Planned Giving
Sutter Davis Hospital Foundation
Meet Our Donors
We thank all our planned-gift donors for their generous support. Here are some of their stories.
David and Stephanie Jones
College sweethearts David and Stephanie Jones may be retired from the workforce, but their lives are full and busy - just the way they like it. David enjoys building model ships, running and gardening, and gives his time to BloodSource, the California State Railroad Museum and The Nature Conservancy. At 73 years young, Stephanie volunteers with the California History Museum and many other local organizations, and stays active with water aerobics, yoga and senior fitness classes.
When Stephanie faced breast cancer, she turned to the dedicated team at Sutter Cancer Center for care. "I owe my life to the wonderful physicians, nurses and other staff who cared for me during my treatment. Their professionalism was amazing," comments Stephanie.
Stephanie is now a 10-year breast cancer survivor and David has also received care from Sutter. Like many grateful patients, the Joneses believe in giving back and now support Sutter with annual gifts. "We're not swimming in wealth, but we decided when we had the means, we would give."
Stephanie also drew inspiration from the philanthropic spirit of Dave Lucchetti, one of Stephanie's former high school students. President and CEO of Pacific Coast Building Products, Dave and members of the Anderson Lucchetti family made an unprecedented $18 million contribution to Sutter Health to help construct the Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center on Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento's midtown campus.
"Philanthropy benefits the entire community," says Stephanie. "I want other people to have the advantages that I had when I underwent my breast cancer treatment. David and I get so much more back than we give."
After being "sidetracked" by an angioplasty and three vascular surgeries last spring, Stephanie is once again living life to the fullest. "There is a reason for everything," says Stephanie of the health challenges she has overcome. "I've met so many wonderful people during my care at Sutter."
Frandi Keeler
Frandi Keeler has experienced her share of loss over the years with the passing of her daughter, husband, father and mother. But the soft-spoken, vibrant 80-year-old refuses to let life get her down.
"I try to reflect and remember the good things," says Frandi. "I remind myself that it's OK to let go."
With her only son, David, and grandson in Modesto, Frandi no longer has close family in her North Bay community of Rohnert Park, but she keeps herself plenty busy. She joined a local dance troupe, the Kitchen Kut-Ups in 1986, and performs regularly in shows around her community. Frandi is also a long-time elementary school classroom volunteer, providing individualized reading help and assisting with other projects.
The program that is nearest to her heart is Sutter Care at Home, which enables patients to recover or live with illness in the comfort and familiarity of home, surrounded by the people and things they love. Frandi turned to hospice for both her husband and mother, crediting the caring staff for helping her through two difficult periods.
"I was very devastated when my husband had cancer," says Frandi. "Hospice fulfilled all of our needs and provided compassionate care. I felt very connected to the program and knew I wanted to be a part of it."
That opportunity came shortly after Frandi's husband passed away in 1991. Frandi saw a newspaper advertisement seeking volunteers for a new hospice thrift store that Sutter had just opened in Rohnert Park. A not-for-profit shop that supports home health and hospice services, Sutter Care at Home Thrift Store welcomed Frandi as its first volunteer.
Frandi worked at the shop for more than a decade and now supports Sutter Health with annual gifts. She has also named Sutter Care at Home in her estate plan.
"It's important to me to give back to the people who cared for my loved ones," comments Frandi. "Sutter's hospice program provides a valuable service to our community."
James Carman
As a lifelong resident of the foothills community of Auburn, James Carman lived in only two homes in his lifetime situated a mere half-mile apart. Growing up in the tight-knit city, Jim understood the vital role Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital plays in preserving the health and well being of the community.
Jim expressed gratitude for the top-notch care his mother received for diabetes and heart failure and recalled one nurse in particular who was especially outstanding. "My mom's veins were difficult to find, making it hard to administer medications and IV fluids. This nurse had a gentle touch and could always find a vein," said Jim.
Jim was a member of the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Guild and volunteered regularly at the hospital. An electrician by trade, he enjoyed utilizing his skills to benefit others. Jim volunteered in the hospital's maintenance department, rebuilding the patient room television system and installing low energy light bulbs in exit signs throughout the building. He also set up Lifeline units in patients' homes and taught them how to use the equipment.
In addition to his volunteer work, Jim made a donation to support the hospital's $19 million expansion, which privatized all patient rooms, and will upgrade four operating rooms. The project will bring in state-of-the-art equipment that will allow surgeons, nurses and staff to deliver safer and more efficient patient care.
"Sutter Health is a not-for-profit organization. It's important to me to support Sutter so that it can continue to serve patients with the highest quality care possible," stated Jim.
As a long-time supporter of Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, Jim was also part of the Legacy Society. His passing in 2012 will provide Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital with close to $500,000 to continue to upgrade equipment and programs to better serve the community. Jim is missed by those who knew him, but his memory lives on through his generosity.
*James Carmen passed away in September 2012
Wayne Manning
Wayne Manning's career as a minister has taken him and his wife, Janet, all over the country. When an opportunity arose for the couple to become co-ministers at a church in Auburn, they jumped at the opportunity to relocate to the scenic area.
Now retired from the ministry, Wayne conducts web-based training for people studying to become life coaches. The Mannings wouldn't trade the quality of life in Auburn for anything. "Auburn is a beautiful area and we have access to a great hospital and health care services," says Janet. "We love living here."
The Mannings have established deep roots in the community over the years. Wayne is a long-time member of the Auburn Rotary and the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, where he currently serves as president. Through his Rotary Club involvement, Wayne met Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital CEO Mitch Hanna, as well as several members of the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Foundation board. Mitch's commitment to providing high quality, affordable care to the community made a big impression on Wayne.
The Mannings began supporting Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital with the belief that a healthy community must have strong local services. Wayne says their charitable gift annuity makes fiscal sense for them, as it allowed the couple to make a gift in support of the hospital's programs and services and receive a fixed income in return.
"Our gift does as much good for the hospital as it does for me," emphasizes Wayne. "Our support is a demonstration that it doesn't take millions from one person; it takes a little from a lot of us."
Wendy Wood-Kjelvik
As a longtime Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento nurse leader, Wendy Wood-Kjelvik saw first-hand the impact philanthropy makes on bringing the latest medical advances to patients. Personally, Wendy and her husband, Norman Kjelvik, turned to Sutter when Norman faced some health problems in his final years of life.
Wendy met Norman on the job, where he worked as Sutter Memorial Hospital's Director of Plant Operations for 37 years. When Norman began experiencing some difficult-to-diagnose neurological problems, Sutter Neuroscience Institute provided advanced diagnosis and treatment. "Norman's doctors and other members of the health care team orchestrated compassionate and innovative care," says Wendy. "They were outstanding."
The excellent care that Norman received, as well as her own personal reasons, have prompted Wendy to include the Sutter Neuroscience Institute in her estate plan. "I strongly believe in the Sutter Health mission. I also believe that private funding is vital to foster continued research and medical advances for neurological disorders," she says.
Though Wendy is now retired, her ties to Sutter remain strong. She continues to work as an independent nurse contractor and volunteers with Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento's Child Life Program.
She hopes that her commitment will inspire others to give and emphasizes that making a gift is a simple way to leave a lasting legacy. "Giving is like having spare change. If you put it in your wallet, you spend it on useless stuff," she says. "That spare change is put to much better use by making a gift to Sutter, where it will be used for a great cause."
David and Lois Warren
"Life begins at 40. At least it did for us," says Lois Warren of the happy years with her husband, David. The pair met four decades ago when they were both traveling in Florence, Italy. "The day we met, I knew this was the man I'd been waiting for. We were engaged on our fifth date and married on our ninth date," recalls Lois.
The Warrens made their home in Sacramento, where Dr. Warren (he prefers to be called David) was a Humanities professor at Sacramento City College for many years and currently teaches various courses for the Renaissance Society at California State University, Sacramento. Lois, a former college professor in Los Angeles, is an acclaimed jewelry maker, painter, ceramicist, silversmith, enamellist, and author. Lois' jewelry is on permanent display in many museums around the country and her artwork brightens the rooms of their distinctive home.
Though recent health problems have slowed Lois down, for many years the couple enjoyed leading tours throughout Europe, the Middle East, Egypt, South America and many other parts of the world. David and Lois' deep respect and love for each other is evident, as is their sense of humor. The pair has been known to show up to David's classes dressed as the historical figures they are studying, including King Tut and Louis XIV.
Both David and Lois have turned to Sutter over the years for their medical care. Lois has had hip and knee replacement surgeries. David underwent life-saving emergency bypass surgery a few years ago. "We have had such superb care at Sutter. You just don't get any better than this," says David.
Lois praises the couple's primary care physician, Andrew Factor, M.D., for his warmth and compassion. "Dr. Factor is exceptionally astute and caring. He greets me with a hug and makes me feel like a friend, not a patient."
Their positive experiences as patients led the Warrens to name Sutter in their estate plan, creating a lasting legacy that will make a difference in the lives of others in the future. "We believe that people have an obligation to help others who are less fortunate," comments David.
"We don't have a lot of money," adds Lois, "but a good part of what we do have will go to Sutter's programs and services wherever it is needed the most."
Ilse Spivek
Photographs that tell the story of Ilse Spivek's life line the walls of her cheery Sacramento home - portraits of her children and grandchildren and her travels throughout Europe. And the photographer behind the camera for those photos is none other than Ilse herself.
A Holocaust survivor who came to the United States as a teen, Ilse has made a name for herself in the Sacramento region as a noted photographer and community volunteer.
As a young woman, Ilse studied at the Institute of Design in Chicago and apprenticed at a nearby photography studio. While in Chicago, Ilse met her husband, Ephraim, fondly known as Fri, and they established their first home in Evanston.
Ilse was one of only a handful of women photographers when she began her career in the 1940s. She and Fri moved to from Illinois to California in the1950s, where Ilse opened a photography studio in Los Angeles and eventually Sacramento. Though she no longer operates her studio, she still does portrait photography on location and in peoples' homes.
"Photography is a wonderful profession," says Ilse. "People are usually photographed for happy life events. I enjoy capturing the essence of a person - their personality and physical attributes."
While photography has played a central role in Ilse's life, she and her late husband also strongly believed in community involvement. Fri was director of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region and a member of the Sutter Health board of directors. Ilse is an active volunteer with Crocker Art Museum and a past volunteer with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She also served as president of the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County.
"Volunteering is something that has been very important to our family," comments Ilse. "I'm a take action kind of person."
Ilse has been blessed with good health through the years. She is grateful for Sutter's excellent care when her husband was hospitalized several times for kidney failure. Seeing the importance of supporting local health care, she and Fri named Sutter Health in their estate plan.
"Our experience with Sutter has been nothing but positive," adds Ilse. "Community support is so important to non-profit organizations like Sutter. If people who have benefited from great care don't support it, who will?"