Mercy General Hospital Celebrates 100 Years of Compassionate Care
Mercy General Hospital recently celebrated a milestone anniversary—100 years of compassionate care in the Sacramento community. Attending this special event were the Most Reverend Bishop Jaime Soto, current and past hospital presidents and other health care leaders, local Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Foundation donors, and many more. The gathering was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the history of the hospital and hear from hospital leadership about their vision for the future and their appreciation of the humankindness exemplified by staff every day.
In its proud and committed century of care, the hospital has grown in size and sophistication and its mission has never wavered: to provide a wide range of health and support services with special advocacy for the poor and underserved. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1925 at 40th and J Streets, the hospital has been, and continues to be, a vital treasure for our community, enriching the lives of those who need it most.
President’s Message
I hope you’re enjoying the warmth of the season, spending longer days in the sunshine with family and friends. At Mercy Foundation, we’re feeling particularly grateful as we celebrate the progress of our Advancing the Mission campaign to ensure the Sisters of Mercy mission continues to flourish in the Sacramento area for generations to come. Your generous support is deeply appreciated and key to the success of the campaign.
Gifts to the campaign provide essential funding for Mercy Foundation supported ministries that carry out the Sisters of Mercy’s core mission: caring for the poor, tending to the sick, and educating the underserved. Every gift makes a real difference in the lives of those in need.
The Advancing the Mission campaign also provides us the opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of the Sisters of Mercy’s numerous contributions to our community. We’re pleased to be sharing their story in recent issues of the Catholic Herald,
Continued on page 5
Joining the celebration were (pictured left to right) Allison Cotterill, Kevin Duggan, Edmundo Castaneda, Sister Clare Marie Dalton, Most Reverend Bishop Jaime Soto, Dr. Tina Johnson, Steven Foster, Denny Powell and Dr. Shaji Skaria
The Sisters of Mercy
Continuing the Mercy Tradition of Excellence
For more than a century, through historic events like World War I, World War II, the Great Depression, and the recent pandemic, the Sisters of Mercy have met social and economic challenges with courage, strength, innovation, faith, and unwavering service to our community.
Today, their work of mercy continues to flourish in partership with lay leaders, who embrace the mission and vision entrusted to them. The past 100 years provides light for the journey forward, inspiration for the task before us, and a legacy of healing compassion to cherish.
Mercy General Hospital Celebrates a Century of Caring
Sr. Anne Marie Miller, RSM; Sr. Susan McCarthy, RSM; and Shelly Schlenker
Mike Genovese, Larry Garcia, Dave Lucchetti, and Mark Read
Sr. Katherine Doyle, RSM
Dr. Gregory Cooper Scholarship Awards Help Local Students
Thanks to your generosity, 15 local high school students will have assistance as they pursue their college education! These hardworking and determined young people from Cristo Rey High School and Grant High School recently received 2025 Dr. Gregory Cooper Legacy Scholarship awards. The $3,000 and $4,000 scholarships were granted to economically disadvantaged students, most of whom will be the first in their families to attend college.
These bright scholars will be pursuing their education at prestigious institutions including Columbia University in the City of New York; California State University, Long Beach; California State University, Sacramento; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Davis; University of California, Los Angeles; and University of California, Santa Barbara; among others.
The Scholarship program was launched in honor of Dr. Cooper’s retirement in 2018 from his role as Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Medical Group, where his leadership and vision were instrumental in its growth and success. Throughout his
career, Dr. Cooper exemplified the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy, and through his hard work, intelligence, and perseverance, made a lasting impact in Sacramento’s health care community.
If you would like to support next year’s scholarships, 100% of your taxdeductible gift to Mercy Foundation will empower young people to continue their academic career and realize their potential as future successful leaders in our community.
“Receiving this scholarship not only will help me pursue my dreams, but also stands as a testament to the power of dedication and faith. It also serves to reduce financial barriers for lower income students like me so that I, too, can give back in the same way this scholarship has given to me.”
—Juan Almanza, Cristo Rey High School, Class of 2025, future Georgetown University student
“I’m thankful for this scholarship as it allows me to spend more time focusing on my education along with pursuing my music career as well.”
—Karl Ferrera, Cristo Rey High School, Class of 2025, future Loyola University Chicago student
Juan Almanza (left) and Karl Ferrera (right)
Partners in Philanthropy
Your
generosity fuels the Sisters
of Mercy mission!
Join a dedicated group of donors who make gifts to Mercy Foundation on an ongoing schedule. You can choose the amount, frequency, and duration of your recurring gift. Your generosity will help the ministry you support plan long term and sustain their programs and services throughout the year.
Make a meaningful impact by easily setting up your recurring gift:
• Online: Visit supportmercyfoundation.org/ donate and select “Recurring gift.”
• Mail: Indicate “Monthly,” “Bi-monthly,” or “Quarterly” on the enclosed envelope.
• Phone: Call Mercy Foundation at (916) 851-2700 to set up a recurring payment.
Your generosity helps enhance lives in our community and continues the compassionate mission of the Sisters of Mercy. Thank you.
Your Support Brings Advanced Care to the Robert S. & Star Pepper Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Thanks to the generosity of Mercy Foundation donors and proceeds from the Lawson Mechanical Annual Golf Tournament, our tiniest patients at Mercy San Juan Medical Center are now benefiting from a new point-of-care ultrasound. This vital equipment allows neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners to rapidly assess babies at the bedside during critical moments, enabling earlier intervention and reducing the need for X-rays. This ultrasound will help provide state-of-the-art care to dozens of babies each year.
Restoring Connection: Donors Provide Hearing Aids for Patients in Need
Through the generosity of donors like you, Mercy Foundation provides funding for hearing aids for Medi-Cal and Medicare patients with limited means. Hearing aids do more than just amplify voices—they help break down the walls of isolation that hearing loss can create. Provided at Mercy Medical Group’s Otolaryngology and Audiology departments, these devices bring an improved quality of life and connection to those who need it most.
Campaign Update: Advancing The Mission
$6.04 MILLION in gifts and commitments ($10 million goal)
SUPPORTED MINISTRIES
We are grateful for the continued support of our donors whose generosity is making a profound impact.
Did You Know...
Thanks to an operating grant from Dignity Health, 100% of your charitable gifts benefit the ministry of your choice. Together, we help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate the underserved, and care for the sick at local Dignity Health hospitals and clinics. supportmercyfoundation.org
President’s Message (Continued)
Comstock’s Magazine and Inside Sacramento. It’s truly inspiring to reflect on the tremendous impact the Sisters have had on our community since 1857
To learn more about the Advancing the Mission campaign and how you can help the Mercy mission live on in perpetuity, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (916) 851-2703 or kevin.duggan@commonspirit.org.
Thank you for your continued partnership—your generosity is truly making a difference.
Sincerely,
Kevin B. Duggan President & CEO
You can help us share the Sisters’ incredible legacy of service to all of us in the Sacramento region by following and sharing stories from Mercy Foundation’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Partners in Philanthropy
Mercy Foundation recently provided funding for a new infant training manikin at the Dignity Health Collaborative Learning Center, where each month 30–40 neonatal nurses, labor and delivery nurses, and respiratory therapists attend hands-on training courses.
The new manikin’s life-like anatomy and physiology enables our Dignity Health caregivers to confidently and successfully practice lifesaving skills like neonatal intubation, resuscitation, and stabilization. This training helps lead to quicker identification and treatment of infant emergencies, which is imperative to a baby’s survival and long-term health.
We are grateful for your support, which helps care for our area’s newest patients.
If you have questions about using this simple tool, or would like to learn about making other types of estate gifts that will benefit you in your lifetime, please contact Kathy Lopez at (916) 851-2982 or kathy.lopez@commonspirit.org.
*If you have already included Mercy Foundation in your estate plan, please let us know so we may thank you and recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society at our annual celebration.
Grateful Patients Celebrate Doctors’
Day and Nurses Week
March 30 marked National Doctors’ Day and May 6–12 marked National Nurses Week and Mercy Foundation received many gifts honoring these caring professionals for going above and beyond in caring for their patients. Below are a few of the heartfelt messages that accompanied the gifts:
“You are a wonderful doctor. Warm, caring, and thorough with great patience.”
—Grateful Patient of Dr. Patricia Hsiao
“A million thanks to all the nurses you did a remarkable job!
—Grateful Patient of Mercy General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit Nurses
“Thank you for listening to and understanding my concerns, values and preferences. Thank you for working with me, supporting me, and guiding me to improve my health. You are exemplary.”
—Grateful Patient of Dr. Melody Chin
To a wonderful, positive, energetic group of nurses and staff: I am very lucky to have been treated by such caring professionals.”
—Grateful Patient of Mercy San Juan Medical Center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit Nurses
“You are the finest practitioners in health care. Thank you is not enough—you saved our lives, you changed our lives, and your dedication is greatly appreciated.”
—Grateful Patient of Dr. Christian Swanson, Dr. David Lao, Dr. Efrem Gebremedhin, Dr. Kuldip Sandhu, and Dr. Reza Toussi
“Thank you very much for helping all of us and being so kind and ready to help us recover from our heart issues. We all appreciate your care and attention helping us get healthy again.”
—Grateful Patient of Mercy San Juan Medical Center’s Cardiac Conditioning Program Nurses
If you’d like to honor your doctor, nurse or another caregiver, 100% of your tribute gift will make a positive impact in our community by directly supporting ministries inspired by the mission of the Sisters of Mercy.
3400 Data Drive
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 supportmercyfoundation.org
Mercy Foundation Board of Trustees
Officers
Thomas Johnson
Chair
Sister Eileen Enright, RSM Vice Chair
Brenda Davis
Secretary
Michael T. Genovese
Treasurer
Sister Bridget McCarthy, RSM
Sisters of Mercy President Designee
Kevin B. Duggan
Mercy Foundation
President and CEO
Trustees
Gil Albiani
Khuram Arif, MD
Sr. Katherine Doyle, RSM
Nathan Esch
Larry Garcia
Danny Gemma
Paula Higashi
Nina Iliff
Michael Korpiel
Chris Lemmon
Mark Read
Cecilia Romo, MD
Alan Shatzel, DO
Lokesh Sikaria
Terence Street
Questions or comments about this newsletter? We welcome your feedback. Contact us at mercyfoundationsac@commonspirit.org or (916) 851–2700 to share your comments or sign up for an electronic version of Horizons.
New Communication System to Support Cristo Rey High School
To enhance the security of its students, families, and staff, Cristo Rey High School Sacramento recently installed a new communication system, a crucial upgrade for the school community. A particularly impactful feature of the new system is the video screen and call button at the front entrance, providing enhanced monitoring capabilities and contributing to a greater sense of safety and security for everyone on campus.
