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The Newsletter of Children’s Hospital Branches, Inc.
TWIGS
Winter - Spring 2014
Published quarterly by CHB, Inc.
@ CHORI
5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. T-2
Oakland, CA 94609-1673
(510) 428-3355 / (510) 597-7153 - fax
January 15, 2014
Happy, Happy New Year! to all you dedicated fund-raising Children’s Hospital volunteers. Congratulations on your 2013 successful
Betty Jo Olson..............................President
events!
Marilyn Zecher.............................Garden
Our Foundation Friends launched our superCyndi Santaella............................Teak
Fall General Meeting with a delicious reunion
Debbie Civello..............................Rowan
luncheon at the CHORI Library on September
Cece Werson, Parliamentarian....Hawthorne
30. The round tables were decorated with tree
Sheila Challey..............................Rowan
branch centerpieces - how appropriate!
Joan Deuel...................................Hill
Our speakers included Betsy Biern, Kevin
Wendy Dunn.................................Lombardy
Hughes and Dr. David Durand, Chief of PeJeannie Graham..........................Garden
diatrics. Dr. Jim Betts joined us for lunch and
Kristina Smith...............................Rowan
spoke briefly, complimenting us for all of the
Lucy Talbot...................................Hill
work we do for our hospital. Kevin informed us that this Spring a
magnolia tree will be planted on the CHORI Campus in honor of The Lynne Wilson...............................Acorn
Branches.
Lively Live Oak always greets September with the annual CHAMPS splendid Miniature Show & Sale.
Lilac opened October with another “rip-snorting” late afternoon/early evening event titled, “Fiesta de Cuba”,
complete with roasted pig! Other October events were Acorn’s always-delicious Italian Dinner and Rowan’s
“Enchanted Evening” Gala celebrating our CHO Centennial held at the Behring Auto Museum in Danville.
On October 30, a special “State of the Hospital Tea” was held at The Lake Chalet at Lake Merritt with Dr.
Bert Lubin speaking on our upcoming alliance with UCSF.
November events commenced with the Bambino Thrift Shop’s special Sunday Shopping Day, kicking off
its Holiday Boutique. Garden Branch had its famous Holiday Luncheon, boutique and “Goodwill Bags”
Fashion Show (let me add that it was held on the only day this Fall it poured down rain - which did not deter
attendance at all!). Live Oak hosted its annual dinner at the Hotel Mac and stage show across the street at the
Masquers’ Playhouse.
In December, the Branches were among the honorees celebrating “National Philanthropy Day” at a luncheon at the St Francis Hotel in San Francisco. We Board members who attended thanked Betsy Biern of the
Foundation for instigating this great honor. Jeannie Graham of Garden Branch held a Jewelry-Purse Boutique
at her gorgeous Alameda home, with a portion of the proceeds going to the hospital.
Blossom Garden hosted a holiday get-together that turned out to be not only great fun, but profitable as
well. After a year of re-organization, under the very capable leadership of Kathy Hennigh, the group is not
only healthy, but growing!
A group of us also had a table at the “Children’s Health Guild’s” lovely holiday luncheon and boutique
hosted by Betsy - half of the money raised by this group goes to the hospital. Hill Branch closed out December, as it usually does, with its elegant, spectacular Debutante Ball, presenting a current-day record 25 debs!
I invite and encourage all of you to attend our February 24 General Meeting and get the scoop on our new
affiliation with UCSF (breakfast treats will be served!). We will also be able to give you our “Wish List”
choices for where our monies from 2013 events will go. Hope to see you there!
Love,
Board of Directors
Betty Jo
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital
& Research Center Oakland Complete Affiliation
Top Bay Area Pediatric Institutions Form Partnership to Advance Children’s Health
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland (Children’s Oakland) have affiliated, building on the hospitals’ mutual commitment to provide outstanding care to children in
local communities, and advance medical discovery and treatment for the world.
The affiliation, effective January 1, 2014, brings together two leading Bay Area children’s hospitals,
strengthening their abilities to meet marketplace expectations, including the Affordable Care Act. The affiliation
has the potential to provide better health care value to consumers through higher quality care, lower costs and
more coordinated access to services at hospital locations on both sides of the Bay, as well as medical facilities
throughout Northern California.
“This partnership between two world-class children’s hospitals promises to elevate the health of all children,
especially our most vulnerable patients,” said Mark Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital. “Both institutions have a longstanding commitment to public service, and by working together we are better able to deliver on that commitment.”
The affiliation allows children and their families to have access to what is now the largest network of children’s medical providers in Northern California, including a coordinated network of high-quality pediatric care
from the Oregon border to San Luis Obispo, and as far East as Reno.
In addition to the two main hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, patients can access more than 800 pediatricians and pediatric specialists delivering specialized care daily at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and
Children’s Oakland, as well as hundreds of community-based pediatricians affiliated with the two hospitals who
provide pediatric diagnostic services and specialty care. The two hospitals jointly offer more than 65 different
pediatric medical specialties and subspecialties including transplant, sickle cell, orthopedics, neurology, cardiology, thalassemia, pediatric rehab, and asthma and diabetes care.
“The synergies created by these two respected institutions coming together allows children and families to
benefit from greater depth and breadth of pediatric expertise as well as innovation that is possible by working
together,” said Bert Lubin, MD, CEO of Children’s Oakland.
“The affiliation of these two well-regarded children’s hospitals is good news for children and their families,”
said Diana S. Dooley, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “Together, they will serve
children throughout Northern California who need the state-of-the-art care they can provide.”
Dooley also previously served as president and chief executive officer of the California Children’s Hospital Association, which advocates for children’s health on behalf of the eight, non-profit regional children’s hospitals in
California.
While Children’s Oakland will remain separately licensed and retain its own board of directors and separate
medical staff, the hospitals will collaborate and share best practices for the delivery of the highest quality pediatric care.
Individually, the two hospitals are highly regarded nationally as well as internationally, each having made
significant advancements in developing new treatments and achieving better health outcomes for children.
Together, they are positioned to become the most comprehensive providers of pediatric care and strengthen their
national leadership in pediatric education and research, and advocacy. Combined, the hospitals will be among
the top ten largest children’s health care providers in the country when the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital opens in February 2015.
The affiliation positions the hospitals to:
 integrate research activities to build on the strengths of each institution;
 provide leadership in adopting, measuring and publishing quality and patient safety best practice
indicators related to pediatric care;
 retain and attract outstanding faculty, physicians and staff; and
 improve the combined financial operating performance of both Children’s Oakland and UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital to support state-of-the-art equipment purchases, facility expansion and upgrades,
and seismic compliance.
As of September 2013, the hospitals also jointly operate the BayChildren’s Physicians medical foundation and intend to broaden this foundation’s network and activities to include more Bay Area physicians. The
expanded medical foundation will offer a wide range of practice options to physicians providing primary and
specialty care for children.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Oakland have worked together for decades. Both have
leading pediatric residency programs, a number of unique pediatric subspecialty fellowship programs, a research base for the next generation of discoveries, and expertise in pediatric clinical care.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is the only California state-designated children’s medical center in San
Francisco. The hospital is one of the leading children’s hospitals in the nation, according to U.S. News & World
Report. Its expertise covers virtually all pediatric conditions, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, organ transplants and orthopedics as well as the care of critically ill newborns.
The hospital is part of UC San Francisco, whose School of Medicine leads schools nationally in grants from
the National Institutes of Health. UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital are involved in
more than 400 research protocols led by more than 500 investigators researching cures for hundreds of pediatric
and adult diseases.
Children’s Oakland is one of only two solely designated California Level One pediatric trauma centers in the
region, sees more than 45,000 Emergency Department visits per year, and has one of largest pediatric intensive
care units in Northern California.
The hospital has a large, 250,000 visits-per-year, outpatient and preventative medicine program, and has
the only pediatric hospital-based Federally Qualified Health Center in California, providing outpatient care to
underserved children in much of Northern California.
The hospital’s research arm, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), is internationally
known for its basic and clinical research, and is ranked among the nation’s top ten research centers for National
Institutes of Health funding to independent children’s hospitals. Children’s Oakland trains 90 pediatric residents
and 23 pediatric subspecialty fellows and educates numerous health care professionals annually.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research,
graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes
top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally
renowned programs in basic biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s
Hospital.
For additional information about these two institutions, please visit:
http://www.childrenshospitaloakland.org/main/press-kit-ucsf-benioff-cho-affiliation.aspx
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014
RELEASED JOINTLY BY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTER OAKLAND AND UC SAN FRANCISCO
Branch Chairmen for 2014
Acorn
Blossom Garden
Cacao Chinquapin
Garden
Hill
Lynne Wilson
Kathy Hennigh
Elaine Riggins
NancySeligman
Marilyn Zecher
Sue Smegal (thru March)
Lilac
Live Oak
Lombardy
Rowan
Betty McMahon
Kathy Nichols
Laurel Browman
Belinda George/
Eileen Caponio
Orvie Pamp
Teak
-----------------------------------------------------2014 Month-at-a-Glance Calendar
PLEASE PRINT
__________ Calendars
ORDER FORM
@ $10.75 each
Price includes postage and handling
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NAME _______________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP _______________________________________PHONE_________________________________
Mail to CHB, Inc., 5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way T-2, Oakland, CA 94609
Thank you for suporting our most precious resource - our children!
Branches’ 2013 General Meeting & Reunion
held at CHORI, hosted by The Foundation
The Branches met the last day of September, a lovely Fall day, in the beautiful CHORI library. Approximately sixty
members gathered to hear updates of the hospital presented largely by Betsy Biern from the Foundation. Our own
Betty Jo welcomed us, returning to the podium and looking the picture of health - after her surgery in the Spring,
this was a relief for all! Also giving presentations were Dr. David Durand, Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Jim Betts ,
Pediatric Surgeon from the hospital.
Kevin Hughes, Director of Gift Planning, was on hand and, with his usual kindness and warmth, presented Betty Jo
with a magnolia tree to be planted here at CHORI and which will grace the grounds for years to come.
This is not only in Betty Jo’s honor for graciously presiding over the Branches for the past fourteen years, but also to
honor the Branches as we approach 100 years of raising funds for Children’s Hospital Oakland.
As usual, and to no one’s surprise, the Foundation members were gracious hosts, providing a lovely Fall setting and a
scrumptious buffet lunch. These amenities were thoroughly enjoyed by the Branches’ membership.
Bette Roberts-Collins (Garden) shows some
University High memorabilia to
Cece Werson (Emeritus Hawthorne)
Betty Jo with Dr. David Durand, Kristina Smith
(Rowan) and Betsy Biern, our Foundation host
Madeline Newkirk (l-Mulberry) is
greeted by Diane Walter
(r-Live Oak)
Emeritus Coral members, with friends,
make it to the reunion: Annie Toy, Janet
Mendenhall (Azalea), Kevin, Jeannette
Kattelmann and Jeannine Merlino
Luncheon favors!
Delicious lunch, served buffet-style
Mother-Daughter, Dee Farkas
(Emeritus Fir) and
Lucy Talbot (Hill)
Lilac’s newest members, l-r Eileen Emerson and Beth
Morgese, join with seasoned members, Joyce Spinelli
and chairman Betty McMahon
Our “Calendar Lady” Mary Davis
(Emeritus - Cedar, Jr.)
holds up this year’s
burgundy-colored calendar
Lombardy ladies: standing are l-r, Tili Tasker,
Cheryl Tyler and Joy Deveny, Seated are l-r,
Wendy Dunn, Sara Nelson and Meg Pauletich
Picture of Magnolia tree - actual tree
will be planted on the
CHORI campus in the Spring
Betty Jo with Dr. Jim Betts
Back row: Jeannie Graham, Kathy
Mosher, Marilyn Zecher - and seated, Jeanne Edgar and Bette RobertsCollins of Garden Branch
Michele Thompson, Sybil Gatling, Yvonne
McGrew and Joyce Williams of Cacao Branch
Susan Sperry and Colleen Lund
of Teak Branch
Elaine Oldham (Emeritus Acacia)
and Beth Stark (Chinquapin)
Acorn members, standing l-r, Patti Fadelli, Joyce
Fernando, Lynne Wilson, Yvonne O’Berto; seated
l-r, Suzie Landstra, Nina Fadelli, Marcia Fausset,
Barbara Bacon
Alain McLaughlin Photography, Inc.
Family
House:
Mary Kroesen and Shirley
Anderson of Emeritus Mulberry Branch
During this flu season, Family House can use a larger-than-usual supply
of disinfecting wipes - the kind that come in dispensers for cleaning
countertops, wiping door knobs, etc. Delivering those directly to the
Family House would be not only fantastic, but very much appreciated.
And, as always, those gift cards to Trader Joes, Safeway and Costco
- in any and all denominations - are gratefully accepted! 5222 Dover
Street - Oakland, CA 94609. Thank you for your continuing support!
Lilac’s Fiesta de Cuba – Fabuloso!
Once again, Lilac enjoyed an over-the-top success with its fall fundraiser, Fiesta de Cuba. A
departure from its conventional fall Saturday evening dinner-dance, the branch’s event committee
explored and delivered a wonderful new concept – big time.
Early in 2013, a group of Lilac members met to challenge what was tried and true and came up with
a Sunday late-afternoon gathering for a “barbeque”. The party actually took place indoors, but the
whole roasted pigs were grilled outdoors in traditional island-style by Green Valley Country Club’s
executive chef, Jason O’Kennedy. One hundred-plus guests arrived around 3:00 p.m. for tasty hors
d’oeuvrés during the cocktail hour, then sat to dine at 5:00, all the while enjoying music by the Carlos Herrera Trio. Everyone looked festive, and one would guess that the men appreciated the “island
casual” suggested relaxed attire.
During the social hour and throughout dinner, guests were eagerly signing up for in-demand silent
auction items. In another departure from tradition, instead of customary wine tours and theatre excursions, silent auction items were limited to private events hosted by Lilac members – a holiday cocktail
gathering, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, a Cinco de Mayo party, a summer barbeque and Oktoberfest.
Sign-up sheets were full before dinner!
After dinner, Lilac president Betty McMahon acted the very capable auctioneer, offering up three
singular live auction treats: an exclusive signature dinner prepared by Green Valley Country Club’s
chef, Jason O’Kennedy, with wine pairing by local vintner, Galvan Family Cellars;\`a Valentine’s Day
Sweetheart Dinner hosted by members Nancy Mueller, her daughter Lori Fultz and their oh-so-lovely
spouses; and an extraordinary wine cellar consisting of 28 bottles of member-donated wine – each of
which went for over $1,000 apiece.
Netting close to $20,000, Lilac is so proud of its members’ collaborative efforts to achieve such a
fabuloso success!
The Wine Cellar
Chef Jason O’Kennedy serving Fiesta de
Cuba treats. Chef Jason donated a private
dinner at Green Valley Country Club
which brought over $1,000 in the live auction
Dinner!
Member Fran Kassis and husband Phil
who successsfully bid on the Wine Celler
Event Co-chair Eileen Emerson with husband Jon
Event Co-chair Joyce Spinelli
with husband Frank
In Memoriam
On April 17, 2013, former long-time member of Fir Branch, Billie Lange, died peacefully in her sleep in Fresno, CA.
She is survived by her daughter Janis of Oregon and many loving friends. Billie is buried next to her husband at the
Presidio, overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
During her tenure with Children’s Hospital Branches, Billie held many positions, both with Fir Branch and on our Board
of Directors. She actively participated in all of the all-Branch events, chairing many. Aged 97 years.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BRANCHES, INC.
INVITES YOU TO THE
ANNUAL VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION LUNCHEON
and 100th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
Orinda Country Club ~ 315 Camino Sobrante
Orinda, California (925) 254-4313
No-host cocktails 11:00 a.m.
Luncheon 12 Noon
$ 42.50 per person
From The West (S.F./Oakland area): Take HWY 24 toward Walnut Creek, go through the Caldecott
Tunnel and exit at Orinda. At bottom of ramp, turn left onto Camino Pablo. At second stoplight, turn
right onto Camino Sobrante. Pass Safeway, cross over Orinda Way and bear left up the hill (stay on
Camino Sobrante) – it will dead end at “El Ribero”: Lake Cascade will be in front of you. Turn left, pass
tennis courts on your right. Turn left at stop sign into the Clubhouse parking lot.
From The East (Concord/San Jose Area): Take HWY 24, exit at Orinda; bear right toward Orinda Village. At bottom of ramp turn right onto Camino Pablo. At the second stoplight, turn right onto Camino
Sobrante. Pass Safeway, cross over Orinda Way and bear left up the hill (still on Camino Sobrante)
– it will dead end at “El Ribero”: Lake Cascade will be in front of you. Turn left, pass tennis courts on
your right. Turn left at stop sign into the Clubhouse parking lot.
Please respond by Monday, April 14, 2014:
Number of guests _____ at $42.50 per person = total of check $ _________
Please make check(s) payable to Children’s Hospital Branches, Inc. or CHB, Inc. and mail to:
CHB, Inc. 5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way T-2, Oakland, CA 94609
Direct questions to the Branch Office: (510) 428-3355 / [email protected]
Name _________________________________Branch __________________Phone ________________
______ I require a vegetarian meal
Please seat me with:
FROM THE BRANCH OFFICE:
If you have not sent in your list of 2014
Officers, your Branch Roster, remaining
CSH’s for 2013, or any of the other requested information to assure that your
Branch information is correct, please do
so right away.
Also, our 100th Birthday Party is the
theme for this year’s Annual Meeting &
Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. If you
have any party ideas, please get in touch
with your Branch Liaison. Thanks!
BRANCH LAISIONS
Thanks from the NICU staff for the funds
to help put on their summer reunion picnic.
ACORN
Lynne Wilson
BLOSSOM GARDEN
Marilyn Zecher
CACAO
Cyndi Santaella
CHINQUAPIN
Debbie Civello
GARDEN
Jeannie Graham
HILL
Joani Deuel
LILAC
Lucy Talbot
LIVE OAK
Kristina Smith
LOMBARDY
Wendy Dunn
ROWAN
Sheila Challey
TEAK
Cyndi Santaella
Hill Branch’s 2013 Winter Ball Debutantes
James Brian Fidelibus Photography
Front, from left, Chloe Hanschen, Mary Kate Engstrom, Amanda Rutherford, Madeleine Nicolaisen,
Christina Romak.
Second row:Safira Wulfsberg-Gesmundo, Elizabeth Goetz, Kaitlyn Haithcock, Lucy Spurlock, Sophia Zeff,
Lauren Dougherty, Isabella Wulfsberg-Gesmundo
Third Row: Elise Lasky, Kristina Lorch, Kendall Kovalik, Sofia Lavdiotis, Meredith Phillips, Danielle Yancey,
Elizabeth Corvin
Back Row: Kaitlyn Fuller, Nicole Klepper, Allison Quantz, Megan Howard, Alison Pietrykowski, Claire Hebert.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This is one of our HUGE auction items where Blossom Garden members take kids to Family House to sing
Christmas Carols. It’s a priceless item and so worthwhile.)
Hi All,
We extend a huge thank you for not only your generous contributions to Blossom Garden on behalf of Children’s
Hospital but also for sharing your sweet children with us on Monday night at the Family House. They were all
very well behaved and did their best to sing the Christmas carols we requested including, “We Wish You a Merry
Christmas”, “Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and then later, Sailor led us in a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night”!
The families we met were truly touched by the kindness your children showed them, and it was very sweet to
watch. We had them go around and introduce themselves, and they all did so happily. Two of the moms there had
premature infants at Children’s with various health issues. Another mom has been struggling with her 24-year old
son’s Down’s Syndrome - he is now suffering from congestive heart failure, and they have been going to Children’s his entire life. Another mom had a 7-year old in the hospital with Cerebral Palsy and 3 other kids at
home, one with spina bifida. All of these families count on the Family
House to be their “home away from home”, especially during the
holidays, and their faces just lit up when all of the kids walked into
the room with their smiles, treats and songs.
Thank you again and we hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Please tell your kids thank you from us as well!
Julie and Heather
The Morning After: Cleaning up after
their December holiday party are:
Back Row Left to Right:
Jolyn Stockton, Monisa Croxton,
Holly Zaches, Natalie Chriss,
Liana Hans, Heather Tega
Front Row kneeling Left to Right:
Natalie Olsen, Kathy Hennigh, Pamela Jordan
Children’s Hospital Branches, Inc.
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 1983
OAKLAND, CA
@ CHORI Campus
5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way T-2
Oakland, CA 94609-1673
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
UP-COMING BRANCH EVENTS
March 20, 2014 (Thursday)
Trina Turk CA Road Trip Fashion Show
April 6, 2014 (Sunday)
11am - 5:30pm Price: $45 /person
Day-at-the-Races
Acorn
April 16, 2014 (Wednesday)
Helen Lyall Fashion Show “50 Shades”
Lilac
April 30, 2014 (Wednesday)
Annual Meeting, Volunteer Recognition
& 100th Birthday Celebration Luncheon
All Branch
6:00pm Tickets available at
www.Lombardycho.org Questions? Tili Tasker - [email protected]
Orinda Country Club
Golden Gate Fields
Nina Fadelli [email protected]
or call (510) 525-8656
11:00am social; 12 Noon - luncheon
1:00pm Fashion Show Price: $70/person
Gloria Taft (707) 644-2177 11:00am social; 12 Noon - luncheon,
speaker and volunteer recognition Questions? Branch Office (510) 428-3355
[email protected] - flyer on pg 7
Hilton Garden Inn, Fairfield
Orinda Country Club
May 3, 2014 (Saturday)
Paramount Theater, Oakland
An annual event benefiting Children’s Hospital
Oakland and featuring NY Times best-selling
authors and KFOG recording artists; Notes
& Words promises an intimate and inspiring
evening of spoken word and original music
www.notesandwords.org
May 5, 2014 (Monday)
10:00am - 12 shopping; 12 Noon lunch
Shopping Spree
followed by more shopping - new vendors
and returning favorites
Price: $75/person
Contact Eileen Caponio [email protected] Roundhill Country Club, Alamo
June 14, 2014 (Saturday) Day-at-the-Races Cacao
For info, contact: Sybil Gatling
(510) 261-6313 Price: $30/person
Golden Gate Fields
Lombardy
Foundation
Rowan