FY 2008 was a banner year for the Mission Hospital Foundation that saw successful completion of our $50 million capital campaign. Highlights of the past year included raising more than $1.9 million through special events, $857,792 through grants, and nearly $4 million in major and planned gifts.
Mission Hospital Breaks Ground on New Patient Care Tower and Chapel
The tower will expand Mission Hospital’s intensive-care capacity while working to provide the community with the most advanced diagnostic care in the world. It will include a full complement of the next generation in diagnostic equipment using molecular imaging and the latest technology in MRI, CT, Ultrasound, Linear Accelerator and more. With the rapid speed and precision of this new equipment, physicians will be able to view images of tumors, injuries and more with unprecedented digital clarity and in many cases, in a matter of seconds. This advancement will lead to greater accuracy and diagnoses, allowing treatments to be performed as early as possible. The hospital’s new chapel, connected to the tower, will embody the spiritual dimension of Mission Hospital’s healing ministry. “Our new chapel will offer a place for comfort and solace to our patients, families and staff, no matter what their faith,” said Sister Martha Ann Fitzpatrick, Mission’s Vice President of Advocacy and Ministry Formation. Outside the chapel, the Schumacher Healing Garden will provide a peaceful place where patients, family and visitors can relax in a tranquil, beautiful outdoor setting. “Mission Hospital’s expansion has been possible thanks to the 'Spirit of Giving' of generous community members,” said Terry Noonan, Mission Hospital Foundation Board Member and co-chair of the Foundation’s Partners of Life Capital Campaign. Noonan and Ed Gotschall, fellow co-chair and board member, spearheaded the campaign’s efforts to raise $50 million to help fund the hospital’s current expansion projects, a goal they recently exceeded. With a $3 million gift from Jim and Susan Swenson, Mission Hospital will add a state-of-the-art Linear Accelerator, used for cancer treatment, to the new tower. The Swenson Family Linear Accelerator Suite will be located on the first floor of the new tower. In the Williams Family Neuroscience Wing, the latest equipment will use molecular and 3-D imaging to treat neurological injuries and conditions. These tools will aid Mission’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) protocols already in use that have earned the hospital a Codman award for excellent outcomes . The construction of the Williams Family Neuroscience Wing was made possible by a generous $5 million donation by Nancy Williams in honor of her son Adam whose life was saved at Mission Hospital after a TBI. Thanks to the philanthropic support from donors like the Williams and Swensons, the entire community will have access to the best facilities and care available. Top Mission Hospital Receives $1 Million Donation to Start Robotics Surgical Program "Our support has now certainly and literally taken on a life of its own. Marilyn and I are delighted to be the catalyst for Mission Hospital's entrance into robotics - but never imagined that this visionary technology would carry our own name, which, as luck would have it, has a high-tech sound," said Dick Vitek. Doctors using the robotic arms in place of the surgeon’s hands can perform everything from prostate surgery to complex gynecological surgeries. This technology allows for more precision than traditional surgical methods and results in less blood loss, less pain, lower risk of complications, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery times than those who have open surgery. “Marilyn and I both feel that robotics technology is very important to the future of medicine and will greatly enhance the patient care that Mission offers,” said Dick, the former chair and CEO of Fotodyne, the first company dedicated to the manufacture of laboratory instruments for DNA research. The Vitek’s desire to support robotics at Mission Hospital stemmed from a lifelong love of technology and science and Dick’s own medical crisis. Seven years ago at Mission, Dick underwent three surgeries within three months for kidney cancer and an abdominal aortic aneurism. Grateful for his successful recovery, the couple made their first of many donations to the hospital. Dick subsequently joined the Mission Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, helping the Foundation achieve its $50 million capital campaign goal for hospital expansion. Top Mission Women’s Wellness Center From advanced breast diagnostics and imaging services, the center has all the tools needed to support a woman’s breast health. By the end of 2008, Mission will offer Orange County’s only Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging - a highly advanced procedure that excels in locating cancerous cells within dense breast tissue. The High-Risk Genetics Breast Cancer Program is available for women who exhibit risk factors (e.g. family history) that increase her chance of breast cancer. The program includes genetic counseling, testing and education needed to take a proactive approach at preventing the disease. When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she is assigned an Oncology Nurse Case Manager. Her nurse will be able to explain the process, offer expert guidance and provide strength every step of the way. Another of the unique programs - and only available in Orange County at Mission Women’s Wellness Center - is the Cancer Conference, which gives patients an active role in developing their own personalized treatment plan. The Heart Health program was designed specifically to address women’s heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States. Participants meet with a Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner who provides a heart health risk assessment, heart disease screenings, laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, education and on-going counseling. The result is a personalized plan for optimal heart health. The Pelvic Health Program addresses strengthening of the pelvic muscles that are often weakened through childbirth or aging. Every woman in the program is matched with a Physical Therapist dedicated to customizing a pelvic strengthening program for her individual needs and goals. Mission Women’s Wellness Center is receiving significant philanthropic support from two of Mission Hospital’s annual fundraising groups, Valiant Women and Founders. For the past 12 years, Valiant Women’s 200 members have held an annual luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Each year, proceeds benefit women’s services at Mission. At this year’s event nearly $115,000 was raised for the Mission Women’s Wellness Center, Mission Maternity Center’s transformation and nursing scholarships. In addition to Valiant Women’s efforts, Mission’s 400-member Founders support group contributes a minimum annual gift or pledge of $1,000 to Mission Hospital. Since its inception in 1994, Founders philanthropic leadership has provided crucial funding for numerous programs and services at the hospital. Last year, the group completed a $1 million gift to support hospital expansion and recently announced another $1 million pledge for the Mission Women’s Wellness Center. Top |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
Members of Mission Hospital’s Gold Philanthropists at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Artist Rendering of completed patient care tower and chapel.
Jim and Susan Swenson
Dick and Marilyn Vitek
