Sutter Health #1 Health Care Fundraising Team for March of Dimes
Record-breaking Year Yields $757,000 to Support Healthy Babies
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For new mother Melissa Harris, becoming pregnant with her second child was difficult. After four years, two miscarriages, and on the brink of giving up, Melissa and her husband Peter were thrilled when they discovered they were expecting. At 24 weeks, Melissa unexpectedly went into labor and prematurely delivered her son Sam at Sutter Health affiliate Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley — he weighed just over one pound at birth.
To help babies like Sam and the 53,000 other babies born too soon in California, Sutter Health employees raised over $757,000 in 2011 for the California Chapter of March of Dimes — $100,000 more than what Sutter Health's team raised in 2010.
Sutter's record-breaking fundraising total ranked first nationwide for health care systems involved in the March for Babies campaign. In the past 15 years, Sutter Health employees have helped raise more than $5.3 million to support March of Dimes research and clinical efforts — ranking #1 among all health systems supporting the March of Dimes March for Babies nationwide.
"Sutter Health medical staff and employees save lives every day, and thanks to their support of March for Babies, Sutter is making a difference for families all over California," said Karyn DeMartini, State Director of March of Dimes in California. "They're supporting lifesaving research and programs to help us reach the day when all babies will have a healthy start in life."
Melissa says her son, 'Super Sam,' is alive today because of the care she received in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center — where tiny Sam spent his first 95 days of his life. Watch how Sutter's partnership with March of Dimes helps give babies like Sam a healthy start at life: http://youtu.be/ZHxcbO3g3rI
More Ways Sutter Health Supports March of Dimes:
- Sutter Health affiliated hospitals are regional leaders in women's and children's services. Approximately 35,900 babies were born at Sutter hospitals in 2010 — more than any other health system in Northern California. According to the March of Dimes, one in 10 babies is born too soon in California.
- Regional Co-Chairs for March of Dimes 2011 March for Babies Campaign include Sutter leaders from across Northern California:
- Dave Benn, President, Sutter Health Central Valley Region, 2011 Valley March for Babies Chair
- Tom Blinn, CEO, Sutter Medical Foundation, 2011 Greater Capital March for Babies Co-Chair
- Pat Brady, CEO, Sutter Roseville Medical Center, 2011 Greater Capital March for Babies Co-Chair
- Bernadette Smith, Vice President Women & Children's Services & Chief Administrative Officer California Campus, California Pacific Medical Center, 2011 San Francisco March for Babies Chair
- Sutter Health and the March of Dimes have a long history of working together to help give every baby a healthy start at life. Clinical experts across the system helped to develop the March of Dimes' Elective Delivery Toolkit and the network is implementing the initiative systemwide. Sutter Health and the March of Dimes also work together on additional tools that have made a positive difference for families across the country.
About Sutter Health
Serving patients and their families in more than 100 Northern California cities and towns, Sutter Health network doctors, not-for-profit hospitals and other health care service providers share resources and expertise to advance health care quality and access. The Sutter Medical Network includes many of California's top-performing, highest quality physician organizations as measured annually by the Integrated Healthcare Association. Sutter-affiliated hospitals are regional leaders in cardiac care, women's and children's services, cancer care, orthopedics and advanced patient safety technology.
For more information about the not-for-profit Sutter Health network, please visit www.SutterHealth.org | www.Facebook.com/SutterHealth | www.YouTube.com/SutterHealth | www.Twitter.com/SutterHealth
About the March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
SOURCE Sutter Health
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