Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/90939
Doubling Down on Robotic Surgery Friends of Sacred Heart Hospital helped purchase the hospital’s first robotic surgical console in December 2006. We were the first hospital in the region to bring this life-saving technology to the Chippewa Valley. Since then, Sacred Heart has acquired a second da Vinci® Surgical System console to expand the availability and application of robotic surgery. Today, surgeons at Sacred Heart can perform a wide variety of procedures robotically, including gynecologic, urologic, kidney, and ear, nose, and throat surgeries. September 2012 marked the 1,000th robotic surgery performed at Sacred Heart. “Robotic surgery is a great benefit for patients in our community because it allows for smaller incisions, fewer complications, and faster recoveries,” says Chris Tornehl, MD, Medical Director of Robotic Surgery at Sacred Heart. “We’re blessed to have two da Vinci suites available in a community hospital.” With a Little Help from Our Friends Friends of Sacred Heart Hospital was established nearly two decades ago to help fund new technologies and services at Sacred Heart for the benefit of all. What many people may not realize is that Friends of Sacred Heart Hospital receives a large portion of its funding through community support. It’s people like you who have allowed Sacred Heart to acquire some of the latest medical technologies that are available for every patient who comes through our doors. Gifts to Friends of Sacred Heart Hospital—both large and small—help provide our team of healthcare professionals with the tools and resources they need to offer the best care possible. From new equipment needs to specialized patient care programs, each gift helps fulfill the Hospital’s mission of providing high-quality healthcare services to everyone. 267 patients received $6.5 million in uncompensated surgical care (including Community Care) in Fiscal Year 2012 Since its establishment in 1983, Friends of Sacred Heart Hospital has raised millions of dollars in funding for Sacred Heart Hospital, including: $6.2 million for the Center for Advanced Surgery $1.5 million for the da Vinci® Surgical System More than $1 million for the establishment of the Monsignor Klimek Healing Presence Endowment. (To learn about the Klimek Endowment’s upcoming lecture series, see “Words of Hope” on page 9.)