Message from Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation's ED,
Christine Rontal
April, 2010
It’s a very exciting time to be a part of Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation (VGMF) as we continue to provide enduring support for Virginia Garcia through funding, public relations and the cultivation of community partners.
The new health care legislation is calling on community health centers to double the number of individuals being served from 18 million to 36 million. Virginia Garcia is well placed in the community to meet this need and has been implementing innovative programs such as Primary Care Renewal, electronic health records, behavioral and clinical pharmacy integration programs and Lean based management practices to strengthen its ability to respond to this call.
(Pictured at right, Christine Rontal and Dick Stenson, CEO and President of Tuality Healthcare and VGMF Board Member.)
VGMF’s fundraising focus this year is diverse as well as rewarding and includes the following programs: Padres con Initiativa, OB Dental, N2K Grow Our Own Nurses Program, Clinical Pharmacy, Behavioral Health Integration, Lean-based management implementation, Virginia Garcia brand implementation and continuing education opportunities for Virginia Garcia staff. VGMF will also have a strong focus on building our unrestricted assets to support Virginia Garcia.
We are looking forward to Uncorked, The Oregon Wine & Art Auction on July 10, 2010; National Health Center Week in August 2010; and our fundraising breakfast, Ambassadors of Hope, on October 7, 2010. This year, VGMF is also launching a program called VG Behind the Scenes that gives donors the opportunity to witness the work their funding enables. Stay tuned!
VGMF has grown this year to include grant writer, Erin Kane, and assistant development officer, Teresa Conroy. It gives me great joy to extend them a warm welcome to VGMF. The VGMF Board of Directors has also grown this year to 13 members. We are thrilled to have added seven members and are grateful for their expertise and energy. They include:
Eric Epperson, Estate of Alan James
Ann Glynn, Community Development Law Center
Daniel S. Jordan, Genentech
Laurinda Mackenzie, Healthcare Industry
Theresa Madden, DDS, PhD; Private Practice, Periodontics/Dental Implants
Charmin B. Shiely; Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
Dan Stevens, Providence Health Plans
I would like to thank Will Neuhauser for his nine year tenure on the VGMF Board of Directors. Will stepped down from the Board this year after guiding the Foundation from its inception to its present position. He will be greatly missed and on behalf of VGMF staff and Board members, we wish him well in his future endeavors.
It is shaping up to be a very exciting year at VGMF. Thank you to all of the donors and partners who enable Virginia Garcia to provide high quality, comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary health care to those with barriers to receiving care in Washington and Yamhill Counties.