are truly class acts…like the staff at VMC. A huge thanks also to the staff of the Sharks, especially the team at the Sharks Foundation. Working together, we’re making cool things happen.

Chris is running? Now I've heard everything.

2009-10-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

After voluntarily flying in a jet-copter last weekend (I have serious acrophobia), my friends and family are all asking me the same question: “Who are you and what have you done with Chris?”

They conclude I have been replaced by an imposter not just from the whirlybird incident, but also because I’ve been running. No, I’m not being chased, though that was my standard response for decades…until now. I blame my friend James MacGregor, Publisher of the Silicon Valley San Jose Business Journal:

JAMES: Maybe you should set some goals around running.
ME: I hate running. It makes me insane with anger.
JAMES: Nah, you just need to train for something!
ME: Fat chance.
JAMES: Tell ya what – if you run the 2009 Turkey Trot, I’ll run it with you.
ME: James, you could run that race TODAY, twice!

…and so on. Sadly, the more James talked, the more sense he made, so I am training to run the 2009 Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. This race is ten kilometers, which is something like 300 miles if my math is correct.

So I started running in August, and guess what? It’s not bad! I’m actually enjoying it, and ready to take on the Turkey Trot. Here’s a thought: Why not run it with me and James? It’s not expensive, so let’s get a VMC Foundation team together…if you’re game, send me an email at echristopher.wilder@hhs.sccgov.org and we’ll join forces.

Here’s the best part: the Turkey Trot raises money for some super organizations, including the Children’s Health Initiative (I serve on their foundation’s board, and their work truly benefits Valley Medical Center’s patients). Let’s start Thanksgiving right, by giving back to our community and doing something good for ourselves too.

Amazing, really. Who am I and what have I done with myself?

Global Handwashing Day - today's the day!

2009-10-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today, October 15, is Global Handwashing Day…the one day a year when we’re supposed to wash our hands.

Oopsie. I’ve just been informed that we should wash our hands EVERY day, and frequently! Today’s commemoration is designed to spread awareness, instead of germs, which is what happens when we don’t wash our hands often enough. During a growing concern about Swine Flu (H1N1), it’s timely to discuss this simple but VERY important activity. So, here are some handy tips for handy washing:

Q: How often should I wash my hands?
A: All the time…after eating, before eating, after handling lizards, when the mud pies are all done, after gutting a trout, or just when you’re feeling a little grubby.

Q: Should I use soap?
A: Fo’ Sho’. That’s part of this campaign – and it’s a serious issue, because not everyone in all parts of the world has ready access to soap. But they should, and the UN, WHO and CDC are working on that.

Q: How long should I wash my hands?
A: Experts say you should sing a little song as you wash for maybe 20 seconds, something like "Happy Birthday". Then go buy me a gift. When my hands are especially dirty, I always sing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" until my wife begs me to stop.

Q: Will washing my hands mean I won’t get the H1N1 virus?
A: No, but I like your odds. Washing your hands (with soap, and then drying them) is the best way to avoid getting the flu, a cold, and whatever is growing in the Men’s Restroom.

Q: Things grow in the Men’s Restroom?
A: For women – you wouldn’t believe the things men get up to in public lavatories. Men are pretty gross regularly (we’re like bears with furniture, really) but somehow take it to the “next level” when in the confines of the toilet. And we men ALL know that some guys still don’t wash their hands before they leave. Yuck.

Q: Where can I learn more about handwashing?
A: Today’s observance means the Web is full of great info…search away, but remember the basics: Wash your hands. For real. A lot. As VMC’s Trauma Surgeon Gregg Adams told me yesterday, “I had H1N1 a few weeks back…it was awful, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

…even on those guys who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom.

A big boost for our public hospitals

2009-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Even Assemblyman Jim Beall would agree that great news doesn't come out of Sacramento every day...but thanks to him, and the Governor, today is one of those days!

That's Jim there, on the right, next to Assemblyman Ira Ruskin. They helped us break ground on the new VMC Bed Building a couple of Fridays ago...and now, with the passage of Jim Beall's AB303, other public hospitals have a chance to do the same.

As for VMC, Jim's legislation gives us options on speeding up our construction plans and leveraging the generosity of the voters who last year passed Measure A. Check out the news release from Assemblyman Beall's office below, and help me thank a great leader who has been championing VMC for a very long time. HOORAY JIM!

For Immediate Release: 10/12/2009 Contact: Rodney Foo 408.282.8920

HOSPITAL SEISMIC SAFETY FINANCING BILL BECOMES LAW
Legislation authored by Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr. to help hospitals obtain federal funds to finance and complete state-mandated seismic safety improvements was signed by the Governor.

“Assembly Bill 303 ensures our emergency rooms can remain open during a catastrophe,’’ Beall said. “It also creates thousands of construction jobs statewide. It’s a stimulus package that works on two fronts.’’

Assembly Bill 303 allows specified public hospitals and some private hospitals that are contracted to serve Medi-Cal patients to use local funding in place of state funding to qualify for reimbursement from the federal Construction Renovation Reimbursement Program for new capital projects to meet state seismic safety deadlines. Currently, there is no state funding available to draw those federal funding.

After 11 hospitals were completely or partially closed in the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the Legislature passed a 2013 deadline for hospitals to begin safety retrofitting or replacement of their most vulnerable buildings. The law also requires that hospital buildings with retrofitting must be replaced by 2030. Fifteen years ago, the initial total cost was projected at $14 billion to make the buildings safe. But more detailed and accurate studies have now placed that figure at $110 billion or more.

The bill’s passage was hailed by hospital officials on Monday.

“This bill really means a lot to us as a Public Safety Net institution,’’ said Kim Roberts, chief executive officer of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Clara County’s biggest hospital. “Public Safety Net hospitals have the greatest challenge of how to meet the seismic mandates because we don’t have the funding. This bill is a great example of creativity.’’

Said Ron Smith, senior vice president of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California: “In the current financial situation our country faces, this bill allows about 60 hospitals to raise enough capital to rebuild. It’s likely many of these hospitals would have otherwise closed. Without Assemblymember Jim Beall’s bill many of these hospitals might have closed.’’

Mr. Wilder goes to Washington...

2009-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

...Don't worry, I haven't been elected to anything - the country need not panic.

Tomorrow I’m flying to Washington DC, to give a presentation on how social media can help promote your medical center. You are reading this, so you helped…thanks!

Heading to our nations’ capital has me thinking about politics, especially since the health care debate has continued simmering all summer long. Last week, VMC’s executive director Robin Roche was talking to the management team about “the public option” – because that’s what we are, really. And about how Medicare is a pretty successful example of the public option, as is the VA hospital. I took the moment to shout “You LIE!” from the back of the room, Congressman Wilson-style. Everyone laughed, getting the joke, which was lucky because 1) the joke expired pretty much last week, and 2) if they hadn’t laughed, Robin would have kicked my butt.

But we have to laugh at the health care debate…for one thing, finding common ground is harder. From Senator Kyl’s “I don’t need maternity care” to death panels, to “health co-ops” (???)…well, I thought the circus came to town at our gala two weeks ago (see previous post).

My fave, though, came today in the report of House Minority Leader John Boehner’s comment: “The public option is about as unpopular as a garlic milkshake.” Leave it to our own Mike Honda to send him a basket of Gilroy garlic along with a poem praising the public option – and garlic – as being good for you. Congressman Honda admits to never having a garlic milkshake, which has me planning.

I’ll whip one up for him (soy milk, of course) and deliver it next week when I visit the Capital. If you have any unusual deliveries or messages you’d like me to take with me, let me know in the next few hours as I pack. I’ll be preparing for a week in DC by reading Dan Brown’s latest novel on the plane…it’s reputed frantic and over-the-top plot should be just the thing!

The. Best. Party. EVER.

2009-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Friends, the VMC Foundation held our annual gala Saturday night, and I know I say this pretty much every year, but this one ROCKED.

If you've ever been to one of our events, you know the VMC Foundation will NOT do "chicken dinner at the hotel ballroom"...no offense to hotel ballrooms, or chickens. We find unique venues, like Club Auto Sport, to show off some of the most amazing cars in the world. We find the coolest entertainment, like Earth Circus - "Cirque" style performers who amazed our 450 attendees. I like the photo above, taken by Elisabeth Handler with her cell...blurry but magical.

We serve the finest wine, provided by Burrell School Vineyards. The best food, thanks to Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme. The best band, David Dumont's Li'l Big Band. The slickest auctioneer, attorney Richard Alexander. If you were there, then you know. If not, hey - come next year!

We do all of this for three reasons:

1. Our donors and supporters deserve a great party.
2. The VMC Foundation staff, especailly Gala Diva Judy Cosgrove, will not settle for less.

3. I go attend a zillion events every year, as many of you do...so I want ours to stand out. It did, and I thank everyone who made it happen. Go visit our Facebook page later this week to see the photos!

Reach Out and Read (with your Congressman)

2009-09-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

The alert reader of the San Jose Mercury News may have seen the photo of Congressman Mike Honda reading to kids at Valley Health Center, East Valley, this week.

If not - even if so - here's the low-down: Our cool representitive wanted to see one of the VMC Foundation's best programs. So, we took him to our clinic on McKee Road where he met our doctors and nurses and staff who run the show...and run Reach Out and Read (click here to learn about ROR...it's the fourth program listed)

This fusion of health care and literacy is so powerful, and watching Mike Honda read to kids in fluent Spanish was a blast...in the photo above, he and David were reading about a cow who ate too many pears. Sounds like more fun than being shouted at by foes of your health care reform ideas.

It was also amazing to see how many people knew and liked Congressman Honda, everywhere he went. People would just run up to hug him or shake his hand. Makes me wonder how many other legislators are so well-loved in their districts. Thanks, Mike! Oh - here are more pictures too.

Everyone Eating

2009-08-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

Everyone Eating
Originally uploaded by VMC Foundation

How big was our party? Our "Give a Booster Shot" party? We served 1300 meals, gave away 1400 bottles of VMC Foundation water (compostable!) and the Idol Hands Band (way in the background of this shot) rocked for two hours.

We had so much fun, we're thinking of doing this again...in part for the folks who couldn't attend this one (we need an event for the swing/night shifts) and in part because it was just such a BLAST!

Thanks so much for everyone (that's a lot of people) who made this party a success...and for those who gave a booster shot to the VMC Foundation: www.giveaboostershot.org

VMCF Staff Making Paella

2009-08-29T16:41:00.001-07:00

VMCF Staff Making Paella
Originally uploaded by VMC Foundation

So Thursday, we threw a party for the staff of the Santa Clara Valley Heatlh & Hospital System. Two reasons: The excellent work everyone does to care for all the patients that need VMC, the clinics, mental health, alcohol & drug services, public health...are we the best public hospital system in the nation? Is that paella pan big?

That's Elizabeth, Hayley, Andy, Debbie and Judy. Okay, they didn't really cook the food...Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme did.

Health Care Reform: Just the facts, Wilder...

2009-08-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

As the director of the VMC Foundation, it's not my job to weigh in on our nation's health care reform debate...but as an engaged member of our community, it is my responsibility to have an opinion.

So, when Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and PACT (People Acting in Community Together) asked me to speak at their news confrerence last week, I did so, on my own time, and stuck to the facts. Mostly.

But it's really HARD keeping one's cool when VMC's Emergency Dept. is so crowded, or when I see VMC's Dr. Lee and Dr. Helman work so hard for culturally appropriate end-of-life care, only to have it distorted by those crying "Death Panels!" Can somone please put a tent over this circus?

Anyhow, if you can't see YouTube at work, send this to your home email. Finally, here's a letter in today's Mercury News from my good friend Gary Ater who blogs about issues of the day at American Chronicle:

Health care crisis must be addressed
It's very disturbing that there are so many Americans misinformed about the country's health care issues. Every day, more than 2,000 Californians alone lose their health care coverage due to either losing their job or they just flat can't afford it. At the current rate of increase, for the average family of four, in less than 10 years, annual health care coverage will cost over $22,000.

The "Palin Dunces" who talk about "death panels" and "forced euthanasia" or say that we're going too fast (after this issue has been in discussion for the last 60 years) don't deserve low-cost health care. But, if we do nothing, we will still pay double for their health care in America's hospital emergency rooms.

Gary Ater

Santa Clara

I'm an uncle again!

2009-08-05T15:33:00.001-07:00

Wonderful news: My sister-in-Law gave birth to Sophie and Olivia this week, so I'm an uncle twice more!

My extended family's new twins reminds me of a great event you should attend the day after our VMC Foundation gala - which the alert reader knows is September 12.

So, hosted by the Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Free Pregnancies, their "Mothers' Tea for Healthy Babies" takes place 9/13 at the St. Elizabeth Day Home in San Jose. Details are on their website, where you can buy tickets, but consider WHY you should attend:

- When a pregnant woman smokes, drinks or uses drugs, so does her baby (this you likely know)

- This NUMBER ONE cause of mental retardation is 100% preventable (again, you knew)

- Drug and alcohol use during pregancy has NOT declined in recent years (this really shocks me...maybe you too?)

Obviously, they have a lot of education to do, and your attending this event will help them do it. Thanks so much, and welcome Sophie and Olivia.

Dancing With the CARS - September 12!

2009-07-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you know, we here at the VMC Foundation like to have a big, formal, opulent gala every fall...except this one.

Oh - we'll have a huge party all right, but it won't be stuffy, or formal. Leave the penguin suit at home and come to the most FUN event of the year: Dancing with the CARS.
Club Auto Sport in San Jose is hosting us, featuring some of the world's rarest and most amazing cars you've ever seen...including my favorite pictured above. Yes, they have a Bugatti there and it's so pretty my knees get weak.

But even if cars aren't your thing, we'll have amazing food by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (like last year), world-class wine by Burrell School Vineyards (a returning sponsor), fabulous dance music from David DuMont's Li'l Big Band (back again) and something new: Cirque performers to astound and amaze.

And auction items. And prizes. And race car simulators. Kids will even enjoy this party, and in a shocking show of non-stuffyness, we've lowered the ticket price to $149 each - down from previous years, and well worth it for the fun you'll have.

So make plans, and get your tickets here. There are still some larger sponsorship opportunities as well, which could be beneficial to your organization and to the VMC Foundation. Of course, give us a ring at 408-885-5299 with any detail questions.

129 miles and 15 BIG hearts!

2009-07-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

In another example of "this is so amazing I'm nearly speechless", I give you this year's Turning Wheels for Kids' DEATH RIDE team!

The team is led by VMC Foundation's Board Chair, Leah Toeniskoetter...she rode the Death Ride three years ago, and has grown the team since then. This year, the group you see will embark on one of the hardest bike rides in the nation: 129 miles, 15,000 feet of elevation change - all in one day. It's not called The Death Ride lightly - Team TWFK is seriously risking a lot by attempting to finish this race.

Why on earth would they do this, other than "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger?" Well, turns out they're all raising money for one of the VMC Foundation's most inspiring program, consider a gift to support the team's amazing ride, which they'll be undertaking this Saturday!

GO Leah, Go Dan, Go John...GO TEAM TWFK!!!

To all giving "Booster Shots"...some national exposure!

2009-07-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that we've recently launched a new campaign at the VMC Foundation called Give a Booster Shot. The plan is to encourage employees of the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System to support us, and I've recently been asked how it's going.

Well, how about this:

I was contacted by a corporation called Tonic, whose website is dedicated to spreading "good news" around the globe. The asked me to tell the "Booster Shot" story, which I have done - click here to read just how it's going...you may be amazed.

I know I was.

And if you are a "Booster Shot" donor, congratulations...you have made international news, and given a big bit of publicity to our medical center. Your next task: Help us spread the word and drive traffic to Tonic!

Support VMC the easy way...Rock n' Roll and BBQ!

2009-06-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

So, last night's band practice was totally excellent...I know because my ears are still ringing.

We're practicing for the upcoming VMC BBQ, put on annually by your public hospital's award-winning Therapeutic Recreation department. This dedicated crew supports our patients with spinal cord and brain injuries - and their family and friends.

Oh - the band...yes, it's the famous Idol Hands, in which your humble author plays bass guitar. We do blues, rock, R&B...fronted by our amazing singer Veronica Giles, R.N., we provide live entertainment for all the big VMC events...maybe because we play for free.

Come support VMC's Rehab Center, National Parks and Recreation Month, and the Idol Hands Band:

Thursday July 9, 11:30 - 1 (ish)
Valley Medical Center's Rehab Lawn, Bascom at Renova
BBQ, live music, games, prizes and fun
Five Dollars for lunch, rehab patients FREE

This great mid-day, mid-week escape is open to the public...tell a friend or two and come on down!

Deep cuts to the County Budget - it's happening now

2009-06-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Typically I like to use this space to tell you some good news, or uplifting information. Today, I'm afraid, not so much.

Today is the day our county will decide on some of the most drastic cuts we've faced - it's happening now, and so this is getting to you a day later than I'd like...but you may have seen the editorial in yesterday's Mercury News that outlines what we're all facing:

Half of the county's regional public health nurses — gone. These are the people who, among other things, make sure expectant mothers get prenatal care and that TB cases are properly managed.

Transitional beds for people recovering from mental illness — gone. Drug and alcohol treatment programs designed to keep people working — gone.

After eight straight years of budget deficits, there's no obvious fat left to trim. Programs once seen as bare essentials will be dramatically curtailed.

Please read the full editorial here. this nightmare would have been worse had the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System not worked with Deloitte to find $60M worth of savings and efficiencies...but it's bad enough, and there's little our county leaders can do about what they must do today.

...and, depending on what happens at the state level with California's budget crisis, this may not be the end of this story. Watch this space.

Protect children's health in Califirornia!

2009-06-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

In my spare time (ha!) I serve on the board of directors for the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, which helps fund the "Healthy Kids" program for our county. You may know that Santa Clara County was the FIRST in the nation to ensure health coverage for all kids.

That's all at risk now.

We knew this fight was coming with our state's budget mess, and fortunately we have an army of fighters. One is Dr. Heidi Roman, a pediatrician at Valley Medical Center. Her article in today's Mercury News says it so well...in part:

I understand that California legislators face an exceptionally complex and difficult task in balancing the budget. Yet elimination of Healthy Families is not only morally reprehensible, it is fiscally irresponsible. The state currently receives 2-to-1 matching funds from the federal government to administer Healthy Families. This money would be lost. In addition, we know that lack of health insurance leads to poorer health and increased future reliance on the state in the long term.

Read the full article here, and let's hope the Governor does the same.

Turner turns golf into GOLD!

2009-06-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Turner is a big company with a big heart: Founded in 1902, they build schools, airports...and of course, medical centers!

For the last dozen years or so, Turner has also been supporting the VMC Foundation with their annual golf classic. This is a fun way for the Bay Area team and their subcontractors and partners to raise funds while proving that they spend more time working than playing golf...yes, there was some bad golf played this week at Oakland's Claremont Country Club, led of course by your Hacker-in-Chief, me.

No matter - at the evening banquet, the VMC Foundation was presented with a BIG check - $58,000, which is the most Turner has ever raised for us in one year. We are absolutely thrilled about this, so please help me give a shout-out of thanks to Kevin Antonelli and his great Turner team for all they did to make this day happen.

VMC Foundation Water: Good for you AND the planet!

2009-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hey VMC staff...I'm pleased to announce the arrival of VMC Foundation Water!

For now, this unique product is only available in Valley Specialty Center and the AOB, but it's coming soon to a Valley Health Center near you assuming the response is positive.

We hope it will be, and here are a few reasons why: First, VMC Foundation Water Bottles are not your typical plastic; they are plant-based, and biodegradable and compostable in commercial facilities! Just place your empties in our normal recycle bins, and they'll be separated off site.

Second, we should be drinking more water. As part of the "Soda Free Summer" campaign, our County Public Health Department encourages us to "rethink our drink" as we see the effects of sugary beverages on our community's weight and health. The VMC Foundation is proud to partner with BANPAC, Kaiser, and others to ensure these messages get out far and wide.

Third, every bottle sold benefits the VMC Foundation, which benefits YOU! What could be better? We hope you enjoy the convenience of VMC Foundation Water, and hope this trend in plant-based packaging starts replacing some of the plastic that's filling up our planet at an alarming rate.

You see, more than sixty million plastic bottles wind up in our landfills every day. We're proud to NOT be contributing - so drink up...to our health!

Is it time to go SOLAR?

2009-05-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

As the alert “Wilder Side of Health” reader knows, we have new solar panels installed on the parking structures of Valley Medical Center…and now, SunPower is offering a special deal for YOU, just because you work here.

It’s called the SunPower Affiliate Solar Program, and it works to encourage folks to install solar panels at home – at a time when it’s never been more affordable and the incentives so enticing. Visit our new web page for more details if you and your family have been thinking about going solar!

Now, why would I be helping SunPower sell solar systems? Two main reasons:

1. The Earth is my very favorite planet. It’s where I keep all my stuff.
2. The VMC Foundation gets a donation from SunPower for every system sold!

…but you probably guessed that, right? Any way you look at it, this is a neat offer and we are really pleased to be working with SunPower, one of the most dynamic companies in Silicon Valley. So, if you’ve been concerned with your carbon footprint, check it out. I’m having a consultant visit my home in a couple of weeks myself!

Going...Going...GONE.

2009-05-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

With touch of sadness, but an eye on the future, today saw the tear-down of VMC's old outpatient building...making way of course for the NEW VMC coming soon!

Progress on the "New VMC" - your dollars at work!

2009-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

I promised several weeks ago that I’d keep you in the loop about the “New VMC” being built with the money you approved when you voted YES on Measure A last fall. Read on, and consider yourself “in the loop!”

First, the County’s first 2009 Series A General Obligation Bonds successfully sold this week, attracting 9 strong bids from the underwriting community. Merrill Lynch won a very close bid, coming in at a much lower interest rate than we expected. The result is that the county now has its first $350,000,000 toward the whole “New VMC” project – and saved a few million bucks in the process.

Meanwhile, construction goes on – or more specifically, destruction. The old outpatient building is being slowly dismantled, and we’ll let you know about the ground-breaking ceremony that will happen later this year when the site is ready for the new hospital. Our new parking garage opened this week, and the wonderful staff of the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System has begun helping with our capital campaign by

Give a Booster Shot!

2009-05-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today the VMC Foundation launched a new initiative that asks the dedicated staff of the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System to "Give a Booster Shot!"

Time's are tough, as we all know, so it may seem strange to ask our doctors, nurses, technicians, administrators and everyone to dig even deeper than they already do every day...but we know our staff to be generous and to understand how their gifts can be leveraged.

So, http://www.giveaboostershot.orgwas born today! Click and check it out - it's fun and even a little competitive! We've even figured out how to do a payroll deduction for the VMC Foundation - for as little as an $8 "Booster Shot" per check, your name will be on the donor wall in the NEW VMC bed building for all time.

I could go on about how giving a little can help a lot, but I got an email just now that does it better than I could. It's from Dr. Gregg Adams, our rock star trauma surgeon, who sent this to his co-workers:

Hello all,

In a time of belt tightening and anxiety about the future, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to see your dollars put to hard work for the benefit of you and the community. The VMC Foundation is one such opportunity. They have been a constant, enthusiastic supporter of all of your hard work, and a creative force in getting the resources necessary for continuing the level of care for which VMC is heralded.

Now the VMC Foundation is asking for support from us, from the very people who benefit so greatly from their endeavors.

Please see the information below, and join me in giving the VMC Foundation a Booster Shot. There are many options available, one for every sized pocketbook.

You are among a select group of individuals who never have to look in the mirror and wonder if you make a difference in this world. You make a difference everyday. The community you serve reaffirmed their appreciation for that Mission with the overwhelming passage of Measure A last fall. Please take the time to read through Chris Wilder’s missive below, and consider helping the VMC Foundation, in turn, help us.

Thank you,
Gregg

Celebrate National Nurses Week!

2009-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

As Valley Medical Center continues to see a larger number of patients every year, it sure is great to know we have a fantastic team of nurses - HAPPY NATIONAL NURSES WEEK!

Here at YOUR public hospital, we're celebrating today with a nursing education fair, 11am to 4:30pm in our new Valley Specialty Center building, Sobrato Cancer Center Conference Room...come by!

Tomorrow, Thursday May 7, VMC's Nursing Exellence Awards will be given out in an inspiring ceremony at 1pm - again, Sobrato Concference Room at VSC.

Join me in thanking those who have dedicated their lives to the field of nursing. If you happen to be a nurse reading this, THANK YOU! I've been on the receiving end of wonderful nursing care here at VMC, and I sleep better at night knowing you are there for us all.

VMC and our Public Health Officer in the news...

2009-05-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's likely no surprise to you, but the H1N1 Virus (we're not calling it Swine-Flu anymore, I'm told) is driving a large number of people to Valley Medical Center's emergency department.

But that's nothing new...it just makes a growing problem worse. This article is in today's Mercury News:

While Roy Milligan sped along the freeway on his Harley, a metal chunk flew off a truck and struck his foot. Milligan worried the foot was broken but had lost his insurance along with his job last year. A co-worker at his new job suggested he go to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

“He told me they were really good to people who don’t have insurance,” Milligan said.

Apparently, the word is spreading. Since October, Valley Medical Center officials have seen a 10 percent increase in the number of uninsured patients...

Check out the full article here.

Meanwhile, the fight against the outbreak of H1N1 has a great champion. Dr. Marty Fenstersheib is profiled today in the Mercury News as well:

Meet Dr. Marty Fenstersheib and his dark companions: anthrax and bioterrorism. West Nile virus and cryptosporidium. SARS, HIV and TB.

As Santa Clara County's public health officer since 1994, the small-statured, 59-year-old former pediatrician and marathon runner from Pittsburgh is accustomed to finding himself at the center of Silicon Valley's scariest public health threats.

Again, read the full article here - Marty is a pretty amazing guy, and we should all thank our lucky stars that he's looking out for us!

In case you missed our Earth Day celebration...

2009-04-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Valley Medical Center did Earth Day 2009 up right with a historic launch of our solar panels...and nearly 1,000 people were on hand for the fiesta.

If you weren't able to attend, below is the next best thing. If your employer blocks videos, send this to your private account and watch from home. A huge thanks to Michael Elliott, VMC Foundation's Director of Program Development and Videography.

Join us Wednesday and MAKE HISTORY!

2009-04-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hot enough for ya?

This week brings weather warm enough to fry an egg...or help save the planet, in the case of Valley Medical Center.

Join us at 2pm this Wednesday, EARTH DAY, on top of our parking deck for a history-making event: We're activiting our solar panels - 2,288 of them to be exact - and ushering in a new era of efficiency and environmentalism at YOUR public hospital.

Free ice cream, music, VMC Foundation water (in compostable bottles!), and Valley VIP's including Tom Werner, CEO of Sunpower (they make the solar panels). I know I've mentioned this event before, but this will truly be one to tell your grandkids about...

...when they ask you what our generation did to save the earth.

I know I feel pretty darn proud to work for an organization that takes energy conservation seriously. Oh - and it will be FUN, too - hope to see you there!

The chilling cost of budget cuts - life hanging in the balance

2009-04-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

When the leadership of Santa Clara County and The Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System decided to spend 20 million dollars on
So what does this mean? VMC just expanded its cancer care. With our new Sobrato Cancer Center, we’re serving more people than ever before...we're still hurting, but we're still here.

What if our county leadership hadn’t done this? The results could have been devastating, as it is today in Las Vegas. If you saw 60 Minutes last week, you know what I’m talking about. University Medical Center just closed their cancer clinic due to budget cuts.

It's worth ten minutes to watch this, seriously:
Watch CBS Videos Online

Their patients see it as a death sentence, though many are trying to get area hospitals to take them…and they are searching further and further from Las Vegas. Soon, we expect, some may knock on Valley Medical Center’s door.

And VMC will answer. Thanks, county leadership. Thanks, Deloitte.

Here comes the Sun (Power)!

2009-04-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Earth Day 2009 will be extra-special at Valley Medical Center, and YOU are invited to be a part of it! The 50-second video below provides a sneak preview, but here are the details in print form:

Valley Medical Center invites you to Earth Day 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2pm
Main Parking Garage, top floor, corner of Moorpark and Turner Drive in San Jose

We will be officially powering up our new Solar panels!
Join Silicon Valley VIP's, elected officials, and dedicated staff of your public hospital as we turn on our massive new photovoltaics - the first of their kind in Silicon Valley!

Free ice cream + healthier snacks while they last, music, and the spirit that says "VMC is GOING GREEN!"

Please do join us for this historic day - we'd love to have you there for this celebration. For more info, visit http://www.vmcfoundation.org/ and of course, if your employer blocks YouTube, send this to your private email.

Delicious and deadly...shaking our hypertension

2009-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

On this Cesar Chavez Day, I thought we’d discuss food: The kind grown in the ground and picked by good people who work much harder than I do.

If I ate more of that kind of food – fresh fruit and veggies – maybe my doctor, Chris Snow, wouldn’t have resigned from VMC last year after taking my blood pressure. There’s no known connection, but still.

I actually do okay with the green leafies, being vegan and all, but the real problem is SALT. I promised Dr. Snow last year that I’d stop dumping the salt shaker over on top of everything I ate, but he explained that wasn’t the main problem…yes friends, the issue is processed foods: Pre-cooked, additive-rich, and pre-packaged. Welcome to the American Diet.

Food from a carton or can or box likely contains tons of salt. All that stuff in the middle isles of the grocery store, and most of the stuff Americans seem to love…it’s all processed. “Oh, but this can of tomato juice is so GOOD for me,” I hear you saying. Check the nutrition facts, and wonder no more why after drinking that can your heart feels like it’s trying to escape from your chest Alien-style.

I’m being cute about it I know, but this is serious: Hypertension kills millions of us every year. Slows some of us down too; my pal Bruce had a heart attack last week. And VMC Foundation major supporter and prominent attorney Richard Alexander just became an evangelist against salt.

You see, Dick Alexander is a big dude like me, and realized he could do more for his health after a no-salt, no sugar retreat he attended. He writes eloquently about why we ALL need to cut back on salt, and you should read it by clicking here.

And then look for me and Dick in the Valley Medical Center cafeteria. We’ll be the guys stealing all the salt shakers…because we “heart” you thiiiiiis much.

Educating nurses...from around the world?

2009-03-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

Today was super cool - it began with a visit to Valley Medical Center by a group of 12 nursing students from Japan! That's them, in the photo, along with VMC Foundation staff member Debbie Burdsall, touring through our Spinal Cord Rehabilitation outdoor plaza.

Okay, I'm not the finest photographer on earth. Maybe they all turned their heads at once or something. That's probably it.

Anyway, they said they learned a lot (through their translator), and if only knowing six words of Japanese didn't make me feel inferior enough, I was given a reality jolt when Debbie and I explained our wireless network.

In 2004, the VMC Foundation with help from Ophoenix launched Valley Medical Center's first wireless network for patients and their families. Debbie's job is Technology Champion, helping patients with a wide range of disabilities access the Internet, email, and information. All made possible by our wireless network, of course.

We explained all this to the Japanese nursing students. They were confused. They didn't seem to understand. Then it occured to me: Most of them were from Tokyo. Their whole CITY has been wireless since most of these students were putting puffy stickers on their Hello Kitty lunch boxes. They literally had NO IDEA why what were describing was worth describing.

So another reminder that America is now and then behind the times. Still, our wireless network has been helping patients in major ways for years now, and some hospitals in Silicon Valley don't yet have this technology available in patient rooms, public areas, and everywhere we can offer it. Even if they did, they don't have Debbie...funny how the best technology still depends on a skilled and helpful human being for the best experience.

Our wireless program really is cool, in fact. Want to learn more about how we do it, about Debbie, and how you can help us improve it? Click here, and thanks!

The New VSC...making room, and fast.

2009-03-17T10:21:00.001-07:00

Hey Friends, just a quick look at today's news on Valley Medical Center's main campus: The construction zone is in effect!

I took this shot this morning, as the fencing goes up around VMC's old one-story, outdated outpatient building (that's the dark, windowless portion just behind the truck). This facility was emptied earlier this month as all the departments moved to the new Valley Specialty Center. Next step? Bulldozers!

Once this building is gone (soon), we begin building the "NEW" VMC. Want to learn more? email me at echristopher.wilder@hhs.sccgov.org or watch this space.

Ear plugs and earmarks...a big week for VMC.

2009-03-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

A couple quick cool items for you today: Last week was the grand opening of Valley Specialty Center, VMC’s new fantastic outpatient clinic…and the Idol Hands Band was there to rock the party, louder than we've ever been, with a huge sound system (not pictured is our amazing singer, Veronica Giles, R.N.). Big thanks to the hundreds that came out for the celebration, including elected officials and even former SCVHHS CEO Bob Sillen!

Now – on to national affairs: Say what you like about federal earmarks, but I’m with George Stephanopoulos who said today “You have to decide – is it a bad earmark, or a good earmark?”

If you’re seeking an example of a good earmark, I offer two, as championed by Congressman Mike Honda and signed into law by President Obama yesterday: Valley Medical Center has been granted $404,000 for digital mammography equipment, and $233,000 for emergency room ultrasound technology.

Both will save lives, at a time when VMC is facing yet another hard year of budget cuts. Neither represents even a fraction of the federal budget. And sadly, though badly needed, these vital technology purchases are only two of the long list of items we need at YOUR public hospital…and cannot afford right now.

That’s why the VMC Foundation is working so hard to raise funds for more equipment and programs. We cannot stop just because the economy is down; in fact, since demand for VMC is up, we need to work doubly hard!

SO, yes, we're thrilled about Valley Specialty Center, which will help more patients receive care more efficiently. But we need more technology, equipment, and support to keep it all going.

Would you like to see some great photos of Valley Specialty Center? Click here. Would you like to make your mark on this vital Silicon Valley resource? Click here. Thanks so much!

The First Five Years begin with the First Five Days...

2009-03-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

…and sometimes, the first five hours. Or minutes.

Today we celebrated a major partnership at the VMC Foundation, and I just had to share it with you. First 5 Santa Clara County has made a multi-year, multimillion dollar commitment to us for support of our tiniest, most fragile patients: The babies in VMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The benefit of this life-saving equipment and program investment can seriously not be measured fully in dollars or statistics. Let’s instead measure it in families:

The photos above are Greg, Fan and Dana…Dana is about to start Kindergarten, but spent a very tough time in our NICU when she was born tiny and prematurely. When Dana came into the world, she was the size and weight of a stick of butter. Think of that. They thought she might not survive, but today…well, you can see her: A happy, healthy girl ready for school!

It’s the major leaps in technology (and the amazing staff of our NICU) that lead to such great outcomes for Dana and so many others, and First 5’s investment will help ensure we meet our growing tech needs. “What happens to these babies in the first few minutes of life,” explained Nurse Manager Kim Corvin at today’s press conference, “will impact the rest of their lives…and that impacts our whole society.”

Kim is right – and First 5 cannot be thanked enough for this investment in our future. Visit them to learn about the other great things they do around Silicon Valley: http://www.first5kids.org/

Big News about our Big New Medical Center!

2009-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Talk about "shovel-ready" projects...the new Valley Medical Center, approved by voters who passed Measure A in November, is ROLLING!

Yesterday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors made some great decisions. First, I'm pleased to report that Turner Construction has been awarded the "design-build" contract for this massive undertaking. Turner is a big supporter of the VMC Foundation, but more importantly, has the experience and skill to build what will likely be the finest public hospital in the United States.

Exaggeration? No way.

The new VMC will be a world-class patient tower which will include our nationally-recognized spinal cord and brain injury rehab center. And the Board of Sup's certified something else yesterday: The new VMC will be one of the "greenest" hospitals in the country.

Yes - we are moving forward to ensure the new hospital meets LEED "Gold" status. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a federal program that certifies the most efficient buildings from many perspectives...and only a handful of hospitals nationally meet this standard today. VMC will be one of them, exceeding even the county's rigid green building standards.

And it all starts NOW. Watch this space, as you will soon be invited to groundbreaking ceremonies. Bring your shovel; we're ready.

A Positive Dental Outlook - Fluoride NOW!

2009-02-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

So the situation is that San Jose is the largest city in the nation without fluoride in the water. The situation is also that 1/3 of San Jose’s kindergarteners has untreated tooth decay. How do you think it feels trying to go to school and learn – for the first time – with a toothache?

I cannot relate. I’m 41 years old had have never had a cavity. My dentist, Dr. Sera, says I have the most perfect teeth she’s ever seen. She’s not met my brother, who has also never had a filling. Before you think we’re genetic freaks, I’ll tell you our parents’ mouths are the dental equivalent to the opening battle scene in Saving Private Ryan.

The difference, of course, is fluoride; my parents didn’t have it and my brother and I did. Now, County Supervisor Liz Kniss is joining The Health Trust in fighting to fluoridate San Jose’s water. Why the need for a fight? Because there are still loonies afoot who think that “letting the Government put things in the water supply” leads to mind control or something. No, that’s what reality TV is for.

Seriously for a second – scientists and dentists and public health officers don’t debate this – fluoride is fantastic…yet opposition continues. Why, just this week in the Mercury News, responding to their editorial on fluoride, one guy quoted a British physician: "No physician in his right senses would prescribe for a person he has never met, whose medical history he does not know, a substance which is intended to create bodily change, with the advice: 'Take as much as you like, but you will take it for the rest of your life because some children suffer from tooth decay.”

WRONG! Sorry dude, but doctors thankfully do this all the time. They prescribe Vitamin B12 for vegans, iron for women and folic acid for women of childbearing years. Breast milk for infants. They push vitamin C, and leafy greens, and a good balance of protein and carbs. They do this for everyone, because it’s good for pretty much everyone.

Sorry for the rant, but this whole thing is just silly. And tragic. I love San Jose, but I’m thankful I was raised a few miles to the north and have great teeth to show for it. All kids deserve that, and the cost to fluoridate SJ’s water would be more than offset by keeping kids in school, ready to learn, without the pain of a bad tooth.

Do you disagree? Feel free to let me know. If you want to help, please consider a gift this month to the VMC Foundation...and I’ll make you a deal: Join us, and we’ll help fight the cavity creeps together.