Give a Booster Shot!

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!

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...

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...

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!

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

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)!

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.