2018: A YEAR OF #LIVINGPROOF Philanthropy Impact Report
OUR MISSION To support patient-centered care through donor-centered philanthropy. We do this by collaborating with health care providers, patients, and the community to advance high-quality care, research, and
CONTENTS
education that heals and improves lives. 04 2 018 By The Numbers PEOPLE 07 B ig Impact On A Tiny Life 09 The Serafini Scholarship: Making Dreams Of Nursing School A Reality 11 G etting To The Heart Of The Matter With Your Help 14 E xpanded Services – Thanks To The Hess Roth Kaminsky Fund PROGRAMS 16 S upporting The Unique Journey To Healing Perinatal Palliative Care Program 18 P utting New Moms Back In Control: The Alexis Joy D’Achille Center For Perinatal Mental Health 21 S hedding Light On The Misconceptions Of Skin Cancer 22 When It Rains, It Pours 24 An Approach To Better Health – The Front Door Initiative RESEARCH 25 L ong-Lasting Relief For Cancer Patients EVENTS 27 2 018 & Upcoming Events
Allison P. Quick Chief Philanthropy Officer
From the Office of Development Last year, more than 1.6 million patients made nearly 86,000 inpatient visits, 1.3 million outpatient visits, and more than 277,000 emergency department visits at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) hospitals and facilities. Your generosity made a difference every time a patient walked through our doors. AHN is honored to have received new gifts and commitments of more than $22.3 million in 2018 – the highest amount donated since AHN’s inception in 2013. To date, thanks to your generosity, more than $75 million has been donated and helped change the lives of the patients and communities we serve. In this report, you will read amazing stories of individuals who have personally benefited from the generosity of our more than 3,000 donors. These are stories of individuals who are thriving, clinicians who are providing outstanding care, and researchers who are innovating because of you. Your donations directly supported their advancement of treatments, securing of cuttingedge technology and facilities, and the recruitment of outstanding talent– all of these are the #LivingProof of AHN’s life-changing work. The AHN Office of Development is also proud to share that this year we achieved recognition as a High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, meaning that we performed among the top 25% of all reporting organizations in the net production returns from their Report on Giving survey. This recognition validates our commitment to supporting high-quality patient-centered care through donor-centered philanthropy and fundraising practices. We are honored by the enthusiasm and support received from the community as we continue to build AHN’s legacy of compassionate care and innovative treatments. We hope you enjoy this inaugural Philanthropy Impact Report and, most importantly, thank you for making all of this possible.
Allison P. Quick Allison P. Quick Chief Philanthropy Officer
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2018:
8
BY THE NUMBERS
277,587
WE HAVE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS
HOSPITALS
• OVER 2,224 BEDS • 6 SURGERY CENTERS • 4 HEALTH + WELLNESS PAVILIONS • MORE THAN 250 PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY-CARE PRACTICES
29 WE SERVE
COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA
+ 4
PORTIONS OF: NEW YORK OHIO WEST VIRGINIA
2.98
MILLION TOTAL PHYSICIAN VISITS
1.3
MILLION OUTPATIENT CARE VISITS
207,239 SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS
2,800
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY
PHYSICIANS, RESIDENTS & FELLOWS
IN EVERY CLINICAL SPECIALTY
285
7,741
BABIES BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD
NURSING STUDENTS
2 SCHOOLS
4,000
NURSES 5
PEOPLE
1. 6
Your Gifts Have Reached Real People As you know, the generous donations made to AHN affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people right here in our communities. Sometimes, it is important to stop and see the impact your gifts can have on one person, one family, and therefore, an entire community. From educating our future nurses to saving the tiniest among us, we are so proud of what we are able to do because of you.
BIG IMPACT ON A TINY LIFE PJ O’Connor has always been invested in the success of AHN. In fact, as Manager of Business Development at his father’s healthcare consulting firm, OC Reilly, PJ has established a wonderful local partnership with AHN and donates regularly on behalf of the firm. It wasn’t until PJ’s own child came into the world that he truly understood the life-changing power of those donations. PJ’s wife, Emily, was also very familiar with AHN, as she has worked as a nurse in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at West Penn Hospital for over three years. The couple was expecting their first baby in September 2018, but the little bundle of joy had other plans in mind. Over a month before her due date, Emily was rushed to West Penn Hospital with complications, where they scheduled an emergency C-section. That is where the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team stepped in. Dr. Giovanni Laneri, an AHN neonatal medicine specialist, called off the
C-section and calmed the nerves of both soon-to-be parents. Emily was monitored until she later went into premature labor, delivering the baby naturally. “Honestly, everything was much calmer than we prepared for,” PJ said. “Dr. Alan Lantzy, the on call doctor, was sitting there, in the middle of the room, orchestrating the entire show. He was [Emily’s] guiding light through the entire experience.” Oliver O’Connor made his early entrance into the world on July 10, 2018. Oliver arrived crying, showing signs of good health. But being that Oliver was born prematurely, the rollercoaster ride wasn’t quite over. Oliver was placed in an incubator to regulate his body temperature and monitored 24 hours a day by the NICU staff. (continued on next page)
The care and passion of the AHN nursing staff was like nothing I’ve ever seen...” 7
PJ and Emily visited the hospital every single day, cherishing every moment they were able to spend with their new baby. PJ said it was very important for them to trust the medical experts and to step away for a break from time to time. PJ and Emily would leave the hospital in the evening to have dinner together, giving them a chance to process each day. “The care and passion of the AHN nursing staff was like nothing I’ve ever seen,” PJ said. “They were all so kind to us. I would never want to go through it again, but they made it almost enjoyable to be there every day.”
After 28 long days in the NICU, PJ and Emily were finally able to bring Oliver home with them. 8
Until it happened to us, I didn’t realize how many people do go through this,” PJ said. “We are beyond grateful for the attention and care our son Oliver received and AHN is definitely a large part of why he is so healthy and doing so well.” For the O’Connor’s, Oliver is truly #LivingProof of your gifts at work, making it possible for each patient to receive the compassionate and comprehensive care he or she deserves. Making a donation to AHN has always been important to PJ and his firm, but after their experience in the NICU, specifying where their donation goes hits a bit closer to home. That’s why, moving forward, they decided they wanted their donations to go directly to the NICU – helping to provide the most advanced expert care to our region’s tiniest, most fragile patients.
The Serafini Scholarship:
MAKING DREAMS OF NURSING SCHOOL A REALITY Brittney Welsh, Kristin Harwick and Robin Evanovich have often put their own passions on hold so that they could put others first. While this is commendable, AHN believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to have the future they have imagined. Through the Serafini Scholarship for nursing students, those dreams are again within reach. Brittney Welsh is 28 years old and currently working two jobs after spending the past three years caring for her late grandmother who suffered from dementia. Brittney is a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in biology. On top of working at a nursing home and as a technician at a retail pharmacy, she is currently attending nursing school. Kristin Harwick is 32 years old, works as a medical assistant in a doctor’s office and also has a full time job raising her 14-year-old daughter. After she became a mother, Kristin put nursing school on the back burner. After 10 years of gaining experience and yearning to go back to school, Kristin is also now attending nursing school. (continued on next page)
The Serafini Scholarship is helping to make their dreams of completing nursing school a reality.
Recipients of the Serafini Scholarship (left to right): Robin Evanovich, Kristin Harwick, and Brittney Welsh
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I would like to thank anyone who has made donations or provided scholarships to help students reach their professional goals.” Both Brittney and Kristin have difficulty finding the perfect balance between studying, attending class, working and spending time with their families. Of course, the monetary stress of getting through nursing school is another burden that can be hard to bear. It is for people like Brittney, Kristin and Robin that the Serafini Scholarship was established. Terry and Janet Serafini generously award the Serafini Scholarship to the Citizens School of Nursing with the intent to support academically worthy and financially needy candidates. The goal is to help them become nurses prepared for today’s health care environment and provide balance for students while they work toward their goals.
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“I would like to thank anyone who has made donations or provided scholarships to help students reach their professional goals,” Brittney said. “Personally, I would like to thank the Serafini family for allowing me to cut back my hours at work and spend more time focusing on my school work and ultimately helping me reach my goal of becoming a registered nurse.” Though Brittney and Kristin come from different backgrounds, situations and family makeups, both can agree that the Serafini Scholarship is helping to make their dreams of completing nursing school a reality.
GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER WITH YOUR HELP AHN’s Cardiovascular Institute is one of the premier cardiac programs in the country, led by internationally renowned cardiologists and surgeons. Our pulmonary hypertension program has a national reputation for delivering state-of-the-art care for patients with heart disease and provide access to western Pennsylvania’s most comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of specialists and innovative therapies, including many available only through advanced clinical trials. Due in large part to generous donors, AHN is leading the way in cardiac care. Just ask Dolores. (continued on next page)
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Dolores led an active lifestyle – until she began experiencing shortness of breath, causing blackouts and requiring her to be on oxygen. During one episode in April 2016, she was unable to get up after regaining consciousness. Her son called 9-1-1 and Dolores was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital. There, she underwent testing and received treatment for pulmonary emboli, which are blood clots in the lungs. Months of tests and doctor visits passed with no explanation for the blood clots. Dolores’ doctor knew she needed more specialized care – and sent her to AHN to get it. Dolores was referred to AHN physicians Manreet K. Kanwar, MD and Robert Moraca, MD, who were finally able to get Dolores the answers she needed, diagnosing her with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). CTEPH is a rare form of pulmonary hypertension that restricts the flow of blood from your heart to your lungs. Although curable, it is hard to diagnose because the symptoms match those of many other conditions. Fortunately, Dolores’ cardiologist was specially trained through AHN’s CTEPH community education initiative.
Dolores underwent pulmonary endarterectomy, the only cure for CTEPH, where a surgeon removes all clots from the lungs. Only a handful of surgeons in the United States – which includes those at AHN – can perform the procedure, because the delicate blood vessels require highly skilled hands and special training. Without both, clot removal can damage the arteries and cause other complications. In addition to Drs. Kanwar and Moraca, Dolores’ care team also included Raymond Benza, MD. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Benza and his team constantly monitored Dolores, staying in close communication about her care and working to maintain low blood pressure in the arteries of her lungs so her heart could get healthy again. And that’s exactly what happened. Her CTEPH care team cured her. She’s now walking 3 to 5 miles every day – and is no longer on oxygen. “I was given my life back, and I’m making the most of it,” Dolores said. With appropriate resources, patients will have access to the same level of advanced cardiac care. AHN is grateful for your support of its mission and, specifically, the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine.
I was given my life back, and I’m making the most of it.” 12
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EXPANDED SERVICES – THANKS TO THE HESS ROTH KAMINSKY FUND After years of kidney issues, nine emergency room trips and a variety of procedures, Michael Bean finally received some answers. “I went in to have a blockage removed,” Michael said, “but that procedure proved to be lifesaving.” At a follow up appointment, Dr. Peter Lund of Allied Urology at Saint Vincent Hospital informed Michael that a biopsy had revealed bladder cancer. While the diagnosis was devastating, Dr. Lund was able to remove it all. Today, Michael still makes routine trips to Allied Urology at Saint Vincent Hospital. “I won’t go anywhere else for my care,” Michael said. “Dr. Lund isn’t just a doctor, he’s now a friend.”
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I won’t go anywhere else for my care. Dr. Lund isn’t just a doctor, he’s now a friend.” Michael, along with thousands of patients, will be excited to learn that the urology practice at Saint Vincent Hospital will be seeing an expansion of urological services thanks to a generous contribution from the Hess Roth Kaminsky Fund of the Erie Community Foundation. Allied Urology is a prominent practice that has been serving Erie and its surrounding communities since 1920. Physicians Peter Lund, MD; Zdzislaw Chorazy, MD; and Michael Evankovich, MD have over 75 years of combined experience. Currently, the urology office treats nearly 12,000 patients annually, performs 200 cystoscopies and completes 175 scheduled surgical procedures per month.
equipment including bladder scanners, ultrasound equipment, video scopes and technology to enhance telemedicine. Because of the Hess Roth Kaminsky Fund, patients like Michael will continue their appointments with the same high-quality care in the same location, but with an enhanced facility.
The upgraded facility, set to open later this year, will feature a renovated space complete with state-of-the-art diagnostic
Dr. Peter Lund of Allied Urology at Saint Vincent Hospital
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2.
Enhancing Our Communities with Quality Care
PROGRAMS
AHN is committed to bringing quality care to all communities served throughout the region. It is through the support of generous donors like you that enable AHN to bring premier programs and provide access to internationally renowned doctors. And, new moms are now getting the help they need and finding hope they may have never thought was possible again. Your gifts directly impact the many programs developed to meet the diverse needs of our communities.
SUPPORTING THE UNIQUE JOURNEY TO HEALING Perinatal Palliative Care Program
When an unborn child is diagnosed with a disease, especially a fatal disease, it is a tragedy for the expectant mother and her family. During this crisis, the family may experience shock, anger, disbelief, and despair. To help families come to terms with the situation, AHN offers palliative care services that include emotional, spiritual, social, and symptom support. Dr. Marta C. Kolthoff, a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive geneticist, leads the multidisciplinary AHN Perinatal Palliative Care team at West Penn Hospital. “We recently secured a very generous gift for the Perinatal Hospice [and Palliative] Program, under the direction of Dr. Marta Kolthoff, which was a combination of an outright gift and a planned estate gift,” said Allie Quick, AHN Chief Philanthropy Officer. “The beauty of that gift structure is that Dr. Kolthoff has immediate funding to support the program over the next 10 years, as well as a vehicle in place to fund the program in the future.”
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Perinatal Palliative Care is a fetal hospice program that addresses the needs of families from the time a diagnosis is made and continues to support them for months after birth. The program brings together professionals from maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive genetics, neonatology, nursing care, and bereavement/social work services. “I really wanted to develop a program to help these families and meet the special needs they’re facing with a lethal or severe fetal diagnosis,” Dr. Kolthoff said. “Over time, while I was developing a program, I realized they had very distinct and complex needs.” It starts with acknowledging grief and providing emotional support, then making sure the family understands the diagnosis and the baby’s prognosis. The next step is providing families with as much information as possible.
“Parents always want all the information they can get,” Dr. Kolthoff said. “There’s a lot of information and communication that needs to be done.” On the clinical side, Dr. Kolthoff’s team works with both the doctors and nurses involved with delivering the baby, making sure they understand the possibility that the baby’s condition might not be compatible with life. Afterwards, a perinatal bereavement team follows up with the mother and family to discuss any questions they might have and to check on the mother and other family members. Because of the very kind donation by an anonymous donor, the AHN Perinatal Palliative Care program can continue to help all women who learn their babies aren’t expected to live. When pregnancies do not go as planned, there are people here at AHN to help.
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I knew something was wrong. I was in survival mode, just going day to day, not taking time for myself.� 18
PUTTING NEW MOMS BACK IN CONTROL The Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health At AHN, we know that mental health is equally as important for new moms as physical health. That is why we partnered with the Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation to open the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health. This 7,300-square foot, $2.5 million facility at West Penn Hospital offers mothers battling pregnancy-related depression access to a variety of services, programs and careoptions under one roof. An estimated one in seven new mothers experiences clinically significant depression or anxiety during or after her pregnancy. The Center’s programs help mothers overcome their depression or anxiety and bond with their children. The center’s programs help women like Kelly.
Throughout her pregnancy, Kelly was doing well. She had typical “mom-worries” such as finances and home safety and because Kelly struggled with anxiety even before pregnancy, none of her worries seemed unusual. She assured her doctors and herself that she was in control. It was not until after Kelly gave birth to her daughter, Samantha, that she realized postpartum anxiety was more than she could handle alone. Kelly was living in constant worry and found it impossible to relax. “I knew something was wrong. I was in survival mode, just going day to day, not taking time for myself.” (continued on next page)
70 15 UP TO
%
of new mothers experience moodiness and other symptoms
ONLY
%
of women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders receive professional help
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While up to 70% of new mothers experience moodiness and other symptoms, only 15% of women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders receive professional help. Like other women, Kelly needed relief that could only be provided by the programs at the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health. She soon began intensive outpatient therapy and finally began to see a light at the end of the anxiety induced dark tunnel. For three hours a day, three days a week, Kelly joined up with 12 other moms and their babies for group therapy, bonding activities, sleep training and learning skills to cope with anxiety and depression. Bonding with mothers facing the same struggles as her gave Kelly a safe space and assured her that she was not alone.
In addition to the Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation, the new facility at West Penn Hospital was built with the generous financial support of West Penn Hospital Foundation, Highmark Foundation, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, and Pittsburgh Pirates Alumni Association. The center’s childcare services are made possible by the support of The Pittsburgh Foundation and its donors, Jewish Women’s Foundation and Flexable, LLC. As the only facility of its kind in the country, the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health provides a unique opportunity for moms like Kelly to enjoy the light that their babies bring into the world and come out of the tunnel on the other side.
“This program restored my faith in therapy, and it’s the best thing I could’ve done.”
AHN Partnering with Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation Alexis Joy D’Achille tragically took her own life six weeks after the birth of her daughter, Adriana, in 2013. Alexis’ husband, Steven, started the Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation in his wife’s memory, vowing to raise awareness and find new ways to combat postpartum depression. He found partners in AHN and Highmark Health and, together, began working on a new paradigm for treatment of this common and debilitating illness.
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SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF SKIN CANCER “It won’t happen to me.” “Tanning is just my little bad habit.” “Young people don’t get diagnosed with melanoma.” These are all thoughts that went through Jessica Rogowicz’s head as she spent her days sunbathing as a teen. Unfortunately, Jessica was wrong. After years of vacationing with her family and annual sunburns, Jessica was no stranger to the sun. As well as loving a natural tan, she also used tanning beds before special events in high school and continued the habit throughout college, increasing the frequency to 2-3 times a week. In the back of her mind, Jessica knew that tanning beds came with risks, but didn’t think she had anything to worry about - at least not until much later in life.
“Having skin cancer, especially twice, really affects you mentally and you realize you’re not exempt from this disease,” said Jessica. “The damage you do to your skin early on can have an everlasting effect.” After successfully treating melanoma the second time, Jessica connected with others in the community who wanted to help people facing the same struggles and founded the Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation. She combined her love of running and experience with the disease to help the Foundation host a 5K to raise awareness of the dangers of tanning and the importance of yearly skin checks. (continued on next page)
That is why it came as a shock when Jessica was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 24. What was intended to be a removal of two moles for cosmetic reasons, turned into an early detection of stage 1 melanoma that saved her life. From that day forward, following a successful treatment, Jessica never used another tanning bed or allowed another sunburn. However, four years after the initial diagnoses, another dark mole appeared and turned out to be melanoma again, luckily also caught in stage 1.
Jessica and Dr. Edington
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The inaugural 5K in 2012 was a huge success. In fact, 2019 will mark its eighth annual race. With help from generous donors and annual fundraising events, the Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation has gifted $160,000 to AHN to support the care that saved Jessica’s life. “I can’t thank Allegheny Health Network enough. It was because of the early diagnoses that I am still here today,” Jessica said. “Dr. Edington, my doctor, has come to every single 5K without me even asking him. This is more than just a career to him. He truly cares.” Jessica has been cancer free for seven years now and calls Peters Township home with her husband, Scott, and her two children,
Hailey and Drew. When she is not spending time with her family or working as a teacher at South Fayette High School, Jessica is working with the Foundation. The Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation continues to grow and work hard to raise awareness and provide support for those affected by melanoma. The Foundation has recently filmed a PSA and is working to have sunscreen dispensers installed along the Montour Trail. Jessica hopes that through awareness and fundraising, she can encourage everyone to be proactive in preventing melanoma.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS For many Pittsburgh residents who lost power due to the storm on Independence Day 2018, it was mostly just a hot, inconvenient night. For Sandy Childers, it was a night she will never be able to forget. Sandy has worked as an Administrative Coordinator at West Penn Hospital for 25 years. Working at West Penn Hospital has become somewhat of a family tradition, as her mother has worked in housekeeping for about 40 years and her son now works at West Penn Hospital too.
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The 4th of July has always been Sandy’s favorite holiday. This past year, Sandy, her daughter and her granddaughter were all at
home in Bloomfield. Sandy was out on the back porch, watching the rain. It was so windy that her red, white and blue sundress was blowing up, causing her to go back inside. Soon after she heard the sound of rushing water and knew it was not coming from her faucet in the kitchen. So, she went upstairs to further investigate. And then she saw it. Water was literally pouring down through the ceilings into the back bedrooms. Her flat roof had been torn back like the lid of a sardine can. She scrambled to find buckets, tubs, anything that could contain the water, but water was everywhere – on the dressers, clothes, electronics, beds, etc.
THE EMPLOYEE CATASTROPHIC FUND HELPED SANDY
PURCHASE NEW MATTRESSES & AIR CONDITIONING UNITS
When Sandy called West Penn Hospital to let them know what happened, Sandy’s supervisor sprang into action, utilizing one of AHN’s employee resources. The Employee Catastrophic Fund was established to provide financial support for employees who are experiencing a catastrophic event in their life. Through this fund, Sandy was provided the opportunity to purchase new mattresses for her children, as well as new air conditioning units. “This made me feel really lucky to work where I do,” Sandy said. “I already loved working at West Penn, but I don’t know too many other places that do this for their employees.” In Sandy’s department at West Penn Hospital, she often comes across patients battling some of the most difficult diseases. “I try to be as empathetic as possible in what I do,” Sandy said. “It’s nice knowing that not only do we do that as employees, but our employer can help us when we need it.”
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AN APPROACH TO BETTER HEALTH The Front Door Initiative
At AHN, we understand that conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. These conditions are referred to as social determinants of health (SDOH). The only way to address SDOH is to create and implement programs that promote good health for everyone in our communities. That’s why the Jefferson Regional Foundation awarded the single-largest grant in its history to AHN’s Jefferson Hospital. The $1 million, 4-year grant is being used to establish the “Front Door Initiative for Social Emergency Medicine,” a comprehensive
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effort to better understand and address the social determinants of health among patients who visit the hospital’s emergency department. “The emergency department often serves as the front door to the hospital; it is the initial experience many patients may have with us,” Louise Urban, the President and CEO of Jefferson Hospital, said. “This program will help us to more clearly see the whole picture so that we can direct patients to the resources that may help improve their overall health.”
A Leap in the Right Direction At AHN, compassionate care for patients comes first. But an important part of that care is a ceaseless drive to develop innovative technologies and bring medical breakthroughs that advance health care as we know it today. The support of donors is truly what keeps AHN moving forward and fulfilling our mission. With your help and the dedication of our researchers and clinicians, we continue to make great strides in bringing the best care to western Pennsylvania.
3. RESEARCH
LONG-LASTING RELIEF FOR CANCER PATIENTS The Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Regenerative Medicine Resource Center has awarded researchers from AHN and the University of Michigan $92,000 to advance research of a new gene transfer technology that could help patients suffering from xerostomia (dry mouth), a devastating side effect of radiation treatment for head and neck cancers. Radiation-induced xerostomia affects hundreds of thousands of cancer patients and causes several other side effects that greatly depreciate one’s quality of life, including severe tooth decay, pain, loss of taste, inability to eat properly and increased oral infections.
Dr. Michael J. Passineau of AHN and Dr. Isabelle Lombaert, of the University of Michigan are working toward completing a Phase 1 clinical trial of a technology that uses noninvasive ultrasound to deliver a gene drug directly to the patient’s salivary gland, potentially resulting in restoration of salivary flow. “This approach avoids activating the patient’s immune response, and makes it possible to provide repeat treatments, whenever the patient begins to feel dryness returning,” said Dr. Passineau, Director of Gene Therapy for AHN. “We believe this solution will allow patients suffering from radiation-induced (continued on next page)
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“
Thanks to new, advanced treatments, cancer is now often treated as a chronic disease that patients live with for many years.”
xerostomia to benefit from Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) gene therapy throughout their lives.” Although head and neck cancers linked to tobacco use are declining, the number of cancers linked to human papilloma virus (HPV) is increasing. Thus, researchers expect the incidence of xerostomia to remain stable in the coming years. Researchers believe that this technology may provide long-lasting relief of radiation-induced xerostomia, with adjustable dosing and potential for booster doses over time. “Thanks to new, advanced treatments, cancer is now often treated as a chronic disease that patients live with for many years,”
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Dr. David Parda, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute said. “In keeping with AHN’s philosophy of holistic, patient-centered care, we want them to retain a good quality of life during those years.” The Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Regenerative Medicine Resource Center’s grant gives us the opportunity to continue to find ways to effectively treat side effects of cancer treatments, particularly life-altering side effects such as xerostomia.
4.
$ 250,000
EVENTS
raised for Forbes Hospital
Forbes Hospital 40th Anniversary Gala April 19, 2018
5th Annual AHN Golf Classic August 10, 2018
$ 400,000
34th Annual Festival of Trees November 23-25, 2018
raised for various programs, services, and needs throughout AHN community hospitals.
Allegheny Chapman Golf Outing August 23, 2018
$ 294,500
2nd Annual AHN Gala October 4, 2018
$ 3.7 MILLION
raised for various programs and services, including oncology, nursing, LifeFlight, and patient experience.
UPCOMING
raised for ovarian cancer research at AHN.
$ 196,000
raised for Children’s Miracle Network at Saint Vincent Hospital.
Crystal Ball To benefit Saint Vincent Hospital. May 18, 2019
6th Annual AHN Golf Classic To benefit various programs, services, and needs throughout AHN community hospitals. July 29, 2019
3rd Annual AHN Gala To benefit various various programs, services, and greatest needs throughout the Network. October 4, 2019
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Office of Development 4818 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Ways to Give When you give to Allegheny Health Network (AHN), your gift stays right here in our community – touching the lives of those you care about the most. Your gift helps advance the compassionate care, breakthrough treatments, and pioneering research at AHN. To learn more about ways to give, visit us on the web at www.SupportAHN.org.
We are grateful to the many donors who have given so generously over the years, and we know that our patients and families will benefit greatly from your continued support.
If you would like additional information about supporting our programs or research, please contact the Allegheny Health Network Office of Development. 412.578.4427
development@ahn.org
