We Stand For Care

Over the past 10 years Care-A-Van has provided round trip door-to-door service to families who have no other means of getting their children to LPCH.

Thanks to selfless volunteers and generous donations Care-A-Van has provided 6,353 rides since 1998. Care-A-Van serves Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. This highly utilized and appreciated community service is truly indispensable, especially for those with chronically ill children who require frequent trips to LPCH.

The 10-year anniversary finds the team planning for the future by moving their entire fleet to hybrid vehicles by 2013. One by one, the older vans will be replaced with fuel-efficient hybrids that will both preserve natural resources and lower operating costs.

Care-A-Van will continue to serve and strengthen the community for many years to come. Read more about the 10th Anniversary.

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital’s recently-formed Pediatric Advance Workshop With Simulation (PAWWS) is working with Bay Area firefighters to provide children in emergencies with the greatest possible care.

Over 150 local firefighters will receive advanced pediatric training on November 5, 7 and 14. “When searching out training for this, we wanted our people to receive the best we could find. Clearly the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Center for Nursing Excellence is arguably the best in the country. So the partnership only made sense to us,” said John Kammeyer, EMS Division Chief, Central San Mateo County Fire Departments.

The firefighters, using their own equipment, will enter unexpected simulations with the goal of rescuing lifelike pediatric mannequins. Nurses and doctors will review the videotape of each scenario to provide feedback on the technical and behavioral skills required to save kids’ lives.

Lynda Knight, RN, who developed the PAWWS program at Packard Children’s, offered a salute to the firefighters’ dedication. “These are true public servants. They’re taking this training because they know that saving lives is their mission. We’re proud to partner with them, and we expect to learn and share a lot through our work together.”

Read more about the pediatric emergency training the firefighters received from PAWWS.

In today’s tough economic times there are two consistent contributors to our local economy and community: Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

The recently-released Fall 2008 Community Benefits Summary explains these contributions.

The hospitals’ economic impact was $444 million in both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties last year. In addition, both hospitals contribute financially to other nonprofits serving the local community. Instead of requiring taxpayer money, each institution is privately funded through hospital operations, philanthropy and debt financing. Packard Children’s, along with other hospitals, receives money from the statewide Children’s Hospital Bond Act of 2004.

Partnerships and programs in the community, emphasizing public service, are primarily aimed to provide care to those who need it regardless of economic status. Programs include Stanford Health Library, Packard Children’s partnership with the Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto, and the School of Medicine and Stanford Hospital & Clinics’ involvement in the Arbor Free Clinic in Menlo Park.

These contributions demonstrate the importance both hospitals place on making a difference in the community. Read more about the Benefits Summary.