MVHS Foundations Impact Report 2018

MVHS FOUNDATIONS IMPACT REPORT 2018

Grateful

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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New VP of Philanthropy at MVHS

5

A Stroke of Generosity

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New, Regional Healthcare Campus Continues to Move Forward

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MVHS Wound Care Expands Thanks to Philanthropy

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Butterfly Room Helps Families Experiencing the Loss of a Child

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My Giving Story

By Carly Steet Mathias

MVHS FOUNDATIONS OFFICERS PRESIDENT Terry Mielnicki

SECRETARY Mary Malone McCarthy

VICE PRESIDENT John Hobika, Jr.

TREASURER Stephen Surace

MVHS FOUNDATIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marlene Anderson Sam F. Berardino III William Borrill, Esq. Barbara Brodock Valerie Brown* Blair Jones*

Joseph Latella W. Anthony Mandour, MD David Manzelmann James McCarthy Stephen Teti

*Executive Committee Member

MVHS FOUNDATIONS STAFF VICE PRESIDENT OF PHILANTHROPY John Forbes

STEWARDSHIP/SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Abby Lehmann

ANNUAL GIVING DIRECTOR Michele Adams

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT/ DATABASE MANAGER Debbie Wainwright

CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK COORDINATOR Andrea MacDiarmid EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Terri Huzarewicz

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Anne Squires

FRONT COVER; Back: Varun Reddy, MBBS Front (L to R): Gary and Lisa Philipson and Areanna Ramsey.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

Dear Friends, I am thankful to live in an area where people treat each other like family, and make it a priority to give back to their community. Those providing care to our patients and their families have benefited greatly from that generosity, and for that, I cannot say "thank you" enough.

We are pleased to share this update with you on behalf of our Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) Foundations. Your gifts help support patient and resident care, as well as expand programs and services, and recently allowed us to invest in cutting-edge technology for stroke treatment.

John Forbes is our new vice president of Philanthropy and we are excited to welcome him. John will work with our Foundation boards and continue the work being done to bring together our two foundations to form the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Foundation. Our combined boards of extraordinary volunteers will help guide us through the coming decades of change and growth.

Great progress is being made in the construction of a new, regional healthcare campus in Downtown Utica. This project will change the face of healthcare in the Mohawk Valley for generations to come. We are excited to see the project take shape and look forward to keeping you informed and invested in our exciting journey as we strive to set new standards of excellence.

We sincerely thank you for all that you do for our organization. We are better because of the commitment you have made to improving healthcare in our community. Together we make a difference.

Sincerely,

Scott H. Perra, FACHE President/CEO Mohawk Valley Health System

Lights

LOV E .

H O NO R .

R E M EM B ER .

Love OF

Please join us for a Remembrance Service & Candle-Lighting Ceremony

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 TH | 4:30 P.M. OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH This event is open to the public.

For more information, or to make a donation in honor or in memory of someone special, please call 315-624-5718 or visit mvhealthsystem.org/lights-of-love.

We appreciate your support.

Presented by Bank of Utica and Mohawk Healthcare.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

A Q&A WITH NEW VP OF PHILANTHROPY, JOHN FORBES Q: Why a career in philanthropic work?

I love the idea that I am helping make a difference to someone else. I believe philanthropy is deeply personal, incredibly kind and absolutely necessary to support our community.

In my line of work, I can help link the kindness and generosity of one person, with the needs of another.

We are all in this together and there are many ways in which I can contribute.

Q: What was it about the VP position with MVHS Foundations that interested you?

community. We literally are raising money to help save lives.

That’s not a statement I could make in the college setting.

Q: You’ve lived in the Mohawk Valley for a number of years – what do you like about living here?

I grew up here and went to college here. My wife did as well. We moved away for several years right after college.

However, when we decided we wanted to start a family, we knew that this area was where we wanted to be. I had such a great childhood here. The opportunities for children in this community are endless. The schools are great. Our location is perfect and allows us the ability to get to so many places. This is an exceptional area and the growth that is happening right now is exciting.

Q: You’re active in the community, including coaching your son and his team in youth hockey. How does being a coach help you in the world of philanthropy?

It was 100 percent about the cause. I grew up in this area and am now raising my family here. I want the best healthcare possible so that my family, friends and the community I love can be taken care of appropriately. The Foundations raise funds specifically to meet the needs of our healthcare system. We raise money, for example, that can purchase medical equipment, which actually saves lives. That is very impactful to me. In addition to the work the Foundations already do, I was very excited to be a part of the future growth with the new hospital on the horizon. This is really a tremendous, once in a lifetime, opportunity for our community. It’s something I’m excited to be a part of.

That’s a really interesting question. A team is made up of many different types of people, different personalities.

It’s important to take individual talents and develop a group that is moving in the same direction, working on the same goals. I think that is common in philanthropy as well. People want to help; they want to give, they want to see that they can impact change and support causes and growth. Like a team, those who give their time and treasure have different thoughts and opinions on how we get across the goal line.

Acknowledging and learning from our differences is important. Great teams have a respect for one another and they work together to reach their goals. When we work together, we can make amazing contributions to our community.

Q. Healthcare is different from academia and the college setting. It’s still early in your career at MVHS Foundations, but what’s been interesting to you about the healthcare arena?

Q: What is something about you that might surprise readers?

Again, I go back to the cause. I very much enjoyed working in the college setting. However, the philanthropy connected with the Foundations is directly connected to the health and well-being of others ... and specifically to others in my

How about the fact that I love listening to Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Buffett? I’m not sure what will surprise people... but I will say this, I love being in the Adirondacks. I enjoy being by a lake and fishing. Sitting around a campfire with my wife and two children is close to perfection for me.

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A STROKE OF GENEROSITY How one grateful patient’s journey has saved the lives of others with a similar diagnosis.

"WE WANTED TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHO CARED FOR ME BY 'PAYING IT FORWARD' TO HELP OTHERS." – Gary Philipson

ABOVE: Stroke patient Areanna Ramsey with Varun Reddy, MBBS, director of Neurointerventional Surgery at MVHS.

Stroke can happen to anyone.

It happened to Gary Philipson in January of 2013.

Gary survived and during and after his recovery became an ambassador for the hospital’s stroke program.

In order to continue providing advanced stroke and neuro interventional care, close to home, MVHS recognized the need to invest in the purchase of a new, state-of-the-art Artis Zee bi-plane fluoroscopic imaging system that allows a team of board-certified neuro interventional physicians to remove the clot causing the stroke and restore normal blood flow as soon as possible. But with a price tag of $3 million, it was going to be a significant investment.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

So Gary and his wife Lisa chose to help champion the project, and helped raise $500,000 to support the purchase of the needed imaging system and help begin the neuro interventional program at MVHS. “People give back for a number of reasons,” said Gary. “Some feel passionate about a cause or have a loved one that has been affected by a particular disease. We wanted to show our appreciation to those who cared for me by ‘paying it forward’ to help others.”

The critical effort he and his wife became a part of not only highlighted the impact a grateful patient and their friends, family and community can have on MVHS – it also underscored how the generosity of others is more than simply a financial contribution – in some instances it is life saving.

AREANNA'S STORY Areanna Ramsey of New Hartford experienced the impact of our community’s generosity first-hand.

The 17-year-old New Hartford High School student was getting ready for work one afternoon when suddenly she lost feeling in one side of her body. She fell to the floor and couldn’t speak.

“One minute I was talking, packing my backpack for work, and the next, I was on the floor and couldn’t move or speak,” said Areanna. “It was a terrifying experience. It happened so suddenly and without any warning.”

The family immediately called 911. The ambulance picked Areanna up within minutes and headed for Rome Memorial Hospital since she was at her father’s house in Rome, New York. However, as they examined Areanna, they felt her symptoms were indicating a stroke – as unlikely as that would be for a 17-year-old. They quickly changed course and headed to the St. Luke’s Campus of MVHS, as it is the only designated Primary Stroke Center in the Mohawk Valley.

RIGHT: Areanna Ramsey with Gary Philipson and his wife, Lisa.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers receive training to take stroke patients to the nearest stroke center as time is extremely critical when treating stroke patients. They notified the St. Luke’s Emergency Department (ED) that they were bringing in a suspected stroke patient, which set the Stroke Team in motion.

The Stroke Team was ready when the ambulance arrived with Areanna.

“When Areanna arrived in the ED, she was displaying signs of confusion, had difficulty speaking and, while she was able to move her right side, it was extremely weak,” said Scott S. Brehaut, MD, medical director for Stroke and Neurocritical Care. “We entertained all of the possibilities, but with those symptoms, you have to think stroke at the top of the list, even in younger patients.

“The first computed tomography (CT) scan came back negative, but based on Areanna’s confusion and language we wanted to be thorough. We performed a CT angiogram of her head and neck since it provides a more detailed look at the blood vessels. The second scan showed there was a total blockage in the first branch of the middle artery on her left side and there was no blood flow beyond.”

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

According to the standards of care for stroke, the first step is administering intravenous therapy (IV) tPA, a clot-busting medication, followed by the removal of the clot. Clot removal requires a team of specially trained doctors and a very hightech piece of equipment which MVHS recently invested in to treat patients like Areanna.

“The surgery took 24 minutes and when I woke up, I was perfectly fine,” said Areanna. “When I opened my eyes, Dr. Wang told me to talk, and I could! I just kept saying thank you over and over again. I could walk within a day which was completely insane considering my condition when I came to the hospital. I am so grateful to everyone who took care of me.”

The standards of care regarding strokes are for individuals 18 years and older. Since Areanna was only 17, the Stroke Team needed her parents’ consent before administering the tPA and performing the clot retrieval.

Areanna was in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s for three days before going home. She has experienced some spastic attacks to her right hand as an after-effect of the stroke and is working with Dr. Brehaut to treat these attacks.

“Dr. Brehaut told us Areanna was having a stroke and that her father and I needed to make some important decisions right away – my heart dropped,” said Alicia Ramsey, Areanna’s mother. “After the explanation of what was happening and how the treatments could save her, we gave permission.”

When asked what message she would like to share she said, “I want people to know that anyone can have a stroke and the timing is so important. I was told many times that if any part of my situation was different and treatment was delayed, my outcomes would have been very different. I am so grateful that we have these services in our area. It’s scary to think about what might have happened if I needed to travel further for treatment.”

Areanna received the tPA and was then brought to the endovascular suites where Q. Tony Wang, MD, PhD, interventional neurologist at MVHS, made a small incision in her groin, inserted a catheter and removed the clot.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

NEURO INTERVENTIONAL CARE AT MVHS Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so the brain cells die.

Since January 2009, the St. Luke’s Campus of MVHS has been the area’s Primary Designated Stroke Center and is the 3rd largest volume hospital stroke center in New York State.

The bi-plane angiography unit provides high-resolution images enabling physicians to see tiny blood vessels in great detail. It provides images simultaneously from two regions of the patient’s head, from front to back and side to side and allows physicians to better visualize 3D arteries and vessels. This can reduce procedure time, in many cases, by as much as half and helps treat complex conditions like brain aneurysms, brain AVMs and carotid stenosis.

“Essentially, the catheter has a stent on the end of it that is similar to a spring,” said Angelina Roche, MBA, RN, CNRN, SCRN, CPHQ, MVHS stroke program clinical coordinator.

“The surgeon passes the clot, then opens up the spring and pulls it back. The spring grabs the clot and, supported by suction, pulls it out.”

Until recently, patients with ischemic strokes – meaning blood clots were blocking blood flow to their brains – were given an intravenous drug called tPA in hopes it would break up the clots in their brains. “tPA has been the standard of care since 1996,” Roche said.

“It can only be given to patients within four and a half hours RIGHT: Areanna Ramsey with Dr. Brehaut following surgery.

LEFT: Areanna Ramsey with Dr. Wang after having a clot removed from her brain.

of the onset of their symptoms so it was important for patients to get to the hospital within that very narrow window of opportunity.”

Missing that limited time frame could result in long-term and life-changing disabilities.

“Even when we are able to administer tPA it only helps 30 to 50 percent of the time,” said Roche. “Qualified patients, however, can still receive it before undergoing neuroendovascular clot retrieval, which can be done up to 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. Studies have shown that the clot retrieval procedure reopens blood vessels more than 90 percent of the time, making it a lot more effective than tPA.” The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, a geographic-based social impact investor that connects donors with community causes, recognized the need for this critical technology and the significant impact it could make and offered their support to our philanthropic effort through both their donor-designated funds as well as their community grant process.

“When The Community Foundation was approached by MVHS about supporting this project, we learned how important time is to someone who’s suffered a stroke,” Lindsey Costello, Donor Relations Manager at the Community Foundation said.

“Having state-of-the-art technology available in our community allows patients to receive high quality care immediately, which will save lives and help with patients’ recovery. There’s great comfort in knowing that our local healthcare providers are ready for emergency situations like this and that patients will receive the same quality of care – if not better – as offered by facilities in larger communities.”

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

NEW, REGIONAL HEALTHCARE PROJECT WILL SEEK OUT THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY At MVHS our greatest achievements lie in the future. Today and going forward philanthropy will play a critical role in the growth of healthcare in the Mohawk Valley.

It’s an exciting time for medical care in our region.

A new hospital brings more than a new building; it brings big ideas and big opportunities including:

• An enhanced patient experience • New technology and equipment • Opportunities for partnerships • Clinical Research.

As our MVHS Foundations Office works to prepare for a future community campaign, the healthcare system is moving toward a 2019 ground breaking for the MVHS Integrated Health Campus.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

REGIONAL HEALTHCARE CAMPUS CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD CERTIFICATE OF NEED APPROVAL The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) was notified in April that the CON application for the construction of the new healthcare campus was approved by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Public Health and Health Planning Council. The approval allows MVHS to continue to move forward with the project which includes finalizing the design of the new facility, completing the SEQR process and completing property acquisition.

“We are extremely pleased that the NYSDOH has approved our CON application,” said Scott H. Perra, FACHE, president/ CEO for MVHS. “This was an important and vital step in the project and keeps us within our original timeline to break ground in 2019. There is much work ahead of us and this step is critical to the project and our community.”

The CON was initially filed in November 2017 and required at least 30 percent of the design of the new facility to be complete.

“The approval comes with some contingencies which are common for a project of this magnitude,” said Perra. “The SEQR process and acquisition of properties need to be completed before the CON is finalized. We anticipate both will be done by the end of 2018.”

SEQR The SEQR process began in February 2018 when MVHS filed a formal application for financial assistance from the Oneida County Local Development Corporation. SEQR requires each New York State agency preparing to spend discretionary state dollars on a project to consider environmental impacts equally with social and economic factors. The start of the SEQR process facilitates a comprehensive assessment of information to support an informed decision-making process for the

RIGHT: View from the northwest of the MVHS site plan.

LEFT: East-facing view along Lafayette Street as part of the site plan for the new, regional healthcare campus.

project. This includes an analysis of the potential for significant adverse environmental impacts, as well as any mitigation that is required.

In early May, the City of Utica Planning Board issued a “Positive Declaration” which requires MVHS to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to address some of the Planning Board’s findings related to the specific effects the project could have on the area. MVHS prepared a scoping document to serve as an outline for the EIS. A public scoping process, including a public scoping meeting, was held in June by the City Planning Board to solicit public and agency comments relative to the potentially significant adverse impacts to be addressed in the draft EIS. This includes the content and level of detail of the analysis, the range of alternatives, the mitigation measures needed and the identification of nonrelevant issues. Scoping provides guidance on matters which must be considered and provides an opportunity for participation by involved agencies and the public in the review of the proposal. In mid-July, the City of Utica Planning Board voted unanimously to accept the final scoping document presented by MVHS. The next step is the development of a draft EIS, a process that will involve its own public hearing at a later date.

PROPERTY ACQUISITION To date, fifty-seven percent of property owners in the new hospital footprint have now signed purchase option agreements. Of the 35 property owners representing 72 parcels of land in the downtown project footprint, not including parcels owned by the City of Utica, 20 have signed purchase option agreements and negotiations are continuing with nine others.

MVHS and Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, the law firm handling the property acquisition process, continue to work with the property owners to finalize the agreements.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

GRATITUDE A snapshot of how generosity makes a difference to the MVHS Cancer Center.

I got involved in supporting the Stomp Out Cancer Telethon around the time my mom got sick. I lost my mother in 2001 and my sister in 2014 to cancer. This cause has always been something very dear to my heart. The strides that are gained every year in the fight against cancer are so impressive. I see people all the time at the restaurant that have gone to the Cancer Center and when they tell me about the incredible experiences they have had, I can’t help but give back.

SYMEON TSOUPELIS STOMP OUT CANCER CHAIRPERSON MVHS BOARD MEMBER

My heart led me here after I retired as chaplain. I missed the interaction with staff and patients ... the teasing, stories and smiles. The most fulfilling part of my week is the time I get to witness the strength, hope, determination and triumphs of those coming by the desk. Often times they will share their progress and celebrate the end of treatment. Of course there are admissions of fear and disappointment and requests for "keeping me in prayer."

I am privileged to be a part (ever so little) of their journey.

SISTER MAUREEN DENN MVHS VOLUNTEER

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As a volunteer, I have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful patients and their families. I always try to remember that they are going through what could be one of the most difficult and scary times of their lives and sometimes just a smile can make such a big difference. Whether it is bringing them a warm blanket and pillow, providing them with a beverage, serving them lunch or just a smile and conversation, it can help pass the time.

Volunteering in our Cancer Center is the most rewarding thing I do. I receive in return much more than I could ever give.

JANE GWISE

VOLUNTEER & PRESIDENT OF MVHS VOLUNTEERS

The linear accelerator that we purchased thanks to the generosity of our community compared to the linear accelerator that my mother was treated on 30 years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer doesn't even compare.

It is pretty cool to be one of a handful of hospitals in the country that has this technology available to help fight cancer. You don't need to go outside the community, we have the same technology here that other large academic centers have.

NANCY BUTCHER

CANCER CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

YOUR CMN HOSPITAL

BY THE NUMBERS FOR 2017

104

Number of babies who spent time in our Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

1,860 Babies born at MVHS

4,300

Number of $100,000 Miracle Drawing tickets sold

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

23,199 Number of Dollars raised

by Log A Load for Kids – their largest gift ever

1,620,000 Combined amount our local Walmarts have gifted to our CMN Hospital since 1997

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

MVHS WOUND CARE EXPANDS THANKS TO PHILANTHROPY In January 2018, MVHS Advanced Wound Care opened a new wing in its facility at the MVHS Medical Arts Campus in New Hartford.

"WE WANTED TO INVEST IN A SERVICE THAT IS ROOTED IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY AND WILL BE HERE FOR A LONG TIME." – Linda Kurtka, past Guild Vice President

ABOVE: Ribbon cutting photo

The renovation and expansion, made possible by a donation from The Guild of St. Elizabeth Medical Center, includes a larger, more comfortable reception area, a new wound care treatment room, new physician work spaces and a state-ofthe-art outpatient Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) suite.

“We now have six wound care treatment rooms, enabling us to reduce wait times and see more patients,” said Corinne Ritzel, director of MVHS Advanced Wound Care. “We are also pleased to be able to offer our patients PFTs in a convenient location, along with the St. Elizabeth Lab services also located in the building.”

The expansion was made possible by a $58,000 donation from The Guild of St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

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“The Guild members are very impressed with the work being done at MVHS Advanced Wound Care,” said Margaret Lalonde, former Guild treasurer and current MVHS volunteer.

“We’ve heard very good things about it from people in our community and we thought it was a good place to donate.”

The members of The Guild of St. Elizabeth Medical Center are excited to be involved in improving a healthcare facility that offers advanced technology to patients in the Mohawk Valley and will serve the community for many years to come.

“As a patient who needs hyperbaric oxygen therapy, I’m very glad to have access to this technology close to home instead of needing to drive to Syracuse,” said Carole Nunziata, past Guild president and current vice president of the MVHS Volunteers. “It’s a valuable resource for our community.

We are glad to be able to help MVHS Advanced Wound Care continue to provide care for people in our area.”

Linda Kurtyka, past Guild vice president and current MVHS Volunteers co-treasurer agrees. “We wanted to invest in a service that is rooted in the Mohawk Valley and will be here for a long time,” she said. “MVHS Advanced Wound Care is well established in the community, and there are many people who need the services it provides. We know that the providers and staff were in need of more room to better serve their patients, and we are honored to be able to help.”

As part of the expansion, the outpatient PFT suite was relocated to the MVHS Advanced Wound Care office from the St. Elizabeth Campus. The relocation provides patients with a comfortable outpatient setting in which to receive care.

Although the suite is located within the MVHS Advanced Wound Care office, the PFT lab at MVHS Medical Arts accepts referrals from any provider.

“The move made sense to us for a variety of reasons,” said Erica Janis, RT, CPFT, respiratory therapist. “The expansion at MVHS Advanced Wound Care has provided us with plenty of space for outpatient PFTs, a beautiful waiting room, lots of convenient parking and easier access for our patients.”

RIGHT: Cathy Frank, RN, at MVHS Advanced Wound Care

Although the expansion is new, MVHS Advanced Wound Care has provided advanced care for chronic and non-healing wounds at the MVHS Medical Arts Campus at 4401 Middle Settlement Road in New Hartford since 2010, when it relocated from the St. Elizabeth Campus in Utica. The specially trained staff provides individual assessments and treatment plans, as well as education for self-care at home. Treatment options at MVHS Advanced Wound Care include total wound assessment, bio-engineered tissue substitutes, compression therapy, negative-pressure wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The expansion will help MVHS Advanced Wound Care serve more patients like Steve Creaco, a diabetic patient who had a small blister on his right foot which developed into an ulcer that nearly reached the bone. Following a lengthy hospital stay and rehabilitation, he was told by his surgeon that nothing could be done to heal the wound. His foot would need to be amputated. Steve chose to get a second opinion and consulted with William Lindsey, MD, the medical director at MVHS Advanced Wound Care. After ten months of treatment and incredible care, Steve completed his recovery in December 2017.

“The staff is awesome,” said Creaco. “Dr. Lindsey gave me hope. I can’t thank everyone at MVHS Advanced Wound Care enough for saving my foot and giving me my life back.

This place is life changing.”

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BUTTERFLY ROOM HELPS FAMILIES EXPERIENCING THE LOSS OF A CHILD How one woman’s loss, one woman’s legacy and one group’s commitment are helping local families heal at Mohawk Valley Health System.

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Andrea Bartle’s left wrist bares a tattoo of a hummingbird inscribed with the name Blake. It is a lasting memorial to the son she carried to term, but was never able to bring home.

Her story of loss began in May of 2016 when she arrived at the Labor and Delivery Unit at Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS). At the time, she was unprepared for how much her life would change in an instant. As the nursing team began preparing her for delivery they were unable to find a heartbeat. Soon, Bartle learned her son had passed away. “I went from being so excited about meeting my son and completing our family to devastation and heartbreak,” she said. “Never in a million years would I have thought this would happen.”

It is experiences like Andrea’s and that of others in our community that led to discussions about what could be done to provide more comfort and privacy for families facing this type loss.

Members of the MVHS Maternal Child Services team began to explore ways to enhance the hospital’s bereavement program and were able to look to other hospitals throughout the country that successfully created special grieving rooms, which they named Butterfly Rooms. The butterfly symbolizes change, transformation and the ability to transcend the ordinary and take flight into the heavens. In many spiritual circles, the butterfly represents the spirit of the soul.

“Our team at MVHS cares deeply for our patients and we recognized that having this special room would mean so much to families facing the unthinkable,” said Lesa Steele, BSN, RN, nurse manager of Maternal Child Services at MVHS. “In order

RIGHT: Butterfly Room designers Mary Kaye, left, and Connie Leist.

WGC Chair Blair Jones, Butterfly Room designer and WGC member Mary Kaye, Andrea Bartle and Richard Callahan, Susan Callahan's husband.

LEFT: WGC members Kathy Perra, Nancy Blaker, Adele Sossen, Barbara Meelan, Mary Kaye, Pascale Lewis and Christine Savicki.

to create a space like this it meant that we needed support both financially and creatively, which is why we reached out to the MVHS Foundations Women’s Giving Circle.”

Each year, the MVHS Foundations Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) gathers to review possible projects and/or needs throughout the healthcare system. The group, which is made up of nearly 100 local women, learns about the various needs and makes an investment in a common cause. Since the group began in the fall of 2013, more than $135,000 has been raised and gifts from the group have helped to support our area’s only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well as various organized, grassroots efforts benefiting mothers and babies at MVHS. “The Butterfly Room project immediately seemed like something that our group would be able to embrace,” said Blair Jones, MVHS Foundations Board member and WGC Chairperson. “I remember first hearing about it when our Project Committee met and I was moved by how we could meet an important need for families dealing with birth experiences that didn’t end with a baby going home. We knew we needed to help make this room a reality for our community.”

It was during that initial project meeting that Women’s Giving Circle member Susan Callahan shared her experience from more than 30 years earlier during the birth of her daughter Allison. Allison was born more than 10 weeks premature and although her daughter survived, Susan keenly understood the benefit a room like this would be to families grieving the loss of a child.

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Sadly, soon after the Women’s Giving Circle voted to support this project, Susan passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. It was her wish to help support the Butterfly Room through the purchase of a comfortable recliner in her memory. Her friends and family came together and helped to make Susan’s wish possible by not only raising funds to help purchase the recliner, but also to purchase a cuddle cot.

A cuddle cot is a special bassinet that gives families grieving the loss of their newborn the chance to spend more precious time with their child.

The Butterfly Room is a welcome addition to the Maternity Unit and Bartle knows first-hand the impact this room will make. “The MVHS nursing staff helped myself and my husband spend 16 hours with our son before saying goodbye, but I would have loved more time,” said Bartle. “This room and the cuddle cot will make such a difference to other families.”

For the families who have already been able to find comfort in the newly renovated space, it is evident that the design of the room was a labor of love. “Peace, calm and comforting, that’s what we’ve heard from the families and the nurses who have cared for them,” Steele said. “This is not a room that you want

be in, but when you are here you can feel the love inside.”

Women’s Giving Circle members Mary Kaye and Connie Leist helped to design the room alongside the MVHS facilities team.

“The Butterfly Room was created with healing and peace in mind, it features light colors and a gentle butterfly theme throughout,” explained Mary Kaye. “Everything from the paint colors, to the flooring, to the furniture and bedding was created with the families who would need the room in mind. I kept saying as it was being designed that we wanted it to feel like you were getting a big hug when you walked in and that is exactly how it feels. It is a special room and our WGC members and Susan were with us in spirit during the entire process.”

Bartle, who is expecting a baby this summer, agrees that the room is special.

“My wish is that it is never needed, but unfortunately I know it will be,” she said. “I’m so grateful to everyone who donated and put their heart into all of the details of the beautiful new Butterfly Room. The kindness of those who chose to make a gift will touch so many families going through such a difficult time and I know they will be so thankful. I am so thankful.”

LEFT: Friends of Susan Callahan pose with a picture of the recliner they donated to the Butterfly Room in her memory. The chair was made pink, Susan's favorite color, just for the photo.

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"SHE WAS ALWAYS THINKING OF HOW TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY."

LEFT: The Callahan Family.

– Mary Kaye, friend of Susan

RIGHT: Susan Callahan with her daughters.

SUSAN'S WISH – A LEGACY OF LOVE When Susan Callahan learned her cancer diagnosis was terminal she immediately began to think of others.

Her friends and family learned about her desire to help support the MVHS Butterfly Room as part of her legacy and “Susan’s Wish” was born. During the weeks prior to and after her death, friends and family from throughout the United States banded together through their generosity and love for Susan – helping to make her wish and more a reality.

“Wanting to make a difference was nothing new for Susan,” her friend, Mary Kaye said. “She was always thinking of how to help our community and when I heard that she wanted to leave her legacy through the Butterfly Room I thought to myself, that’s Susan. She was a wonderful friend who was so passionate about moms and babies in our community and this beautiful legacy spoke volumes about her heart and her extraordinary life.”

A member of the MVHS Foundations Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) since its founding in 2013, Susan touched the lives of so many people throughout her lifetime. She was born in Norwalk, Connecticut and moved to Clinton, New York in 1996. She married the love of her life, Richard Callahan, in 1977 and they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2017, a few months before her passing.

Susan was adventurous and loved to travel around the world. She was an avid skier, tennis player and even took up golf later in life. She worked as a part time Realtor for Sexton Real Estate and thoroughly enjoyed helping people find their dream home. With the births of her three daughters, Laura, Allison and Meghan, Susan found her life’s true passions, being a loving mother while helping others in the community she called home.

She was a devoted member of the WGC and dedicated herself to helping women and children in the Mohawk Valley.

The Butterfly Room project was especially close to Susan’s heart since her own daughter, Allison, was born 10 weeks prematurely.

Her spirit and lasting legacy will remain in the hearts of everyone that knew her as well as with her husband and three independent, successful and beautiful daughters whom she would describe as her life’s biggest accomplishment.

“If Susan could see the difference that the Butterfly Room is making and how it brought so many wonderful friends and family together in such a positive way, I can only think of how happy she would be,” her husband Richard said. “To know her memory lives on through the room and the recliner and cuddle cot we were able to purchase in her memory makes me so grateful and I know she would be grateful too.”

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

MY GIVING STORY

BY CARLY STEET MATHIAS

During the recent MVHS Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration Breakfast we were pleased to recognize our many CMN partners and also introduce our Miracle Children. As part of our gathering we were honored to have Carly Steet Mathias share her miracle story and talk about why giving back is so important to her and her family.

I was born 11 weeks early on July 15, 1988. Since my mom had gone into labor so early, she was taken by ambulance to Crouse Hospital in Syracuse to their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) because our hospital was not capable of handling a preemie this early. The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals arrived in Utica one year later at the St. Luke's campus.

My parents have told me the story many times that doctors prepared them for anything that could happen, but, as my dad always says, I just needed to grow!

My parents went to visit me every single day, even though we live in New Hartford, an hour away from Crouse, and even after my dad finished working auto auctions in Albany and Newburgh.

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MVHS Foundations IMPACT REPORT

We preemies were allowed one small toy – sterilized in a plastic baggie – in our incubators. My parents went above and beyond and gave me a tape recorder full of tapes of their voices talking to me, and recordings of all of their favorite songs.

One song that was on every tape, which was new at the time, was “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, which was the song my father and I had our father-daughter dance to at my wedding last July!

After five weeks in my first home, the incubator in Syracuse, I was able to be transported to St. Luke’s to spend two more weeks in their NICU. I wore a heart monitor for the first year, and my first babysitters were registered nurses, but since then, it’s been smooth sailing!

Three years later, my brother came along, and was also born a few weeks early. Luckily, since we had a CMN Hospital in our area, he was able to spend his time in the NICU at St. Luke’s.

I’m sure you can imagine how much easier that was for my family to visit him in the hospital every day, just a 10 minute drive from our home! He has also grown into a healthy adult.

RIGHT: The Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals at the St. Luke's Campus of MVHS received support from Midstate EMS Regional Council and Steet-Ponte Toyota to purchase a new van for use by Emergency Medical Services.

LEFT: The Steet Family donates toward the renovations of a room at Faxton Urgent Care to make it more child-friendly.

Now that I’m married and a new mom, the seriousness of delivering a baby so early set in.

From the health risks, to which hospital you would have to deliver in, and how and when you could see your baby, are all things most people don’t think about unless they’ve lived it themselves.

From 2010 to 2011, I interned in the hospital’s Foundation Office and was able to meet the Miracle Children. Each story was unique, but all had the same connection – their lives were changed after the help they received from CMN Hospitals. From premature twins, to a speech therapy patient, to a traumatic sledding accident that landed one child in the hospital, all were helped by CMN Hospitals.

That is why this organization is so close to my family; they help ALL babies, children and women in need.

I want to thank all of the doctors and nurses who took care of my brother and I, CMN Hospitals and everyone who supports this organization.

Thank you!

1676 Sunset Avenue Utica, NY 13502

Your generosity to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals makes it possible for miracles to happen at the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS).

Tommie was in need of speech therapy. Due to insurance restrictions, he was unable to get the care he needed to thrive. CMN Hospitals was able to help by providing the necessary funding to supplement where insurance fell short. Thanks to CMN Hospitals, Tommie was able to continue his therapy with his favorite speech pathologist, Lindsay, and is making excellent progress.

Thank you for supporting the 2018 Miracle Drawing!

TOMMIE, 3 CMN Miracle Child Clinton, NY