We Stand For Care

Twice a year, nurses from Stanford Hospital & Clinics, who are part of the hospital’s Life Flight helicopter rescue team report to the Center for Immersive and Simulation-based Learning at the School of Medicine for a hands-on refresher in the advanced-skilled lab.

Nurses Susan Kumura, RN and Geralyn Martinez, RN had to deal with multiple trauma injuries suffered by a 70-year-old male with diabetes who had taken a nasty fall. In our constant quest to IMPROVE patient care, a video of their nursing and decision-making skills during the simulation was replayed. The instant replay, Kimura said, is “the biggest bonus of the simlab.”  Martinez, a 19-year veteran of Life Flight, added: “It’s always interesting to see how we did, and what we could have done differently.” Their COMMITMENT and TEAMWORK helped them work through their critical-thinking process to stabilize the patient, and ensure they remained prepared for real-life scenarios.

To read more about Life Flight, our amazing nurses, and our advanced-skilled lab, click here.

Physicians across the country have ranked Stanford Hospital & Clinics (SHC) as one of the top nine hospitals for the treatment of difficult heart conditions.

“To be recognized by the medical community in this manner is a compliment to the COMMITMENT and dedication of our staff,” said Robert Robbins, MD, Chair, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.

SHC has a long tradition of innovative cardiac treatments, starting with the first successful human heart transplant performed by Norman Shumway 40 years ago.

“We could only achieve our success with a team that continually strives for outstanding clinical care while finding new ways to treat a variety of patients with cardiovascular diseases and complex conditions,” said Alan Yeung, MD, Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine and Vice Chair, Department of Medicine.

To learn more about the physicians and technology that MAKE A DIFFERENCE in cardiovascular care, click here.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics (SHC) has big ambitions for its new hospital facilities, projected to be completed within the next seven years. With almost one million square feet to house interventional services, an enlarged emergency department, and 600 beds overall, the new hospital will lead to BETTER MEDICINE for adult patients.

This project will not only provide the space necessary for ADVANCEMENT in patient care, it will also offer features that are known to promote COMPASSIONATE CARE. Larger single-patient rooms will contain flatscreens from which patients will be able to order meals, review X-rays with their doctors and even watch movies. Patients will also be able to moderate sunlight levels with individual shade controls and invite a family member to stay the night with them. Special cleaning stations will help prevent infections, and redesigned bathrooms and flooring will help prevent falls.

Such amenities will provide a support system for an aging population that has complex care needs. The new and improved facility highlights SHC’s recognition that BETTER MEDICINE means not only offering cutting-edge equipment and top-notch physicians; it also means providing a safe and comfortable environment that elevates COMPASSIONATE CARE to a whole new level.

To find out more about the hospital redesign, click here.

In the face of challenging medical cases, doctors and staff at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) are COMMITTED to FINDING ANSWERS.

When 12-year-old Kevin Murphy was rushed to LPCH after falling desperately ill, his family thought he needed a new liver. Other doctors had previously told them that Kevin’s tummy aches and flu-like symptoms were caused by liver failure.

However, LPCH doctors suspected that Kevin’s symptoms were caused by something else. Trained to THINK DIFFERENTLY, the LPCH doctors gave the Murphy family unexpected news: Kevin needed a heart transplant instead.

Through careful assessment, LPCH doctors truly MADE A DIFFERENCE: Kevin received his new heart on February 20, and he’s now looking forward to playing baseball again. It is this kind of COMMITMENT from LPCH employees that saves young lives and continuously reinforces LPCH’s exemplary reputation of providing BETTER MEDICINE.

To learn more about Kevin’s story, click here.

In these turbulent times, it’s good to know that Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital are MAKING A DIFFERENCE by not only providing quality care to patients, but also serving the community and stimulating the economy. A new fiscal report shows that the hospital construction project will provide about $18 million in revenue to the city of Palo Alto. That’s on top of 2,200 new jobs! According to the study, the project “will provide a substantial and significant surplus to the city of Palo Alto that will offset potential deficits.”

The $3.5 billion Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) Renewal Project will upgrade and expand the Hospitals as well as replace older laboratories at the School of Medicine. These improvements will allow the Hospitals to enhance their strong reputation in providing BETTER MEDICINE to the community.

At a time when the health-care industry is one of the few sectors of the economy that is continuing to make new hires, the report predicts that SUMC will have 2,243 additional employees by 2025. The number of annual outpatient visits to the Hospitals is estimated to increase by 42 percent during this time, ensuring a continuing need for quality-service providers at the Hospitals. Is it time for you to join the team that MAKES A DIFFERENCE?

To learn more about the Renewal Project, click here.

Long hospital stays can be intimidating, especially for young children. Now there is a new way to brighten up those days and remind children of the activities they normally enjoy. The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital just launched a live video channel that constantly feeds images of activities at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located just 90 miles away. Kids at the hospital have the exciting opportunity to see life through the eyes of penguins, bounce around the ocean with kelp and track aquarium divers as they feed and play with sea creatures.

Providing a live channel from the best aquarium in the nation is one illustration of how we THINK DIFFERENTLY at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. We know that good patient service isn’t just about technical skills; it’s about COMPASSIONATE CARE. In our constant quest for IMPROVING patient care and providing BETTER MEDICINE, we are COMMITTED to introducing programs and services that make patients as comfortable as possible in their new surroundings.

To learn more about the new Monterey Bay Aquarium channel, click here.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics retains its hard-earned, first-place ranking in patient survival rate for general surgery, according to a survey by University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), which represents 90 percent of the nation’s non-profit academic medical centers. Stemming from the unfailing COMMITMENT and TEAMWORK of physicians, nurses and support staff, this enviable ranking provides firm evidence that Stanford continues to provide the finest service to patients. The adult kidney and transplant program also received distinguished recognition from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

To read more, click here.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics boasts the addition of a new state-of-the-art outpatient facility in Redwood City, conveniently located just off of highway 101. Opening its doors for the first time on Feb. 17, the Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center offers 360,000 square feet filled with 96 exam rooms, eight operating rooms and the latest MRI and CT imaging technology. Patients seeking services that do not require hospitalization—from dermatology to sports medicine—will benefit from BETTER MEDICINE and reduced waiting times, while still receiving the COMPASSIONATE CARE for which Stanford Hospital & Clinics is famous.

To read more, click here.

Imagine yourself in a rush to get to your knitting class on time. You approach your friend’s house where the class will be held, your arms circling a bag full of knitting needles. In your haste, you trip on the front porch, and suddenly you feel a piercing pain in your chest—the worst pain in your life.

You look down to see the broken end of a foot-long wooden knitting needle, about the width of a drinking straw, sticking out of your chest where your heart is.

This may sound like a horror story, but it actually happened to Ellin Klor in 2006.

She was rushed to Stanford Hospital & Clinics’ Level 1 trauma center—the only one of its kind in the Peninsula and South Bay. Coming to Ellin’s rescue, trauma surgeon Susan Brundage, MD, removed the needle from Ellin’s heart. Despite the frighteningly low survival odds, Ellin was home within a few days.

It was not only Stanford Hospital & Clinics surgeons who responded to Ellin’s emergency. With astuteness and top-notch training, a radiologist diagnosed a new cancer that otherwise may have gone undetected. The COMMITMENT and TEAMWORK exhibited by Dr. Brundage and the trauma and radiology staff, served to MAKE A DIFFERENCE by saving Ellin’s life.

Ellin is forever grateful for the COMPASSIONATE CARE that she received from the team at Stanford Hospital & Clinics.

To read more, click here.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital are open year-round thanks in part to the selfless contributions of employees who work on Christmas and New Year’s.

As a way to say thank you both hospitals will provide employees with a free meal consisting of pumpkin soup, green salad, roast turkey, garden lasagna, baked ham with cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered baby carrots plus pumpkin or pecan pie. The meal will be  served on Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Those working the night shifts get a special box lunch with cold turkey sandwich, fresh fruit and pumpkin pie.

In addition, Stanford Hospital & Clinics will host a holiday party for all employees on Wednesday, December 17. CEO Martha Marsh, and other members of the senior leadership team, will be on site handing out candy bars.

These events are provided to take care of our employees as they take care of our patients during the holidays. Read more about caring for hospital caregivers.