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May you live in interesting times. The phrase is considered a backhanded blessing. More of a curse, in fact, if you subscribe to the notion “uninteresting times” consist of peace and prosperity, and “interesting times” are turbulent and full of change. In my mind, both are virtuous and interdependent: peace and prosperity, for all, typically…
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, all health care institutions faced a drastic shortage of Personal Protective Equipment. Academy of Art University students stepped up to quickly and quietly design and produce 3-D printed face shields for Saint Francis. I had the recent opportunity to “sit down” (aka socially distanced video conference) with Elisa…
Photo Credit: Recent protests in San Francisco, Thank you to Santiago Mejia for The San Francisco Chronicle I grew up in a tiny town in rural West Texas where my parents and grandparents instilled in me a deep respect for all people and a fierce sense of justice and equality. It is hard to find…
Things are definitely calming down a bit as the COVID-19 patient surge that the City and Saint Francis anticipated has yet to come (and hopefully won’t). Dr. Klein, seen above during a virtual town hall, recently updated donors on the Hospital’s current state and recovery plans moving forward. Read more here. Dr. Jordan, pictured below, also…
View Saint Francis Foundation President Mark Ryle’s video tribute to the phenomenal Saint Francis staff who demonstrate “the strength, courage and beauty of the human spirit.” Learn more about our COVID-19 Hospital Staff Emergency Relief Fund, or contribute today.
Click here to listen to/watch Mark’s video message. Dear Friends of the Foundation: Thank you for standing with your community hospital during this unprecedented health crisis. We were set up by doctors and nurses more than 80 years ago to support the Hospital during times like this. For decades, Saint Francis has been serving the…
I’m delighted to share some significant leadership updates on the Saint Francis Foundation Board, including a new Board Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Committee leads. The Saint Francis Foundation and Foundation Board have raised more than $16.6 million, awarded 431 grants, and given more than $19.9 million in funds to the hospital and the…
How do you measure a year? With a nod to Rent, arguably one of the most diverse cast of characters in a Broadway production showcasing modern LGBTQ activism and HIV/AIDS, Saint Francis Foundation (also) measures a year in love. Now, I know terms like “love” rarely are spoken in business or in the work of…
There are few things more complex than gender (and with those words I’ve already raised the eyebrows of many whose beliefs are binary: either/or, male or female). However, navigating changes in gender – transitioning – certainly takes things up a notch in terms of intricacy and the idea of sex change is fraught with overlapping…
My heart is aching. My soul is searching for a moral north. My mind is confused and angered, alternately. Perhaps yours is, too. My people are country folk: west Texas enlightened peace officers, teachers and farmers. Eagle Scouts. I come from a long line of skeet shooting deer hunters who enjoyed guns for sport and…
