Towsley Tourney Turns $150,000

When the sun set on Friday's Towsley Pro-Am Tournament, the Community General Foundation had raised more than $150,000. The photo by Dan Cameron shows the sun as it appeared over the first hole at the Shenedoah Golf Course at the Turning Stone Resort, where the event was held to honor the memory of Bill Towsley, the well-known business manager of IBEW Local 43. Bill died last year, following a battle with cancer.

This was the Foundation's 27th annual pro-amateur golf tournament, but it was the first named for Bill. I had the privilege of meeting with Bill's family when they joined us at the awards dinner at the end of the day. That's Ken (who also played in the tourney), along with Tracy, Jen and Bill in the photo, at left.

IBEW 43/ NECA was the Presenting Sponsor for the tourney, which was supported by IBEW chapters from across the state, including Long Island, Westchester, and Rochester.

My special thanks for the successful to the Central New York PGA and its Executive Director Al Seamans. The character of this tournament day comes in large part from the unique chemistry that results when area golf pros are teamed with foursomes as they play a challenging course.

Thank you, Greg Cohen and Rock Shirtz, the Co-Chairs for the Foundation's golf committee. Thanks also to Scott Matukas, Board Chair, and to the entire Community General Foundation board.

I'd like to acknowledge TK99's Gomez and Dave, who provided MC services (and they play well too).

This was another successful golf tournament due to the thorough preparation and attention to detail by John Zacharek, Community's VP of External Affairs, along with Gillian Ottman, Amy Gulotta, and a host of tourney volunteers. My thanks to all!

Wow, Fall Harvest Gala tops $300,000

The photo shows the lobby of the Hotel Syracuse yesterday evening. That's the logo of Community General Hospital, as ice sculpture, in the center. The occasion was the Community General Foundation's Fall Harvest Gala where three individuals and organizations were recognized for their service to community.

Dr. David Halleran (in photo below, at right) was honored for his service to Community General Hospital and its Medical Staff. Specifically cited were his work as a surgeon, his humanity in caring for patients, and his focus on collaboration as a physician leader.

Also recognized was Onondaga Community College and its President Dr. Debbie Sydow (third from right) for the excellence of OCC's School of Nursing and its important role in our community.

Saluted for corporate citizenship was Excellus BlueCross BlueShield of Central New York, which has long supported health education, health planning, and quality improvement initiatives within the community. Receiving the accolade for Excellus was Dr. Arthur Vercillo, Regional President (fourth from left).

A special gift of $56,000 was presented by the Auxiliary to Community General Hospital by its President. John Stafford (at left).

With the Auxiliary, the Foundation raised $302,000!

I sincerely thank all who made the 2010 Gala such a success:

Diamond Sponsor

IBEW/ NECA

Platium Sponsors

Laboratory Alliance of CNY LLC

Pepsi

Gold Sponsors

Advanced OB-GYN

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

Excellus

Upstate Medical University

Welch Allyn

Silver Sponsors

Colon Rectal Associates

ConMed Corporation

Crouse Radio9logy Associates

Dr. David Halleran

Onondaga Hill Pathology

Practice Resources LLC & FamilyCare Medical Group PC

Realty USA

Rural Metro medical Services

Dr. & Mrs. Edward Schoenheit

SOS Syracuse Orthopedic Specialoists

Visual technologies

Also much appreciated were the many Bronze, Copper, and Patron Sponsors, along with individual donors. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! Thanks also to Foundation Chair Scott Matukas, Byrne Dairy (second from left), and Gala Committee co-chairs Rebecca Norr-Hartman, Welch Allyn (third from left) and Mark Re, RealtyUSA (second from right).

Medicare's "flawed formula"

Dr. David Page recently had a call-to-arms message in the Post-Standard. He spoke about a pending 30% cut in payments doctors receive for taking care of Medicare patients. Here are excerpts from Dr. Page's letter-to-the-editor.

America’s 46 million elderly and disabled patients, as well as military families, are at the center of what once was a yearly battle to preserve their access to health care. This year, that struggle became a quarterly — and at times a monthly — skirmish that has damaged Medicare’s credibility among patients and their doctors.

At the core of this struggle is a flawed formula that controls what Medicare pays physicians for the care of elderly and disabled patients.

* * *

By law, the formula required Medicare to slash physician payment by more than 21 percent this year. Congress knew such a cut would devastate elderly and disabled patients’ access to health care. So legislators have stumbled through this year — at first delaying the pay cut for a few weeks, then allowing the cut to take effect for a few weeks, then stepping in to pass a temporary, retroactive pay fix, then allowing the cut to take effect again before passing a second, temporary, retroactive fix.

This latest fix — without another Congressional intervention — will end Nov. 30. Worse, physicians will face a 30 percent pay cut next year.

This unrelenting threat is destabilizing the Medicare system for patients whose doctors — particularly primary care doctors — work in small- and medium-sized practices, often in underserved areas and with small or no operating margins.

* * *

No other sector of the health care system is routinely subjected to this variability and uncertainty. It’s time to end the month-to-month uncertainty that undermines patients’ confidence in Medicare and disrupts physicians’ ability to provide ongoing care. It’s time to infuse some stability into a system on which more than 46 million Americans depend.

Dr. Page is a family physician who practices in Camillus, NY. A long time member of the Medical Staff at Community General Hospital, he serves on the hospital's Board of Directors. He is President of the FamilyCare Medical Group, PC, which was honored last year by the Community General Foundation. Dr. Page is Vice President of the Onondaga County Medical Society.

Foundation gala raised $310,000

There were more than 600 guests at last week's "Jeans and Jewels" Gala at the Hotel Syracuse -- all in support of the Community General Foundation.

The Gala raised more than $310,000 for Community General Hospital, making it the most successful such event in the Foundation’s history. That amount includes the generous $50,000 gift from the Auxiliary to Community General Hospital.

That's Auxiliary President Dottie DeSimone dancing with husband Jeffrey DeSimone, MD, a general and bariatric surgeon.

My special thanks to the 2009 Gala Committee and its co-chairs Jim Barger, Key Bank senior vice president (at left, in photo), and Mark Re, vice president and general manager of Gallinger RealtyUSA (at right). Through their committee's hard work, more than 60 companies, event patrons and donors helped the Foundation achieve its record-setting results.

Leadership sponsors for the 2009 Gala included the Community General Hospital Medical Staff; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #43; the Laboratory Alliance of Central New York; the Pepsi Bottling Group; Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC; and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Honored at the Gala were the FamilyCare Medical Group, PC; Burns Bros.; along with three former hospital board members: William Burrows, Donald Dew, and John Morrissey, Jr.

It was a great evening as guests, who combined evening attire with blue jeans, enjoyed Pascale’s Catering and three choices of bands: Prime Time, the DeSantis Band and Andrea Miceli Trio.

As one party-goer commented, "This event makes a prestigious affair feel like a fun of a night with friends."

The honorees

The Community General Foundation will bestow special honors October 23 at its annual gala at the Hotel Syracuse.

Honored for its service to community will be Burns Brothers, represented by its President and CEO, David Burns (at left).

For medical service to community, the FamilyCare Medical Group, PC, will be honored, represented by its President & CEO, David Page, M.D. (at right).

Recognized for their service to Community General Hospital will be three past members of the Board: William Burrows, a retired partner from Bond Schoeneck & King, LLP (top photo, in the series, below) ; Donald Dew, Sr., past President & CEO of Diemolding Corporation (middle, series); and John "Jack" Morrissey, a retired partner from Mackenzie Hughes, LLP (bottom, series).

With corporate offices in Syracuse, Burns Brothers provides industrial piping services, including plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems throughout the northeast. The company was founded in 1901 as a family business, and today its companies include Burns Bros. Contractors, Inc. (mechanical construction), Burns Cascade (industrial supplier of pipe, valves, fittings, and control and instrumentation products), and Burns Bros. Fabrication/Modular Systems. Burns Brothers has been a generous donor to Community General Hospital.

Founded in 1994 as a merger of eight small practices, FamilyCare is today the largest primary care medical group in Central New York with some 60 physicians, plus mid-level practitioners, practicing throughout Central New York. Among its diversified services, Practices Resources, LLC, is the group's wholly-owned subsidiary, offering billing and management services to dozens of independent medical practices throughout Upstate New York.

The past hospital directors served during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Mr. Burrows was a hospital director from 1974 -1984, an officer from 1985 – 1998, and a director of an affiliated company from 1998- 2005. Mr. Dew completed three full terms as a director from 1987 - 1996. Mr. Morrissey served as a director from 1981-1987, was an officer in 1988-1989, and served additional terms as a director from 1989- 1997.

The three directors have a combined service to Community General Hospital of 56 years!

Congratulations to all.

Upcoming events

Jeans and Jewels Gala

The fall gala will be Friday, October 23, 2009 at the at Hotel Syracuse.

For more information, including ticket and sponsorship information, visit Community's website.

Auxiliary Wine and Wildlife

This new wine tasting event will be Friday, November 20, 2009 at Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

For more information, including ticket and sponsorship information, visit Community's website.

Today's photo on the blog

Part of the fun is the banter.

I bantered a lot yesterday on the first hole at the Shenendoah Golf Course at Turning Stone Resort during the 25th annual Pro-Am Golf Tournament of the Community General Foundation. It turned out to be the Foundation's most successful tourney ever, netting some $110,000.

That makes it one of the top charity golf events -- if not the top -- in Central New York. And in this tough economic environment, that's saying something.

The tourney's success comes from great supporters of Community General Hospital -- the doctors, the businesses, and the individuals. It comes from a great Foundation Board, chaired by Scott Matukas; from great team participants and professional golfers; and from a great staff lead by Community's John Zacharek, Vice President - External Affairs.

Each foursome was paired with a Central New York PGA member. That means the amateurs played alongside pros with the interplay adding real value for the players during their five or six hours on an excellent course.

So there I was at the first hole, thanking all the players, making sure they got a gift memento of the day, and watching as team photos were taken. The picture-taking, as you may imagine, generated a fair amount of good-natured ribbing. Some exaggerated their golf accomplishments, some teased about shots-gone-horribly-wrong, and a few playfully lied about their names to Dan Cameron, who was snapping the pictures.

When David Northrup of Team Merrill Lynch challenged me to put the photo in Community's main lobby, I told him I wouldn't promise the lobby but he shouldn't be surprised to find the team on the web Saturday morning.

That's David, on the left, with his teammates Frank Pfau, Richard Neal, and John Redmond. They finished 10 under par in best-ball competition. In the center is PGA member Rob Phelps of the Onondaga Golf & Country Club. At two under, he tied for second place among PGA players yesterday afternoon.

The CNY PGA site has results of the morning flight for amateurs and pros, as well as the afternoon amateur and pro scores.

Thank you, everyone, for supporting a great cause on a great day.

Gala showcases our own "ER"

Click on the video to see Community General Hospital's homage to the opening credits of the popular NBC television show ER. The homage is the attention-getting start of a short video that was shown last evening at the annual gala of the Community General Foundation. (The video is also available at this YouTube link.)

The video highlights advanced technology at Community, which is acquired with the help of charitable contributions. The video shows more than technology -- it shows the way technology affects individual lives. Two recent patients at Community describe their experiences. It's quite poignant. My thanks to Andrea and Vinny for allowing us to hear their stories.

Shown in the video are the daVinci S Surgical System for robot-assisted surgery, the "RxD2" pharmacy robot, Community's PACS (Picture Archival Communications System), and the new digital mammography equipment at the Wellspring Breast Center.

Thanks to those attending yesterday's gala, the Foundation raised $300,000!

The evening was a success because of the hard work of many people. I'd like to thank master-of-ceremonies Scott Matukas, Chair, and the entire Board of the Community General Foundation. Thanks especially to Board members (and Gala Committee Co-Chairs) Jim Barger of Key Bank and Mark Re of Gallinger Realty USA. I am grateful to Dottie DeSimone, Auxiliary President, and to the Board and members of the Auxiliary to Community General Hospital -- they sponsored the silent auction at the gala. I'd also like to acknowledge the hard work of John Zacharek and his team in Community's External Affairs Division for their organization, their attention to detail, and their follow-through.

One more word about the ER-like opening sequence. All the "stars" identified in the sequence are real physicians, stars in their professional lives at Community General Hospital.

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.

Diamonds & Denim

Last Friday evening the Community General Foundation held its annual, informal gala at the OnCenter in Syracuse with the theme “Diamonds & Denim.” The nearly 600 in attendance contributed some $189,000 to the fundraiser.

In his opening remarks Gala Committee Co-chair Mark Re, Vice President & General Manager of Gallinger RealtyUSA, said:

The “denim” is a symbol of people who roll up their sleeves and work to make a difference. The “diamonds” symbolize people who sparkle with accomplishment.

Honors were awarded for special accomplishments to the medical profession, to the community, and to Community General Hospital. The photo shows, from left, Mark Re, Dr. Drew Merritt (one of those honored ), and me.

The proceeds from Diamonds & Denim will help CGH upgrade its medical technology, including:

▪ New high-definition video equipment to improve the ability of surgeons to peer inside the body as they operate with miniature surgical tools that reduce injury and speed patient recovery;

▪ An upgraded, multi-slice CT (computerized tomography) scanner that brings faster and new imaging tests to our patients; and

▪ A state-of-the-art computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system using patient safety features available at only about ten percent of the nation’s hospitals.

The multislice CT is already in use. The high-definition video will be in place before year-end, and physicians will begin to use the new CPOE system in 2008.

We do not take for granted the support of donors to the Foundation. Thank you for your support, which directly benefits the patients of Community General Hospital.

My special thanks to Steve Johnson, Chair of the Foundation; to Gala Committee Co-chairs, Mark Re and Kim Dynka; to the Auxiliary for organizing the charity auction – and to all the volunteers who made it a fun night!

An image of beauty and peace

Tom Watson is a photographer from Skaneateles, NY, who uses satellite image technology to take beautiful, sweeping panoramic photographs. A few months ago, he spent time in Community General Hospital when a loved one was hospitalized here, and he noticed a poster of an Ansel Adams photograph on Four North, across from room 456.

As Mr. Watson explained to me:

My wife, Sue, and I spent the afternoon at the beginning of my career with Ansel Adams and his wife, Virginia. His work has inspired me, his books have taught me and if he were alive today, I believe he would be working in the same (digital) technology that I do now.

Mr. Watson has donated one of his own digital photographs to the Four North waiting area, across from the public elevators. “I hope that it will also bring comfort to others attending their loved ones at CGH,” he said.

On my rounds this morning, I visited Four North and studied Mr. Watson’s five-by-two-foot print of Hesperis Matronalis,[1] shown above. When the illumination is complete and a plaque in place, we will have a small ceremony to acknowledge Mr. Watson’s generosity.

I am no expert on photography, but I know that Ansel Adams was remarkable as an artist, not just for his eye, which captured the grandeur of nature, but for his technique, which combined in a single photograph richly evocative shadows and brilliant highlights.

“We have digital image tools that Mr. Adams never imagined, but would wholeheartedly embrace. He was an artist and a technician,” explains Tom Watson in IATH Best Practices Guide to Digital Panoramic Photography[2]

Mr. Watson uses those digital tools to create his own detail-rich photos that capture the dynamics of light, dark, and color. When you are on Four North, take a moment to study the texture of the tree bark in Mr. Watson’s photograph. Then examine the colors of the lilacs, the sunlight on the tree leaves, and the shadows of the woods.

A smaller, signed print of Hesperis Matronalis is being offered as a premium gift to all who make donations of $250 or more in this fall’s Circle of Friends campaign, being conducted by the Community General Foundation. Other examples of Mr. Watson’s high-definition digital images may be seen in articles about him in Wired and AIArchitect.

Thank you, Tom Watson, for the gift of your art, which brings to our clinical world an image of beauty and peace.

- - - -

[1] Tom Watson explains: “This photograph, Hesperis Matronalis, represents 4 trips and 8 hours standing behind the camera waiting for the optimum conditions. I produced at least 20 different image files to then narrow my selection to this one image. This continuous panorama (no stitching) could only be produced with a view camera and a scanning, 144 mega pixel digital back.”

[2] In IATH Best Practices Guide to Digital Panoramic Photography, see section 2.5 and find the text written by Tom Watson. Go to Figure 6, a panoramic view of the Academical Village at the University of Virginia. By repeatedly clicking on the image, you zoom in to discover the many people present, each one very much an individual.