Summer 2009 - Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

vim& vigor
HEALTHY LIVING
FOR SARASOTA &
SURROUNDING
COMMUNITIES
summer 2009
music therapy
for kids
stroke: when
every minute
counts
the convenient
road to recovery
PLANNING
FOR A
HEALTHY
FUTURE
page 53
family
matters
his mother’s battle with cancer
inspires actor
to help other patients heal
patrick dempsey
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opening thoughts
community
recognition
L
A FAMILY HEALTH MAGAZINE FROM SARASOTA
MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, INC.
President/Chief Executive Officer
Alexandra Quarles, CFRE
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Priscilla R. Mitchell
William A. Stanford
Alexandra Quarles, CFRE
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
2008/2009 Board of Trustees
Executive Committee: William A. Stanford, Chair; William L. Weiss, Vice
Chair; Richard O. Donegan, Secretary; Louis E. Levy, Treasurer; Donald H. Rowe,
Member-at-Large; Alexandra Quarles, CFRE, President/CEO
Last year we were honored to receive two
community awards. Nominated by Susan
Terry, president and CEO of Community AIDS
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Network, the Healthcare Foundation was recognized as the Outstanding Foundation/Civic
Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit
Organization Partner by the Southwest Chapter
organization with the mission to
of the Association of Fundraising Professionals
improve the delivery of healthcare
at its 23rd Anniversary National Philanthropy
for the Sarasota area through
Day Awards Luncheon on Nov. 18, 2008. On
the acquisition and utilization
Nov. 11, 2008, the Foundation was one of
12 charities presented a Charity Celebration
of philanthropic funds.
Award from Scene Magazine at the Community
Awards Celebration.
Featured in this issue is our 2007/2008 fiscal year review, recognizing our newest
Corinthian Society and Legacy of Life members, as well as our most recent Doctors of
Philanthropy. Additionally, 60 grants totaling $2,383,566 were approved.
On Dec. 22, 2008, the Brian Johnson Music Therapy Room in the Pediatric Department
was dedicated. Musical equipment was donated by the John Entwistle Foundation.
In this issue, you can read about: the opening of Sarasota Memorial’s Heritage Harbour
facility and an update on the North Port emergency and outpatient center; stroke prevention and the advanced care provided by the Comprehensive Stroke Center and the
Rehabilitation Department’s stroke specialty program; how Sarasota Memorial continues
to remain the only hospital in the region with the Magnet Nursing Services Recognition;
and more.
We hope you enjoy this issue.
Our Mission
Members: David S. Band, Esq.; Philip A. Delaney, Jr.; Lawrence P. English;
Sally Gambling; Ronald G. Gelbman; Carolyn Ann Holder; Howard Isermann;
Katherine M. Keeley, M.D.; Charles Knowles; Margaret Wise
General Counsel
Elizabeth C. Marshall
President/Chief Executive Officer,
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Gwen M. MacKenzie, R.N., M.N., MHSA
Vim & Vigor Regional Editors
Alexandra Quarles, CFRE, President/Chief Executive Officer
Kaye W. Chase, Director of Communications
Vim & Vigor Regional Contributors
Harriett Hritz, Graphic Designer
Vicki Rollo, Graphic Designer
Dean Garner, Photographer
Maria Lyle, Photographer
Kim Savage, SMHCS Senior Communications Editor
Ellen Simon, SMHCS Senior Communications Editor
PRODUCTION
Editorial
V.P./Creative Director: Beth Tomkiw
Executive Editor: Tom Weede
Editors: Michael Berg, Shelley Flannery, Sam Mittelsteadt, Matt Morgan,
Amanda Myers, Kari Redfield, Jill Schildhouse
Copy Editor: Cindy Hutchinson
Design
Creative Director: Lisa Altomare
Art Directors: Erica Brooks, Maggie Conners, Monya Mollohan, Kay Morrow,
Tami Rodgers, Keith Whitney
Production
Senior Production Manager: Laura Marlowe
Ancillary Production Managers: Tanya Clark, Angela Liedtke
Imaging Specialist: Dane Nordine
Prep Specialists: Julie Fong, Sonia Washington
Circulation
V.P./Business Intelligence Group: Patrick Kehoe
Postal Affairs & Logistics Director: Joseph Abeyta
CLIENT SERVICES
V.P./Sales and Product Development: Chad Rose, 888-626-8779
V.P./Strategic Marketing: Heather Burgett
Group Publisher: Russell Cherami
Strategic Marketing Team: Robyn LaMont, Barbara Mohr, Andrea Parsons,
Todd Speranzo
ADVERTISING SALES
Advertising Sales Representatives
New York: Phil Titolo, Publisher, 212-626-6835
Phoenix: Soliteir Jaeger, Associate Publisher, 888-626-8779
Mail Order: Bernbach Advertising Reps, 914-769-0051
ADMINISTRATION
William A. Stanford
Chair, Board of Trustees
Alexandra Quarles, CFRE
President, CEO and Trustee
P.S. If you find Vim & Vigor informative, please share it with a friend. To join our mailing list
to receive this magazine, or to receive an invitation to our events, contact the Foundation office at
941-917-1286.
support your community
The grants we make to ensure the highest standards in patient care, research, education,
technology and facilities would not be available without your support. You provide the
margin of excellence in the medical care available in Sarasota. A gift reply envelope is
enclosed or to make a donation online, visit our website smhf.org. Please make
your contribution today!
go
2
Vim & Vigor Founder, J. Barry Johnson
Chairman: Preston V. McMurry Jr.
President/Chief Executive Officer: Christopher McMurry
Chief Financial Officer: Audra L. Taylor
President/Custom Media: Fred Petrovsky
1515 SOUTH OSPREY AVENUE, SUITE B-4
SARASOTA, FL 34239
941-917-1286 SMHF.ORG
If you prefer not to receive our magazine or other health and
wellness information from Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Foundation, Inc., please call us at 941-917-1286 or send your request
to be removed from our mailing list to the address above.
Vim &Vigor,TM Summer 2009, Volume 25, Number 2, Florida Region 3 is
published quarterly by McMurry, McMurry Campus Center, 1010 E. Missouri
Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85014, 602-395-5850. Vim & Vigor TM is published for
the purpose of disseminating health-related information for the well-being
of the general public and its subscribers. The information contained in
Vim & Vigor TM is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing.
Please consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Vim &
Vigor TM does not accept advertising promoting the consumption of alcohol
or tobacco. Copyright © 2009 by McMurry. All rights reserved. Subscriptions
in U.S.: $4 for one year (4 issues). Single copies: $2.95. For subscriptions
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contents
special
features
4
10
16
convenient care Sarasota Memorial
is making its patients’ road to recovery
less stressful and easier to navigate
by moving into the neighborhoods
it serves.
take action Try one of these moderately intense—and fun—pursuits to
stay fit, healthy and happy.
7
music to their ears
Pediatric patients
are getting the
rock-star treatment
thanks to AC/DC singer
Brian Johnson.
34
in a heartbeat Your heart is an
amazing, natural pump. Keep it
strong by making these 11 lifestyle
changes today.
40
46
50
make it last How to care for your
artificial joint so you can stay active
for years to come.
53
55
the power of endowment Learn
how to provide benefits year after
year, for generations to come.
departments
2 opening thoughts
This issue includes
everything from our
fiscal year in review
to the dedication of
our pediatric music
therapy room—so
don’t miss a page.
summer
18
check your tech Cell phones, computers and other gadgets can affect
your health. Follow our advice to
make your machines manageable.
small wonders Discover the marvels
of minimally invasive surgery, in which
doctors use revolutionary technology
to reduce scarring and recovery time.
22
positively healthy Cheer up—you
can learn to be an optimist! Start
looking on the bright side in six
simple steps.
32
culinary cures Feeling under the
weather? The remedy may be as
close as your kitchen.
safe harbor Navigate the perils of
sunburns and other seasonal mishaps
to ensure you’ll have fun in the sun.
a year to remember A look back at
the significant accomplishments of the
2007/2008 fiscal year and the generous donors who made it all possible.
the clock is ticking When it comes
to a stroke, Sarasota Memorial offers
comprehensive care when time
matters most.
8 foundation
news and events
Learn which two
community awards
we’ve received.
56 smhcs updates
Sarasota Memorial
was once again
named among
“America’s Safest
Hospitals” by Forbes.
26
on the cover
TV star Patrick
Dempsey knows
the impact of cancer—he
saw his mother battle the
disease. Now he’s helping
others cope through his
new cancer center.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY CORBIS OUTLINE
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convenient
care
Sarasota Memorial is making its patients’ road
to recovery less stressful and easier to navigate
by moving into the neighborhoods it serves
I
t wasn’t long ago that hospitalization
routinely followed most surgeries and
medical procedures. A decade ago,
back surgery, cardiac catheterization
and mastectomies, for example, meant
up to a week’s hospital’s stay.
But lengthy hospital stays are largely a thing
of the past, thanks to advances in treatments,
minimally invasive techniques and the growth
of high-quality outpatient centers.
In this region, Sarasota Memorial Health
Care System has made the most significant
investments in outpatient services, doubling
the number and reach of its neighborhood care
centers to help meet consumer needs. Ten of its
multidisciplinary care centers now stretch from
State Road 64 in Manatee County to Toledo Blade
Boulevard in North Port, enabling residents to
receive outpatient care in a safe, comfortable and
convenient setting, with a medical team they
know and trust.
❋ comprehensive care
In each of its centers, patients have access to
most outpatient services they need all under one
roof: advanced diagnostic technology—including
CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray—walk-in/urgent
care, laboratory tests, rehabilitation and physical therapy, pain management and home health
care, among other services.
4
“Our goal is to make our
outpatient centers as
comprehensive as they are
convenient,” says Sarasota
Memorial Chief Operating
Officer Michael Harrington.
“All of them
provide advanced
imaging services,
skilled physicians
and a range of services like physical
therapy, pain management and home
Michael Harrington, COO
care. In less accessible
areas of our community, we offer all of that and
more, such as the freestanding ER in the outpatient center opening in North Port.”
The North Port facility is one of two new
outpatient centers Sarasota Memorial will open
in 2009. In January, the Sarasota Memorial
Healthcare Center at Heritage Harbour opened
in east Manatee County. The health system
expects more than 395,000 visits to its outpatient facilities this year, compared with about
30,000 inpatient admissions. vim & vigor • s um me r 2 0 0 9
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music to their ears
When the new Brian
Johnson Music
Therapy Room in the
Pediatric Department
at Sarasota Memorial
Hospital was dedicated
on Dec. 22, 2008,
AC/DC lead singer
Brian Johnson and
Steve Luongo, executive director of
the John Entwistle Foundation (JEF) and
former drummer with the John Entwistle
Band, gave guests and members of the media
a private performance.
The John Entwistle Foundation, named
for the late bassist of The Who, donated the
musical equipment, memorabilia and room
enhancements to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Foundation, Inc. A new flat-screen television
was donated by Mark and Jennie Famiglio.
Dave Frangioni, of Audio One, provided the
room’s sound paneling.
Last year, JEF expanded its mission to provide music education
and instruments to underserved
children by bringing pediatric
patients in hospitals music and its
therapeutic benefits. “What draws
us all is the opportunity to help
AC/DC singer
Brian Johnson
gives pediatric
patients the rockstar treatment
children with something dear to our hearts—
music,” states Mr. Luongo.
❋ a legacy lives on
In 2007, Mr. Johnson and AC/DC bassist
Cliff Williams joined forces with Mr. Luongo—
currently head of the John Entwistle Foundation—
and guitarist Mark Hitt to record new material
and tour to support the foundation. The Cliff
Williams room, located at The Children’s
Cancer Hospital in Fort Myers, Fla., opened
earlier in 2008.
John Entwistle rose to stardom during the
“British Invasion” of the 1960s with the U.K.
rock group The Who and later formed the
John Entwistle Band. During his life, he used
his celebrity to help raise millions of dollars to
help those less fortunate. He especially enjoyed
sharing his love of music with younger musicians. John Entwistle died of a heart attack on
June 27, 2002, the night before starting a world
tour with The Who. The music room at Sarasota
Memorial will help his legacy live on.
“The Music Therapy Room is an exciting project to be involved in because Sarasota Memorial
Hospital understands the meaning of music being
a way to help children through their sometimes
traumatic times in hospitals,” says Mr. Johnson.
“Music brings a new dimension to healing, and
I’m so proud to be part of it.” Left: James
Schumacher, M.D.,
performing with
Brian Johnson and
Steve Luongo. Above:
Brian Johnson
and Steve Luongo
cut the ribbon
with Alexandra
Quarles, Healthcare
Foundation CEO,
and William Stanford,
Board Chair.
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foundation news and events Susan Terry,
president and CEO
of Community
AIDS Network, with
Alexandra Quarles,
CFRE, Healthcare
Foundation President,
CEO and Trustee
foundation
wins awards
AFP’s outstanding foundation/civic organization partner award
Dee and
Charlie
Stottlemyer
Nominated by Susan Terry, president and CEO of Community AIDS Network, Sarasota Memorial
Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was recognized with the Outstanding Foundation/Civic Organization
Partner Award from the Southwest Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
The award was presented at the 23rd Anniversary National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon at
Michael’s On East on Nov. 18, 2008.
At the same event, former Healthcare Foundation Trustee and Chair Charlie Stottlemyer was named
Outstanding Individual Philanthropist. Nominated by Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation,
Inc., The Argus Foundation, Pines of Sarasota Foundation and the Van Wezel Foundation, he has been a driving
force behind many of the community’s most successful fundraising efforts.
charity celebration award
On Nov. 11, 2008, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was presented a
Charity Celebration Award from Scene Magazine. Twelve area charitable organizations
were recognized with this award at Scene’s Community Awards Celebration held at Saks Fifth Avenue. The 12
charities received editorial and ad space valued at more than $100,000 from Scene.
new ICU
waiting room
Marlene White, R. Dean Hautamaki, M.D., Kristine White, Steven White and Tim White
8
On Oct. 17, 2008, a ribbon-cutting dedication was held at the renovated Intensive
Care Unit (ICU) waiting lounge located on
Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s fifth floor.
A gift made to the Healthcare Foundation
by Kristine and Steven White enabled the
creation of a soothing environment to help
those going through stressful situations.
The lounge is named in memory of Joseph
Lucido, the son of close family friends,
Marge and Joe Lucido.
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CORINTHIAN
2007
2008
October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008
ANNUAL REPORT
50
a year
W
We’d like to share some of the significant
accomplishments from our past fiscal year.
They include:
• 5 0 new Corinthian Society members
• 7 new Legacy of Life members
• 5 new Doctors of Philanthropy
The Foundation made 60 grants for a total of
$2,383,566. Of that total, more than:
• $ 2 million was granted for facilities and stateof-the-art technology
• $ 260,000 for education and research
• $ 75,000 for patient care
Some of these grants included:
• $ 1,545,000 for a da Vinci Robotic Surgical
System for cardiac procedures and training
• $ 84,000 for two Giraffe Omnibeds, which
are state-of-the-art incubator-style beds
for premature babies weighing less than
3 pounds or born with major health problems
in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• $ 96,729 for a Jackson surgical table providing
position changes for the patient and allowing
optimal surgical visualization for the surgeon
• $ 105,000 to establish the Cardiovascular
Disease Assessment Center at Sarasota
Memorial’s Institute for Advanced Medicine
• $ 111,300 for the training and education
of more than 500 people from Sarasota
Memorial and the community
k 50 new corinthian society
members (780 total):
The Corinthian Society comprises individuals
and organizations that have made or pledged
cumulative gifts through September 30, 2008, of
$5,000 or more through cash, bequests, matching corporate gifts, trusts or other future gifts.
Anonymous
Marilyn Crissalli Bezner
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
Francine J. Blum-Caldwell Asset Management
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
W. David and Barbara C. Corbett
Mr. and Mrs. Harold R. Cunning
Mrs. Arnold G. Dana
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to be proud of
Nelson and Nancy Dane
Gerard Daniel
Shirley Dinkin
Edwards Lifesciences, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence P. English
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Gresham Smith and Partners
Mrs. Betty Rose Hilder
Doug and Carolyn Ann Holder
Dr. Reuben and Toby Holland
KBR Foundation, Inc.
Louis and Sandra Levy
Kathryn M. Loeb
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. MacKenzie
Anonymous
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Ringer
Anonymous
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Roth
Dr. and Mrs. Louis Rubin
Della K. Shaw
June Silver
Skanska USA
Smith Seckman Reid
SunTrust Bank
Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Takerian
Wachovia Foundation
WebTPA, an AmWins Group Benefits Company
Steven and Kristine White
Zimbler Family
❋ 7 new legacy of life members
(121 total):
Legacy of Life was created to recognize and say
thank you to those individuals who have made
the most personal and thoughtful gift of all—a
commitment to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Foundation, Inc. through a will, trust agreement,
prepaid life insurance policy or other estate
plan vehicle.
Dorothy S. Emmert
Marian Y. Goble
Leona Hughes
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Krug
Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Robinson
❋ 5 new doctors of philanthropy
(113 total):
generous donors who have made cumulative
gifts and commitments of $50,000 or more.
Anonymous
The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Inc.
Mrs. George K. Page
Steven and Kristine White
❋ sarasota memorial healthcare
foundation, inc. grants
October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008
Air Cards for SMH Home Care Field Staff
Bariatric Scale
Bayside Center
Bayside Center’s Psychiatric Center of
Excellence
Blood Drive Supplies
Breast Health Center Furniture
Breast Specimen Imager
Cancer Research Coordinator
Capital Improvements
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program
Child Care Center
Child Protection Center
Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System
EXCEL Awards
File of Life Shipping
Gait Trainer
Geri Care Online
Giraffe Omnibeds (2) NICU
Glidescope Intubation Camera-ECC
Jackson Surgical Table and Equipment
LiteGait Suspension System
Meckler Admission Center
Mission Cataract
Oncology/Art Program Table and Chairs
Orthopedic LSO Brace and Boot
Patricia Snyder Children’s Fund
Pediatrics Items
Perinatologist Conference at SMH
Portable ECG Monitor for Newborn Nursery
Pulmonary Rehab
SMHCS Nurses and Staff Education
Treadmills (3) for Stress Tests
Wellness Community, Capital Campaign
join
us
go
To learn how
you can join the
Corinthian Society
or Legacy of Life,
or for more information, call the
Foundation office
at 941-917-1286.
show go
your
support
To make a donation to support
the Foundation’s
efforts, use the
envelope enclosed
in this magazine or
go to smhf.org to
make a gift online.
Total $2,383,566
Doctor of Philanthropy is recognition for those
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That comfort level you felt as a kid?
It’s back.
Sarasota Memorial offers you a depth and breadth of care that
no other hospital in our area can equal. U.S. News & World
Report agrees. They think we’re one of the 50 best hospitals in
the country. But it’s how our patients feel that matters most to
us. And they tell us they feel better just knowing we’re here.
smh.com
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the
power of
by john elbare, mba, cfp
endowment
providing benefits year after
year for generations to come
A
s you consider the impact of your charitable giving, remember that you can
direct your donations to a perpetual
endowment fund. In fact, the primary mission of Sarasota Memorial
Healthcare Foundation, Inc. is to build and
manage charitable endowment funds for our
community’s future healthcare needs.
As an ancient story goes, an elderly man was
busy planting several olive tree seedlings on
his property. A passerby asked him why he was
planting baby trees, even though he would not
live long enough to see any of them bear fruit.
His simple answer was that he planted them for
future generations.
❋ giving through
the generations
Endowment funds work the same way. You
can invest some of your charitable giving into a
perpetual endowment fund, which will provide
benefits every year for future generations. This is
a way to make a permanent investment that will
improve community healthcare, year after year.
Endowment funds are very durable and span
many generations. Endowment funds that were
set up by King Henry VIII in England in the
1500s are still providing funds for Oxford and
Cambridge universities. We remember the
great industrialists of the 19th century, like
Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller,
primarily because of the
charitable endowments
they established.
However, endowments
are not just for the wealthy.
Like many others in our
community, you can contribute to an existing endowment fund within Sarasota
Memorial Healthcare
John Elbare, MBA, CFP
Foundation at any giving
level. You can also establish your own fund, in your
family name, as long as you meet the minimum
funding requirements.
The endowment principal is never touched.
Only the earnings are used each year to support
the purpose of the fund, which can be focused on
a healthcare issue that is important to you. The
principal is prudently invested and professionally
managed. The payout rate is set low so that the
fund will provide a dependable stream of earnings
in both good years and down years.
giving feels good
go
The primary endowment fund at Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Foundation, the 21st Century Trust Fund Initiative, supports
a variety of essential healthcare needs that are not adequately funded
with hospital revenues. These include nursing education, women’s health
initiatives, advanced medical equipment, clinical research, community
health education and a number of other critical needs.
To find out more about investing in the endowment fund, whether
by a current contribution or with an estate gift, please give us a call at
941-917-1286 for a no-obligation personal consultation.
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the clock is ticking
when it comes to
a stroke, Sarasota
Memorial Hospital
offers lifesaving
treatment when
time matters most
Mauricio Concha, M.D.
Every minute matters when you’re having a
stroke, and so does the hospital that treats you.
Many people believe—incorrectly—that all
hospitals have similar equipment and specialists
on hand to treat a stroke. In reality, stroke care is
delivered in varying degrees at different hospitals.
“That’s why it’s so crucial for people to treat
stroke like the emergency it is and call 911 at
the first symptom,” said Mauricio Concha,
M.D., stroke neurologist and medical director
of Sarasota Memorial’s Comprehensive Stroke
Center. “With stroke, time lost is brain lost.”
Too often, he says, people ignore seemingly
minor symptoms and try to sleep them off—
missing an important three-hour window to
treat stroke, and possibly, prevent a more serious one from following. Or, they waste precious
minutes driving themselves to a hospital that
may not be able to treat them, resulting in a
hospital transfer and further delay.
Calling 911 results in a hospital stroke alert
that shapes your course of treatment immediately. Paramedics work with local hospitals
to assess the complexity and severity of your
stroke while in transit, then quickly transport
you to the hospital best equipped to treat your
condition. Depending on a patient’s condition,
paramedics may bypass closer hospitals and
transport stroke victims directly to a primary
or comprehensive stroke center.
supporting
your
community
Many of Sarasota Memorial’s
advanced capabilities have
been made possible in part by
the contributions of local residents. Visit Sarasota Memorial
Healthcare Foundation, Inc.’s
website at smhf.org to find
out how you can help support
advanced healthcare
in our community.
go
expertise around
the corner
People living in Sarasota County
are fortunate. Many of the area’s
hospitals are designated primary
stroke centers capable of providing
good emergency care for the average
stroke. Sarasota Memorial Hospital
offers the added benefit of being one
of Florida’s 10 specially designated
comprehensive stroke centers—it is
the only one south of St. Petersburg
on Florida’s West Coast.
A step up from primary stroke
centers, comprehensive stroke centers are equipped with advanced specialists and treatments to treat sicker
patients having more complicated
strokes. In outlying areas, EMS helicopters now
fly patients directly from their homes to Sarasota
Memorial when they need advanced care.
Studies show that 30 to 35 percent of stroke
patients with complex stroke types, severe deficits or multiple organs affected can benefit from
the higher level of care offered in comprehensive
stroke centers. In one study, in-hospital death
rates were reduced nearly 50 percent when
patients had access to highly trained stroke
teams and advanced endovascular treatments.
“Our biggest challenge remains educating
people about stroke’s signs and symptoms, so
they recognize when they are having a stroke
and get to the hospital in time for us to help
them,” Dr. Concha says.
Nationally, only about 5 percent of people
who have strokes get such treatment.
time is of the essence
Approximately 780,000 people suffer a new or recurring stroke every year. Most—nearly 80 percent—are
caused by a blockage that prevents blood flow to
the brain. Administering a drug called tPA can help
dissolve the clot and help prevent permanent disabilities when given within three hours of the first
symptom. With its advanced treatments and clinical
trials, Sarasota Memorial dramatically broadens the
options for stroke patients while its use of lifesaving
endovascular procedures and clinical trials extends
the window of treatment to eight hours and beyond.
think stroke? think FAST!
Remember the symptoms of stroke by thinking of the
letters F-A-S-T, especially if you feel a sudden onset to
one side of your face or body.
F – Facial numbness or weakness
A – Arm numbness or weakness
S – Slurred speech/scrambled thoughts
T – “Time is Brain” ... Call 911
Call Sarasota Memorial’s HealthLine at 941-9177777 for a free “THINK STROKE, THINK FAST” refrigerator magnet, or visit smh.com for more information.
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SMHCS updates sarasota memorial again named
among america’s safest hospitals
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Did you know that one of America’s safest
hospitals is in your own backyard?
Sarasota Memorial once again has been
featured on Forbes magazine’s website as
one of “America’s Safest Hospitals.” This year,
Forbes.com spotlighted the nation’s 50 largest safe hospitals—Sarasota Memorial ranks
number 19.
Forbes bases its rankings on quality data provided by HealthGrades, an independent hospital
rating company that evaluates hospitals nationwide each year and identifies facilities that best
protect their patients from complications and
mortality. In this study that evaluates “quality
and clinical excellence,” the company identified
270 hospitals out of 5,000 that collectively had
a 28 percent lower mortality rate and 8 percent
lower complication rate than the national average.
Sarasota Memorial is the only hospital in
this region included in the 50 largest hospitals
(ranked by bed size) on HealthGrades’ list.
“What’s very impressive is that when you
look at statistics at high-performing hospitals,”
says study co-author Dr. Rick May in the
Forbes.com report, “it’s clear that they don’t
get [the HealthGrades distinction] by chance.
They do it by being extremely focused.”
Access to hospitals with such positive outcomes could be lifesaving, the study notes.
If all facilities performed at this level, Dr. May
and his co-author, Dr. Samantha Collier, report
that 152,600 lives might have been saved and
11,700 hospital complications might have been
prevented between 2005 and 2007, the years
for which HealthGrades used data.
Judy Milne, executive director of quality
and safety at Sarasota Memorial, said it takes
personal vigilance every minute, every day, by
every employee to ensure safe, high-quality care.
As part of its continuous quality improvement
efforts, Sarasota Memorial encourages all of
its staff—from housekeepers and dietitians to
doctors, nurses and support staff—to report all
potential safety issues and “near-miss” events
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so the hospital can address practices or systems
that may allow miscommunication or mistakes
to occur. “The more safety questions we receive
from our staff,” says Milne, “the better we feel,
because they present opportunities to further
safeguard our systems.”
quality counts
No other hospital in the region comes close to
matching Sarasota Memorial’s record for quality and safety. It is the only hospital in Manatee,
Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties that
has achieved the following recognition:
• U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best
Hospitals.” Just 3 percent of more than 5,000
hospitals surveyed nationwide made it on the
list in 2008. It was the fifth year in a row that
Sarasota Memorial made the nation’s best list.
• “America’s Safest Hospitals,” Forbes.com,
two years in a row.
• Designation as a Magnet hospital, granted
once every four years for a hospital’s ability
to recruit and retain the best and brightest
nurses. Nationally, just 5 percent of U.S. hospitals retained or earned the designation in
2008—widely regarded as one of the nation’s
best indicators of how well a hospital takes
care of its patients.
• Listed among Florida’s “top hospitals” in 2008
by ADVANCE for Nurses magazine, second year in
a row.
• 2008-2009 Consumer Choice Award winner
for the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice metropolitan
area by the National Research Corporation for
the 11th consecutive year.
• Nation’s Top 100 Hospitals to Work For in
2009, Nursing Professionals magazine.
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Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
1515 S Osprey Ave / Ste B-4
Sarasota, FL 34239-2918
Non-Profit Org.
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