$500,000 Gift to Dominican Hospital Foundation Benefits Key Initiatives Campaign
Monterey Peninsula Foundation recently granted $500,000 to Dominican Hospital Foundation as part of the hospital’s Key Initiatives Campaign. The three-year challenge grant requires matching funds and is for the Acute Rehab Center. As a result of the gift, the Assisted Daily Living Apartment will be named in their honor. Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO Steve John said, “We are very pleased to support this important project, particularly recognizing its impact on the region. We were especially impressed with the apartment concept and its ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment for caregivers and patients to practice adapting to everyday tasks.”
The Monterey Peninsula Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in Monterey County and surrounding areas through the strategic disbursement of charitable funds generated by hosting the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
The three-year Acute Rehabilitation Center project has cost approximately $12 million, with $10 million provided by Dignity Health in capital funding. The philanthropic arm of the hospital is working to raise $2.5 million to support the Center as one of the top five initiatives for the Foundation. Donations will be used for a Supported Ambulation System, digital white boards, medical equipment, a neurosurgery imaging system, physical therapy equipment, and more.
The grand opening of the Center was held on January 22 and PG&E provided funds for the reception. Both the Allen and Bartfield Families and Fernandes & Sons (the project contractor) have named $25,000 rooms in the Acute Rehab Center as well.
Key physicians working as co-directors of the Center include Robert Quinn, M.D., and Jennie Jet, M.D. “There are 99 primary stroke centers in California, and Dominican Hospital hosts one of only two on the Central Coast,” says Dr. Quinn. “We believe this new facility, planned to provide the best possible patient care, will set a new standard for acute rehabilitation practices. We have a great team in place of nurses and therapists working closely with the doctors on helping our patients and their families with, very likely, the most devastating experience of their lives.”
Stroke affects more than 795,000 people in the United States each year. It claims the lives of over 140,000, making it the third leading cause of death in the country. To improve recovery, it is critical to determine the type of stroke and appropriate treatment within the first three hours of occurrence.
For 21 years, a 20-bed facility on Frederick Street in Santa Cruz provided comprehensive rehabilitation care to its stroke patients and the many others with traumatic head and brain stem injuries. With the move to its new home on the hospital campus, the “ARC” will have the ability to care for those in need with even greater efficiency.
The initiative to build the new unit began in 2009, when stringent seismic requirements at the Frederick Street campus mandated "ARC"’s relocation. The new ”ARC”, situated in the east wing of the main hospital, is “a state of the art facility,” says Lisa Akey, R.N., Director of Continuing Care Services. It is comprised of 20 fully-equipped private rooms. Interactive touch-screen televisions—including Education-On-Demand—will help patients with the recovery process and will also help return a feeling of normalcy to their lives.
The new location is just down the hall from other acute and critical care treatment areas and will cut down on transportation time dramatically for patients already in the hospital for the first stages of care for their stroke or head injury. “Patients will no longer have to move across town. They can get the rest they need and begin their therapy as soon as they are able without leaving Dominican Hospital,” says Ms. Akey.
The facility will have an Assisted Daily Living Apartment with a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom that will serve as a transitional space for patients prior to discharge. An occupational therapist will work with the patients and their families to relearn aspects of daily life despite the limitations of their disability. “We wanted to create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere,” says Ms. Akey. When the apartment is not occupied, therapists can use the accommodations to teach functional tasks such as meal preparation. Since physical therapy is a major component of the rehab process, patients will have access to a new gym with the latest equipment, including an assisted ambulation walker.
