PDF Physicians Invest in

Summer 2009

Associates Make Magic Happen

Campaign Gift Honors Parents

Physicians Invest in Le Bonheur

A Magazine for the Friends of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center

of the Matter

Meri Armour with Isabella Kessler and

Shawne Long

Dear Friends of Le Bonheur,

I can't think of a more exciting time in Le Bonheur's history than right now. In one year we will be celebrating the grand opening of our new hospital. The new 12-story Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center on the rise at the corner of Poplar and Dunlap will provide much-needed expansion space for our cuttingedge programs which are drawing patients from across the nation. While our appearance is changing, the heart of what we do will remain the same. We will always provide exceptional health care to every child, regardless of their parents' ability to pay. We are committed to patient- and family-centered philosophy of care, one that nurtures the family and respects the individual. We will maintain a high quality of coordinated care through safe, proven practices in a transparent, information-rich environment. And above all, we will build programs of distinction and contribute to the prevention, treatment and elimination of pediatric disease. The hospital that is now under construction is a tribute to community visionaries like you who embraced our mission. Your support was the first public sign of our progress toward becoming a national leader in children's health care. On pages 4 to 8, you will read about a very special group of donors who are dedicated and committed to help us provide the human resources, facilities, technology and training to support our mission. Nearly 100 area doctors have contributed to the Physicians' Campaign. They believe that giving back to the community where they live and earn a living will make a difference in the lives of their patients today and tomorrow. These doctors are a testament to the belief all of us share in our vision to make Le Bonheur an exceptional place for children to receive care. Again, thank you for supporting Le Bonheur. Together we're on a great road to doing great things, and we can only accomplish more as time goes on. Please continue to tell your friends and colleagues about all the wonderful things happening at the hospital now and in the months to come. You are the reason we are poised to become a national leader in children's health care and research. We couldn't do it without you.

With great enthusiasm,

Meri Armour, M.S.N., M.B.A. President and CEO Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center 2

Le Bonheur ? Summer 2009

Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors

David Stevens Chairman

Larry Spratlin Treasurer

Donna Abney Meri Armour Robert Baird Murray Beard

Ron Belz Larry Bryan Robert Buckman Mac Carrier Russell Chesney, M.D.

Wei Chen Jill Crocker James Eubanks, M.D. Debbi Fields-Rose Glenna Flautt Susan Graf Gary Henley Denise Henning Hampton Holcomb Gail Kimball Chip Knight Lynn Listes William May, M.D. Michael Pera Dominic Pileggi

Kim Pitts Richard Robinson

Bill Shopoff Richard Smith

Jean Tuggle Ronald Walter Steven Wishnia

Investing in

the Future

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Nearly 100 physicians have contributed

to the new Le Bonheur as their way of

giving back to the community.

Meri Armour, M.S.N., M.B.A. President and CEO

Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center

Kavanaugh Casey Director,

Le Bonheur Foundation

Kini Kedigh Plumlee Editor, Le Bonheur magazine

Le Bonheur Foundation

Amy Mathews Art Director

Larry Kuzniewski Photographer

Kuzniewski Productions

Kids Caring

for Kids

14

Vocal music students at

St. Agnes raise their voices

in support of Le Bonheur.

It's All About

the Kids

10

Le Bonheur patients can thank

Le Bonheur associates for their

new Room of Magic.

Scrapbook & Save the Date 16

Retirement, big wigs, a birthday and a 5K in Iraq raise funds for Le Bonheur.

Giving for the Next Generation 12

Nine grateful families become "fun"-raisers and vie for the title of Miracle Makers of the Year.

For the Love of Le Bonheur 18

Ellen Powell put her trust in Le Bonheur with a planned gift 20 years ago.



Le Bonheur, the magazine of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, is published three times a year for donors and friends of Le Bonheur Children's. To share your comments about Le Bonheur

magazine, please write to Le Bonheur Foundation, P.O.

Box 41817, Memphis, TN 38174-1817, call (901) 287-6797

or visit .

On the cover:

Dr. Mohandas Karkera with patient Libby Grace Brown and Dr. Robert Riikola with patient Kevon Morris

Le Bonheur magazine has been recognized with multiple awards from local, state, regional and national organizations for three consecutive years. In 2009, the magazine received a Prism Award from the Tennessee Society for Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations for best internal publication, a gold certificate for best in-house publication from the Healthcare Marketing Report and a Silver Aster Award from Marketing Healthcare Today. The magazine has also been recognized by the Association for Women in Communications with Clarion Awards in 2008 and 2007 for feature writing and best overall internal publication and by the Public Relations Society of America Memphis Chapter with a 2008 Vox Award for feature writing and best internal publication.

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Dr. Robert Riikola and Dr. Mohandas Karkera

Dr. Barry Gilmore

By Kini Kedigh Plumlee

Physicians Invest in Le Bonheur

When the new Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center opens in 2010, a multitude of donors will have the satisfaction of knowing that their gifts helped mold the future of Le Bonheur and the health care of millions of children from across the Mid-South and beyond. Among these donors are nearly 100 area physicians who have contributed to the capital campaign as individuals or through their medical groups. "Our physicians know the new hospital is going to be a truly incredible place, both for our patients and for all of us who work there," says Meri Armour, president and CEO of Le Bonheur Children's. Our physicians are partners in our mission and realize the value and impact of their gifts. "Past and future successes of Le Bonheur would not be possible without the caring and generous support of our physicians," Armour adds. "They are not only a part of Le Bonheur's history, they are also part of the region's history of health care. Other than the day the doors opened in 1952, I can't think of a more exciting time for Le Bonheur."

Groups Grant Generous Gifts

Two of the largest group gifts to the campaign were made by Pediatric Anesthesiologists and Memphis Children's Clinic, a pediatric group with six locations in the Memphis area. These gifts are part of the Physicians' Campaign, a component of the $100 million capital campaign to build the new $340 million, 255-bed Le Bonheur.

"It is appropriate for pediatricians to help build a facility and system at Le Bonheur that will serve the needs of children that we can all be proud of," says Dr. Robert Riikola, senior partner of Memphis Children's Clinic.

The nine doctors and 16 certified registered nurse anesthetists at Pediatric Anesthesiologists couldn't agree more. "Our group has had a long-standing association with Le Bonheur," says Dr. Mohandas Karkera, president of the group. "Many of us have been practicing as many as 30 years, so this is a way of giving back to the community where we live and earn a living."

When the Physicians' Campaign kicked off, gifts from Memphis Children's Clinic and Pediatric Anesthesiologists set the pace for future giving by area physicians.

"It is in our interest as community members and health-care providers to see Le Bonheur grow and thrive in this community," Karkera explains of their group gift. "We must be able to handle the increasing needs of the children in this area, because they are our future."

"To me it's a no-brainer," Riikola says about the contribution from Memphis Children's Clinic. "It's a positive for us and is another way of extending our professional lives. Having a facility that will be one of the best children's hospitals in the country will draw subspecialists who want to work at a top-notch facility. This will make Le Bonheur a better place for children to be and a better place for all of us to practice."

Over and Above Physicians have not only made gifts

within their group, they have also made individual contributions, regardless of the economy.

"In this economic climate, it is all the more important for us to support Le Bonheur, which serves the medical needs of children," Karkera says. "The economy

Le Bonheur ? Summer 2009

4

Drs. Russell and Joan Chesney

If you are a physician and would like to make a gift or pledge to the Physicians' Campaign,

call the Le Bonheur Foundation at (901) 287-5535 or e-mail gilmoree@.

will keep on changing, but health care for every child should not be compromised."

For those who may still be considering a gift to the Physicians' Campaign, it's not too late.

"Every group and individual must decide for themselves," Karkera says about contributing to the new hospital. "Every person has to give to an organization or institution which is aligned with his or her personal values. If you are in the medical field, you have an obligation and responsibility to give back to the institution where you work. Everyone cannot and will not give at the same level, but everyone at Le Bonheur has a responsibility to learn about the campaign and an obligation to participate in it."

A Privilege To Work Here For Dr. Barry Gilmore, who has been

an attending physician at Le Bonheur for 11 years, the ability to further the hospital's mission to be the leader in children's health care was a key reason he contributed to the campaign.

"Le Bonheur enables me to practice the type of medicine I love and to make a real

difference in patients' lives," Gilmore says. "It's a privilege to work here. Le Bonheur allows physicians to improve patients' lives, not just in Memphis but throughout the Mid-South area. It is dedicated to a collaborative relationship with its physician `family' in pursuit of true excellence in care."

Gilmore, medical director of emergency services for Le Bonheur, knows more than anyone how important the emergency department will be when the new facility opens in 2010.

"Le Bonheur's emergency department serves a five-state area that encompasses more than 34,000 square miles in some of the poorest counties in the U.S.," he notes, "making it one of the top 10 busiest pediatric emergency departments in the country. It serves as the primary referral source for all things pediatric in the MidSouth. We treat more than 1,100 major and minor traumas each month."

When the new emergency department opens, Gilmore says, it will expand to 65 beds with a doubling of trauma capacity, isolation areas and in-department radiology.

"This is our home," he adds. "Let's make it the place we love to call our own."

Focus on Values

Other physicians have chosen to make generous contributions to the Physicians' Campaign outside of their respective groups. Among them are Drs. Russell and Joan Chesney who have always supported higher education. With the building of the new Le Bonheur, however, they chose to make this their largest contribution given to any institution.

Russell Chesney, an internationally recognized investigator in pediatric clinical nephrology, is vice president of medical affairs at Le Bonheur. He also serves as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Joan Chesney is an infectious-disease specialist with UT Medical Group, Inc. and consults with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"Physicians are called upon to serve on committees, to be advocates for the hospital and address other hospital issues," Russell Chesney says. "Consequently, in most places, there is a philosophy of `I gave at the office.' Giving to Le Bonheur is not a matter of just making a gift to the hospital. It's making a gift for the future." PHYSICIANS continued on page 6 >>>



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