Inside: • Munson Manor: 10 Years, 55000

Inside:
Spring 2011
•Munson Manor: 10 Years, 55,000 Guests
•Hospice Volunteers Describe Experience
•Thank You to All of Our Donors
Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation
& Paul Oliver Foundation
Janice and Hunter Javin: ‘We still have our little guy.’
Pediatric Specialty Clinics Help Children in Northern Michigan.
Counting Blessings:
‘We Have a Lot to be Thankful For’
Hunter Javin is a lot like other third
graders. He loves to go hunting with
his dad. He likes to play flag football
and ride his bike. He’s smart, polite,
and has a great imagination. He’d do
anything for a friend and has been
known to give up his Christmas
presents for a stranger. He always
wears his heart on his sleeve.
Hunter thanked his doctors and
nurses for keeping him alive in
a Thanksgiving class project.
“We’ve had times when we’ve left at 4 am to get there by
9 am to avoid a hotel bill.
It’s very handy to see
Dr. Dick here.”
Janice Javin
2
“He amazes me,” his mother says.
“He’s a very strong young man. Just
when I think he’s awed me as much as
he can, he tops it and does something
that awes me even more.”
The first amazing thing Hunter
did was survive infancy. Toby and
Janice Javin had no idea their son
had serious medical problems when
he was born at Munson Medical
Center nine years ago.
“He was a fussy baby, so I took him
in to his pediatrician a week before
his one-month checkup,” Janice said.
“He was drowning from the liquid
in his lungs.”
The Javins soon learned the extent
of Hunter’s congenital abnormali-
Pediatric Cardiologist McDonald Dick II, MD, travels to Traverse City to see
Hunter for follow-up visits at the Munson Specialty Clinics office.
ties: his heart had one large chamber
rather than four, only one valve, and
was tilted to the right instead of the
left; his organs were reversed; he had
no spleen. Before they knew it, the
family was headed to University of
Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor to
get the specialty pediatric care Hunter
needed, including four open-heart
surgeries.
Hunter is doing well now, but his
parents remain vigilant, especially
following a life-threatening bout of
flu last summer that sent him back
to U of M hospital via helicopter.
“We’re always on our toes,” Janice
said. When she looks at Hunter and
his healthy little sister Seryna, 7, she
counts her blessings. “We’re very
lucky. We still have our little guy.
We have a lot to be thankful for.”
McDonald Dick, II, MD, tops the list.
Dr. Dick is a pediatric cardiologist
from U of M who has been part of
Hunter’s care team since the beginning. Dr. Dick travels to Traverse City
six times a year to monitor about 150
children in northern Michigan with
cardiology concerns.
Seeing Dr. Dick in Traverse City
takes a burden off the whole family,
Janice said. “It’s very beneficial for
us. To go to Ann Arbor, we have to
pull Hunter out of school, find care
for our daughter, and make a whole
bunch of other arrangements. My
husband is in construction, so that
means a day of lost work for him.
He wouldn’t have to go, but he’s
Hunter’s dad – he wants to be there.
We’ve had times when we’ve left at
4 am to get there by 9 am to avoid
a hotel bill. It’s very handy to see
Dr. Dick here.”
Expanded Pediatric Specialty Services
Needed in Northern Michigan
It happens more often than you
think.
A child with epilepsy goes without
specialized treatment because
his parents don’t have the money
to take him 200 miles to see a
pediatric neurologist.
A two-year-old girl with leukemia
misses her follow-up appointment
because her mother cannot find a
ride to see a pediatric hematologist
in Grand Rapids.
Northern Michigan does not have
the population to support fulltime
pediatric medical subspecialists.
Children with complex, chronic
conditions make repeated trips
downstate to receive the specialty
care they need. The time, effort,
and additional expense significantly
burdens families already under
strain.
The Munson Healthcare Regional
Foundation has created a Pediatric
Services Fund to help support local
specialty clinics.
“Historically, this community has
been committed to pediatric services since the 1930s when no one
else was doing it,” said Traverse City
pediatrician Robert Sprunk, MD.
“The Pediatric Services Fund
builds upon that tradition. We are
standing on the shoulders of
Dr. Mark Osterlin, who ran the
Central Michigan Children’s Clinic
here in the 30s, Hattie Hannah
Keeney, who supported the
Children’s Clinic with a large gift
in the 1950s, Dr. Jim Johnston,
who helped open the first neonatal
intensive care unit here in 1972,
and all those others who’ve gone
before us.”
Specialty clinics allow local physicians to be part of the child’s care
team. “I can keep more of my patients
here, knowing I’ve got a specialist to back me up,” Dr. Sprunk said.
“That’s true for our obstetricians, as
well. They can take on some of the
high-risk maternal cases and those
babies can be born in the north when
appropriate, because our obstetricians know they have the support
and backing of a perinatologist who
comes here.”
Munson Medical Center partners
with local physicians and pediatric
specialists from Helen DeVos
Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids,
University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott
Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor,
Wayne State University in Detroit,
and the Michigan Department of
Public Health.
Albert S. Cornelius, MD, a pediatric
oncologist from Grand Rapids, has
seen patients in Traverse City since
2007. “We would only do this if we
can deliver the same high quality
of care we would at DeVos. It’s very
important for hospitals to work
together and partner together
because it’s the right thing to do for
the patients. Munson has been great
in terms of partnering with us.”
“Our goal is for children with the
most serious illnesses, many of
whom live in poverty, to receive
ongoing services close to home,” said
Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation President Des Worthington.
“Through the vision and generosity
of the local community, we’ve established a fund which is being used
to expand the services offered locally.”
The Foundation’s short-term goal is
to raise $300,000 in annual community support for pediatric specialty
clinics. A long-term goal is to establish a Pediatric Specialty Sustaining
Fund to bring various pediatric
specialists to underserved communities throughout northern Michigan.
To learn more, call the Foundation
at (231) 935-6482.
How You Can Help
• Support Munson Pediatric
Services through this year’s
Centurion Drive
• Include Munson Pediatric
Specialty Clinics in your
estate plans
• Make a donation to the
Pediatric Specialty
Sustaining Fund
In all, 21 pediatric specialty clinics
are held in Traverse City for hundreds
of children who come from as far
as the Upper Peninsula to see these
specialists.
3
Families Praise Munson Manor;
Ongoing Donor Support Needed
Imagine being in an unfamiliar town,
far from home, and someone you
love is in the hospital. You’re worried,
exhausted, and you don’t have a lot of
money. You don’t know what to do.
For more than 10 years, people in
that situation have found themselves
on the doorstep of Munson Manor
Hospitality House. When they step
inside, they are warmly welcomed by
people whose sole purpose is to help
them.
Munson Manor has been a “home
away from home” for out-of-town
patients and their families since
November 2000. Located next to
Munson Medical Center, the 30-
room hospitality house is in a renovated structure built in 1903 as part
of the Traverse City State Hospital.
Community donations helped turn
a century-old decaying brick cottage into a beautiful, stately place of
refuge. More than 55,000 guests have
enjoyed the home’s comforts.
Munson Manor is open every day
to serve people who need a bed and
a smile. Room charges vary from
$35 to $55, with special payment
arrangements for those in financial
need. The hospitality house operates
on contributions, in-kind donations,
and room fees.
The 108-year-old building requires
constant upkeep. To date, the Mun-
son Healthcare Regional Foundation
has raised $874,000 in community
support for Munson Manor. The
Foundation’s short-term goal is to
raise $25,000 annually to help with
operations. The long-term goal is to
establish a $1.5 million endowment
to provide on-going operational
support and facility upkeep.
Munson Manor Residential Manager
Norm Weichelt said nearly 11 years
of wear and tear are showing. Lounge
furniture, bed covers, bedside tables,
and carpets need to be replaced. The
front porch needs to be repainted and
the back staircase needs to be rebuilt.
To learn how you can help, call
(231) 935-6482.
What Guests Say: ‘A Place of Peacefulness to Catch Your Breath’
ts at this turn of even
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people who keep
“I was overwhelmed with the medical decisions, the cost, the questions about the future. It was a comfort to find relief and warmth at the guest house and its family – the staff and residents like myself. Thank you all for a great hospitality home and helping to keep it affordable.”
4
“I thank the Lord for Munson Manor. I could never have stayed in the area financially and would have had 140 plus miles a day traveling if not for you.”
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“We had an emergency while traveling – my husband needed a pacemaker. I thought I would just sleep in the car or in a chair in my husband’s room. To be in a home as nice as yours was just overwhelming. There is nothing more I could have asked for.”
“With your kind ge
nerosity, my daug
hter and I were able to be
with my grandson
during his chemothera
py. Without your
generous discount on our
room, we wouldn’
t have been able to be
there.”
“Thank you so much for letting us stay while our baby was in the NICU for six weeks. We don’t know what we would have done without your help. It was such a blessing we were able to stay even when we were struggling with money. God bless.”
‘Why We Give’
David and Cathie Martin have been part of
the medical community in Traverse City for
30 years. Consequently, they have both
professional and personal reasons for
supporting Munson Healthcare through
their estate planning.
“As a physician, it is important to me to
practice medicine with the best doctors
and nurses and with state-of-the-art
Dr. David and Cat
technology,” said Dr. Martin, an Infection
hie Martin
Disease Specialist who is well known for his
dedication to quality improvement at Munson Medical Center. “At the end
of my career, I want to look back knowing I worked at the ‘best’ and not
a mediocre health care center. That kind of quality doesn’t come cheap.
It requires a giving attitude of time and money, especially from those
working within its walls.”
Like everyone else in the community, the Martins count on having access
to great care locally and have used Munson services on many occasions.
“It’s where we go for medical care and, most importantly, where our children
and grandchildren receive care,” Dr. Martin said.
While David attended medical school, Cathie worked in hospital administration. Being involved in the health care industry from an early age helped
the Martins see firsthand the need hospitals have for additional funds.
“We know that income generated by patient care is never enough to stay
current in technology and staffing,” Dr. Martin said. “Despite prudent
planning, Munson’s income has decreased like everyone’s due to the
volatile market. Gifting to our hospital has never been more important.”
The Martins also remember what it was like during their lean years. “In the
early 1980s, we were like any other family living paycheck to paycheck,”
Cathie said. “Training years didn’t allow us to save money before moving
here and setting up practice. We borrowed for everything – house, office,
cars, and furniture. Our gifts to Munson were usually $25 to $50 a year.”
Cathie worked part time, which allowed her to volunteer in the community
and for the hospital. “Our contributions were small, but together with our
time we felt we were doing our part. Twelve years ago I was invited to serve
on the Foundation Board. I accepted, hoping to promote the message that
any and all kinds of contributions are important.”
“With our children grown and our debts paid, we’ve been able to help our
hospital more,” Cathie said. “Including Munson in our estate giving has
been an excellent way to allow us to continue to support our local hospital.
After we’re gone, our grandchildren and their families will be cared for with
same top quality we’ve come to expect.”
To learn more about planned giving, call Beth or Ruth at (231) 935-6482.
Thank You
Heritage Circle Members
Heritage Circle represents a list of
donors who have named Paul Oliver
Foundation or Munson Healthcare
Regional Foundation in their will or
estate plans to support Kalkaska
Memorial Health Center, Munson Hospice,
Munson Medical Center, or Paul Oliver
Memorial Hospital. It also includes those
who have made a Charitable Gift Annuity
or other life income arrangement.
If interested in becoming a Heritage
Circle member, call Ruth Bloomer at
(231) 935-6484.
Jon & Mary Armstrong
George & Sue Basta
George & Patricia Bearup
Marsha J. Browning
Tony & Helen Buday
Kenneth & Linda Carroll
Gilbert & Annette Deibel
Jock & Sue Denio
George & Monon Dunn
Jim & Sue Dutmers
John & Gina Erb
Marilyn & Bernard Finn
Nancy L. Fisher
Phillip & Jane Goethals
Jane C. Hardwicke
David & Anne Harris
Roger & Mary Jane Jacobi
B. Jane Johnson
George & Barbara Kausler
Phyllis B. Klann
James W. & Marjorie O. Leenhouts
Wayne & Terry Lobdell
Terry & Sally Malone
Dr. David Martin & Mrs. Cathie Martin
Robert & Janice McKee
Diantha Naftali
Richard & Clarine Olson
Dennis & Joann Pearsall
Sarah Elizabeth Pierson
Agnes M. Plagens
Marjorie E. Power
Bruce & Laurie Reavely
Robert & Barbara Rosso
Thomas A. Rutkowski Foundation
Ronald & Martha Yocum
Jay & Judy Zrimec
5
The Way To A Heart
The tradition of bringing a meal or
treat to an ailing neighbor is alive and
well within our Munson community.
Munson Manor, Munson Hospice,
and the Thomas Judd Care Center
have all been recipients of edible gifts
for patients and families from caring
people who are simply happy to know
their gift of food is appreciated.
Big Apple Bagel and The Grand Traverse Pie Co. are regular contributors
of pies and baked goods to Munson
Manor. Weary residents find that
a yummy slice of pie can be a great
remedy from a stressful day of
visiting a loved one at Munson
Medical Center.
Recently, a local family began
donating fresh eggs to HIV/Aids
clients. According to Thomas Judd
Care Center Coordinator Barb
Robbins, “Some of our patients
rely on local food pantries for
staples, but fresh foods can be
hard to come by. One of our
patients had a nice supply of
eggs available and saw the need
among their fellow clients, so
they began sharing them with
our patients.”
According to Norm Weichelt,
Manager of Munson Manor
Hospitality House, several
churches, businesses, and service
groups pick a day to make meals
for their residents. “These meals
are often a highlight for families,
especially those with an extended
stay. There is definitely something
very special about a meal prepared
by compassionate people.”
For more information on how
to give in these unique ways,
please contact the Foundation
at (231) 935-6482.
Contact Us
Desiree Worthington | President
(231) 935-6509
[email protected]
Ruth Bloomer | Leadership Giving Specialist
(231) 935-6484
[email protected]
Nan Brown | Database/Research Specialist
(231) 935-6448
[email protected]
Denise DaFermo | Executive Assistant
(231) 935-6482
[email protected]
Julie Friley | Donor Engagement Coordinator
(231) 935-7668
[email protected]
Beth Karczewski | Leadership Giving
Specialist
(231) 935-7689
[email protected]
Alyson Olivier | Leadership Giving Specialist
(231) 935-7901
[email protected]
Tracy Watson | Development Assistant
(231) 935-2368
[email protected]
Sharon Wilkins | Department Secretary
(231) 935-7913
[email protected]
Kris Zimmerman | Data Entry Clerk
(231) 935-7909
[email protected]
6
Being a Hospice Volunteer is
‘a Totally Different Kind of Experience’
located on a wooded hillside on
Munson’s campus. “When I leave
I am pretty confident that I have
made a positive contribution, even
if it’s a small one, to someone during the dying process,” Dave said.
“It may happen once, twice, or a
half a dozen times a day, but just
having it happen once is enough
to make me feel good and that
I’ve accomplished something.”
Dave and Judy Pohlod were very
successful in the business arena,
but it wasn’t until retirement
that they stumbled upon an
unexpected truth: If you really
want to learn about living, spend
time with the dying.
The Leelanau County couple has
volunteered at Munson Hospice
House for nearly four years doing
whatever needs to be done –
folding laundry, making beds,
feeding patients, running errands,
and offering solace and assistance
to families who are saying goodbye
to someone they love.
“Being a hospice volunteer has
given me a new perspective on
life and helped me set some new
priorities,” Dave said. “It’s given me
a very meaningful connection with
people – it has changed my life.”
The Pohlods look forward to
the days they spend working at
the eight-bed hospice house,
“Family members are very, very
appreciative,” Judy said, “They’re
going through a rough time and
things are tumultuous in their
lives, so any small things that are
done for them, they appreciate and
it makes whatever time is left with
their loved one that much more
meaningful.”
Their initial unease in being
around people during the final
days of their lives quickly vanished. “At first you’re intimidated.
You think ‘what will I say?’ That
disappears quite fast because
you’re just talking to living people
with different facets of emotional,
spiritual, and physical needs,” Judy
said. “You do know what to say –
you treat them just like any other
person you would speak to anywhere, except they have different
needs.”
“Part of the end-of-life experience
involves treating people with
dignity and respect,” Dave said.
“It’s the least we can do for them
to ease their transition.”
Even though their intention was
to serve others in a meaningful
way, the Pohlods agree they gain
more than they give. Sometimes
residents impact their lives in
surprising ways. “My mom was going
through her final days but she lived
eight hours away so I couldn’t be
with her all the time,”
Judy said. “There was
a sweet lady here who
reminded me of mom.
She felt guilty because
her children lived far
away and she didn’t
want them to make
long trips to see her.
I told her I felt guilty
because I couldn’t be
with my mom. She
said, ‘Please don’t feel that way. Think
of your mother. She’s in good hands.
She’s got people taking care
of her – she’s got people like you
holding her hand, just the way you
are holding mine.’ She made me feel
better about being so far away from
my own mom.”
That two-way emotional connection,
Dave said, makes being a hospice
volunteer unlike any other volunteer
work he’s ever done. “This is very
direct one-on-one. It’s a very visceral
thing. You’re actually relating to a
person who really appreciates what
you’re trying to do for them or their
family, so it’s a totally different kind
of experience for me – it’s much more
personal and it really hits you with
the emotional attachment you don’t
get with a lot of other volunteer work.
That’s why it’s so special to me. It’s far
and above anything I’ve done before.”
To learn more about becoming a
hospice volunteer, contact Judy
Goodrich at (231) 935-8485 or
[email protected]. To support
Munson Hospice services, call the
Foundation at (231) 935-6482.
7
JoAnn Holwerda
New Foundation Board Member Brings Auxiliary Perspective
In everything
she does,
JoAnn
Holwerda
wants to be a
positive force,
and that is
especially
true in her
new role
as a member of the Paul Oliver
Foundation Board of Directors.
As a past president of the POMH
Hospital Auxiliary Board, she believes she can be a valuable liaison
between the Auxiliary and the Foundation, helping those organizations
accomplish their shared goal of
supporting growth and services at
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital.
“When I served as Auxiliary president we were always invited to sit in
on hospital board meetings – it was
such a great experience to see the
whole circle of the operation,” she
said. “You are able to have a much
more in-depth understanding of
the process because you’re able to
get a well-rounded picture of how
things work.”
One message she hopes to reinforce
in the community is that all of the
money raised by the Paul Oliver
Foundation and the Auxiliary stays
in Frankfort to benefit services at the
local hospital. She also wants people
to know that continued success
depends on the local community
using the services in Frankfort.
“I think the services we have at
Paul Oliver are above and beyond
excellent,” she said. She’s been
Bill Parris
impressed by the way the hospital’s
administrators are planning for the
future. “They analyze everything
to make sure the service is high
quality, and that it meets the needs
of the demographics of this area.”
JoAnn currently serves as Mayor Pro
Tem of the City of Frankfort. She retired five years ago as Administrative
Assistant to Benzie County Administrator, after having also worked
as Clerk Treasurer for the City of
Frankfort. JoAnn moved to Benzie
County from Midland in 1979 to
manage a children’s store. She was
the 2010 chair of the POMH Auxiliary Holiday Ball and is treasurer
for Periwinkle Garden Club. JoAnn
is married to David Holwerda and
has three grown children all living
locally, as well as 10 grandchildren.
They are anticipating the birth of a
fourth great-grandchild in July.
Fundraising Expertise to Focus on Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
Bill Parris
worked for 32
years in the
international
chemical industry, based
primarily in
North Carolina and New
York City.
He expected to spend his retirement
in North Carolina. These days, that’s
true for only part of the year. Crystal Lake’s claim on his wife’s heart
prompted the couple to purchase
a home on the lake 15 years ago, a
short distance from the family cottage
where Joetta Riley Parris spent her
childhood summers.
8
It didn’t take long for the Parrises to
dive into the life of the community.
Bill has served as president of the
Benzie Sunrise Rotary Club, and
as a director of the Friends of the
Betsie Valley Trail, Crystal Lake Art
Center, and the Benzie Area Historical Society. He belongs to the Benzie
Amateur Radio Friends and is an
active member at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Joetta is a member
of Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital’s
Board of Trustees, and with her encouragement, Bill agreed to serve on
the hospitals’ Foundation Board. He
plans to turn his full attention to the
hospital as soon as he helps complete
a $3 million capital campaign for
the new Crystal Lake Art Center, expected to open in July in the former
Frankfort U.S. Coast Guard station.
“I’m such a strong advocate of this
hospital – it’s got to succeed,” Bill
said. “It is such a big asset to the community – those of us who are capable
and able need to step up and make
sure it’s supported. When anybody is
thinking about retiring in this area,
the first question they ask is ‘What’s
the health care situation?’ Having the
hospital makes it easier for them to
make the decision to retire here.”
The charm and comfort of living in
a small town extends to the hospital,
Bill said. “After being in the county
for the last 15 years, we’ve gotten to
meet and know the people there.
When you go up there, it’s not like
working with strangers – you know
everybody.”
Two Munson Healthcare Hospitals Are
Among Nation’s Top 100
Munson Healthcare Regional
Foundation Board of Trustees
Charles Havill, Chairman
Charlie Bumb, Vice Chairman
Kyle Carr, MD, Secretary
Jon Armstrong, Treasurer
Desiree Worthington, President
George Bearup
Lorraine Beers
Ross Biederman
Kathy Dixon
Cindy Glines, MD
Phil Goethals
Ann Ward Gregory
Edwin Ness, President and CEO,
Munson Healthcare
Munson Medical Center
Rev. Homer Nye
Dennis Pearsall
Bruce Reavely
Paul Schmuckal
Alice Shirley
Sarah Trippe
Ron Yocum
Paul Oliver Foundation
Board of Directors
Phillip Meek, Chair
Honnie McClear, Vice Chair
Hallie Christian, Secretary
J. Chris Kantgias, Treasurer
Desiree Worthington, President
Jon Armstrong
James Austin, Administrator
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
Preston Dilts, Jr., MD
Robert C. Foster
John Haddick
JoAnn Holwerda
Jerry Jehle
Chuck King
David Leavenworth
Dick Lewis
Christina MacInnes
Fred Muller
Peggy Nelson
Irene Nugent
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
William C. Parris
George Ryckman, DO
After learning Munson Medical
Center had been named one of the
nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® for the
13th time, hospital Patient Access
Services Manager Amy Mamo was
so excited she immediately sent an
email to family and friends to share
the good news.
A friend replied: “I live in a major
metropolitan area with many hospitals
to choose from. I’ve been in many with
my family, and none of them has yet
to measure up to the quality of care
at Munson. I always feel secure when
my dad has to go there because I know
he will get the best of care. I’m not
surprised that this study is recognizing
what so many people already know
and are grateful for!”
The annual study by Thomson
Reuters, now in its 18th year,
compares quality and performance
at 2,914 hospitals nationwide.
Munson is one of only three
hospitals in the nation to make
the list 13 times or more.
Mercy Hospital Cadillac also received
100 Top Hospital recognition for the
second time.
“I couldn’t be happier that two of
the nation’s 100 top hospitals are
located in northern Michigan and are
associated with Munson Healthcare,”
said Ed Ness, President and CEO
of Munson Healthcare and Munson
Medical Center. “To achieve Top 100
status even once is a great achievement. To sustain that top level of
quality over time is remarkable and
is only made possible by the commitment to excellence demonstrated by
physicians, staff, volunteers,
and board members. ”
Dozens of health care awards and
ratings are given each year. The
100 Top Hospital designation is
noteworthy because it is based soley
on objective annual quantitative
research that identifies hospitals with
the best facility-wide performance.
The Thomson Reuters team of
researchers includes epidemiologists,
physicians, statisticians, and former
hospital executives who evaluate
public data sources to develop an
independent assessment of clinical care, patient perception of care,
operational efficiency, and financial
stability. Hospitals do not apply for or
pay for 100 Top Hospital status.
For more information on the
100 Top Hospitals program go to
100tophospitals.com.
“Having the support of our communities makes all the difference. All of us
in northern Michigan should take comfort in knowing that our hospital
system provides some of the best health care in the nation.”
Ed Ness, President and CEO
Munson Healthcare and Munson Medical Center
9
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
TRAVERSE CITY MI
PERMIT #288
210 Beaumont Place • Traverse City, MI 49684
Basketball Event
Nets $10,000
Area children who can receive care
close to home were the winners of the
sixth annual Katie Heintz Basketball
Tournament that raised more than
$10,000 for Munson Medical Center’s
Pediatric Infusion Clinic.
The tournament honors Katie Heintz,
a 16-year-old St. Francis High School
student who died of leukemia in 2005.
This year’s fundraiser featured competition between teams coached by Fox
Grand Traverse General Manager John
Cueter and Bill Marsh Jr., an owner of
the Bill Marsh Auto Group.
The two rival coaches, along with
members of the Heintz family, and St.
Francis High School Key Club recently
visited Munson’s Pediatric Infusion
Clinic to present a check representing
this year’s gift.
Since 2006, Helen DeVos Children’s
Hospital in Grand Rapids and Munson
Medical Center have offered a Traverse
City clinic to treat children with cancer.
Still Smiling
Fifty years ago, having your tonsils
removed meant spending three
days in the hospital eating all the
ice cream and popsicles you wanted.
Children at Munson Medical
Center also sometimes left with a
new friend – “Cheery the Clown.”
Dozens of clown puppets were
given away.
Last summer, one came back.
Joe and Jennie Osga of Ontario,
Canada were in Traverse City for
a family reunion and stopped by
the Munson Healthcare Regional
Foundation office to drop off a
puppet Joe received at Munson
when he had his tonsils out in
1962. Joe remembers the day a lady
wheeled a cart into his four-person
hospital ward and handed him a
plain white box. Inside, he found
Cheery. “Back then, kids didn’t
get a lot of Christmas presents –
you got one gift and a bunch of socks.
For birthdays, there was cake and
ice cream and that’s it. So, getting a
present at the hospital was a big
deal.”
“I’m at the point in my life
now when I’m looking
at all the things I’ve
collected and I’m
finding places for
them,” Joe said.
“The last time
I looked at this
puppet I
thought,
‘let’s get
this into
a museum’.”
For now, Cheery
resides at the
Foundation office.