Sutter Santa Rosa 2022 NBBJ 194630

healthimpact THE SUTTER JOURNEY IN SONOMA COUNTY

New Tower Expansion Open May 2022

healthimpact

LET TER FROM THE CEO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Dan Peterson

I

t’s an honor to be part of the Sutter journey in Sonoma County. We are so grateful for this moment in time, as we inaugurate a new three-story hospital tower, double the size of our emergency department, add valuable jobs to the local economy and help increase access to state-of-the-art healthcare, close to home.

It’s been an extraordinarily stressful time for members of our community, patients and caregivers alike. The navigation of recent wildfires, hospital evacuations and the onset of a global pandemic have been nothing short of traumatic. This was a storm that we never imagined having to weather, yet we’ve gained strength through it all.

I wanted to share our collective journey and celebrate as we look towards a bright future—together.

In the following pages, you’ll find information about our local medical facilities along with a historical retrospective on how we got here—with

REGIONAL MANAGER

roots dating back to 1867. Join me as we peek inside the hospital room of the future and the healing influence of art.

You’ll also find powerful stories on how Sonoma County played a role in the national COVID-19 response. All the while, we set our sights on growth and environmental stewardship, minimizing our impact on the planet. And, I’d like to share some personal patient stories of your friends, family, and neighbors in our care.

There’s a reason we call our diverse staff, “healthcare heroes”, and it’s not just a cliché. It’s who we are. It’s who you are. The programs you’ve supported have impacted us all and in turn, we are thankful to lend a hand to those vulnerable and underserved in Sonoma County. Our timeline may be long, but we’ve only just begun.

Wishing you the best of health, Dan Peterson, Chief Executive Officer Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital

Shaun Ralston EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Clark Mason PUBLICATION DESIGNER

Beverly Snyder FIELD MARKETING

Sondra Maas Cover vineyard art by Bill Gittins.

HealthImpact is produced in conjunction with Sonoma Media Investments as a supplement to the Press Democrat and North Bay Business Journal. Editorial content in this publication is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital is located at 30 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, California 95403. For additional information, contact Shaun Ralston, RalstonS@sutterhealth.org or visit suttersantarosa.org.

Sutter Santa Rosa embraces, shares and celebrates our local workforce diversity. We serve patients from all cultures, speaking up on racial injustices while addressing bias and inequity. We personalize care for our diverse population by listening hard while blending our voices, ideas and knowledge. We are you—and you are our community.

Our Sonoma County Legacy Goes Back 155 Years, Starting With a Hospital for the Underserved

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he legacy of Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital can be traced back to 1867, when a small community

hospital opened on the corner of Humboldt and Cherry streets, a few blocks from the center of downtown Santa Rosa. Created by county government to treat people who couldn’t afford medical care, it lasted about a decade, before officials heeded cries to move the facility outside city limits.

Citizens had complained about some of the “unsavory” characters at the hospital, worried that they would spread disease through the neighborhood.

Sonoma County purchased land just north of town in 1878 to build a new county hospital in the area known as “Pleasant Valley,” what is now Chanate Road and what would later become Sutter’s first location in Santa Rosa.

The so-called Sonoma County Infirmary stood like a large and beautiful plantation house, and it dominated the local hospital and health scene in the county for many years.

It was dubbed “Hillcrest,” but most people called it “the Poor Farm.” Those who could afford to pay a doctor usually went somewhere else.

As the population grew along with calls for a more modern medical facility, the county built a new hospital on the site in 1937, with the help of federal funds and work through Depression-era WPA and PWA programs.

It was still mostly for the indigent, but it gained in medical esteem in 1938 when the University of California chose it as a teaching hospital and established the Family Practice Residency Program, which continues to this day.

Sonoma County's population grew exponentially after World War II, and so did the need for improved medical facilities.

A consultant’s 1952 report gave high praise to the operation and condition of the 1937 main hospital building and adjacent Oak Knoll sanitarium. But the aged Hillcrest buildings, still used for overflow and geriatric patients at the time, was criticized for being severely

1867

First Santa Rosa community hospital opens.

1937 overcrowded and “an anachronistic fire trap.”

In 1956, a new wing was added to the county hospital and the aged Hillcrest finally demolished.

Up until 1966, the hospital served only indigent and emergency patients, but new Medicare and Medi-Cal rules prompted greater use by people from all walks of life. The facility on Chanate, including the hospital, the residency, and the Oak Knoll geriatric and psychiatric facilities across the street, became “Community Hospital of Sonoma County.”

A new four-story wing greatly expanded the hospital’s capacity in 1973.

Sonoma County government operated the hospital for almost 130 years. But under increasing financial pressure in a rapidly changing healthcare market, the Board of Supervisors in 1996 signed a 20-year lease with Sutter Health to operate the hospital. Included in the agreement was a promise to replace the aged facility on the hill with a new hospital designed to meet modern earthquake safety standards.

Sutter explored the possibility of retrofitting the old county hospital, which sits on an earthquake fault. But it would have taken longer and been even more challenging than constructing a new one.

The search was then on for a 25-to-35-acre piece of land on a major highway corridor with access to a stable power grid and room for a helicopter landing pad. Forty-two potential sites were assessed before selecting property on Mark West Springs Road, owned by Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. The property was purchased in 2006.

The new state-of-the-art hospital, which opened in late 2014, amounts to a $284 million investment

by Sutter Health, in addition to construction of a separate medical office building that tacked on another $16 million.

Sutter broke ground in 2019 on a $173 million expansion of the hospital and emergency department. Opening in May, 2022, the updated facility pioneers new programs, technology and innovations designed to meet growing regional healthcare needs well into the 21st Century.

New county hospital built with WPA funds.

1956 New hospital wing built and Hillcrest demolished.

1973 Four-story expansion to the hospital.

1996 Sutter Health signed 20-year lease to operate the hospital.

2014

State-of-the-art Sutter hospital built on Mark West Springs Rd.

2022

Expansion of hospital with three-story tower.

W

hen Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital opened in 2014, it was hailed as the first new hospital built from scratch in a quarter century in Sonoma County.

The $284 million facility initially provided 84 beds, 40 of which are for general surgical needs, 20 for obstetrical, 12 for intensive care, and 12 for neonatal.

It included eight operating rooms along with a hybrid one equipped with a catheterization laboratory, putting it on the leading edge of cardiac care in the country.

The 183,000-square-foot hospital was built in tandem with an 80,000-squarefoot medical office building that houses doctors affiliated with the hospital.

Anchor tenants include the Santa Rosa Surgery Center, Santa Rosa Orthopaedics and Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation.

Within a year, it was apparent the hospital needed more capacity. The question was how much more, and at what cost.

In late 2019, Sutter broke ground on a $173 million, 56,000-square-foot expansion, consisting of a threestory tower completed in the spring of 2022.

Also moving forward is renovation to expand the emergency department and support services, scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2022.

“These improvements are going to help us continue to be one of the the best places to work, one of the best places to receive care, and one of the most environmentally friendly LEED-certified hospitals in all of California,” said Dan Peterson, CEO of Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital.

Sutter Santa Rosa has the highest environmental rating of any hospital in the North Bay. It achieved “gold” certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council. The council

promotes eco-friendly building in key areas, including water and energy efficiency materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, location and community linkages, and innovation in design and regional priorities.

To that end, about 85 percent of the hospital’s electricity needs are generated on-site, using clean energy sources. Sixty percent comes from more than 4,600 carport-mounted solar panels. The balance is derived from a patented, clean fuel cell technology developed by Bloom Energy.

An energy server located in the hospital’s back parking lot operates around the clock, converting natural gas About percent of the and bio fuels into electricity through a hospital’s electricity needs clean electrochemical process without are generated on-site, using combustion.

The hospital also has plenty of clean energy sources. natural lighting and is oriented to take advantage of mountain views.

Building surfaces provide a high level of infection control. The In addition to solar, electricity hospital also is fed by 100 percent is derived from a patented, clean fuel cell technology fresh outside air, proven to developed by Bloom Energy. reduce infections in patients.

When it comes to water for the Bio-swales channel runoff hospital, Sutter supplies its own water into landscaped areas for collection. from a well on the property.

The medical campus also has bioswales that channel runoff water into landscaped areas for collection and natural filtering before entering the storm drain system.

The facility is designed to withstand After expansion, earthquakes. There are seismic supports the hospital will include: on each floor that act as shock absorbers as the building moves.

Sutter’s New Hospital

Great Care and a Shiny ‘Gold’ Environmental Certification.

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124 all-private patient rooms 7 operating rooms 3 endoscopy suites 20 outpatient care rooms 35 emergency department bays

The hospital embraces a new trend toward patientcentered care, as opposed to the traditional physiciancentered model.

For instance, patients take advantage of hotel-style room service to order a wide array of menu items. It includes comfort foods, as well as local, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables.

A View from the Top Patient Rooms Designed for Healing

Patient Toilet

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7

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Family Zone

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6 5

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13 14 19

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15 16

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Clinical Zone

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Illustration by Loren Doppenberg 1 WOW – Work Station on Wheels for paperless electronic health record

2 IV “smart pumps” deliver fluids,

nutrients and medications to patient

3 Vertical headwalls for easy access to oxygen and gasses, and for monitoring real-time vital signs

It’s more th an hospital fo od.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regio nal Hospital delivers wh ’s, “at your olesome, tas request din ty and nutrit you want and ing” ious cuisin cooked to ord e prepared er from mo when rning to nig ht.

Our chef-in spired menu offe

selection, inc rs a wide luding diabet ic, gluten free and special , diet meals.

Trained die staff will tak tary e your phone ensure you req ues t and r meal fits wit hin any spe orders provid cial ed by your doc tor.

Once you’ve decided, dia l 45678 from your hos pital room pho ne between 7:0 0 am – 7:30 pm.

We will take

Begin by sca nning the QR code usi ng your cel l phone to vie w menu, for FAQ the full s and dining informa guest tion.

your order, questions, and answer any deliver within 45 minutes.

Your nurse can help if you need a pap or require ass er menu istance. We hope you enj request din oy “at your ing” and hav e a comfort able hospita l stay.

Scan the QR code to view our chef-inspired room service.

4 “At Your Room” dining service 5 Original art in each room 6 Fold-out sleep chair for overnight visitor

7 Double-paned, noise reduction

windows with vineyard or mountain view—power-operated, no-dust blinds between glass, remote controlled

8 Clock displays electronically-

synchronized time throughout the facility

9 Vents remove the air out of each room and release from building

10 Oversized tiled bathrooms for easy wheelchair movement

11 “No trip” entry to showers and rooms to avoid slip and fall hazards

16 Patient wardrobe closet 17 Extra wide doors for easy wheelchair accessibility

18 For universal access, all rooms are

fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

19 Single bed with alarms to notify staff

of movement of fall-risk patients, and built-in scale to weigh patient in bed

12 Electrical power generated by solar

20 Motorized ceiling lift to safely move

13 Calming color scheme provides a

21 Wireless internet access

power and green fuel-cell technology comfortable healing environment

14 Hand-washing station gives care providers a separate sink

15 Large LCD flat screen monitor

provides patient communication, information, education system, and entertainment

patients without risk of injury

22 Bar-code scanning matches

the correct patient with correct medications

Art as Healing Heal ing Hospital Collection of Local Artists’ Work Is More Than Decorative

Artist Maria De Los Angeles standing in front of her mural located in the lobby of the new addition.

“Art, for art’s sake” is a familiar refrain, but at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital art is also seen as part of healing, to promote a feeling of well-being and reduce anxiety for anyone who comes through the doors.

The hospital’s current expansion also adds to what is probably the biggest collection of artwork done by local artists in Sonoma County.

The new wing of the hospital, opening this spring, has 93 pieces, augmenting the existing 363 works by 29 local artists that are already in place in the hospital that opened in 2014.

The placement, colors and and motifs are more than just decorative, and lean heavily on nature.

“Art affects people physiologically. They feel better and need less pain medication,” says Sutter art consultant Nancy Witherell, adding that it also can reduce the time patients stay in the hospital.

“It affects staff, everybody.

It’s a pretty big thing,” she said.

In fact, brain-scanning experiments have shown there is a joy response in the cerebrum when subjects see a beautiful painting, similar to looking at a loved one.

It can take a person’s mind off their pain and lower stress levels.

In choosing artists to feature in the new wing of the hospital, Sutter looked to ensure diversity, drawing in particular from minority, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.

One of the featured artists is Maria De Los Angeles, a Mexican-American whose family emigrated from Mexico when she was 11 years old. She and several of her siblings grew up undocumented. De Los Angeles went on to attend SRJC, Pratt Institute, and obtained a master’s degree of Fine Arts from Yale University.

Her colorful mural, placed prominently in the first level lobby of the new hospital addition, is blanketed with images of roses, with a sense of magical realism, according to Witherell.

Maria Canas, a stroke survivor with a PTSD diagnosis, has her own vibrant paint and pencil works on display in the hospital.

As she blossomed into an artist, art helped her strengthen and heal.

“Most of my paintings are reflections of my life, experiences of my childhood and my Salvadoran culture,” she said.

Also featured are works by Lynn Risling, who is inspired by her Native cultures, with themes of hope, restoral, balance and harmony.

Risling says her work “reflects the renewal and continuation of cultural traditions and the natural world of my tribal peoples, the Karuk, Yurok and Hupa located along the Klamath and Trinity rivers of Northern California.”

Paintings, prints, photographs and murals fill the hospital.

In the patients' private rooms, prints of pastoral landscapes have becalming images of birds and turtles, sky and water.

In the Intensive Care Unit there are landscapes done in soothing watercolors.

The labor and delivery rooms have vibrant pastels, with depictions of seascapes and ice plants.

Prints of egrets, the closest thing to a stork in Sonoma County, adorn the Women and Infant Services visitor lounge.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit features prints of friendly ducks and frolicking ducklings.

Artwork by Lynn Risling placed in the public corridors of the new expansion.

Artwork by Maria Canas on display in the new expansion.

Landscapes fill the patient rooms with soothing visuals.

By incorporating healing gardens, private spaces (rooms), nutritious foods and art, we improve the patient-family experience and the healing process.

The Healer's Touch sculpture was gifted by philanthropy board member and grateful patient, Rosalie A. Bulach.

The Healing Gardens provide a calming space and a change of scenery.

Christina Amri of Amri Studios with her crystal panel in the hospital's Reflection Room— a space meant for meditation.

“Really Tiny, But Mighty”: Preemie Baby Thrives With Neonatal Care

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Without donors who contribute to the NICU, Kate said, my story would be very different.

ate Bernal-Hafner, a first time mother, began manifesting signs of giving birth more than 10 weeks before her baby was due.

Doctors at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital tried to slow her labor contractions, but could not. Instead, an emergency C-section was performed, and they delivered a 2-pound, 15-ounce girl, only 16 inches long.

As a new mother, Kate was grateful for the medical technologies, experienced doctors and dedicated nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which allowed for an excellent outcome. But what really makes Sutter’s NICU a special place, she said, is “the deep compassion that team has, and their care for the whole family.”

After spending the first seven weeks of her life in the hospital, her daughter Marie is doing fine. The three-year-old is robust, talkative, and tall for her age, making it hard to remember how small she was.

“She’s great, full of life, sweet. She runs everywhere,” Kate said. “She loves meeting people, and chats up a storm.”

Kate attributes her daughter’s zest to the time she spent in the NICU. “She has a strength to her that maybe she wouldn’t have otherwise. The nurses would say ‘she’s really tiny, but she’s mighty.’ ” Every year, 10 to 15 percent of babies born in the U.S. require care in a NICU, due to prematurity (born before 37 weeks), low birth weight (less than 5 pounds), heart problems, birth defects, breathing irregularities, infections, or other conditions.

These vulnerable patients require specialized, often life-saving care that includes close monitoring by highly trained neonatologists and nurses, using advanced technology and equipment to ensure the babies achieve optimal health before going home.

The emotional and financial burden on family caregivers can be overwhelming, particularly for newborns who need long-term help, making access to family support services and resources vitally important.

Sutter’s social workers connect parents to community resources, parenting workshops, support groups and financial assistance.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital admits an average of 300 newborns annually to its NICU. The families would otherwise have to travel to San Francisco to receive life-saving treatment. Babies are accepted in the unit regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

The premature babies come from Sonoma County, as well as Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt counties.

The Shea House, a philanthropically funded residential place of respite, is located on the hospital campus, allowing for up to four out-of-town families to live there temporarily so they can be close to their hospitalized newborns.

Without donors who contribute to the NICU, Kate said, “my story would be very different. I just can’t thank the generosity of this community enough.”

Of course, Sutter's Women and Infants Services delivers full-term babies too, and is geared to facilitate the first nurturing moments between mother and child. There are even bedside mini-bar refrigerators for mothers in each labor and delivery room for 24/7 access to their favorite food.

All 10 labor and delivery rooms and 20 postpartum recovery rooms are private. Each is large enough to provide space for mother, infant and family, and for nurses and other staff to do their work.

The private bathrooms have oversized showers and each room has HD flat screen television and wireless internet access. A large comfortable sleeper chair is included for visitors to spend the night.

Meals are provided with hotel-style room service for the new parents.

Finally newborns are sent home with "Sonoma County Baby" (sonomacountybaby.com), an heirloom book containing stories of those born in Sonoma County and their family legacies, helping connect them to their hometown heritage. 

“

After Spinal Surgery and a Knee Replacement, an Aikido Black Belt Gets Back to Training Mark De Souza calls 2021 “the year of replacing my parts.”

The chronic pain he’d felt in his lower back vanished within hours.

To attend one of our neck/back, shoulder or knee/hip pain treatment seminars, held throughout the year and hosted

by Sonoma County orthopedic specialists, visit sutterhealth.org/ sonoma-webinars.

First came the back surgery for the 58-year-old Cazadero man. Then the knee replacement. Both were done at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, with excellent results.

Mark’s first inkling of a back problem came 10 years ago, when he felt pain after taking a hike in Hawaii. He couldn’t make it subside, unless he lay down.

Back issues came and went for years. By the end of 2020, it got so bad he couldn’t sit up at times.

And as a business system analyst with American Ag Credit, Mark said, “I could not sit at my desk for longer than 15 to 20 minutes and I was in constant pain.”

Neither medication nor an epidural injection worked. Tests showed the disc between his L5 and S1 vertebrae was disintegrated and the L4 L5 vertebrae had gone completely out of alignment.

Spinal specialist Dr. Alex Iezza recommended surgery. The procedure was “to replace a disk and to clean up bone spurs in my lower spine,” is how Mark describes it.

Dr. Iezza said patients Mark’s age, with similar symptoms and MRI findings have a success rate of 85 to 90 percent with such operations.

Over the past decade new technology has led to minimally invasive techniques, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery time, he said.

“There’s less collateral damage moving around muscle and vertebral bodies,” Dr. Iezza said, thanks to developments such as imaging guidance and “surgeon directed neuro-monitoring.”

The operation went “really well,” according to Mark.

The chronic pain he’d felt in his lower back vanished within hours. He was out of the hospital after just one night.

The recovery exceeded expectations. He never had to use a brace. Within a few days, he was walking up and down streets. Within a week, he was walking a few miles a day.

He also was back to practicing Aikido, the martial art he has enjoyed for decades, in which he attained the rank of second-degree black belt.

“His surgery has been very successful,” said Dr. Iezza. “His mobility improved significantly. He’s back to normal activities. His alignment went from terrible to nearly perfect.”

But just as Mark started to enjoy freedom of movement, his right knee went out. It wasn’t completely unexpected. Past evaluations showed a slow, steady degradation of the cartilage, with increasing severe arthritis. Within months, he went in for a full knee replacement.

The October, 2021 surgery was conducted using Sutter Santa Rosa’s Stryker MAKO robotic arm assisted system, which enables doctors to have a more predictable surgery with increased accuracy.

Through CT-based, 3D modeling of bone anatomy, the highly advanced technology allows surgeons to create each patient’s personalized plan and identify implant size, orientation and alignment based on their unique anatomy.

Guided by the surgeon, the robotic arm helps ensure precision in the resurfacing of the damaged portion of the joint and more accurate placement of artificial implants.

The result is a better balanced knee, faster recovery and improved performance after healing.

The robotic-assisted surgery is also used for hip replacements to ensure everything is positioned and aligned correctly.

“I received top notch care,” Mark said of orthopedic surgeon Briant Smith and the staff that tended to him for his knee. “I really appreciated the amount of love, compassion and expertise they gave during my stay.”

After knee surgery, he used a walker, then a cane before he could move more evenly. With additional physical therapy, Mark said his recovery has been great.

He can perform all the tasks he needs to do, “all of the basic stuff.” 

A Close Call With a Heart Attack Leaves Santa Rosa Man Grateful to Sutter Cardiologists

heart, and rushed him into surgery to implant a pacemaker. By the next day, he was out of the hospital.

“I am truly a real medical marvel, in terms of what Sutter did for me,” he said.

Dr. Gregg Hopkins said “the stars were aligned” for Jule, noting that cardiology has evolved tremendously. The physician remembers a time when the best a doctor could do for a heart attack patient was to give them pain medication and some mild blood thinners.

“It has been a unique explosion of technology and skill sets, and it all has translated into helping patients live much different, more productive, happier comfortable lives with heart problems,” Dr. Hopkins said.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming nearly 2,200 Americans every day. It is also among the leading causes of mortality in Sonoma County, where an increasing I know I am alive number of residents are living with signifitoday only due to the cant risk factors, such as high blood pressure skills of the Sutter and diabetes.

Health Cardiology A rapidly growing senior population will Department experience chronic cardiovascular conditions that require ongoing monitoring and care.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital is a destination center for patients across Northern California in need of vascular treatment. It’s rated among the top five ulian “Jule” Lifschiz awoke in a cold sweat, feelfor cardiac surgery in the state and among the top 10 ing dizzy and having difficulty breathing. percent nationally.

His wife Sue called 911 and fortunately, the ambuThe hospital offers a wide range of cardiovascular lance arrived at his Santa Rosa home in less than six services covering every aspect of care, including minutes. The octogenarian was rushed to the emergency advanced coronary intervention services that are room at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, where he usually delivered at university referral centers. lost consciousness.

Philanthropy plays a part in acquiring leading edge Not a moment too soon, he was treated by Sutter technologies and ensuring quality care and programs.

Pacific Medical Foundation cardiologist Jamie Molden, Sutter Santa Rosa is upgrading its cardiovascular M.D., and his team. His heart had stopped beating. department with three echocardiogram machines to “I’m told I flatlined for over a minute—legally dead” offer improved 3d imaging and workflow efficiency.

Jule said. “I counted the emergency team pacing my The machines are essential for performing advanced heart for 50 times, then I fell unconscious. I learned procedures. later that they continued pacing for more than five When Jule found out the cardiology department was minutes.” planning an expansion to further elevate cardiac care for The retired orthodontist was an avid cyclist and the community, he pledged a significant amount toward doubles tennis player well into his 70s. Even in his 80s, the project. he was considered to be in great shape. But now, he was “I know I am alive today only due to the skills of the experiencing a heart attack, specifically an atrioventricSutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital cardiology departular block caused by degenerative changes in the wiring ment,” he said, adding that he can’t think of a better way from the atrium to the ventricle. to express his enduring gratitude.  As Dr. Molden and his team worked on Jule, they provided electrical stimulation through his body to his

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Sutter Aims to Build on its ‘Terrific’ Reviews for Cancer Care With a One-Stop Support Center for Patients’ Needs Cancer strikes one in three women and one in two men in the United States.

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orma Fogelberg was impressed by the care her physician husband received at Sutter after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but points out that he didn’t get special treatment

because of his profession.

“That service and respect would have been given to anyone,” she said. “Sutter doesn’t differentiate between people who can have certain care and those who can't.”

“As a surgeon, he practiced probably 50 to 60 years,” she said of her husband, Earl Fogelberg, M.D. “Illness is a great leveler. It doesn’t distinguish between what you did professionally and what your body is diagnosed with.”

Her spouse was diagnosed shortly after the couple moved from Silicon Valley to Santa Rosa in August, 2020.

Pancreatic cancer has a very low survival rate and sadly, the retired orthopedic surgeon, 86, died less than 18 months later.

But throughout their cancer journey “Sutter Health and Sutter folks were absolutely amazing,” Norma said.

“People kept in touch with me. They were compassionate, thoughtful. They were pretty terrific. It continued throughout his care.”

Norma was so touched by Sutter Health that she established an endowment for cancer services and joined Sutter’s philanthropy board.

“I’m doing it for my husband,” she said, but also “if it can help someone’s life, or let them live a little longer.”

Cancer strikes one in three women and one in two men in the United States. In Sonoma County, cancer is the leading cause of death. Approximately 2,400 people are newly diagnosed every year—5 percent of the county’s population.

According to the California Department of Public Health, Sonoma County residents experience higher than average rates of breast, bladder, skin, colon and uterine cancers.

The good news is that in recent years, significant strides have been made against the disease.

For example, some advanced melanoma Stage IV cancers that 15 years ago were considered a death sentence are now effectively treated and go into complete remission, said Dr. Zeyad Kanaan, Medical Director of Oncology, Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, North Bay. The challenge is that with the number of cancer cases increasing and patients living longer, services can be strained.

Sutter Health invests in the most advanced medical equipment and technology for cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Clinical trials are also offered.

“Clinical trials are the highest quality care,” Kanaan said, dismissing any notion that patients are treated as guinea pigs. Instead, he said, promising or effective drugs that already have been tested in humans can be used for treatment years before the Food and Drug Administration approves them.

Sutter patients often have to travel to San Francisco for clinical trials, and one of the goals is to make them more conveniently available in Santa Rosa.

Patients “can get everything they need in just that one visit,” Kanaan says, adding that patients need to be guided every step of the way.

Sutter’s goal is to establish a cancer treatment center to provide the majority of care in one location of medical offices on Airway Drive.

To that end, Sutter Health’s Cancer Support Services program addresses patient's unique needs and those of their families with the use of trained nurse navigators.

They help provide expert guidance from diagnosis through survivorship, nutrition counseling from registered dieticians, access to the latest information through a cancer resource library, classes and peer support groups.

Through Sutter Health’s Institute for Health & Healing, cancer patients also can access a range of alternative therapies geared towards alleviating the physical and psychological effects of cancer treatment, including professional counseling, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, yoga and meditation. 

Norma was so touched by Sutter Health that she established an endowment for cancer services.

That includes infusion services, radiology, lab, physician appointments and support services.

Sutter’s Detection of Early COVID-19 Cases Helped Turn Around a Hawaii-Bound Ship

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utter Health was founded in 1921 in response to the 1918 flu pandemic, so it’s

fitting that a century later it would be in the vanguard of treating another worldwide affliction.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital handled among the first identified coronavirus cases in Sonoma County and California.

It was in February 2020, when the world We were able was just learning of a to minimize the mysterious virus that surfaced in Wuhan, impact of that China, and would go cruise ship. on to kill more than Dan Peterson, CEO 370,000 Americans by the end of the year and over 849,000 by the close of 2021.

Two ill men in their 60s who had been on a Grand Princess cruise to Mexico came to Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, one after the other, for treatment.

At the time, only a narrow group of people, such as those who had traveled to Wuhan, were being screened for COVID-19.

Tests were in exceedingly rare supply.

The cruise ship passengers “didn’t meet any of the standard screening criteria from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), or from our county,” said hospital CEO Dan Peterson. “But our clinical team felt in their gut that something didn’t add up.”

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Artwork of masked colleagues by hospital engineer Maas Giansante can be found in the new expansion corridor.

X-Rays showed the patients’ lungs were highly inflamed. Doctors and nurses who were caring for them took precautions and wore full protective gear even before they knew exactly what they were dealing with.

Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation infectious disease specialist Gary Green, M.D. alerted the CDC when the patients tested positive for COVID-19. His foresight Dr. Gary Green led authorities to order the cruise ship, then headed for Hawaii, to turn back and the governor to call a state of emergency.

On its return, thousands of passengers on the Grand Princess quarantined in their cabins as the ship idled off the California coast. Several dozen cases of COVID-19 were linked to the vessel.

“We were able to minimize the impact of that cruise ship,” Peterson said.

The ill-fated cruise focused the world’s attention and made the coronavirus real to millions in the United States.

Sutter's COVID-19 Response Within days of California’s shelter-inplace order, Sutter leaders were galvanized into action to manage the pandemic.They expanded virtual visits, opened drive-through respiratory clinics, sourced and preserved personal protective equipment, and created online resources with timely information.

To enable more virtual visits, philanthropy teams across Sutter Health pooled resources to put $1.5 million toward a systemwide purchase of iPads. They were deployed to physicians along with patients and clinicians in isolation. With hospital visitors restricted, the iPads enabled COVID-19 patients and all intensive care unit patients to communicate visually with loved ones.

With no proven treatments for COVID-19, Dr. Green received compassionate use permission from the Food and Drug Administration to administer the experimental drug remdesivir to early coronavirus patients.

Gilead Sciences’ intravenous antiviral had been tested in animals infected by other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS, suggesting its potential to ease respiratory symptoms caused by COVID-19. Dr. Green contributed his patients’ outcomes to a New England Journal of Medicine paper, which showed that of 53 patients worldwide administered remdesivir, 36 experienced clinical improvement.

Next, led by Dr. Green, Sutter Health joined a randomized clinical trial for remdesivir, enrolling patients at Santa Rosa and the California Pacific Medical Center. Preliminary findings showed the drug was safe and beneficial for patients with moderate or severe cases of COVID-19, prompting the FDA to grant emergency use authorization for remdesivir.

In collaboration with Vitalant, Sutter Health also provided an investigational COVID-19 treatment with convalescent plasma— antibody-rich blood plasma collected from recovered patients—to those hospitalized with severe cases Sutter also opened a mass vaccination site at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, which delivered more than 100,000 doses.

Leftover Hospital Construction Material

Gets New Life

As Sleeping Pod for Homeless

B

uilding a hospital generates a lot of construction debris.

So, if some is salvaged and put to new use, it reduces what goes into the landfill and can even benefit a worthy cause.

Sutter Health has built several hospitals in the Bay Area over the past 15 years, but its Santa Rosa Hospital expansion is the first to use leftover construction material to help the homeless.

Those repurposed materials are being used for a small sleeping unit, part of a program that offers a temporary country refuge for homeless people and residents of San Francisco's Tenderloin district.

The sleeping pod has been added to a five-acre retreat on Little Valley Road, Fort Bragg, operated for more than 22 years by San Francisco City Impact. The faith-based organization has a rescue mission in the Tenderloin, along with a school, volunteer center and other programs that serve the homeless, the elderly and needy families.

The forested Fort Bragg property, dubbed International House of Prayer, provides a respite of fresh air and quiet, as well as a place for training and conferences, and a camp for kids at other times.

For City Impact, the donation is especially welcome, and could be the first of more sleeping

The material was originally part of an exterior "mock up". pods used to bring people to Mendocino County, to help them deal with their problems, pain and addiction issues, or just for a weekend away.

The idea is to provide a break, a time for healing and restoration away from the busy city, said Ralph Gella, general manager of San Francisco City Impact.

HerreroBOLDT, general contractor on the Sutter Hospital expansion, initiated the proposal to repurpose construction materials for a sleeping pod.

The material was originally part of an exterior "mock up" that allows pre-construction teams to test finishes, connections, and watertight performance for the outside envelope of the building.

"You try to make it leak and break it and troubleshoot early before the final project," is how Senior Project Manager Matthew Boersma describes the purpose of the mock-up.

Mock-ups are relatively high-cost structures that serve a singular construction need

for a short period of time. They usually end up in a landfill after they serve their purpose on the construction site. Not this time.

Inspired by a presentation from Lean Construction Institute, which looks at ways to eliminate building waste, Boersma learned of an office project in Portland, Oregon that redesigned its exterior mock-up for a tiny house. "I was excited about trying it out on our project," Boersma said. Construction and demolition in the U.S. contribute to an estimated 23 percent of the national waste stream. The 60,000-square-foot Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital expansion produced 770,000 pounds of wasted construction debris. Although HerreroBOLDT was able to recycle 79 percent of that, it continues to look for opportunities to improve.

Giving construction materials a second life as a sleeping shelter introduces more sustainable processes and makes a positive impact on local communities, according to Boersma. "I feel like what this has done is given us a chance to test repurposing a mock-up. We want to look at opportunities to build more of these, using this as a case study," he said. "It turned out to be a really nice, finished product."

"Sutter Health is so kind to help us," said Gella. "It's the first time we ever got something like this. It will be used quite a bit."

But there are needs other than building a new hospital, providing ample opportunities for the charitably inclined to donate. Some of these include:

Sutter Relies on Generous Philanthropic Support to Bridge the Gap

S

ometimes a patient is moved by gratitude for the care they received.

Their life might have been saved in the emergency room, or they have a serious diagnosis, such as cancer.

“They’re touched by the services Sutter has provided and they want to leave a legacy,” is how Lisa Amador, Sutter Health Assistant Administrator and Director of Philanthropy, explains the generosity of some donors who contribute to the medical organization.

Lisa Amador Philanthropic support is vital for Sutter Santa Rosa to expand critical services, pioneer new programs and innovations, and fulfill community needs.

The largesse doesn’t come just from those who can afford six-figure contributions, or the occasional million-dollar bequest, but also from a raft of smaller donors and Sutter employees who want to help support the not-for-profit, community-based system.

Donors provide the margin of excellence to ensure Sutter can care for every patient who seeks help, reduce health disparities and provide high quality, affordable healthcare.

The expansion of the Santa Rosa hospital was the catalyst for the launch of the $15 million fundraising campaign, “Your Family/ Sutter Cares.” To date, $9 million has been raised through community donations. If you're interested in giving opportunities, contact Lisa Amador, AmadorL@sutterheatlh.org, (707) 292-6522.

▲Cardiovascular Care, for new lifesaving services and technologies. ▲Sutter Samaritan Fund, for emergency assistance to patients and families identified by social services. ▲Employee Hardship Fund, for emergency assistance to workers experiencing financial hardship due to a catastrophic life event. ▲Cancer Care and Support, for clinical trials with access to the latest advances in treating cancer, along with a multi-disciplinary team for coordinated treatment. Patients and families have access to a wide range of services, including support groups, counseling, retreats and health education classes ▲Institute for Health & Healing, where integrative medicine practitioners specialize in the treatment of complex medical conditions such as autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, stress, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances and cancer. ▲Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a state-of-the-art facility where a multidisciplinary team of neonatologists and specially trained nurses provide unparalleled care for premature and critically ill newborns. Pediatric subspecialties ensure the best possible outcomes for the most vulnerable patients. ▲Bill and Elizabeth Shea House, the four-bedroom home on the hospital grounds that provides a respite for out-of-town families to be close to their hospitalized babies. Families stay for free for anywhere from one day to three months, depending on how long the baby is in the hospital. It allows parents to be with their baby during a vital and critical time of growth. ▲Grove Clinic, an innovative, team-based model for older adults, integrating social and supportive services into primary medical care. It allows those with serious illness to stay at home longer, helping seniors age with grace and dignity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging to get out into the community and raise money.

Two major fundraising events are returning in 2022 after a twoyear hiatus. The Mayacamas Golf tournament in June specifically benefits the neonatal unit and the Shea House.

Shea House, provides campus housing for out-of-town families so they can be close to their hospitalized NICU babies.

Institute for Health & Healing combines modern medical approaches with proven, personalized complementary holistic therapies.

The Grove Clinic is a local, new approach to senior healthcare involving both physical well-being and quality of life care.

The Catwalk for a Cure in October is a fashion show featuring local, community-made clothing and accessories. It benefits Cancer Support Services and the Institute for Health & Healing. For more information, visit sutterhealth.org/catwalk.

A

s part of its not-for-profit mission, Sutter Health strategically invests in programs that address priority needs identified in its triannual Community Health Needs Assessments. The investments support vital programs and services aimed at improving overall community health and supporting vulnerable and underserved populations.

In 2020, the Sutter network's total quantifiable, community benefit investments were just over $1 billion, helping the poor and the larger community. In addition Sutter incurred $1.9 billion in unreimbursed Medicare costs.

Even with federal CARES Act funding, 2020 was Sutter’s toughest financial year in its 100-year history. Although the pandemic further eroded already declining operating margins, Sutter stood by its community partners in the midst of a public health crisis, continuing support through grants and in-kind resources.

Sutter Invests and Lends a Hand to the Vulnerable and Underserved.

In 2020, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital tallied almost $27 million in unreimbursed benefits for the community.

Some of the beneficiaries include:

Physician Residency Program

Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, a three-year program for family doctors in training, helps provide care for low-income families outside hospital walls.

The 36 resident doctors, whose salaries are paid by Sutter, provide primary care at the federally qualified Vista Campus of Santa Rosa Community Health Center.

During their training, the residents work under the supervision of Sutter attending physicians.

In affiliation with the UCSF School of Medicine, the Family Medicine Residency is one of the country's premier training programs. It has been the largest single source of family doctors to Sonoma County for over 70 years, since before Sutter began to sponsor it in 1996.

Few of the residents actually become Sutter doctors, but graduates of the program represent 50 percent of the current practicing family doctors in Sonoma County.

Operation Access

Social Advocates For Youth

SAY is the lead Sonoma County agency for serving homeless and vulnerable youth. It is centered at the old Warrack Hospital, which Sutter once owned and then donated to the nonprofit agency.

Counseling, housing and career services are provided for at-risk youth.

SAY, in partnership with the Department of Justice, also offers housing and services for young victims of sex trafficking, to meet their unique needs and help them move into safe, stable and independent housing long term, enabling their recovery.

Operation Access enables physicians and medical centers in Sonoma County to donate vital surgical and specialty care to people in need. Sutter provides free time in the operating room, staffing and surgical supplies to people without insurance, or for whom health insurance doesn't authorize an elective, but important restorative or corrective surgery.

Corazon Healdsburg

Sutter provides grants to Corazon Healdsburg, a bilingual family resource center, to support a financial literacy program. The programs provide financial education to 115 low-income families.

At completion, participants open a savings account and are provided with matched savings of up to $100 per household.

Catholic Charities, Nightingale

The Nightingale project provides respite care for homeless individuals after being discharged from the hospital. It provides them a safe location, leads to reduced admission rates, better recuperation and housing placement. The goal is to avoid returning the client to the street with unresolved medical issues, which can lead to significant health impacts and high use of the emergency room and other medical services.

SRJC Hope

Santa Rosa Junior College's Health Occupation Preparation Education (HOPE) aims to increase college retention and graduation rates of students interested in healthcare careers. It is geared toward first generation, income-qualified and/or disabled students. The program provides scholarship support and groceries, assists students with basic college requirements, and helps prepare them for job interviews.

Mental Health

Sutter provides funds for mental health services in rural areas of Sonoma County including La Luz, West County Health Centers, and Humanidad Therapy and Education Services.

Programs tailored to the Latino community aim to reduce the stigma of mental health treatment, bring recognition to anxiety, stress and depression, reduce isolation, and promote well-being.

Sutter Health in Sonoma County Our Northern California integrated network delivers coordinated care when, where and how you need it. In Sonoma County, you’ll find acute hospital care, outpatient surgery locations, doctors of all specialties, urgent care, same day walk-in care and ancillary medical services.

We are committed to ensuring that healthcare is accessible and inclusive to all by offering quality health programs tailored to the diverse communities we serve.

Sonoma County Locations ADVANCED IMAGING MRI, Ultrasound, CT 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-4480 2445 Summerfield Road Santa Rosa 707-521-4480 BREAST SURGERY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7799 CARDIOLOGY Nuclear Medicine 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-573-5200 DERMATOLOGY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7760 ENDOCRINOLOGY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7735

FAMILY MEDICINE 3883 Airway Drive, Ste.120 Santa Rosa 707-526-3360

GENERAL SURGERY 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-7900

3883 Airway Drive, Ste.202 GROVE Santa Rosa Referred Patients Only 707-521-7777 131B Stony Circle Santa Rosa 4700 Hoen Ave 707-308-2815 Santa Rosa 707-308-2800 HOSPITAL

LABORATORIES 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7780 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-7949 2449 Summerfield Rd. Santa Rosa 707-523-7220

ONCOLOGY INFUSIONS SSRRH Infusion Center 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7750 ORTHOPEDICS 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7799 OTOLARYNGOLOGY 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-3590

131B Stony Circle, Ste.1600 Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital Santa Rosa 30 Mark West Springs Rd. 707-541-7700 Santa Rosa 717 Center Street 707-576-4000 Healdsburg

131B Stony Circle Santa Rosa 707-541-7765

5300 Snyder Lane Rohnert Park 707-585-8347

5300 Snyder Lane Rohnert Park 707-588-3020

OUTPATIENT SURGERY Santa Rosa Surgery & Endoscopy 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-3500

NEUROLOGY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7788

PEDIATRICS 131B Stony Circle, Ste.1600 Santa Rosa 707-541-7800

OB/GYN 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-7900

PHYSICAL THERAPY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-8962

ONCOLOGY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7750

PODIATRY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-7799

707-433-7258

INFECTIOUS DISEASE CLINIC 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-573-5234

1383 North McDowell Blvd.

INTERNAL MEDICINE Petaluma 4700 Hoen Ave 707-308-2840 Santa Rosa GASTROENTEROLOGY 707-308-2800 34 Mark West Springs Rd. 717 Center Street Santa Rosa Healdsburg 707-541-7900 707-433-7258 INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH & HEALING 1210 Sonoma Ave. Santa Rosa 707-523-7195

717 Center Street Healdsburg 707-473-0833

PULMONARY 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-3590 RESPIRATORY CLINIC 4702 Hoen Ave. Santa Rosa 707-308-2820 RHEUMATOLOGY 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-576-3322 SLEEP LAB 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-573-5261 SAME DAY URGENT CARE 3883 Airway Drive Santa Rosa 707-521-4495 UROLOGY 34 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa 707-541-7900 WALK-IN CARE 2360 Mendocino Ave., #A4 Santa Rosa 800-972-5547