Legacy Community Hospital FFoundatio Foundationn

Volume 6, Issue 2

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Winter 2012

A Family Affair

In thIs Issue

Bertero family supports Family Birth Center

Message from Community Hospital Foundation’s Chief Development Officer page 2

........................... Trustee profile: Jim Didion page 2

........................... Roxanne and Carroll Wilde Giving back is a way of life page 3

........................... Investing in potential nursing students receive Kathleen Kinsler trattner scholarship page 4

........................... pinnacle of excellence page 6

........................... events and Fundraisers page 7

........................... Women’s Forum for Health Luncheon page 8

The Bertero family, Liam Doust, Daphne Bertero, Lila, Courtney, and Diego Doust, and Dick Bertero at Community Hospital’s Family Birth Center.

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aphne Bertero returns easily and joyfully to the moment at Community hospital’s Family Birth Center when her daughter, Courtney Doust, was delivering her own daughter via cesarean section. she remembers looking into Courtney’s eyes and thinking about the day she delivered this child in the Bay Area and her own experiences at Community hospital. Daphne was born in Monterey, at what is now Community hospital’s hartnell Professional Center. Later in life, after a horse stepped on her, she had her spleen removed at Community hospital, then in Carmel. When she witnessed the births of her two grandchildren, now 6 and 4 years old, the hospital was at its current location, on the hill overlooking the Monterey Bay. her mother, Joele Allison, 95, who lives on the Peninsula, also has benefited from care at Community hospital.

the family’s latest connection to Community hospital came when Daphne and husband Dick Bertero made a generous pledge to the Family Birth Center and pediatric care at the hospital, through a donor-advised fund known as the Bertero Family Fund.

returned to Monterey to teach at santa Catalina. Although Daphne graduated from uC Davis, she met Dick at uC Berkeley, where he was studying business, preparing for a career in investment banking and commercial real estate.

“I asked steven Packer what the hospital needs,” says Dick, “and he recommended supporting the Family Birth Center. If that’s what he says is important, then that’s it. And, as you can imagine, it’s certainly an area I don’t mind getting involved with. We are very grateful for the quality care our daughter and grandchildren received there.”

Dick grew up in Alameda, where he had plenty of access to sunshine and sailing and other outdoor recreation, not unlike the life he and Daphne have discovered in Carmel. they purchased the Carmel home in 1998, while maintaining their primary home in the Bay Area.

Daphne grew up on the Monterey Peninsula, enrolling at santa Catalina in Monterey the first year it opened as a grammar school and attending through high school before heading to uC Berkeley to study art history. she later

COMMunItY hOsPItAL FOunDAtIOn

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“After college,” says Dick, “I was lucky enough to marry Daphne, who is just terrific, and raise two wonderful children, Craige, and Courtney. It was Daphne who insisted we have a second home on the Peninsula, where she was raised.

SAve the dAte Community Hospital Foundation

Annual Meeting and Luncheon

January 17, 2013 Monterey Conference Center Keynote speaker:

J. R. Martinez

Iraq vet, actor, author, and Dancing with the stars champion

For more information, or to make a reservation, please call 625-4506. seating is limited.

see A Family Affair . . . back page

(831) 625-4506

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www.chompfoundation.org

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Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

FrOM COMMunItY

tRuStee PRoFile

h O s P I tA L F O u n D At I O n ’ s ChIeF DeVeLOPMent OFFICer A l b e R t J . A lv A R e z

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uring the summer of ’62, Community hospital opened its doors in the wooded acreage overlooking the Monterey Bay, off holman highway. the 100-bed, 210,000-square-foot facility, the first community hospital in this country to provide all private rooms, cost $3.5 million. two-thirds of that expense was contributed by community donors. Fifty years later, the tradition of community investment in this hospital continues. this generosity of spirit and support has helped create the now 207-bed, 550,000-square-foot facility and its ancillary sites that provide the quality care this community counts on. For some, contributing to the hospital is a sound business decision. For others, it is an emotional response of gratitude. For all, it is an investment in a hospital whose superior care will be there when they need it.

Looking back over the year, it is clear that donors make all the difference in the stability and growth of the hospital. throughout this issue of Legacy, you will encounter stories of both generosity and gratitude among those who understand the importance and value in making that difference. And through it all, we believe you will find inspiration in their words and their deeds, as we have.

Legacy is but one way we can bring attention to the collaborative good works of Community hospital and the community that understands the alchemy of compassion, contribution, and care. sincerely,

Albert J. Alvarez, Chief Development Officer Community hospital Foundation

JIM DIDIOn Community Contribution A conversation with Community hospital trustee Jim Didion Community hospital Board of trustees member Jim Didion has lived on the Monterey Peninsula for 30 years. his life began in sierra Oaks, a tree-lined area of sacramento. A fascination with politics led him to uC Berkeley, from which he graduated with a degree in political science in 1961. After graduation, he went into commercial real estate with Coldwell Banker, starting out in the san Francisco Bay Area. Following is an excerpt from a conversation with Didion about his life in the area and his experiences on the board.

What brought you to the Peninsula? My career had taken me from the Bay Area to houston, texas. After about 10 years there, I was contemplating a move to Los Angeles, which would have been beneficial to my work. But my wife, Gloria, really didn’t want to go to southern California. I realized we could live anywhere, as long as I could fly easily when I needed to travel. Gloria and I both liked the beauty and the climate of the Peninsula, so we moved to Pebble Beach in 1982. A year ago, in an attempt to chase the sun, we moved out to Carmel Valley.

how have you come to know Community hospital?

Community hospital Foundation 40 rYAn COurt, suIte 200, MOntereY, CALIFOrnIA 93940 Board of trustees

Development staff

Frank C. Amato, Chair Carsbia W. Anderson, Jr. James J. Didion Donald G. Goldman, MD, Chief of staff Glen h. hiner richard J. Kanak, MD robert Kavner, Vice Chair William W. Lewis John h. Mahoney Ann O’neill, Auxiliary President Fred O’such steven J. Packer, MD, President/CeO Jane Panattoni shelley Post, secretary stephen schulte Patrick L. Welton, MD

Albert J. Alvarez, Chief Development Officer Carol Blaushild, Administrative specialist Maria Corn, Data entry Landau Davidson, systems Analyst May esquerra, Advancement records and research Assistant Valerie Guthrie, senior Development Officer Martha Kennifer, rn, nurse Liaison Janet rappa, Administrative specialist robin Venuti, senior Development Officer Jennifer Wood, senior Development Officer Michele Melicia Young, senior Development Officer

I have gotten to know Community hospital as a member of this community and, from time to time, as a grateful patient. I became acquainted with the Board of trustees through Dr. steven Packer. I had known and admired him for awhile, so when he asked me to come on board, I told him I’d be happy to. I have been on the board for seven years now, and it has been a very worthwhile experience. the hospital is an integral part of the community; everyone, it seems, uses the hospital eventually, for themselves or their family. the physical plant and the physicians who practice at the hospital make it one of the best institutions around. I would not hesitate to recommend Community hospital to anyone. It’s that good.

What has been the most rewarding part of your experience in serving on the board as a volunteer? I think working to maintain the reputation of something you believe in is always a good investment. so taking part in the efforts to maintain and promote the reputation of the hospital as a state-ofthe-art community health center has been the most rewarding part of my time on the board. In my experience, most people who have had any exposure to the hospital are very comfortable with it; without question, this is the best thing we’ve done. the physical plant is very modern and updated compared to most hospitals, and the physician staffing and management team are outstanding. I don’t find a downside to this hospital; I am very happy to be identified with it.

What do you value in life? Most important to us is our family. Gloria and I have three grown children, two girls and a boy, who have given us six grandchildren. All of them live in California, and we thoroughly enjoy them.

What are some of your outside interests? I am retired from my career in commercial real estate. I still invest in it, but I am not in the service of it any more. I like to get out and play a little golf. We have enjoyed traveling, but I traveled in my business for years, which took me all over the world, so we don’t do it as much anymore. Living on the Peninsula, you don’t really need to go anywhere else.

What do you hope and envision for the hospital during the next 5 years? the challenges of the hospital are to keep up with what’s going on in the whole healthcare field, which is not an easy task. Any hospital needs to continue to thrive, both financially and in active support of the community. I am very impressed by the see trustee Profile . . . page 5

Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

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Roxanne and Carroll Wilde Giving back is a way of life

Roxanne and Carroll Wilde at their home in Carmel.

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n July 1968, Carroll Wilde pulled up his Midwestern roots, leaving a job on the mathematics faculty at the university of Minnesota for a post on the faculty of the naval Postgraduate school in Monterey. “I’ll never forget coming here,” says Carroll. “I rented a little place near the postgraduate school. At night I could hear the seals barking in the harbor. the weather, the people here — everything just seemed to favor this place. I had been a Midwesterner all my life. Yet I had found such a wonderful way of life in this scenic environment.” One year later, Carroll’s girlfriend, roxanne, followed him to Monterey and accepted a position as convention manager for the hyatt regency. When the couple later married, they found a cottage by the sea in Carmel. “We were both city people,” says roxanne, “and yet we felt an immediate connection to Carmel. We also forged a connection with Community hospital. When we were first married, Carroll got very sick, the kind where you go to the hospital in the middle of the night and have surgery. he received such wonderful care. We left the hospital with really

positive feelings and we always remembered the wonderful side of that experience.” When the Wildes moved to a different Carmel home, they met neighbor Lucile Isaacson. A past-president of what was then the Women’s Auxiliary at Community hospital, Isaacson persuaded roxanne to join. Later, when the volunteer organization went co-ed, Carroll joined, too. roxanne has accrued nearly 11,000 hours over 17 years serving various areas of the hospital, most recently as president of the Auxiliary. Carroll has more than 10,000 hours of service over 14 years including 10 years as computer coordinator.“ In 2007, I was elected president,” says roxanne, “which made me a member of the Board of trustees. I served as president of the Auxiliary and on the board for two years, and really enjoyed it. In particular, it was an incredible learning experience. until then, I had thought the hospital was great, and it all happened by magic. It was amazing to see the way decisions are made, and how the hospital moves forward.

“I was on the board when the hospital was still in the middle of the Pavilions Project expansion and when they established the tyler heart Institute. It was an exciting time. I learned how much thought and planning goes into every move the hospital makes. It gave me renewed respect for the management of the hospital and the entire staff.” In addition to their volunteer investment in the hospital and annual support of the hospital since the late 1990s, they have included a planned gift in their will, in support of the emergency department, Chaplain services, tyler heart Institute, and employee education. “We have left provisions for our family by setting up a trust that leads to the next generation,” says Carroll. “the one after that doesn’t exist — we have no grandchildren — so we provided for our immediate family, and then the rest of it is sheltered for what we want to do with it, such as our planned gift to the hospital.

“Community hospital is a remarkable place. I marvel at the way it has been preserved. When they make an addition, the completed product looks like it was there at the start, as an integrated whole. the hospital has a way of doing things right. this is part of the reason we are dedicated, devoted to the place. It is a very special institution.” When not volunteering at Community hospital, the Wildes enjoy traveling and visit Cape Cod whenever they can. they also enjoy staying home, where roxanne loves to garden, and Carroll works in his workshop. they enjoy antiquing together and are serious collectors. What the couple appreciates most about their life is the opportunity to live in a beautiful area, among active, engaged people, who care about their coastal community, under the protective umbrella of Community hospital. “As much as the hospital cares about the community,” says Carroll, “the community needs to care about the hospital. We have an aging population; see roxanne and Carroll Wilde . . . page 5

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Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

investing in Potential

nursing students receive Kathleen Kinsler trattner scholarship

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egumi neth was exhausted — and afraid. her toddler was very sick with a mysterious systemic infection. the single mother had quit her job to care for her child and she was running out of resources. then, she heard a knock at the door and opened it to find a nurse, standing there like Mary Poppins. the woman was in the neighborhood to care for an elderly patient; she had stopped by to ask questions on behalf of her patient and noticed neth’s sick child. After a brief conversation, the nurse offered reassurance and encouragement. “I will never forget the feeling the nurse gave me that day,” neth says. “I felt saved. And I decided, in that moment, that I, too, would become a nurse. A stranger had walked into my life and had helped me in a time of crisis. her advice was really helpful, but her support empowered me. I wanted to do that for someone else.” neth’s previous career had been in graphic design. to start her new path, she began taking the prerequisite classes for nursing at Monterey Peninsula College and then applied to MPC’s Maurine Church Coburn school of nursing. “I am now in my second year of nursing school,” she says. “Although I have a part-time job in home healthcare, no scholarships had been forthcoming, and I was looking into getting a student loan. then I received a letter that I had been awarded the Kathleen Kinsler trattner scholarship, which would cover my tuition and some expenses. It has validated my desire to become a nurse and has been such a relief. now, I can reduce my work and focus on my studies. I must maintain a B average to keep the scholarship, so every time a grade is coming, my heart bounces. But so far I have done it.” the trattner scholarship, says Laura Loop, assistant director of the nursing school, is invaluable to its recipients, many of whom have been working full-time to support a family. “Whether they are embarking on a second career or launching a first, a significant scholarship enables them to work less and dedicate time to their studies. We want this to be the intent of the scholarship — to award someone with substantial need who has demonstrated excellence in their work.” Kathleen Kinsler trattner was a member of the Community hospital Auxiliary for many years and was fond of the Monterey Peninsula. she would be very pleased by her legacy’s ability to help people like neth and Meghan Gaustad-Martinez, also a scholarship winner, Loop says.

When her adoptive mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, GaustadMartinez, then 25, abandoned her own newly independent life and returned home to care for her. In what she considered a trial by fire, she cared for her mother for nine months before she succumbed to the disease. exhausted and sick of being around sickness and sadness, Gaustad-Martinez vowed she would never work in the healthcare field. It took a community of senior citizens to change her mind. When she became a housekeeper for Carmel Valley Manor, she found herself falling in love with the residents. she earned her associate degree in general studies and, setting her sights on a career in gerontology, applied and was accepted into the nursing school. “Along with dusting and cleaning,” Gaustad-Martinez says, “I sing and joke with the residents. sometimes I lend a hand changing channels on the tV, feeding birds, watering plants, or hanging pictures. there is not much I wouldn’t do for my residents, including embarking on a career in nursing for them. they have always been supportive of my going to school. I tell them about my classes and what I am learning; they are my study buddies.” three years ago, Gaustad-Martinez’s husband lost his job. Although she was working full-time, the couple, parents of two, were having trouble making ends meet. they depleted their savings, relied on Medicare and government aid, and accepted food boxes from their church. two years ago, her husband found work, but it pays less than half what he used to bring home. to keep up with her studies, Gaustad-Martinez shifted to part-time work. so the financial struggle continued — until she was awarded the trattner scholarship. “I am so excited,” she says. “I never thought this could happen. I’m in school with so many incredible people; my classmates are amazing. We all have our stories and have worked so hard to get here; every one of us is deserving. It’s just an honor and a relief not having to worry about my tuition and my rent. “I didn’t mention in my statement that I actually knew Mrs. trattner. I adored her. she was a resident at Carmel Valley Manor. It was my great honor to know her, but I didn’t want my acquaintance to influence the outcome of this scholarship. I couldn’t wait for my opportunity to apply; receiving this has a whole other level of meaning, knowing she is watching out for me, too. It has come full circle, and I feel so blessed.”

“I will never forget the feeling the nurse gave me . . . her advice was really helpful, but her support empowered me. I wanted to do that for someone else.”

Megumi Neth

“My classmates are amazing. We all have our stories and have worked so hard to get here.” Meghan Gaustad-Martinez

Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

Getting there

Former Kathleen Kinsler trattner scholarship recipients go the distance hillcah deans hillcah Deans graduated from the Maurine Church Coburn school of nursing and, soon after, drove to san Jose to take his state boards. he was halfway through his exam when the computer shut down. It is an adaptive computer test: If it stops at 75 questions, it means you either did really well or you failed. If the questions continue, you are borderline failing, and have to continue proving yourself. “I was hoping I had passed,” says Deans, “and it wasn’t an indication of failing. It turns out I did really well. I had become a registered nurse.” two years before, Deans couldn’t even imagine how he would pay the tuition to nursing school. Attending class by day, cleaning offices at night, sleeping on other people’s couches, and studying around the edges of his schedule, he was exhausted, unsure he could go the distance. then he became the first recipient of the Kathleen Kinsler trattner scholarship. the award would cover his tuition for the two-year nursing program, plus some living expenses, as long as he maintained a B average. “My aunt, Kathleen trattner, was very active with the Community hospital Auxiliary,” says Dr. Peter salamon, “and I was the executor of the estate. she left a generous amount of money, which was to remain intact for my uncle’s benefit until he died, and then it was to go to the hospital foundation, without any specific designation. In working with hospital development officers, we decided upon endowing a scholarship at the nursing school. this appealed to us more than a finite contribution.” the trattner endowment was established with the intention that two nursing students — a first-year and a second-year student — would be on scholarship at any given time. to qualify, they must demonstrate significant need and remain in good academic standing. “since graduation,” says Deans, “I have been working in the medical-surgical unit of a trauma center in Los Angeles. It’s very intense, very exciting, and everything I trained for in nursing.” Deans hopes to eventually return to the central coast, get a job, ideally at Community hospital, and return to school for a bachelor’s degree in nursing. “every day as a nurse, I get to change someone’s life,” he says. “It could be something small or something big. We are there to reassure patients and help them get well. Without a doubt, I am so glad I went to nursing school — one of best professions I could ever have — and that scholarship helped make it possible.”

bree harlan While Deans was anticipating his second year of nursing school, Bree harlan was trying to figure out how to begin her first. the first time she applied to the Maurine Church Coburn school of nursing, she was placed on a waiting list. she took it as a sign that she was on the right path toward her goal of becoming a nurse but not quite there yet. so she continued to take courses at Monterey Peninsula College toward an eventual bachelor’s degree in nursing, and to raise her two children. she also decided it might give her time to figure out how to pay for her schooling. her second sign that she was on the right track was the award of the trattner scholarship, which saw her through to her May 2012 graduation. A month later, she passed the licensing exam and is now pursing an apprenticeship with a midwife. “nursing school was a great experience,” says harlan. “I learned so much; I wish I could go to school forever.”

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trustee Profile . . . from page 2 physician assistance program, through which we have recruited primary care doctors. this community has so few of them, so, during the last four or five years, this program has provided assistance to bring more primary care doctors into the community. We provide incentives both financially and in their practice. the community may not even realize such efforts exist, but this is the kind of thing the hospital is doing, which is a very valuable service to the community beyond the hospital.

What would you say to other people about getting involved in the hospital? I think anyone who has the time and interest to commit to the hospital should get involved. I have been both a donor and a volunteer. From both standpoints, I highly recommend it to anyone who asks. My time on the board has been a rewarding experience in terms of service and the satisfaction of investing in such an important community resource. For people who have not been involved in the healthcare field, it also is quite an educational experience.

roxanne and Carroll Wilde . . . from page 3 the demographics are changing, and financing a hospital in such a dynamic is very difficult. the hospital needs contributions from the community. “everyone needs to join in support; this is a very worthy charity. Yes, there are other worthwhile causes on the Peninsula; we understand that. But sooner or later, everyone is going to be happy the hospital is there. the need comes along, whether we anticipate it or not. We want a hospital of this caliber to be there when we need it for ourselves and for our family, friends, and neighbors. this is one of the most important facilities or institutions in this community.” Community hospital, says roxanne, is “our main resource for the quality of life we prize here on the Peninsula.”

to learn about volunteering at Community hospital, please call 625-4555.

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Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

Pinnacle of excellence Paying it back and forward

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ince the late 1950s, when samuel F. B. Morse and his Del Monte Properties Company donated 22 wooded acres on which to build Community hospital, support from the community has enabled the hospital to prosper and grow. each year, that culture of commitment and contribution is recognized with the Pinnacle of excellence awards. On september 19, Community hospital Foundation hosted its 6th annual Pinnacle Dinner, acknowledging special donors for their contributions to both the vision and the development of Community hospital as an exceptional resource for healing and health. this year’s honorees were David and Laurie Benjamin, Bill and susanne tyler, and Mike and Ann Lyon. “I met David and Laurie Benjamin in 1985, when I moved to the Monterey Peninsula,” says Dr. steven Packer, Community hospital president and CeO. “they are the only couple I can think of where both husband and wife have served as trustees on the hospital’s Board of Directors.” After his term as chairman of the board was up, David thought his service to the hospital was complete. As it turned out, his efforts were just beginning.

“We pulled him back in,” says Packer, “to help us with the Pavilions Project, fundraising and supporting our largest expansion in the history of the hospital.” “there is nothing more important than health and education,” David says. “On the Monterey Peninsula, there is no more important institution than Community hospital. It’s a beautifully run institution. If you are going to get involved philanthropically, you want to make sure that dollars are well tended to. And they are, at ChOMP.” Laurie Benjamin, whose background is in public health and epidemiology, has been most interested in women’s health issues, providing leadership and support for the Women’s Forum for health and fundraising for breast care initiatives. “the reason I got involved inthe  Breast Care Center,” she says, “is a dear friend of mine, Carol hatton, realized the need for state-of-the-art technology for women in our community. Carol approached me when I was a board member and I jumped on it right away. We were able to raise $2.5 million.” After hatton died of breast cancer, the center was renamed in her honor.

Bill and susanne tyler were relatively new to the community when they stepped forward and made a very generous gift that created the tyler heart Institute, providing a broad spectrum of heart services, from prevention to open-heart surgery and rehabilitation. “there are many things in life you can deal with from afar,” says Bill. “You can conduct business over the internet or telephone, but health services can only be rendered in person. sometimes, there is only a matter of minutes to have a successful outcome. so why not give where you can have the greatest impact and where what you do is something that affects everyone in the community at some point or another?”

DAVID and LAurIe BAnJAMIn

“As we’re getting older,” says susanne, “we spend a lot of time with doctors. they’re becoming our best friends. You don’t think about that when you’re young; you don’t think anything is going to happen to you. so we feel very grateful to have Community hospital.” Among those who have benefitted from the tylers’ investment in Community hospital is Mike Lyon. A strong and healthy man with no family history of heart disease, Lyon experienced odd feelings in his throat and chest, and was taken by surprise when tests revealed a very severe blockage in his heart. his subsequent open-heart surgery was his introduction to Community hospital. “I first got to know Mike and Ann, not unlike how we get to know many people in our community, as grateful patients,” Packer says. “Mike came into our hospital and underwent open-heart surgery. he had a great outcome and said, ‘how can we carry on the tradition started by Bill and susanne tyler?’ ” the Lyons made a very generous gift, which enabled the hospital to complete another aspect of the tyler heart Institute program. “the last block that needed to be put into place,” says Dr. richard Gray, tyler heart Institute medical director, “was to have an electrophysiology laboratory and electrophysiology program. It allows us to safely map certain arrhythmias or abnormalities of heart rhythm. Patients would have to leave the community for that form of treatment otherwise.” In addition to their generous gift, Mike also has been serving on the hospital’s Peninsula Primary Care board, which focuses on bringing qualified primary care doctors to the Peninsula.“ I think Peninsula Primary Care is a great asset for the community that perhaps the community is not aware of,” Mike says. “We felt that somebody had taken this hospital to this level ahead of us,’ says Ann Lyon, “so when we needed it, it was there. so we are very grateful.”

susAnne and WILLIAM tYLer

Ann and MIKe LYOn

Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

PANAtoNNi GAtheRiNG L to r: Jane panattoni, Frank amato; peggy Hicks, Ruthie pack, Wanda Martinez; James and Lorreta patterson

PiNNACle diNNeR L to r: Karlette and Carsbia anderson; Russell and Julia Frankel, Dr. Steve packer; John p. and Jennifer Johnson

l to r: Laurie pope-Browne; Kevin Cartwirght, Cindy Macgillan; Jane Heuck, Nanci perocchi WoMeN’S FoRuM FoR heAlth Top Bottom l to r: Colleen Huston, Jill Leach, arlene Stigum, Susan Bennett, Veverly Lagrange

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Community Hospital Foundation Legacy

Women’s Forum for health luncheon Dr. David B. Agus questions conventional wisdom

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p until 1956, death certificates in some cases declared that people had “died of old age.” Oncologist David B. Agus likes the sound of that.

Agus, this year’s speaker, has spent the past 20 years innovating in medicine and technology in the interest of changing how we define and maintain lasting health.

“My goal is to avoid diseases, so we can live into our 90s,” says Agus, a leading cancer doctor and pioneer in biomedical research. “I want to go back to dying of old age. But we are not yet good at preventing disease.”

Agus says his work in the field of cancer has taught him a lot about all things health-related — much of it going against conventional wisdom.

Preventing disease, prolonging life, and helping make every year a better one were among the topics Agus addressed as the featured speaker at the annual Women’s Forum for health luncheon at spanish Bay in november. each year, the gathering focuses on health issues of importance to women and raises funds for health initiatives. Contributions from the 2012 event will support the sherry Cockle Fund, which provides free screening mammograms to women who cannot afford them. since its inception, more than 2,500 mammograms have been provided. Last year’s lunheon raised $30,000 for Community hospital’s diabetes programs; including Kids eat right, which focuses on establishing healthy eating habits early and quality nutrition; and diabetes outreach and education through the free rotacare Clinic in seaside. the Women’s Forum for health committee, co-chaired by Laurie Benjamin and Mae Johnson, introduced a new menu at this year’s luncheon, emphasizing, nutritious, health-promoting dishes.

“sometimes you have to go to war to understand peace,” he says. “Much of my work in the cancer war might be destructive on many levels, but there are many lessons to be learned in the experience of this war that can then be used to maximize peace. In cancer treatment, we push people to the edge and then try to bring them back. In doing this, we learn a lot.” Agus challenges some commonly held beliefs, including the value of a daily multivitamin or 60 minutes of strenuous exercise. “After that hour of exercise, what are we doing with the rest of our day?” he asks. “We become sedentary…If you cut the time you sit by 30 percent, you will significantly reduce your risk of disease. Coal miners do better than secretaries because they move. Much of obesity is due to sedentary behavior. And, spending 30 years sitting for five hours a day is equal to smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. We need to think differently here.” Agus also questions the consumption of vitamins without supporting data.

Dr. agus speaking at the Women’s Forum for Health luncheon.

“there is no evidence that taking vitamin D plus calcium saves bone density, but it may cause more fractures by the time we reach our 70s. I’m not against vitamins, but I am against practices without data.”

Most important, Agus says, is to bring questions and concerns to your doctor, and ask for the data that supports recommendations she or he makes.

In his book, the end of Illness, Agus proposes a new model of health that he says will dramatically change our view of the human body, revealing medical technologies currently available or in development that can help us achieve the quality of life and longevity we deserve.

For information about Women’s

“throughout my pregnancies,” says Courtney, “I developed a trusted relationship with my obstetrician. together, we made a birth plan, and I felt in control. But once I got into the hospital, and found I needed a C-section, I learned you can’t always count on the plan, and I had to give up control to someone else. My nurses were wonderful, but I can see how developing a relationship with and becoming more familiar with the hospital could help. I appreciate that my parents contributed to an aspect of the hospital that serves a younger community, and not just senior interests.”

Once she has the means, Courtney anticipates supporting the hospital, and says she is inspired by the possibility of improving this community resource through family support.

Forum for health, or to make a contribution, please call the hospital’s development office at (831) 625-4506.

a Family affair . . . from front page I was reluctant. We love to travel and have done a lot of it. I imagined a second home would be a terrible investment. But through the wonderful lifestyle we have created in Carmel, we have found we don’t have a second home — we have two firsts. Our life in Carmel is just as rich and varied as our life in Orinda.” the Berteros have become invested in the community by supporting activities and organizations they believe in. Once their longtime Orinda physician passed away, the couple had a hard time connecting with another doctor, until Carmel friends introduced them to Dr. Craig Geiler. they appreciated his experience, commitment, and bedside manner, so they shifted their medical care to the Peninsula and became reconnected to Community hospital, as well.

“If I ever need help,” says Dick, “I’d prefer it at Community hospital, in that beautiful setting, with the single rooms and private little patio, the gardens and fountain, and all that artwork. And the food — what could be better than that tuna-and-tomato sandwich? I’m impressed with the people, the physical plant, the medical care, and the quality of the organization. “But I got involved in the organization because, selfishly, if I get sick, I want this hospital to be there for me and for my family and for the rest of the community.” Dick and Daphne Bertero also look forward to getting their children involved, over time, in the hospital.

COMMunItY hOsPItAL FOunDAtIOn

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(831) 625-4506

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“Once our children are in a position to participate in supporting the hospital, I know they will,” says Dick. “And once we’re gone, I believe Courtney will take over the Bertero Family Fund. You have to educate people, to help them understand this is a good cause and the right thing to do. And then they will.”

www.chompfoundation.org