A Message from the Board Chair
Life can change in an instant. I am an example of this. That's why I donate my time and my resources to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and Foundation.
Twelve years ago due to a severe multiple sclerosis (MS) attack, I was admitted to Sunnyview unable to walk and experiencing other difficulties with my speech and coordination. While MS is a highly variable disease, I walked out under my own power four weeks later due to the fantastic care of the dedicated team of doctors, nurses and therapists at Sunnyview. After that I was asked to become a member of the Board of Directors and now serve as the Chairman of the Foundation. It was easy to say "yes" after seeing, first hand, what a special place Sunnyview is.
As a not-for-profit hospital, Sunnyview is committed to providing top-notch rehabilitative care to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. Maintaining the high level of care is vital even in times of declining government and insurance payments. For that reason, we rely on the generous financial contributions of our friends like you who help us to improve the lives of people with disabilities and the lives of their families. Philanthropy has played a necessary role in enabling Sunnyview to create, enhance and sustain vital programs and services and purchase much-needed rehabilitation equipment that benefits our patients.
In the past year alone donations have helped us with the following:
- Purchasing the Wright Family Bioness H200 and L300 system. These non-invasive devices, based on functional electrical stimulation (FES) help people regain mobility and independence, and improve quality of life and productivity.
- Training therapists on the use of the Bioness system with funding made possible through the Roberts Scholar Award.
- Providing "Patient Needs Fund Scholarships" for services and programs at Sunnyview for those who cannot afford payment.
- Acquiring pressure mapping equipment used as a patient education tool to show wheelchair patients on a computer screen how body weight can alleviate undue pressure on specific areas of the body, thus helping to alleviate the risk for pressure sores and skin breakdown.
- Obtaining a state-of-the-art patient heart monitoring telemetry system which enables patients to move more freely throughout the hospital thereby allowing them to start the rehabilitation process faster.
Indeed these are tough economic times and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital needs your support more than ever. We understand that making a gift may be more difficult for you than in years past, but we hope you will do whatever you can to support our patients.
We are grateful for the kindness and generosity of those who make a gift to support the vital rehabilitation work that occurs at Sunnyview. Thank you for your support of Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and the Foundation. We cannot do the good work for our patients without your help!
Warm Regards,
Mark E. Boucher
Chairman