Dr. Joe Smith, 1946-2010

Dr. Joe Smith died Saturday.

Joe suffered much these past two years, a consequence of the accident that left him paralyzed in 2008. He was in and out of the hospital frequently, and it was easy to get discouraged. He acknowledges being discouraged -- and also being extremely grateful -- in his last, inspiring message. It was posted yesterday on the website of Syracuse Orthopedic Surgeons (SOS).

Joe was supported by a great family, especially his wife Carol, and his children. Carol cared unselfishly for Joe though all the difficulties. Joe was also supported by his friends, a loyal and steady tribe, many of whom have known him from childhood. They stayed in touch, visiting him, offering words of encouragement, helping the family.

When he retired as an orthopedic surgeon in 2005, Dr. Smith was a larger-than-life figure, having succeeded Dr. Bob Lockwood as Chair of Orthopedics. He was honored with an award from the Community General Foundation, and he served on the Community General Board of Directors.

After retirement, Joe loved to work in his garden. It was an avocation he shared with his father-in-law, about whom Joe always spoke with much affection and respect. Joe often brought a box of fresh vegetables when we met for lunch at Luigi’s Restaurant on Valley Drive. Luigi's was one of his favorite haunts.

Last January at the dedication of Community’s new Center for Orthopedics, speaker after speaker paid tribute to Joe, whose leadership helped shape orthopedic excellence at the hospital. Later that day, I gave a DVD copy of the dedication ceremony to State Senator John DeFrancisco, Joe’s high school classmate and lifelong friend. He took the disc with him when he visited Joe the following day. It was great that Joe was able to hear the words spoken in his honor and to see the new Center, “but it was very bittersweet to sit and watch it with him,” the Senator later told me.

“If you are reading or listening to this,” Joe writes in his final message, “I am no longer present in this world but hopefully moved on to a better spiritual place. I’d like to thank you, I’d like to thank everyone for their help and consideration and especially their love.”

Our thoughts are with you, Joe, and with Carol, your family and your friends.

Their good work in Tela

It's a wonderful thing that Dr. Tom Haher and Physician Assistant Steve Keib did recently. They both returned from a week of humanitarian work in Tela, Honduras.

Before they left, they stocked up on supplies and materials from Community, which were put to good use in helping care for children at Hospital Tela. The family income in Tela is only a few hundred dollars a month, and Dr. Haher has been part of a voluntary program to bring medical care to Tela for 15 years.

That's Dr. Haher kneeling in front of Community's logo with Steve Keib third from left. Both are part of Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists in Syracuse, NY.

And now, thanks for our sponsors

My thanks to the sponsors of the 25th annual Pro-Am Golf Tournament of the Community General Foundation:

IBEW NECA Local #43, Presenting Sponsor
Pepsi, Silver Anniversary Sponsor
Welch Allyn, Cart Sponsor
Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, Reception Sponsor
Crouse Radiology, Pro Sponsor

We couldn't do it without these sponsors.

The tourney will be Friday, June 5, at the Shenendoah Golf Club at the renowned Turning Stone Resort.

The tournament features two rounds of golf -- one in the morning, another in the afternoon. In the evening, the reception will be at the beautiful Shenendoah Clubhouse (shown below) with prizes awarded.

Each foursome plays a round of golf with a Central New York golf professional. The pro's are competing for a PGA prize. There are a handful of openings left.

Thank you, sponsors!

It will be fun

There are two things that distinguish the annual fund raiser to be held by the Community General Foundation next Friday, October 24, at the Hotel Syracuse. They are: it is a casual dress affair, and it is a darn good party.

That means you can wear jeans (the theme, after all, is “jeans and jewels”). It also means that any formalities will be short and sweet, allowing the evening to be enjoyed as a great party by all who attend.

There will be fine dining – the meals are catered by Pascale – and fine music, as provided by two Syracuse musical institutions: jazz vocalist Ronnie Leigh, along with R&B masters, the Blacklites. With talent like that, you know it will be fun! The photo shows the Blacklites at the 2007 gala - they will be back by popular demand.

The fun, of course, is for a very good cause. Proceeds from this year’s gala will help support Community General’s investment in state-of-the-art medical tools, such as the daVinci® System for robot-assisted surgeries, digital mammography at the Wellspring Breast Center, and the new pharmacy robot for virtually error-free medication dispensing.

The Foundation will take a moment to honor its three special guests:

▪ Steve Infanti will be honored for his years of service service to Community General Hospital. A member of the Hospital Board of Directors since 1999, Steve has served as its Chair since 2002. Before joining the hospital, he was a director of the Community General Foundation, where he also served as Chair.

▪ Being honored for service to community will be the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). ESF is the nation’s oldest (and largest) college dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technology and building a sustainable future. Under the leadership of Dr. Neil Murphy, ESF has been consistently ranked among the top American universities by US News & World Report.

▪ For medical excellence, the Foundation will honor Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS), a group of 21 orthopedic surgeons who are leaders bone and joint care in Central New York. With seven locations throughout the Syracuse area, SOS surgeons are known for responsive, high quality medical care. At Community General, the Orthopedic Department has 100% SOS members – because of their quality and leadership, Community's orthopedic services are ranked among the best in the state.

The gala is close to sold-out, but there are some tickets remaining. If you want to support a great cause (and enjoy a great party), contact the Community General Foundation at 492-5079.