Borgess Gardens receives continued registration as Eden Alternative® Home

Posted on September 1, 2010 – 2:20 am
Filed under Achievements, Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice

Borgess Gardens has received continued registration as an Eden Alternative® Home. 

“The Eden Alternative philosophy is that aging should be a continued stage of development and growth, rather than a period of decline,” said Bart Carrel, Borgess Gardens Administrator.  “It is a powerful tool for improving quality of life for our Elders and for capturing a meaningful work life for our associates. 

“The Eden Alternative supports others in the creation of communities which eliminate the plagues of Loneliness, Helplessness, and Boredom,” he continued.  “These are plagues of the human spirit, not the human body, but they can be just as debilitating and just as deadly as any disease of the body.”

Borgess Gardens is a habitat for human beings rather than facilities for the frail and elderly.  It is a garden where people continue to grow and thrive.

Borgess Gardens offers specialized rehabilitation services.  Intensive therapy is used to build strength, improve coordination and agility, and restore confidence and independence in individuals requiring rehabilitation after illness, injury or a surgical procedure.  Call 269.226.8100 to learn more about these advanced services.

For more information about Borgess Gardens, please visit Borgess.com.

Buy Your Designer-Inspired Handbag

Posted on August 12, 2010 – 12:55 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess Volunteers, Events

Want to accessorize your wardrobe with a little more sparkle and shine?

At this Borgess volunteer-sponsored sale, you’ll find handbags and accessories — all at prices that will dazzle you. Best of all, you’ll lend your valuable support to Borgess Health programs and the purchase of important medical equipment.

Friday, August 27th, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Lawrence Education Center on the Borgess Medical Center Campus.

Cash, credit cards, checks and payroll deduction accepted.

Still in the “Green” After 19 Years – Borgess Golf for Health Tournament a Fundraising Success

Posted on July 29, 2010 – 7:09 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Borgess Volunteers, Events

With 108 golfers, the 19th Annual Borgess Golf for Health on July 19 raised money to help fund ongoing renovations to Borgess Medical Center’s Level I Emergency & Trauma Center. The Borgess Volunteers and Borgess Foundation presented the outing proceeds in a check for $27,000 to Dr. Steve Kujacznski, medical director, Borgess Emergency & Trauma Center.

“During my 20-year tenure at Borgess, the number of ER patients has grown to more than 50,000 a year,” said Steve Kujacznski, DO, medical director, Borgess Emergency & Trauma Center. “An important part of caring for ER patients is providing them with a quiet environment that affords confidentiality. Our renovated department will feature rooms that are more spacious, comfortable and private.”

The 2010 Borgess Golf for Health outing was successful due to support from businesses and individuals as sponsors and players.

“We sincerely appreciate the expertise provided by Gull Lake Country Club, and the generosity of our major sponsors, Premier Radiology, AVB Construction, Crothall Healthcare, Kalamazoo Emergency Associates and Neurosurgery of Kalamazoo, PC,” said Tony McDonnell, executive director, Borgess Foundation. “Everyone enjoyed a beautiful day of golfing and supported a very worthy cause–the enhancement of the Borgess Emergency & Trauma Center.”

“There are many reasons why more than 100 golfers like me participate in the Borgess Golf for Health outing every year,” said Joe Brogger, director, private sector employee benefits, Burnham & Flower Insurance Group, who has played in the event for more than 15 years. “The event runs like clockwork. The pro-clinic, onsite physical therapist and emergency personnel give the event a professional feel. Every detail is handled perfectly, and everyone is so friendly and genuinely pleased to have the support of all participants.”

Built to serve 42,000 patients annually, the Borgess Emergency & Trauma Center (ETC) was last renovated in 1975. Since the guarantee was implemented for patients to see a physician within 30 minutes of arrival, ETC annual volume has reached 57,000. The current ETC renovation will provide a more secure, comfortable healing environment for 1.2 million patients and their families who will utilize the ETC over the next decade.

In addition to knowing they will be seen by a physician within 30 minutes, patients have the assurance they are receiving care in a verified Level I Trauma Center, recognized for providing urgent, advanced, comprehensive care for the most severe illnesses and injuries.

2010 Borgess Golf for Health Key Results

  • First Place Team: Joe Brogger, Jr, Robert Benjamin, Robert Britigan and Gregory St. Arnold
  • Second Place Team: John Bakos, Jack Gesmundo, Joe Gesmundo and Daryl Rand, American Village Builders
  • Random Team Winners: Frederick Brown, Robert Brown, Sr., Craig DeNooyer and Terry Patterson, Treystar 
  • Longest Drive, Men: Thomas Merritt; Women: Susan McDonald
  • Closest to Line, Men: Robert Britigan; Women: Dina Ciaffone
  • Closest to Pin, Men: John Kittredge; Women: Linda Lawton
  • Longest Putt, Men: Craig DeNooyer; Women: Connie Learman

Borgess Volunteer Sponsored Jewelry Sale

Posted on July 6, 2010 – 5:02 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess Volunteers, Events

Want to give your wardrobe a little more sparkle and shine? At this volunteer-sponsored sale, you’ll find gold, silver and gemstone jewelry — all at prices that will dazzle you. Best of all, you’ll lend your valuable support to Borgess Health programs and the purchase of important medical equipment.

When: Friday, July 16th, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: Borgess Medical Center Campus, Lawrence Education Center, 123/124

Cash, credit cards, checks and payroll deduction accepted.

Golfers Still Needed for Lee Memorial Foundation’s Sixth-Annual Golf Outing

Posted on June 29, 2010 – 3:16 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Borgess-Lee

The Lee Memorial Foundation continues to seek golfers to participate in its sixth-annual golf outing on Friday, July 9.

This year’s scramble event will once again be held at Spruce Ridge Golf Club in Dowagiac. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Entry fee is $50 per person or $200 per team, and includes 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, bottled water, and the opportunity to win cash in the Buy a Square Contest, as well as win $10,000 in the Hole-In-One Contest (sponsored by Preferred Printing, Inc.).

Proceeds from the golf outing will benefit Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital by funding the purchase of an intravenous (IV) ultrasound unit. To sign up today, call 269.783.3083 or 269.783.3026.

19th Annual Borgess Golf for Health Monday – July 19, 2010

Posted on June 29, 2010 – 12:36 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Events

Your participation along with other community leaders, Borgess administrators, volunteers and Gull Lake Country Club, are the key reasons why the Borgess Golf for Health is a premier golf tournament.

This year your support will benefit the renovation and expansion of Borgess Medical Center Level I Emergency & Trauma Center. Read about Jonathan Pettigrew, a real patient success story.

As a golfer, you will have the opportunity to meet our extraordinary Borgess physicians and staff and learn about life saving activities at Borgess. Most of all, your participation will benefit your family and our community for many years to come.

Register for this enjoyable event today by calling (269) 226-8100.

Schedule of Events

Gull Lake Country Club, Richland, Michigan

10 a.m. Registration Opens

10 a.m. Free Golf Clinics with Area Pros

Noon Shot-Gun Start

5 p.m. Dinner

 The Borgess Volunteers will be selling 50/50 Ball Drop Raffle tickets, 11 am-1 pm, Wednesday, June 30, Thursday, July 8, Friday, July 9, Thursday, July 15 and Friday, July 16. Tickets are also available by calling (269) 269.8100 or (269) 226.4882.

Currently, we are seeking sponsors for this event, which are an important part of our success. Contact Pam Mckenzie at (269) 226.8100 or pammckenzie@borgess.com, to become a sponsor today.

Match Day Event Location Change

Posted on June 23, 2010 – 12:55 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice, Events

Due to the possibility of severe weather, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s Match Day event, originally planned for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today in Bronson Park, has been relocated to the Kalamazoo Room of the Radisson Plaza Hotel at 100 West Michigan Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo. We hope you will join us to make a donation to Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice, helping provide comfort and quality home care to our community.

Remember, the Community Foundation will match each dollar donated with 50 cents that will be available for the organization to which you donate to use immediately.

For questions, please contact Mike Ankley at (269) 343.1396 or visit homehealth.borgess.com.

Borgess-Pipp Hospital Honors Kay Pierce at Community Open House

Posted on June 22, 2010 – 7:23 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess-Pipp

Photo Caption: (left to right) Dr. Terry Baxter, chief medical officer, Borgess Medical Center, and Tony McDonnell, executive director, Borgess Foundation, unveil Kay Pierce’s portrait.

With about 300 staff and community members looking on, Borgess-Pipp Hospital unveiled a special portrait of Kay Pierce at an open house on Thursday, May 20.

The open house celebrated the remarkable gift Pierce left behind to help sustain the hospital she supported and loved. “We were blessed by Kay’s generosity, as well as the confidence she placed both in our hospital and the community she embraced her entire life,” said John Ryder, administrator, Borgess-Pipp Hospital. “Thanks to her extraordinary vision and $2 million gift, a renewal of our hospital’s spirit and atmosphere has been realized.”

Enhancements made to the hospital as a result of Pierce’s gift include:

  • Main floor hallway renovations
  • Inpatient room renovations
  • New nurse’s station
  • Main waiting room renovation
  • Laboratory blood draw area
  • Powered ambulance cots
  • Laboratory chemistry and hematology analyzers
  • Two bariatric specialty beds
  • Outpatient rehabilitation gym expansion and department renovation
  • Dual-head computed tomography (CT) scan contrast injector
  • Portable ultrasound system for emergency department

Along with Pierce’s portrait unveiling, the free open house also offered guests tours and refreshments.  

About Kay Pierce

Kay Pierce’s connection to Borgess-Pipp Hospital was woven into the fabric of her life.

When she passed away on March 2, 2009, the 90-year-old resident left her entire estate worth more than $2 million to the Borgess Foundation to be used exclusively for providing improvements and acquiring new equipment at Borgess-Pipp Hospital.

Pierce was the daughter of Dr. Willard “Bob” Vaughn, one of the founders of modern health care in Plainwell. Vaughn was a respected family practitioner who helped organize William Crispe Community Hospital, the precursor to Borgess-Pipp Hospital.

A 1935 graduate from Plainwell High School, Pierce enrolled in Hollins University in Virginia and then Tulane University in New Orleans. Kay and her husband, Donald, were happily married for 26 years until his death in 2000. Donald, who ran his family’s insurance business in Plainwell, was also active on the Crispe Hospital Board.

Described as gracious, caring and friendly by many who knew her, Pierce’s trademark saying was “Laughter is the best medicine.”  From her commitment to volunteering to serving as a trustee for over 20 years, Pierce’s dedication to Borgess-Pipp Hospital was loving and lifelong.

About Borgess-Pipp Hospital

Borgess-Pipp Hospital delivers comprehensive health services to Plainwell, Otsego and surrounding communities, from laboratory and diagnostic imaging to long-term acute and “no wait” emergency care. A member of Borgess Health, the largest health care provider in southwest Michigan, Borgess-Pipp Hospital also has the resources to offer specialized, nationally recognized medicine.

Match Day is Only a Day Away

Posted on June 22, 2010 – 3:01 pm
Filed under Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Events

Match Day is Only a Day Away – Support Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice

For one day only, June 23 at Bronson Park between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., The Kalamazoo Community Foundation will match every dollar donated to Borgess Visiting Nurse & Hospice by 50 cents.

The Kalamazoo Community Foundation is celebrating its 85th birthday and giving back to the community through Match Day.

Here’s all you have to do:

  • Fill out this form and present it along with your gift at the stage.  Forms will also be available at the event. Cash, check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) are accepted.
    Please make check payable to Kalamazoo Community Foundation.
  • If you are not able to make your gift in person, you may send someone else in your place. Please know the Community Foundation can only issue one receipt per donor (groups of checks/credit card donations will not be accepted; you cannot give a check on behalf of someone else, then give a donation of your own; online donations will not be matched).
  • Your donation will be matched 50 cents on the dollar until the $170,000 in matching funds are exhausted.
  • The maximum match per family is $1,000 (for a $2,000 gift).  Gifts over $2,000 will be accepted, but they will not generate a larger match.
  • Use the Michigan State Tax Credit to maximize your donation!  Your donation of $400 could mean $600 but only an effective cost of under $200 to you!
    Learn more about the tax credit here.
  • Donations will still be accepted after the matching funds are gone, but they will not be matched.

Your support will help Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice continue to serve all who need compassionate care and comfort within the community.

For more information on Match Day, visit kalfound.org or call Mike Ankley at (269) 343.1396.

Borgess Foundation receives March of Dimes Grant to support Borgess Women’s Health CenteringPregnancy® Program

Posted on May 18, 2010 – 1:31 pm
Filed under Achievements, Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Innovation, Women's Health

The March of Dimes Michigan Chapter has awarded the Borgess Foundation a $25,000 Chapter Community Grant for use in supporting the Borgess Women’s Health CenteringPregnancy® program.

“We are honored to receive the support of the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health,” said Megan Deibel, CNM, Borgess Women’s Health. “The focus of the CenteringPregnancy program is threefold: assessment, education and support. Each woman learns to effectively monitor her well-being and the well-being of her baby. Participants take ownership of their experience during their prenatal care, which helps build confidence in parenting.”

Only 10 projects, including the CenteringPregnancy program at Borgess Women’s Health, received funding via the March of Dimes Michigan Chapter Community Grant. With the award, Borgess Women’s Health hopes to achieve the following objectives/outcomes by the end of 2010:

  • Receive official site approval for the CenteringPregnancy program by the Centering Healthcare Institute
  • Realize a prematurity rate of less than or equal to 10 percent (for program participants)
  • Help 86 percent of program participants initiate breastfeeding and 50 percent of program participants continue breastfeeding through their six-week postpartum follow-up visit

 In a group setting, the CenteringPregnancy program gives those expecting added time, attention and guidance. Along with receiving prenatal checkups and care in groups, women also spend additional time with their health care provider and other expecting mothers, giving them greater opportunity to learn more about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.

“A key benefit of this program is that women form relationships with other expectant moms,” Deibel said. “Research has shown that CenteringPregnancy decreases preterm birth and low-birth weight babies, because participants empower themselves to make better health decisions.”

For more on the CenteringPregnancy program or the complete gynecologic and obstetric care available at Borgess Women’s Health, visit women.borgess.com.