Summer 2014 - El Camino Hospital

SUMMER 2014
Healthy
Giving
Mary and Doug Scrivner, Jodi and Mark Barnard, Edward and Pamela Taft
Doug and Sandra Bergeron, Katie and Dr. Greg Morganroth, Tomi Ryba
Sapphire Soirée Raises Funds to Establish
New Cancer Survivorship Program
FOUR HUNDRED SEVENT Y FRIENDS OF
EL CAMINO HOSPITAL AND THE FOUNDATION
gathered at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton on May 31
for the fourth annual Sapphire Soirée, a gala benefit for
the Cancer Center. They “sipped for a sapphire” for the
chance to win a pair of pink sapphire earrings donated
by Darren McClung Estate & Precious Jewelry, bid
spiritedly on live auction items, and enjoyed an exciting
performance by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies.
The event raised nearly $600,000, which will be used to
establish a cancer survivorship program.
“We are here tonight to celebrate the Cancer Center’s
accomplishments and its hopes for the future,” El
Camino Hospital CEO Tomi Ryba told the guests, as she
noted its accreditation last year, a 33% growth in new
cancer cases over five years, and exceptional five-year
survival results. “We cannot do this work alone. Thank
you for your wonderful support.”
The event was co-chaired by Sandra and Doug Bergeron
and Katie and Greg Morganroth, MD of Atherton.
Honorary Chairs Pamela and Edward Taft donated a
$250,000 challenge gift in honor of Pamela’s mother,
who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year at the age
of 82. “In past years, our challenge gifts to the Cancer
Center have been about supporting the great work of the
doctors and about helping our friends, our neighbors,
and our community,” the Los Altos Hills resident told the
assembled crowd. “This year, it is more personal.”
Inside:
» Your Gifts at Work
» Cancer Center
» Mental Health Services
» South Asian Heart Center
» Women’s Health
Continued on page 4
Your Gifts at Work
Board of Directors
IN APRIL AND JUNE, THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS COMMUNIT Y,
Roger Borovoy
EL CAMINO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION allocated $650,000 of unrestricted
Maryles Casto
Claudia Coleman
donations to support programs and services that benefit patient care at
John A. Conover
El Camino Hospital.
Krista M. Conover
Phyllis Dorricott
Nursing – Five dialysis nurses displaced by the closure of Oak dialysis on
Stan Fischman, MD
Gunilla Follett
El Camino Hospital’s Mountain View campus received refresher training,
Hon. Charles Gordon
enabling them to succeed in new positions at the hospital and assuring
Chuck Hebel
patients can continue to benefit from the care of these dedicated, experienced
Linda Heider
professionals. A high fidelity simulation manikin is improving patient care
Mel Kahn
by giving nurses the opportunity to practice real-life scenarios on an almostBernis Kretchmar
Poornima Kumar
real patient. An additional grant will fund a 2-year pilot project focused on
Marilyn Lonergan, PhD
addressing the complex needs of patients with uncontrolled, chronic pain, and
Lane Melchor
to provide ongoing education to the staff on pain management techniques.
Julia Miller
Pauline Nist
Robert Pinsker, MD
Pleasant Transport – The purchase of a smooth-riding, golf cart-style
Carol Proffitt
transportation vehicle with weatherproof awning and secure gurney bed will
David Reeder
enable patients to be moved comfortably between the Rehabilitation Center and
Linda R. Rodgers
main hospital in Los Gatos.
Wim P. Roelandts
Tomi
Note:Ryba,
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& CEO,
Camino
Hospital
Chaplain Services – Attendance at a Critical Incident Stress Management
Russell Satake, Chair
seminar will provide training in effective ways to counsel staff members who
Mary Scrivner
experience trauma and grief. The chaplain will also test a 24-hour on-call
Munjal Shah
Anil Singhal, MD
rotation in Mountain View and Los Gatos to provide emotional and spiritual
Patricia Splinter
support
for patients, their families and hospital staff between the hours of 6:00
El Camino Hospital
CLIENT
SPOT/LINE COLORS
alifornia 94549 Frederick St. Goar, MD
February 25, 2010
DATE
p.m.
and
7:00 a.m., including weekends and holidays.
George Stanley
Brand Identity, 2009
PROJECT
Kavita Tankha FILE NAME ECH®_Fdn_ID_horz_3C_small.ai
ECH Logo
ECH Logo
Lynn K. Telford SOFTWARE Adobe Illustrator CS3
Orange
Blue
Genomic
Medicine
– Funding to perform exome sequencing (sequencing
LINKS
El Camino Hospital
FONTS
Foundation Founders
NA
NA
Jack & Norma* Melchor
Burton & Deedee McMurtry
Gordon & Betty Moore
David & Lucile Packard*
Past Foundation Board Chairs
Jack Melchor
Nicholas G. Moore
Arthur C. Carmichael, Jr.
Mike Drew
Douglas S. Usher
Elliot Lepler, MD
James J. Rodriguez, Esq.
Charles A. Knell, Esq.
Richard Lammerding
Victor M. Reid, III
George Stanley
Pauline Nist
Phyllis Dorricott
Robert D. Adams
Claudia Coleman
Foundation President
Jodi Barnard
* of blessed memory
2
the key part of the human genome) on a family with a high incidence of
meningioma (benign brain tumor) will provide answers and enable the patient
to receive the same level of care as at an academic medical center while
remaining in her familiar care environment.
ECH
Dark Gray
Maternal Child Health – A voluntary quality care review of the obstetrics and
gynecology departments in Mountain View and Los Gatos will provide an indepth assessment of all areas of maternal child health related to patient care,
safety and best practices.
“By making unrestricted donations to be used where the need is greatest,
donors ensure El Camino Hospital has the resources it needs to innovate
and respond nimbly to emerging opportunities,” says Foundation President
Jodi Barnard. Each allocation is made in support of the hospital’s strategic
priorities, in consultation with hospital leadership and the foundation board of
directors, after the proposal has undergone rigorous review. If you are interested
in supporting continuous innovation at El Camino Hospital, please contact
President Jodi Barnard at 650-940-7154.
www.elcaminohospital.org/Donate
650-940-7154
Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
A Message from the Foundation Chair
Dear Friends,
The spirit of giving has been ever present at El Camino Hospital Foundation during
the last few months. Thank you to everyone who attended Norma’s Literary
Luncheon, donned fuchsia at Scarlet Night, or raised a paddle at Sapphire Soirée.
Congratulations to the members of Hope to Health, whose pooled and growing
philanthropy supports women’s health programs on both hospital campuses. We
are grateful for the foresighted and generous legacy gifts that have come to us from
friends who arranged them during their lifetimes in order to secure the future of El
Camino Hospital for us, the next generation.
We will be calling upon this same generosity of spirit as we move forward with
meaningful, new fundraising initiatives to support the hospital’s exciting plans for the
future. Together we can help El Camino Hospital better serve patients and families –
our community.
Russ Satake
•
El Camino Hospital has provided mental health services to our community since it was founded in 1961.
The original building, now over 50 years old, is in serious disrepair and must be replaced if the hospital is to
continue providing inpatient psychiatric care in an era when few other providers are doing so. The hospital
is also investing in its outpatient programs so they can reach more people who seek help, giving them a
renewed opportunity to lead meaningful, productive lives. Philanthropy will help increase access to these
vital mental health services and relieve suffering, thereby strengthening families and benefiting our entire
community.
•
The Cancer Center will be moving from its cramped quarters in the Melchor Pavilion to larger space in the
OAK Pavilion on South Drive. The move is necessitated by a growing caseload and the addition of new
patient services, including nurse navigation, oncology nutrition, a healing space, and survivorship program.
Philanthropy will help to underwrite renovation of the Cancer Center’s new home into a spacious, soothing
environment, where patients will continue to receive accredited, expert, compassionate care.
•
The South Asian Heart Center is doing pioneering work to combat the epidemics of coronary artery
disease and diabetes that impact people who trace their origin to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or
Sri Lanka. In order to reach a higher percentage of South Asians who live in the Bay Area, the hospital
will open branches in South San Jose and Fremont. Philanthropy to support this initiative will help keep
our community healthier, prevent heart attacks from prematurely ending promising, young lives and
ameliorate the misery they cause untold families.
One person who embodies the spirit of giving is current board member and past chair Claudia Coleman. Her
leadership and generosity were acknowledged on April 3 at the Los Altos Community Foundation’s John
Gardner Awards dinner, where she was appropriately recognized for her outstanding, heartfelt work on behalf
of El Camino Hospital and the health of our community. Another is new Foundation board member Mary
Scrivner. She joined the Sapphire Soirée planning committee this year and will also serve on the Foundation’s
Philanthropy Council for Mental Health to advance this important, new initiative.
I invite you to join us. Working together, we can truly make a difference for the health of our community.
Russ Satake
Chair
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Mike and Linda Markkula, Claudia and Bill Coleman
Rich and Andrea Martoglio, Dr. David and Tina Nano, Mark and Carolyn
Thorp, Julie Satake Ryu and Ed Ryu, Russ Satake and Anita Lusebrink
Sapphire Soirée
Continued from page 1
Now in its fourth year, Sapphire Soirée
has raised over $2 million for the
Cancer Center at El Camino Hospital.
Proceeds from previous years were
used to establish the patient navigation
program and a dedicated melanoma
program, to support the High Risk
Breast Program, and to develop the
soon-to-be-built healing space.
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Lauren and Darrell Boyle, James and Nikki Kirwan
PHOTOS: BAYAREAEVENTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Carolyn Johnson served as mistress
of ceremonies and auctioneer Lenny
Broberg, of the San Francisco Police
Department’s gang task force, presided
over enthusiastic bidding for such items
as a weeklong stay in an ocean view,
penthouse condominium in Cancun,
Mexico, a 3.98 sapphire ring donated
by Darren McClung Estate & Precious
Jewelry, a Paris shopping excursion,
and an electric guitar autographed
by Barenaked Ladies. The audience
more than rose to the Tafts’ challenge,
beginning with a $50,000 matching gift
from an anonymous donor.
Vijay and Munjal Shah
Michelle and Peter Detkin
Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
A New Home for the
Cancer Center
Larry and Anne Hambly
Jack Melchor and Lindsey Melchor
Irena Halsey, Courtenay Corrigan and Michele Kirsch
THE CANCER CENTER AT EL CAMINO
HOSPITAL HAS OUTGROWN ITS
CURRENT HOME in the Melchor Pavilion
and will move into a newly renovated, 13,000
square foot space on the ground floor of
the Oak Pavilion next year. The center,
which opened in 2007, has experienced
a 33% growth in new cases over the past
five years and has added staff, including
nurse navigators, a social worker, oncology
nutritionist and clinical trials coordinator, for
which the original space was not designed.
An overflow of patients now spills into the
hospital inpatient unit.
The new facility, more than double the
size of the current one, is being designed
to provide expert patient care in a serene,
healing environment. Patients will valet park
and, after checking in with one of multiple
receptionists, will wait for their appointments
in a spacious waiting area or browse in the
boutique. A Time to Heal, the healing space
created with funds raised from Sapphire
Soirée 2013, will be nearby. The expanded
infusion suite will have 16 bays, twice its
current capacity and there will be nine exam
rooms. Drug preparation will take place in
the Cancer Center pharmacy, which will be
large enough to employ a pharmacy robot.
There will be sufficient space for the new
services the Cancer Center has added over the
past seven years as it has developed into a
comprehensive, accredited program.
If you would like to learn more about the
Cancer Center and how you can support this
important project, please contact Lea Morgan,
director of development, a 650-962-5835.
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Golf Tournament
to Benefit Mental
Health Services
The 19th annual El Camino
Heritage Golf Tournament will
be held at Ruby Hill Golf Course
in Pleasanton on October
20, 2014. The prestigious,
private golf club is located in
the hills of historic Livermore
Valley wine country, just 32
miles from El Camino Hospital.
Proceeds will benefit El Camino
Hospital’s mental health
services. For questions about
the event or information about
sponsorship opportunities,
please contact Kirsten
Krimsley, manager of special
events, at kirsten.krimsley@
elcaminohospital.org or 650988-4189.
A TO U R O F
Italy
Profile in Planned Giving:
A. A. Goetz, MD
A.A. GOETZ, MD, A RESIDENT OF LOS ALTOS AND LOS ALTOS
HILLS FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, was the founding chief of medical
staff at El Camino Hospital and served until 1961, when the doors opened.
An early member of the Sunnyvale Medical Group, he practiced internal
medicine and cardiology in California for more than 50 years.
Dr. Goetz was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Hagerstown, MD, earned his
bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins and his MD from the University of
Maryland. He and his wife Natalie moved to California in the late 1940s
during his army service. They fell in love with California and stayed.
“Abe was a dedicated and respected physician and had a vision about
healthcare with a lasting impact on the El Camino Hospital community.
As a proud member of the then El Camino Internal Medicine Group, I
thank him,” wrote Dr. Bart Lally in a condolence note to the family.
The deep impact Dr. Goetz made on El Camino Hospital and the patients
he cared so deeply about during his lifetime will endure thanks to the
unrestricted planned gift he made to El Camino Hospital Foundation,
which will be allocated where the need is greatest.
If you would like to learn more about the advantages and impact of
making a legacy gift to help secure El Camino Hospital’s future, please
contact Lindsay Ehrman, senior philanthropy officer, at 650-988-7849 or
lindsay.ehrman@elcaminohospital.org
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Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
Rendering of the new behavioral health building with an inset showing construction of the current building 50 years ago
Fulfilling the Promise: A Special Fundraising Initiative
for Mental Health Services at El Camino Hospital
TH E F O U ND E RS O F E L C AM I N O H OS P I TA L
K N E W T H AT M E N TA L H E ALT H I S T H E
F O UNDAT I O N upon which all our lives are built. It
underpins our ability to form relationships and to
be productive at work and at home. It impacts our
wellbeing as individuals, the health of our families and
by extension that of our communities. That is why their
original plans for the Mountain View campus included
an inpatient facility for patients experiencing acute
psychiatric distress, where patients have been receiving
compassionate care for more than 50 years.
While other mental health facilities have closed due to
declining reimbursement, El Camino Hospital has kept
its commitment to provide these services. A leading
provider of psychiatric care, the hospital receives 22,000
mental health visits per year through its inpatient and
outpatient programs. With 25 inpatient beds, it meets
12% of the demand for acute psychiatric care in Santa
Clara County.
In addition, the hospital offers seven outpatient
programs on three sites, including several that it
pioneered to meet targeted, observed needs in the
community. These include ASPIRE, an outpatient
therapy program for teens who struggle with depression,
anxiety and other psychiatric conditions, MOMS, an
outpatient program for new mothers who suffer from
perinatal depression, and an addiction services program.
Now half a century old, the current behavioral health
building is in serious disrepair and too small to meet the
growing demand for inpatient beds. In partnership with
schools, employers, primary care providers, payers and
other health organizations, the hospital also seeks to help
fill the growing gaps in care through the expansion of its
outpatient programs.
El Camino Hospital has therefore developed plans to
replace the original behavioral health building with a,
50,000 square foot facility. It will have 36 private patient
rooms, including a 9-bed specialty unit for women,
secure outdoor courtyards, and meeting rooms for
outpatient treatment and support groups. The hospital
has also made a commitment to expand the reach of its
outpatient behavioral health services as it strives to help
fill gaps in care in the community. The total investment
in this vital community health service will be $50 million.
If you would like to learn more about the project and
how you can help make a difference for those suffering
from a mental illness, please contact Lindsay Ehrman,
senior philanthropy officer, at lindsay.ehrman@
elcaminohospital.org or 650-988-7849.
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Scarlet Night
Committee:
Back row (L-R): Nivisha
Mehta, Sarita Mokha,
Poornima Kumar,
Sujatha Suresh, Ashish
Mathur, Rita Sharma,
Sharvari Dixit, Vijaya Deo,
Divya Ramkumar
Front row (L-R): Priya
Dharan, Simran Thadani,
Chitra Jayaraman,
Rohan Jacob, Praba Iyer,
Suhasini Sabnis
Scarlet Night: An Affair of the Heart
A FUCHSIA CLAD CROWD OF 680 SOUTH ASIAN
HEART CENTER FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
attended Scarlet Night at the Santa Clara Marriott on
March 22. The annual benefit raised $280,000 for the
Center’s pioneering program, which aims to reduce the
incidence of heart disease and early onset diabetes in
people of South Asian descent, who are at four times
higher risk than the general population.
“How long will we tolerate this calamity?” Padma Bhushan
Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, a world renowned, highly honored
cardiovascular surgeon, asked the rapt audience during his
videotaped forward. They answered by enthusiastically
raising their paddles during the live auction and challenge
appeal to contribute funds that will further the Center’s
lifesaving work.
Keynote speaker Dr. Tony Nader, leader of the worldwide
Transcendental Meditation movement, added further
motivation with his address about meditation, which
is one of the core components of the South Asian Heart
Center’s lifestyle risk reduction strategy. He talked about
people’s power within to make change by elevating their
consciousness, thereby reducing stress, which is a key
contributor to heart disease.
8
During the course of the
evening, guests feasted on
a heart healthy banquet
prepared by Chef Vittal
Shetty of Amber India,
enjoyed a Bollywood style
dance performance by the
Mona Khan Dance Company
and then took their own
turns on the dance floor to music by DJ Salim.
“Funds raised from the Scarlet Night gala this year
will help the South Asian Heart Center expand and
reach the larger community,” says Ashish Mathur,
executive director. “We are grateful for the generous
philanthropic support, which underpins our efforts to
address this health epidemic in our community.”
Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
South Asian Heart Center Plans Expansion
to South San Jose
DUE TO A COMBINATION OF GENETICS, BEHAVIOR, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, people who trace their origins to
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Nepal are at four times higher
risk for heart disease and diabetes than other ethnic populations.
Approximately 390,000 South Asians live in the Bay Area, of whom
51,000 are Santa Clara and Alameda County residents in the age group
at highest risk. To date, the South Asian Heart Center has screened 7.3%
of them, primarily in the El Camino Healthcare District, where it is based.
In order to bring its AIM to Prevent™ risk reduction program to more
people, the South Asian Heart Center plans to open a branch in
the Almaden Valley area of San Jose in summer/fall of 2014. As in
Mountain View, the satellite center will be staffed Monday through
Friday, providing a convenient place for local residents to undergo risk
assessment screenings and receive follow-up counseling and coaching.
A staggering 60% of the world’s coronary artery disease is suffered by
South Asians, who make up only 17% of the global population. The
routine exams and conventional testing used by most physicians fail
to reliably predict and prevent it. By bringing its unique, personalized,
evidence-based approach to Almaden Valley, the South Asian Heart
Center will reach more people at risk, helping to keep the community
healthier, preventing heart attacks from prematurely ending promising,
young lives, and ameliorating the misery they cause untold families.
A staggering 60% of the world’s
coronary artery disease is suffered by
South Asians, who make up only 17%
of the global population. The routine
exams and conventional testing used
by most physicians fail to reliably
predict and prevent it.
If you would like to learn more about the South Asian Heart Center’s
expansion plans and how you can help, please contact Nivisha Mehta,
philanthropy officer, at 650-940-7154.
9
Sherron Kalbach, president of Hope to Health in Mountain View, presents a check to Bonnie Gebhart, RN, Chris Tarver, RN,
Evan Garner, MD, Glenn Teeter, and Lauren Olaiz, for programs on the Mountain View campus.
Hope to Health: Planting the Seeds
MEMBERS OF HOPE TO HEALTH (H2H),
EL CAMINO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION’S WOMEN’S
PHILANTHROPY CIRCLES in Mountain View and
Los Gatos, proudly presented checks totaling $50,000
to representatives of three grantee programs during a
reception at Los Altos Golf and Country Club on May 8.
“Through our grants we are planting the seeds to better
the health of our communities,” said Hope to Health
Mountain View President Sherron Kalbach during her
welcoming remarks.
Glenn Teeter, senior program therapist, thanked the group
for their support of ASPIRE, El Camino Hospital’s outpatient
therapy program for teens who struggle with depression,
anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. ““We teach them
life skills, how to manage difficult emotions, and have
healthier relationships,” he said, “and we help parents too
so parent and teen can work together.”
Bonnie Gebhart, RN and Chris Tarver, RN, had the group
chuckling as they thanked the members for their grant
to launch a new menopause program in Mountain View.
It will provide relief, support and resources for women
experiencing symptoms such as disrupted sleep, hot flashes,
mood changes and weight gain.
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Dr. Evan Garner, a psychiatrist in the Behavioral
Health Services department, made the last
presentation, expressing appreciation for a grant
to Older Adult Transition Services, El Camino
Hospital’s outpatient therapy program for seniors.
“Almost no psychiatrists in the community accept
Medicare,” he said, but OATS does, noting the
shortage and inaccessibility of mental health
services for this age group.
Hope to Health’s final grant for the year was made to
the hospital’s Care Coordination Department, which
is using the funds to provide resources to indigent
women patients so they can be safely discharged from
the hospital in a timely manner.
“The more seeds we plant – the more members
we have – the richer our harvest and the greater
our impact,” concluded Hope to Health Los Gatos
President Lauren Boyle at the end of the evening.
“Please invite your friends to join us. Help our
garden grow.” To learn how you can join Hope
to Health, please contact Lea Morgan, director of
development, at 650-962-5835 or lea.morgan@
elcaminohospital.org
Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
Welcome New
Board Member
The women of Los Altos Golf and Country Club 18 Hole Club donate to El Camino Hospital’s
free mammogram program.
Community Donations Provide
Free Mammograms to
Underserved Women
EL CAMINO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION RECEIVED $30,000 FROM THE
SANTA CLARA SPORTING CLUB in March designated for the provision of free
mammograms to women who need financial assistance. This is the club’s sixth
gift since 2009, bringing their total donation to $155,000.
The Club initiated “Goals-for-a-Cure” in 2009 to raise awareness and money
to fight breast cancer through early detection. Every October, the soccer teams
(about 500 teenagers) compete in pink jerseys. They solicit flat donations and
hold a “goal-a-thon” that earns dollars for each goal scored. The fundraiser was
the brainchild of brothers Keven Azevedo, who coached two teams at the time, and
Jason Azevedo, who was the club’s tournament director. Several soccer players
had lost mothers to breast cancer and another active parent was a survivor.
On April 9, the El Camino Hospital Board of Directors honored Santa Clara Sporting
Club and Goals for a Cure with a special recognition of service to the community.
The Foundation also received a generous donation from women of Los Altos Golf
and Country Club’s 18 Hole Club for the same purpose, the fourth year in a row El
Camino Hospital’s free mammogram program was the recipient of their largesse.
With the help of philanthropy, El Camino Hospital has provided more than 600
free mammograms to underserved women over the past five years and the Breast
Health Center is now able to perform additional diagnostic screenings such as
ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy exams for the women who require follow-up after
their initial visit.
Mary Scrivner
A MEMBER OF HOPE
TO HEALTH, MARY
SCRIVNER joined the
Sapphire Soirée planning
committee this year and
has also agreed to serve
on the Foundation’s
Philanthropy Council for
Mental Health.. She holds
a Master’s degree in Library
and Information Science
and worked as a reference
librarian for two large public
libraries. In that capacity,
she built a large, special
collection for consumer
health that served the
greater Chicago area,
organized annual health
fairs and later served as a
volunteer at the Stanford
Health Library.
Now retired, Mary and her
husband Doug are involved
in the Gladstone Institutes
in San Francisco, where
Mary is on the President’s
Council. Mary also belongs
to the Mid-Peninsula
League of the San Francisco
Symphony. The couple lives
in Los Altos Hills.
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PHOTOS: JUMPCLICKCLICK PHOTOGRAPHY
Spirit of Giving Working Together to Make a Difference
Front row l to r: Liz Melchor, Jack Melchor, Lindsey Melchor. Back row l to r: Alice Melchor,
Laura Melchor, Betsy Dawes, Judie Wolken, Ruth Reichl, Kay Melchor and Lane Melchor
Author Ruth Reichl signs books
at the event
Ruth Reichl Charms Crowd at Norma’s Literary Luncheon
AUTHOR AND RESTAURANT CRITIC RUTH REICHL
ENCHANTED THE AUDIENCE AT NORMA’S LITERARY
LUNCHEON on February 6 with tales of her career as a
cook and restaurant owner in Berkeley, California, as a
restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and The New York
Times, and as editor of Gourmet magazine. She explained
her innovative approach to food journalism, eliciting
particular chuckles as she described the costumes and
personas she adopted in order to visit New York restaurants
incognito. Following the formal remarks Reichl graciously
answered questions that ranged from memorable meals
to food safety and then greeted guests individually as she
autographed copies of her memoirs.
The luncheon, a benefit for the Women’s Hospital
and memorial tribute to longtime hospital benefactor
Norma Melchor, raised $80,000. Proceeds will be used
to purchase special fetal monitoring equipment for
antepartum women and Jacuzzi births, and to bolster
lactation services. “Women have health care needs that
are distinct from men’s and the Women’s Hospital at El
Camino Hospital is dedicated to meeting them,” explained
Dr. Sari Levine, chair of the Women’s Hospital Medical
Advisory Board. “Philanthropy continues to provide critical
support for the development and sustenance of all our
women’s health programs.”
“I was delighted to see so many women gather to pay
tribute to Norma,” says luncheon chair Judie Wolken,
who belonged to Norma’s book club for many years. “I
think she would be pleased that we are sharing the joy
of reading and supporting the hospital she loved.”
“We are exceedingly grateful to Jack Melchor and
family for so generously underwriting the event,” adds
co-chair Betsy Dawes, “and we are thrilled that the
luncheon is quickly becoming an annual tradition for
the women of our community.”
Plans are already underway for the 3rd annual Norma’s
Literary Luncheon, which will be held on February
5, 2015. Author, screenwriter and producer Delia
Ephron will be the featured speaker. For sponsorship
opportunities, please contact Lea Morgan,
director of development, at 650-962-5835,
lea.morgan@elcaminohospital.org
Illustration by Lindsey Melchor