Seton Fund

the

StorieS of healing and hope from the Seton fund

Summer 2012

It is so much fun to see the expression on people s faces when they first meet Avery and the joy she brings when she walks down the halls of the hospital,
Read more on page 8 about Avery and pet therapy at University Medical Center Brackenridge.

janis graef

Avery and UMCB therapist Leah Steckbeck

ay 6 was a big, big night for children in the Highland Lakes area. That evening, there was a surprise announcement that a beautiful new Seton Kids Care-a-Van will replace the current Care-a-Van. The announcement was made at An Evening of Music at the Lake, the annual gala hosted by the Horseshoe Bay Associates of the Seton Development Board. The current van was purchased almost 10 years ago and like any well-used vehicle is experiencing expensive mechanical problems. When Seton Highland Lakes decided to pursue funding for a replacement, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF) stepped up. This is one of two new Care-aVans for Seton. The other, also funded by donors like MSDF, will be operated by Seton Edgar B. Davis Hospital. The generosity of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, community donors and Seton associates is making possible the purchase of this new state of the art mobile health clinic operated by Seton Highland Lakes Hospital. Every week, the Care-a-Van travels to schools in Kingsland, Granite Shoals, Marble Falls, Bertram and Burnet. It provides children from birth through 18 with access to medical care and in most cases allows them to return to school the same day. The Carea-Van staff has cared for more than 16,000

generous donations will bring a new seton kids care-a-van to the highland lakes region
infants, children and teens since the team first hit the road in 2003. Chandra Irvin, RN, MSN, is the family nurse practitioner who helps manage the Seton Kids Care-a-Van. Not only do we provide well-child checks and treat common ailments like ear infections, we develop longterm relationships with our patients to help them manage chronic conditions like asthma and obesity.
please support the kids care-a-van

Surprise!

Who loves Seton Care-a-Van?

The dream of a new Care-a-Van was supported with the generous donation of $75,000 from the Lake Area Health Center Foundation. We want to recognize Seton and the good work it has done over the years, says Jim Jones, president of the Lake Area Health Center Foundation. Our Care-a-Van families appreciate the care their children receive. Access to pediatric care can be tough for families here, especially those who rely on Medicaid or who self-pay, says Becky Fox, director of development for Seton Highland Lakes. Our donors provide a great sense of relief for the moms and dads who rely on Seton and the great care provided on the Care-a-Van, every single day, Fox says. The Care-a-Van is a great example of the Seton Healthcare Familys commitment to increasing access to care and lowering health care costs. The Care-a-Van not only improves childrens health, it saves money
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l e t t e r
the seton fund board of trustees 20122013
Allan Shivers, Jr. chair man JoLynn Free s e c r e ta ry Dan Herd vice chair man Andrew C. Elliott Jr. treasurer Ken Gladish, PhD president Charley Scarborough exe c ut ive d i re c to r Robert E. Askew, m.d. Sister Helen Brewer, d.c. Donna Carter Jess Garza Pam Giblin Sister Gertrude Levy, d.c. Lew N. Little Jr. Joe R. Long Mike Maples Greg Meserole Patrick Oles Sam S. Roberts, III, m.d., Clint Small Karen Swenson, m.d. Timothy C. Taylor Judy Trabulsi Ben Vaughan Mike Vollman Chris Von Dohlen

f r o m

t h e

c h a i r m a n

Your Generosity Means Everything to Our Children

Philanthropy is a seed we plant in our children. We plant the seed through our own examplewhen we give generously of our time and treasure to organizations that we think can improve the lives of others. The Austin Wildcats organization provides a wonderful story of learning by example. This basketball program for girls and boys improves fundamental skills and game knowledge. It is a preparatory program with emphasis on practice, hard work, and dedication. The program also teaches young people about life. When Molly, Sherman, a friend of the program, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the Wildcats girls teams did what they have seen adults do: they rallied together and raised money. In 2011 they organized the first Tournament for Hope. The girls and their sponsors raised $22,000 for the planned Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. This spring, the Tournament for Hope raised almost $45,000. This is an incredible example of the power of teamwork and love. It is wonderful to watch the next generation support women and men in our community who are living withand fighting againstbreast cancer. Thank you for all that you do to nurture and support the Seton Healthcare Family and the community that we are privileged to serve.

life trustees
Mary Anderson Abell Carolyn Curtis Charmaine Denius Luci Baines Johnson Bishop John McCarthy Jack McCreary Sister Mary Rose McPhee, d.c.

Allan Shivers, Jr.

c ommunity volunteer leadership

Pete Winstead, Chair b r acke n r i d ge d eve lo p m e n t c o u n c i l Lisa Magids, President e l i z a b e t h a n n s e t o n b oa r d June Chandler, President s e t o n d e v e l o p m e n t b oa r d Scott Dunaway, Chair t h e s e t o n f o ru m John Minter, Chair the fifty

The Seton Fund supports the Daughters of Charity healthcare mission in Central Texas by raising funds for these Seton facilities: Seton Medical Center Austin, University Medical Center Brackenridge, Seton Highland Lakes Hospital, Seton Southwest Hospital, Seton Northwest Hospital, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital, Seton Kozmetsky Community Health Center, Seton McCarthy Community Health Center and Seton Topfer Community Health Center, Seton League House and Seton Cove.

An example of the power of teamwork and love

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The Wildcats 8th grade Silver Division I team, and winner of the Pretty in Pink Trophy at the recent Tournament for Hope. The award was given to the team that was the most creative in incorporating pink into their attire on the first day of the tournament.

Seton Healthcare Family Innovations

seton nurse navigators are here to help you fight cancer

avigating cancer under the best of circumstances can be confusing and stressful, says Joni Watson, MSN, MBA, RN, OCN, a clinical nurse manager with Setons Cancer Care Team. Our navigators are specialized nurses who help guide our cancer patients from screening to diagnosis to treatment and survivorship. Seton has had RN nurse navigators as far back as 1987. The program is growing and now includes a team of 11 highly trained nurses who specialize in breast, cervical, skin, brain, head/neck and other forms of cancer. One of our main goals is to reduce stress and anxiety levels among our cancer patients, explains Alyssa Monacelli, RN, BSN, who was hired in 2011 to coordinate weekly multi-disciplinary cancer care conferences. One of the ways we do that is by recommending a definitive, holistic care plan based on national guidelines. RN navigators serve as a bridge across elements of the treatment process: they participate in the weekly cancer care conferences, which bring together physicians and staff from different specialties to review cases. They also provide information on treatment options to referring physicians. Gina Kuenstler, RN, BSN, OCN, was hired in April 2012 as a breast cancer navigator and will work at the

Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin when it opens its doors next year. Kuenstler has been an oncology nurse for nearly 20 years and understands the physical, emotional and practical concerns that accompany a cancer diagnosis.
your gift matters

The Seton Healthcare Family is committed to ensuring that you and your loved ones, regardless of income or insurance status, have access to life-saving early detection and treatments. In fact, Seton has more oncology certified nurses than any other hospital system in Central Texas. The new Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin will provide the best cancer care, under one roof. You have the power to save a life by supporting the healing work of the new center and making a donation in the enclosed envelope or online at www.setonfund.org/give.

I help create a roadmap for my patients. I am their consistent point of contact throughout their survivorship journey.
gina kuenstler, rn, bsn, ocn, seton nurse navigator

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Cancer doesnt touch your life. It grabs you and throws you down to the ground.
andrea mcwilliams

THREE StorieS of SurViVal

A ComPellInG need for A breAst CAnCer Center In AustIn

ison and Marcus McWilliams Dean and Andrea (back) and Max, Mad
Andrea McWilliams Cancer doesnt touch your life. It grabs you and throws you down to the ground, says Andrea McWilliams, breast cancer survivor, wife and mother of three. Andrea was just 33 when she discovered a lump on her breast that was later found to be cancerous. At the time, Andrea had a newborn son and weeks later discovered she was pregnant with her third child. After seeking second opinions in Dallas and Houston, Andrea underwent chemotherapy in Austin, returning to her office every day after her infusion and tucking her children into bed every night. A respected lobbyist at the Texas Capitol, Andrea is no stranger to advocacy and has made it her mission to improve access to cancer care in Central Texas. If we build a state-of-the-art cancer facility in one of the coolest cities in the world, we can and will attract the best doctors and researchers, she says. Andrea is supporting the new breast cancer center at Seton Medical Center Austin so that all women can receive the best possible care close to home. She says, We need a place in Central Texas where people can be taken care of from the beginning to the end of their cancer journey.

Madison, Jimmy, Sarah and Michael Mansour Sarah Mansour My diagnosis with breast cancer was a complete shock, says Sarah Mansour, a cancer survivor of seven years. I was 39 years old, the mother of two young children and no one in my family had ever had cancer of any kind. Sarah had an extremely aggressive form of cancer and travelled to several cities before deciding on a treatment protocol. The whole ordeal was incredibly frightening and confusing, Sarah recalls. We were overwhelmed with the critical decisions that had to be made. Sarah and her husband, Jimmy, the founding chairman of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, are passionate supporters of the Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. They believe that Seton will provide outstanding physicians to match the impressive staff and advocates that are a part of the Seton team. They also know that Central Texas women need and deserve a state-of-the-art facility focused on this life-threatening, but often treatable disease. The additional top-notch doctors and equipment that Seton is putting in place will give patients the confidence that they are getting the best treatment available. Austin is a city of amazing energy and people, Sarah says. We can make this happen.

Hasie, Mary Alice, Molly, Hattie and

Clara Sherman

Molly Sherman Molly Sherman was working full-time and raising a family as a single parent when she learned she had breast cancer. As the mother of two sets of twins (ages 9 and 16 at the time of her diagnosis), Molly was committed to finding the best possible care. When I was diagnosed, I was overwhelmed by the time and energy it took to navigate the web of doctors, medical records and potential treatments, she recalls. It was a stressful time. The last thing I wanted to do was drive all over town tracking down medical records. Molly travelled to Houston for a second opinion at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She chose to undergo chemotherapy in Austin, and had her surgery and reconstruction in Houston. Despite the long drive, I determined that the efficiency of one-stop shopping at MD Anderson was preferable to managing my own network of physicians and treatments here in Austin. Today, Molly is cancer-free and passionate about the need for a comprehensive breast cancer center in Austin. Women need a place where all the resources come together, says Molly.

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mAKInG the breAst CAnCer Center A reAlItY

The Seton Healthcare Family is planning a comprehensive breast cancer center for Seton Medical Center Austin. The center will open in 2013. Will you help make this dream a reality?

There is no better time to make a donation to the Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin

he J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., has issued a generous $500,000 challenge grant to support the Breast Cancer Center, which will open in 2013. To qualify for this exciting gift, The Seton Fund must raise an additional $1.5 million toward the goal. So far, donors like you have helped The Seton Fund raise $3.8 million. Thank you! Act soon. The Mabee Foundation challenge deadline is January 10, 2013.

About the Mabee Foundation

The physicians at Texas Oculoplastic Consultants encourage you to give to the Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. The new facility is scheduled to open in 2013. From left: Dr. Sean Blaydon, Dr. Tanuj Nakra, Dr. Todd Shepler, Dr. Natalie Stanciu, Dr. Russell Neuhaus and Dr. John Shore.

we wAnt You!

The Mabee Foundation was established in 1948 to assist religious, charitable and educational organizations in the Southwest. Since 1988, the Mabee Foundation has supported several Seton projects, including capital improvements at Seton Medical Center Austin, Seton Northwest Hospital and Dell Childrens Medical Center. The Seton Healthcare Family is grateful to the Mabee Foundation for its long-time support of the our mission.

f youre a physician in Central Texas, the physicians of Texas Oculoplastic Consultants challenge you and your practice to donate to the Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. The practice recently donated $25,000 to the center, which will open in 2013. They are challenging Senator Kirk Watsons 10 goals in 10 Years plan for Central texas
1. Build a medical school. 2. Build a modern teaching hospital. 3. Establish modern, uniquely Austin health clinics in our neighborhoods. 4. Develop laboratories and other facilities for public and private research. 5. Launch a new commercialization incubator. 6. Make Austin a center for comprehensive

their patients to match their donation and that challenge has been embraced. In April, TOC patients and friends took part in a silent auction at TOCs Toccre Spa. Proceeds from the event and other activities total more than $20,700. If you would like to take part in the challenge, contact Linda Lotz, director of development, at (512) 324-1942 or lslotz@seton.org.

cancer care.

7. 8. 9. 10.

Provide needed psychiatric care and facilities. Improve basic infrastructure, and create a sense of place. Bolster the medical examiners office. Solve the funding puzzle.

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Make Your Will Known

ts a rare opportunity to give a gift that lasts beyond your lifetime to care for others and to offer hope to those yet to be born. A gift through your will or estate plan is a simple way to make a significant and lasting gift to the Seton Family of Hospitals. If you would like more information on estate planning or need sample language for making a charitable bequest, please contact Bryan Rubio, senior director of development, at (512) 324-3302 or brubio@seton.org. If you have already put Seton in your estate plans or IRA, or listed Seton as an insurance beneficiary, please let us know. We would love to acknowledge your gift appropriately.

From Bethesda to Austin the journey of one of the nations leading medical investigators and how his teams research may change stroke care forever.
Steven Warach recently moved from Bethesda to Austin to serve as the founding executive director of the Seton/UT Southwestern Clinical Research Institute. He is an internationally renowned medical researcher who most recently served as senior investigator for the Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics Section of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institutes of Health. The new Clinical Research Institute will oversee growth and coordination of Seton-based clinical research activities. Question: You were a well-established academic with a great position at the National Institutes of Health, so why relocate to Austin? Dr. Warach: The reason I dropped everything to move here is because something really remarkable is happening here in health care in Central Texas. Senator Watsons 10 in 10 plan for health care was the deciding factor for me. [see page 5] What do you think is so remarkable about health care and research in Central Texas? All aspects of the communitymedical, business, university, philanthropic, politicalare attuned to the same purpose. It is clear to me that something great is going to happen here. There is a deep commitment to growing academic medicine in Central Texas and landing a medical school. What is your primary focus at the Clinical Research Institute? We plan to encourage and support those types of clinical investigators and research projects that will immediately improve the practice of health care in our community. Our focus will be translational research, also known as bench to bedside research. How does this type of research benefit the average Texan? Clinical research at the cutting edge introduces new technologies, new therapies, new diagnostics before they are available to the rest of the world. Thats ultimately the value of clinical research, improving the care in our community. Do you have any clinical research projects that you plan to launch soon? Yes. One of my research interests involves placing mobile stroke units in ambulances. These units include a CT scanner, blood lab and telemedicine/radiology needed to provide patients with the most effective stroke therapy in the field possible. This practice could save as much as an hour. With strokes, every minute counts.

To give To SeTon Through your Will, pleASe include ThiS lAnguAge:

i hereby direct $

(or

percent

of my residual estate) in cash, securities, or other property to the Seton fund. this gift shall be for the further benefit of [facility or program] and shall be used to [purpose].

mark Your CalendarS

OCTOBER 21 Seton Development Board Annual Gala New York Supper Club Entertainment by Steve Tyrell 7 p.m. Four Seasons Hotel Austin Gala Co-chairs: Terry Quinn and Mary Frances Schneider Proceeds benefit Sister Gertrude Levy Endowment, Nurse Scholarship Endowment and the Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. For sponsorships or more information, contact Allison Cook, acook@seton.org or (512) 324-3005 OCTOBER 27 The Fifty Annual Fundraiser Back in Brack 8 p.m. La Zona Rosa Proceeds benefit technology for complex care at University Medical Center Brackenridge. For sponsorships or more information, contact Sydney Townsend, sotownsend@seton.org or (512) 324-3394

Kids care-A-van

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through fewer emergency room visits and preventable hospitalizations, says Arie Dejong, Seton Highland Lakes administrator. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is matching all donations and proceeds from the gala, including sponsorships and ticket sales, up to $195,000. Raising the funds for this wonderful new Care-a-Van is one more shining example of the power of individual donors, community members, Seton associates, volunteers and foundations coming together, says Geneva

Dalton, president of the Horseshoe Bay Associates.

but wait

the kids still need you !

Highland Lakes kids and their parents need your support year-round to help operate the Care-a-Van. Your donationof any amountwill help nurse practitioner Chandra Irvin and her team care for kids. Please look for the enclosed envelope and give generously.

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Dream dare

DO

Generous Gifts benefit the seton family of hospitals

Only you can make it happen!

Seton plans a modern teaching hospital for Austin

Once a big idea, the dream of a modern teaching hospital affiliated with a medical school is now closer to reality than ever before. Recent major announcements are fueling great excitement about the future of health care in Central Texas. In late April, the Seton Healthcare Family pledged to replace University Medical Center Brackenridge with a new, modern teaching hospital. Philanthropy will play a pivotal role in this project. Less than two weeks later, The University of Texas System Board of Regents confirmed what some have dreamed of for years by passing a resolution to provide support to help fund a medical school in Austin. As a Seton supporter, you have the power to make things happen. Your generosity, loyalty and unwavering commitment to Central Texas are vital to establishing the new Brackenridge as the teaching hospital for our communitys future. Stay tuned for more information about how you can play a role in bringing better healthcare and lifesaving medical research to Central Texas. Scan this code to learn more. It wont happen without you.

Four Seasons Hotel Austin Manager Rob Hagelberg, right, presents a check to Kate Henderson, COO of University Medical Center Brackenridge. In the last year, Four Seasons Austin raised $58,000 for Shivers Cancer Center at UMCB through a variety of events, including special breakfast performances at the hotel during South by Southwest and Austin City Limits Festival; food and wine events in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October; and through sales of the best real estate in town during the holiday season with their annual Gingerbread Christmas Village.

Capital Medical Clinic was recently recognized for their donation to the Seton Nurse Scholarship Endowment. Pictured from left are Dr. James C. Marroquin, Angela Stalbaum, MSN, NE-BC, Dr. Sarah R. Daniels, Dr. Edith L. Lepgold, Dr. Chandima S. Dehipitiya, Dr. Tony R. Aventa, Dr. Adam J. Schneider, Sister Gertrude Levy, DC, Dr. Kenneth C. Kroll and Peter Hager.

Texas Oculoplastic Consultants recently presented a check for $25,000 for the new Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. From left, Dr. Natalie Stanciu, Marcia Levy, Dr. Todd Shepler, Dr. Tanuj Nakra, Dr. Russell Neuhaus, Susan Lubin, Kyle Landry, Dr. John Shore, and Dr. Sean Blaydon.

Lynn Vance, RN, BSN, right, accepts a check from Cross Country Staffing for the Seton Nurse Scholarship Endowment. Representing Cross Country are Liz Seaman, BSC, RN, left, and Beth Butler.

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Three Ways to Change a Life Today!

1 Make a donation using the enclosed envelope help kids who need the services of the Seton Highland Lakes Kids Care-a-Van and future patients of the new Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin. 2 Go to www.setonfund.org and make your donation online. While youre there, learn more about the exciting future of University Medical Center Brackenridge! 3 Contact The Seton Fund by calling (512) 324-1990 and learn about other important projects that help provide care for the poor and vulnerable in the many communities Seton serves.
Follow us on Facebook! To update your address, send an email to setonfund@setonfund.org, send a fax to (512) 324-1989, or call (512) 324-1990. The Seton Fund of The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul 1201 West 38th Street Austin, TX 78705-1056

Address Service Requested

Going to the Dogs: The Power of Pets

Avery
if you have a dog or cator any pet, really you know how much comfort they give when youre experiencing major stress or just not feeling well.

One of University Medical Center Brackenridges most popular therapists is Avery, a 148-pound Great Dane. You cant miss her when she strolls the halls of UMCB side-by-side with her handler, Janis Graef. Avery

makes a big impression and is a favorite of staff and patients alike. The nurses get so excited when Avery visits, says Janis. Her visits are a huge stress reliever. Graef is operations manager at the Clinical Education Center at UMCB. She started bringing Avery to visit staff in the ICU in 2009. Now, Graef aims for weekly visits and Avery spends time with patients, too. Patients love visiting with Avery, especially those who miss their own pets, she says. Science backs the power of pets. A study published in the medical journal Pain Medicine found that chronic pain patients who waited for outpatient appointments with a dog and its handler said they had less depression, less fatigue and lower mean pain scores compared to patients who decided to wait without the company. Researchers attribute the benefits to a drop in stress hormones and a boost in endorphin levels, effects that linger even after the dog has gone. Janis is no stranger to a patients need for pet therapy. She is a breast cancer survivor and board member

of Cancer Connection. Shed like to start bringing Avery to visit cancer patients at the Shivers Center and one day to the planned Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center Austin, opening in 2013. (Read more about the Breast Cancer Center on pp 4-5). It is so much fun to see the expression on peoples faces when they first meet Avery and the joy she brings when she walks down the halls of the hospital, says Janis.

Janis Graef, Avery and UMCB nurse Katie Carruth.

The Seton Fund Newsletter is published twice each year for donors and friends of The Seton Fund. The newsletter is compiled by the production team of Bridget Glaser, Amy Spiro and Buckmaster Design. Photography by Jim Lincoln and George Brainard. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome at bglaser@seton.org. For more information about supporting Seton through a gift to The Seton Fund, call (512) 324-1990 or visit www.setonfund.org.