Horizons M E R C Y F O U N D AT I O N
WINTER 2018
Inspiring philanthropy. Changing lives. supportmercyfoundation.org
President’s Message Season’s greetings and thank you for reading our winter edition of Horizons! In this newsletter, we often share stories about our ministries, the lives they touch, and how your support makes all of it possible. It is our privilege to connect you with the people who benefit from your generosity.
Cristo Rey Student Athletes Stand Victorious on Their Field of Dreams This fall, the boy’s soccer team at Cristo Rey High School Sacramento ended their season undefeated, with the CIF D7 Sac-Joaquin Section title in hand. They won that championship on their very own field of dreams—a field generous donors like you made possible. Cristo Rey is a Catholic, college-preparatory high school that educates students from families with limited resources. Cristo Rey students are grateful for this opportunity and work one day per week at a professional internship, which serves to offset the cost of their tuition. Ninety-six percent of Cristo Rey graduates go on to college to further their education. Several years ago, our generous community helped to build Cristo Rey’s new campus. While Cristo Rey offers many outstanding educational opportunities, the new campus was lacking any type of athletic facilities. Physical education classes occurred on the blacktop and sports teams travelled to practice and played all their games at unlit parks or other schools. To help create a well-rounded campus experience, the students needed a place to exercise, play and compete. While basketball and volleyball are enjoyed by many, soccer is the most popular sport at the school with excellent boys’ and girls’ teams, and enthusiastic fans. Continued on page 4
During a recent visit with the retired Sisters of Mercy in Auburn, we were reminded that while it is important to communicate what we do, it is even more important to remember why we do it. As you will read in this edition, there are many Sisters of Mercy who reside in the assisted living facility at Mercy Center Auburn. After dedicating their entire lives to service in our hospitals, schools, and other ministries, they are able to retire in comfort thanks in large part to your generosity. They are the living history of the power of mercy, and we are so humbled and honored to continue their compassionate work together with you. Although our community has changed dramatically since the first Sisters of Mercy arrived in Sacramento by riverboat in 1857, the basic human needs the Sisters meet have not. Your generosity keeps their mission alive and they continue to lead and inspire us. Their vision for a just world for the poor, the sick and the underserved is Continued on page 5
The Sisters of Mercy
M E R C Y F O U N D AT I O N
Your Gifts At Work
Thank You for Bringing Comfort to the Retired Sisters of Mercy in Auburn On a sunny afternoon, Mercy Center Auburn is a calm and cheerful place. You are welcomed to this peaceful place by lush green surroundings. Nestled in the foothills, this is where retired Sisters of Mercy comfortably reside after a life of service.
the Infirmary. The view from the patio is beautiful, but for much of the year, the sun was too intense to allow Sisters to enjoy the area outside. “For many Sisters who are unable to get around easily, this is their opportunity to spend time in nature,” says Teresa Tuttle, the Nurse Manager at the Infirmary, “now they can come out here and enjoy the outdoors anytime.”
For Sisters who need assisted living arrangements, the Infirmary at the Center provides a very pleasant and comfortable home. Sisters share mealtimes together, enjoy activities and movies, and pass their days in the warmth of each other’s company. Our Mercy Foundation community of donors has long been honored to provide necessary support to ensure that the Sisters in the Infirmary are well cared for. Your help is deeply appreciated. Thank you for making it possible for Sister Mary Grace O’Flaherty to enjoy afternoons on the covered patio!
Several charming gardens have been established around the patio, complete with hand painted bird houses. Sister Mary Grace O’Flaherty was happy to show us her special garden, the most beautiful of them all. She loves spending time on the patio now, gardening in her straw sun hat, thanks to the new awning you helped provide.
Lori Roy, RN (left) and Teresa Tuttle, Nurse Manager (far right) check Sister Mary Alice Spohn’s blood pressure with the new vitals machine you provided to the Infirmary.
In the past year, generous Mercy Foundation donors like you made it possible to build a shade structure over the popular patio area just outside the common room of 2
Inside the Infirmary, your gifts are also enhancing life for the Sisters. Daily mass, held in the on-site chapel, is now broadcast to televisions in their rooms. This enables those with limited mobility to participate in mass from the comfort of their own rooms. Your gifts have also supplied a number of practical items in the last year such as shower chairs, recliners, hospital beds, special mattresses, and a vitals machine to improve care for the Sisters. The Sisters and the staff who care for them at
the Infirmary are deeply grateful when Mercy Foundation donors like you meet their most pressing needs. Thank you for your compassionate care for the retired Sisters of Mercy who have given our communities so much during their lives of dedicated service. We are so grateful to you for bringing them comfort and happiness!
This bronze sculpture, located on the campus of Mercy Center Auburn, commemorates the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Sacramento in 1857. An identical sculpture is located at the California State Capitol.
Spreading humankindness! With history rooted in the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) are joining their health care ministries, to provide compassionate, high-quality health care and spread humankindness across 28 states. Uniting strong leadership, sound strategic direction, commitment to ministry, and thoughtful stewardship, the newly formed CommonSpirit Health will be the largest non-profit health system in the nation, positioned to shape the future of health care for our communities. The alignment is expected to be finalized on December 31, 2018. We are excited to see our health care ministry expand to benefit more places and people than ever before. One hundred percent of all generous contributions to Mercy Foundation will continue to benefit our local ministries, and together, we will continue to advance the mission of the Sisters of Mercy to help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate the underserved and care for the sick at local Dignity Health hospitals and clinics. If you have any questions about the alignment of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, please visit www.advancinghealthcaretogether.org or contact Kevin Duggan at kevin.duggan@dignityhealth.org or (916) 851-2703
3
Partners in Philanthropy
M E R C Y F O U N D AT I O N
Continued from cover
It was a dream of Sister Eileen Enright, RSM, former President, to build a sports complex on the new campus. She believed it would give students a safe, convenient location for physical education and the ability to host matches would inspire even more school spirit and pride. Generous donors like you answered the call to make the field of dreams a reality. Ken and Joyce Adamson, two of the lead donors, graciously allowed Cristo Rey to name the complex after their family. On October 25, 2018, we celebrated the grand opening of the Adamson Family Sports Complex at Cristo Rey High School. The energetic and enthusiastic guests were seated on the spot that was until recently an unused parking lot. It was a joyful event, with most of the student body in attendance. Sr. Eileen Enright took the ceremonial first kick, much to the delight of the crowd. Father Tom O’Neill, Superior of the Sacramento Jesuit Community, said a prayer over the field, and Christian, a Cristo Rey senior and captain of the boys’ soccer team gave a touching speech about what it means to have the best soccer field in Sacramento. Sacramento Republic FC, United Soccer League team, generously supported the Adamson Family Sports Complex, as did Kevin Nagle, the team’s majority owner. All were in attendance to help celebrate the grand opening, during which several members of the team scrimmaged with students on the field. Mercy Foundation, Cristo Rey High School, and above all, the students of Cristo Rey, are overjoyed to have their new field and basketball court. The Adamson Family Sports Complex would not have been possible without you.
Terry Street, board member for Mercy Foundation and Cristo Rey High School Sacramento, proudly welcomed attendees to the field dedication.
4
(Left to right) Ken Adamson, Sister Eileen Enright, RSM and Joyce Adamson posing beneath the Adamson Family Sports Complex scoreboard.
GO SAINTS!
A Local Company Shares its Blessings With a commitment to giving back to the community, Sacramentobased company, Lawson Mechanical Contractors, has raised nearly $250,000 over the last 12 years to benefit the ministries served by Mercy Foundation. “When our company was turning 60, we wanted to start a charitable event,” explains David Lawson, the third generation of the Lawson family to serve as president of the company. “My grandfather, our founder, loved golf and he had recently passed away. We decided a charity golf tournament would be our quiet tribute to him.” At the time, Lawson Mechanical was helping to build a number of projects for Dignity Health throughout California, and felt Mercy Foundation was the perfect recipient of tournament proceeds. They chose Mercy San Juan Medical Center as the ministry to support and asked for a list of urgent needs. The second year of the tournament, Mercy San Juan requested some equipment for the tiny infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Lawson Mechanical team was inspired by the cause, and a tradition was born. “Sick or premature newborns need all the help they can get,” says David, “no matter how small and fragile life can be, we want all those babies to have the best chance at life. What the NICU
does is very compelling and we want to support their team.”
President’s Message
Since the tournament began, the funds raised by Lawson Mechanical have provided crucial equipment that the outstanding team at Mercy San Juan’s NICU uses every day. These include new bassinets, warmers, blankets to treat jaundice, and specialized beds to keep very premature babies comfortable and stable as they grow.
the reason we will continue on, until the end of need.
(continued)
As we gather with loved ones to celebrate Advent and reflect on the year gone by, please remember the important role you play in carrying on the mission of the Sisters of Mercy. Thank you for your compassion and your many acts of mercy. Merry Christmas and happy New Year! With gratitude,
President and CEO
NICU staff demonstrate the AccuVein to David Lawson (center back) and Rod Barbour (center front). The AccuVein is one of many pieces of equipment funded by the annual Lawson Mechanical Golf Tournament.
Many Lawson Mechanical employees, customers and contractors participate in the annual tournament, and it seems as everyone has a story about the NICU. The desire to help protect and support the most vulnerable babies is universal. “When you are the parent of a new baby, you already have so many challenges, and then you’re thrown this curveball,” says David, “one moment
you are concerned about the nursery being decorated, the next you are worrying about who will take care of your other children while you’re in the NICU helping a struggling newborn to survive.” “I am glad we are able to help the doctors and nurses in the NICU with the best tools to do this important work,” says David, “it’s been a blessing to be associated with Mercy Foundation and to give back in this way to our community. It’s been very rewarding.” Mercy Foundation, the Mercy San Juan Medical Center NICU, and the hundreds of families who have been touched by the generosity of Lawson Mechanical over the years are deeply grateful for their commitment to helping the tiniest, most fragile babies born in Sacramento. 5
McAuley Society
M E R C Y F O U N D AT I O N
Your Generosity at Work
The Mercy Ministries Grants Program is an important part of Mercy Foundation’s mission to connect those in need with resources to enhance their lives. Once a year, the Mercy Ministries Grants Committee selects a number of deserving projects across our ministries that align with the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Foundation and the intent of generous donors like you. Twenty-one grants, totaling $1,200,000, were awarded for the 2018/2019 Fiscal Year. These amazing projects were made possible through gifts to the Area of Greatest Need. On behalf of the many patients, families and communities who are benefitting this year from the Mercy Ministries Grant Program, thank for your generosity! Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization Unit at Mercy San Juan Medical Center to build an outdoor healing courtyard for patients who come to the hospital in acute mental health crisis. Outdoor environments have been proven to reduce the stress of individuals with mental illness and to help them heal more quickly. Bruceville Terrace to purchase an industrial washer and dryer to provide more timely and reliable laundry services to residents who need staff support to launder their personal clothing. 6
Car Seat Program at Mercy San Juan Medical Center to reduce the number of injuries and deaths from vehicle accidents by providing low-income families throughout Sacramento County with children’s car seats and multilingual education on how to use them effectively. Cristo Rey High School Sacramento for scholarship aid for promising students from families with limited resources. This grant also enables students to build strong relationships with their classmates, God and themselves during yearly spiritual retreats. Dignity Health Cancer Institute of Greater Sacramento to augment the Integrative Medicine Program that complements world-class oncology services with evidence-based alternative therapies that improve wellness. Dignity Health Cancer Institute of Greater Sacramento to fund a fulltime dietician to support oncology patients as they navigate their journey to wellness. Dignity Health Medical Foundation Children’s Centers to provide yoga classes that enable young people from low-income families who are receiving counseling to improve awareness and connection to their bodies. This helps them to recover from trauma and learn to regulate their emotions.
Family Birth Center at Mercy Hospital of Folsom to cross-train nursing staff to most effectively stabilize and transport premature or ill newborns to a nearby Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Mercy General Hospital to implement the ACIST Contrast Delivery System, which improves the quality of images during heart catheterization and reduces radiation exposure for patients and caregivers alike. Mercy General Hospital to establish a Compassion for Closure Program that will provide families with financial assistance for final arrangements for loved ones who have passed away. The program will also offer grieving families comfort baskets, resources for grieving parents, bears with recordings of a heartbeat or voice for young children who have lost a parent and other similar kinds of support. Mercy Housing to support the Leataata Floyd Student and Family Community Center to provide educational and enrichment opportunities and family support for low-income children who have experienced trauma that negatively impacts their academic, social and physical well-being. Mercy McMahon Terrace to build a new circular walking path in the center garden courtyard of the assisted living facility to provide a safe and secure place for elderly residents to walk outside.
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento to provide perinatal bereavement and maternal mental health support, a new outdoor reflective area for patients, and supportive medical supplies and clothing, blankets and other personal items to patients in particular need when they are discharged from the hospital. Methodist Hospital of Sacramento to build an indoor reflective garden and remodel the lobby to encourage a sense of serenity and welcome that is in keeping with the hospital’s commitment to Hello humankindness . TM
The Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center to offset the monthly cost of their day wellness programs and make them accessible for participants of all income levels. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mercy San Juan Medical Center to provide four cerebral oximeters to monitor oxygen levels in premature
babies who are at an increased risk of brain injury from lack of blood and oxygen circulation. This will give neonatologists enhanced minute by minute vitals to prevent brain injuries that could negatively impact vulnerable premature infants for life. Outpatient Lactation Clinic at Mercy Hospital of Folsom to build a classroom space and provide baby scales, changing tables and rocking chairs needed to expand services that support healthy breastfeeding among patients and the surrounding community. These upgrades will nearly double the number of patients that can be seen in the lactation clinic, which is increasingly in demand. Perinatal Loss and Bereavement Team at Mercy San Juan Medical Center to provide compassionate and comprehensive bereavement care for families that suffer the loss of their baby. This includes grief support, quality materials, memory boxes,
follow-up care and financial assistance for burial costs for families in need. Sacramento Loaves & Fishes to enable the dining room to serve 15,000 hot, nutritious meals to hungry men, women and children experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. Sacramento Loaves & Fishes to support two Mercy Volunteer Corps members to work for two years at Maryhouse and Friendship Park, serving women, children, and individuals experiencing homelessness with compassion and care. Mercy Women’s Imaging Center to facilitate the purchase of a stereotactic biopsy table that performs minimally invasive diagnostic procedures to assess if a mass found in the breast is cancerous. This equipment enables patients to receive results in a timely way while avoiding diagnostic surgery and maximizing their comfort.
Embrace the spirit of the holiday season by making a special gift in honor or in memory of someone who has inspired you. Gifts made “in honor” offer a unique way to celebrate and recognize those dear to you with a special holiday gift that will benefit others. Gifts “in memory” provide an opportunity for you to memorialize the legacy of someone meaningful, or express sympathy to a family who has lost a loved one.
HONOR A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE
One hundred percent of tribute gifts support the mission of the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Foundation, helping to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate the underserved and care for the sick at local Dignity Health hospitals and clinics. To make a gift online using our secure donation form, go to supportmercyfoundation.org/donate or to make a gift by phone, call (916) 851-2700
7
Non Profit US Postage Paid Sacramento, CA Permit #296 3400 Data Drive Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 supportmercyfoundation.org
Mercy Foundation Board of Trustees Officers
Trustees
Alan Shatzel, DO Chair
Gil Gil A. A. Albiani Albiani Edmundo Edmundo Castaneda Castaneda Costanzo Costanzo DiPerna, DiPerna, MD MD Roxanne Roxanne Elliott Elliott Sister Sister Eileen Eileen Enright, Enright, RSM RSM Laurie Harting Laurie Harting Nina Nina Iliff Iliff Garry Garry P. P. Maisel Maisel Janak Mehtani, Janak Mehtani, MD MD Mark Mark Read Read John John Stevenson, Stevenson, MD MD Terence Terence Street Street
Thomas Johnson Vice Chair Brenda Davis Secretary Michael T. Genovese Treasurer Sister Gabrielle Marie Jones, RSM Sisters of Mercy West Midwest President Designee Kevin B. Duggan Mercy Foundation President and CEO
Make a difference today To learn more about the many ways you can support the programs highlighted in this newsletter, and/or other programs and projects, please visit supportmercyfoundation.org
Questions or comments about this newsletter? We welcome your feedback. Contact us at mercyfoundationsac@dignityhealth.org or (916) 851–2700 to share your comments or sign up for an electronic version of Horizons.