Former 17-year-old VMC Rehab patient mobilizes community to give back

In early June of 2010, 17-year-old Pioneer High School student Zack Herndon was enjoying a day at the beach with friends when an accidental fall changed the direction of his summer. Only three days after finishing school, and weeks after completing his Eagle Scout project, Zack sustained a neck injury that required emergency medical attention, and a whole summer of healing. Zack was hospitalized for a week at Valley Medical Center, eventually moving to VMC’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation unit. Just weeks after his release from the hospital, he decided he wanted to give back to the department who helped him recover from his injuries.

Yesterday, Zack and his Father, Bill, Mother, Julie, and brother, Keagan, came to VMC Rehab to donate a DVD library of 130 titles for the patients of the department to enjoy. “I decided to give back to the hospital because all of the patients have DVD players in their room, but they don’t have any DVD’s to watch,” Zack remembers. So as soon as he was well enough to, he posted the need on his neighborhood’s blog, made a presentation to his Boy Scout Troup, and mobilized his parents local Rotary chapter…and the DVD’s started rolling in.

On behalf of the VMC Foundation, and SCVMC Rehabilitation we would like to thank Zack and the entire Herndon family for their generosity and swift action to fulfill this need. What a guy! What a gift! Zack is an incredible reminder of the impact that an individual can have on their community.

Focus Bank makes surprise gift to the VMC Foundation

Focus Business Bank stopped by the VMC Foundation office on Tuesday to make a surprise donation. We decided to record the moment.




Focus is the bank of the VMC Foundation. For more info, visit www.focusbusinessbank.com.

Deputy Sheriff’s Association makes a surprise gift to VMC Sexual Assault Response Team

Surprises at a hospital are usually not a good thing, especially at VMC, home to one of the Santa Clara County’s top trauma centers and a focal point for emergency medical services and disaster response.

But thanks to the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Santa Clara County, the surprise was a good one at VMC on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The DSA joined the VMC Foundation for a special event to announce a donation to the VMC Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). SART provides victims of sexual assault with a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, social workers and other staff, and assists law enforcement in the collection of forensic evidence. It is California’s oldest, continually running program of its kind.

The DSA has been a long-time supporter of SART, donating needed money and equipment to keep the program going. Their members know first hand how traumatic a sexual assault can be, and are dedicated to putting the guilty behind bars. Their most recent gift, announced on June 24^th, was a specially configured, high-resolution digital camera that SART nurses will use to photograph patient injuries. Those photographs are critical to prosecutors and often used as evidence against sexual predators. The new camera package was assembled by Sheriff’s Deputies using the same equipment to photograph crime scenes. The previous camera used by SART was over 10 years old.

SART staff knew they would be receiving a donation, but the DSA has a surprise in store. Watch the video to see their reaction

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Additional news coverage of the gift can be found at the following

KGO

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7519438

Palo Alto Weekly

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=17376

Mountain View Voice

http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=3048

KGO Radio

http://vaca.bayradio.com/kgo_archives/kgo_player.php?day=4&hour=18

China Press

http://epaper.uschinapress.com:81/qiaobao/html/2010-06/25/content_316111.htm
http://video.uschinapress.com/2010-06/24/content_470295.htm

Renova drive re-opened, an idea becomes reality

This week marks a historic milestone in the completion of the new (and earthquake safe) VMC – Renova Drive re-opened Monday to traffic, creating a new entrance to the main Valley Medical Center campus.

The new road provides a streamlined access point to both VMC and Valley Specialty Center, and will serve the new VMC hospital when it’s done and open in 2013. It will ease congestion and provide better visual and directional cues to visitors. Traffic lights on Bascom have been moved, and in time, the construction zone will be replaced with plantings and trees.

The VMC Foundation played a unique role in making the new Renova Drive entrance a reality. After reviewing plans for the new hospital in 2008, John Sobrato, the highly successful Silicon Valley developer and member of the VMC Foundation Board of Directors, observed that the natural entrance point to VMC on Bascom Avenue and Renova Drive – one that would make it easiest for driver to find the hospital and manage the flow of traffic – was obscured by a large and unattractive 50-year old building that was falling apart. The “Public Health Building” (which housed, amongst other things, the office where residents obtained birth and death certificates) had long served no valuable purpose. Sobrato made the call – tear down that building to create the proper entrance point for the hospital. In turn, he would donate office space to the County in the Sobrato Non-profit Center to compensate. Within days, a new plan was hatched, resulting in the work completed this week.

It won’t go down as his most famous project, but as the entry point to the busiest and largest hospital in the region, it will be one of his most well-used. On behalf of hospital-visiting motorists everywhere, thank you John.

VMC employee shows support for VMC Foundation...and then some!

As many of you know, we are right in the middle of our annual Give A Booser Shot Campaign. The Give a Booster Shot campaign encourages VMC employees to support their hospital by giving to the VMC Foundation. To date, close to 400 employees have decided to participate in this program. This serves as a testament to the dedication the staff of the Health and Hospital System has to keeping VMC open for the entire community. After all, they give their time and energy already, often in the face of stressful work conditions. To give their own money as well is truly special.

Last Friday, a true hero emerged from this group of 400. After a 12-hour shift in the Emergency Department, Assistant Nurse Manager Tina Thibeau-Boyd called our office announcing that she had recruited 16 new donors representing $16,000 in pledged donations to the VMC Foundation! For that we are eternally grateful. Tina truly exemplifies the dedication VMC employees embody every day in their world.

Thank you, Tina, you are our hero!

Community organizes to support VMC Rehab patient

After a serious car accident this past January, Castillero Middle School choir director Joeseph DeMar's life was changed forever. While he survived the injuries he sustained, they left him requiring 24-hour care and specialized equipment to keep him mobile.

Joe is completing his rehabilitation here at VMC's nationally recognized Rehabilitation Center. One important focus of rehabilitation is the involvement of family, friends, loved ones and communities coming together to help the patient participate in their recovery. We were moved to learn that all of the students that Joe has affected through teaching and music are coming together this Saturday to host a concert to benefit his recovery.

If you know Joe, or would simply like to support his recovery, please consider attending this special event.

Click here to purchase event tickets

EVENT: TBI Matters Presents- Gary Karp on Sexuality and Disability

The VMC Foundation is proud to support the TBI matters program at VMC.

On June 23rd, the TBI department at VMC will be hosting an important discussion, hosted by Gary Karp (www.lifeonwheels.org ) on Sexuality and Disability.

Please follow this link for event details:

http://bit.ly/9rljUm