October 2024
At HonorHealth, we hold ourselves to a higher standard by caring for the whole person, not just their symptoms. Through the support of a generous community, HonorHealth Foundation helps us invest to solve healthcare's toughest challenges.
With more than 90 years of experience delivering quality healthcare, no organization knows and understands our communities like we do.
Learn more about the impact of philanthropy at HonorHealthFoundation.org.
Mary’s Journey of Hope and Resilience
Mary almost skipped her annual mammogram appointment in April of 2022 because, like so many people, she had a busy work schedule that day. The only reason she went was that she happened to have another appointment nearby.
“It was Thursday at 5:20 PM when I got the call, Mary said. “It wasn't from my doctor; it was from the imaging facility. I remember thinking, if it was bad, it would be my doctor. And I also thought no one would be calling me after hours with bad news. I was wrong. It was my radiologist. She simply stated, you have invasive breast cancer.”
Her doctor then insisted Mary contact Victor Zannis, MD, at the HonorHealth Cancer Center.
“Dr. Zannis was amazing,” Mary said. “He immediately put me at ease because he was confident and compassionate. He told me that had I skipped my mammogram as I told him I almost did, the outcome may have been very different. He ran through all the scenarios, never letting me feel like I didn't have a choice.”
She wasn’t scared the day of the surgery. She had written cards for her sons and attached them to bracelets. Dr. Zannis and Dr. Tamir Mousharrfa, her plastic surgeon, told her she could give them to the boys when she was out of surgery. No one was doing anything but getting back to healthy on this day.
“Mary had a newer, more complex mastectomy procedure which used oncoplastic techniques that result in a much improved cosmetic outcome,” said Dr. Zannis. “Thanks to HonorHealth Foundation, these techniques are being taught to the younger surgeons in training. As a result, thousands of future patients will benefit from these new therapies that help mitigate the distress and suffering experienced by a woman having a mastectomy.”
Two years later, Mary is healthy. She shows no sign of residual cancer, but still needs monthly bloodwork and tests. And through it all, she continues to keep her face to the sun.
And now that she has completed her treatment and is a survivor, she’s supporting others along their journey as a patient ambassador at the HonorHealth Cancer Center. Her objective: giving back in the same caring, compassionate way that she was given.
Today, Mary shines as a beacon of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is light to be found. Her journey is a powerful testament to the indomitable human spirit and the unyielding belief that life, even in its most challenging moments, is a gift worth fighting for!
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, you likely have questions about what comes next. HonorHealth’s team of experts make treatments as easy as possible.
In one visit, you’ll meet with these experts:
- Medical oncologist
- Radiation oncologist
- Surgical oncologist
- Genetic counselor
- Board-certified oncology nutrition specialist
- Social worker or Care Navigator
After your meeting, the team will have a round-table discussion to determine the best treatment plan for you. At the end of your visit, the care team will review your personalized treatment plan with you and your caregiver.
Breast cancer is a fight! At HonorHealth Foundation, the power of generosity expands programs and services at HonorHealth Cancer Care.
Visit Give her strength for the fight to learn more!
Parents hold on to a slim thread of hope for their twins
Eli and Veronica Padilla were thrilled that their hard-fought journey to parenthood found them pregnant with TWINS! But the joy of the pregnancy soon turned into a desperate fight to save their babies. Their physician delivered the difficult news that due to a condition called “reverse flow,” Baby B might not survive, so they should focus their efforts on Baby A.
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do but wait,” the doctor told them.
The Padillas were shocked by this news — the condition was never mentioned at previous appointments and challenges for Baby B were not mentioned at any of her several ultrasounds. They went home feeling hopeless and very scared for their two unborn daughters.
Friends urged them to seek out a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine and high-risk pregnancies. They soon met Dr. Francois, the very specialist they needed, as well as Dr. Matthew Abrams, a neonatologist with HonorHealth.
Drs. Francois and Abrams provided the young couple some desperately needed hope, monitoring Veronica and the twins closely over the following months. At 31 weeks, Veronica’s blood pressure spiked abnormally high. It was time to deliver their babies.
Eli and Veronica went straight to HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, nervous and not knowing what to expect. For Veronica everything seems like a blur, but one thing she will never forget is how Dr. Francois treated her while they were doing the spinal. She remembers Dr. Francois talking her through everything the anesthesiologist was going to be doing.
“You’ll feel a pinch and you can squeeze my hand as hard as you need to,” Dr. Francois told her. To Veronica, that meant so much, since she couldn’t have Eli or her mom there in the operating room.
The twins were born at 6:45 and 6:46 PM. What a surprise, when she met her daughter and son. Both Ella and Levi were born prematurely, at 31 weeks. Ella weighed 2 pounds 12 oz and Levi weighed just 1 pound 13 oz. Due to their low birth weights and premature status, both babies required immediate admission to the HonorHealth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Ella did well under the specialized care of the NICU but Levi faced several medical challenges in his first few weeks of life.
“Our care team was amazing,” Veronica exclaims. “Dr. Abrams’ thoughtfulness and positivity provided much-needed comfort to our family while we faced each crisis. Dr. Castrillo and Dr. Ram, and the entire incredible NICU team made an experience no one should ever have a little bit more doable.”
At HonorHealth Shea Medical Center more than 500 babies are delivered each month; approximately 10 percent require a stay in the NICU, where they receive the expert care they need to move past their challenging start in life.
Meet the Padillas and their twins today!
October is Health Literacy Month
Healthcare is complex. Sometimes, people can be confused by the information from their doctor, nurse or pharmacist. If you don’t understand what your doctor is telling you about your health, you might take medications or do something else that could make your condition worse.
Health literacy refers to the ability to access and take appropriate action based on health information. This is a strong predictor of health status, according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Here are a few ways you can boost your own health literacy:
- Take notes at your appointments – it’s easy to forget something your doctor discussed, especially when you’re not feeling your best
- Ask questions about anything you don’t fully understand. If you need directions described in a different way, ask your nurse to go over it again
- When researching your condition online, use resources that are based in science and fact. What person or organization is providing the information? Are they experts?
- Know who to call or email if you have questions later.
Learn more about what HonorHealth is doing to build awareness of and commitment to health literacy. Watch this Innovation Insights video, hosted by Dr. Michael Gordon. He introduces Amy Mirabella, PhD, Director of Clinical Research at HonorHealth Research Institute, who shares her extensive knowledge and passion for health literacy and how it impacts patient outcomes and community health.
HonorHealth was recently named the primary clinical affiliate for the new ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering
In a monumental step forward in reshaping healthcare education, advancing medical research and improving health outcomes, HonorHealth has been named the primary clinical affiliate for the new ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering.
As part of this collaboration, HonorHealth will help train future leaders in medicine and medical engineering and improve health outcomes through collaborative and community-focused care.
Read more about the HonorHealth and Arizona State University collaboration for the future of medicine.
Morning of Gold is here!
Join us Tuesday, October 22 for the Morning of Gold, a fundraising breakfast for Desert Mission.
There's still time to secure seat to hear Morning of Gold keynote speaker Lauren Bailey, CEO and Co-Founder of Postino’s + Upward Projects, who will speak on What Feeds her Soul, as well as the topic of “Food is Medicine.”
This is definitely a breakfast you won't want to miss!
Learn more and register for the Morning of Gold now!
49th Annual Phoenix 10K presented by HonorHealth Foundation
Register today for the Phoenix 10K presented by HonorHealth Foundation, November 10, 2024, and be a part of the HonorHealth team! HonorHealth employees, friends and family use code HONOR24 and receive a 20 percent discount on 5K, 10K or Half Marathon registration.
Visit the Phoenix 10K website to learn more and register!
Philanthropic gifts fuel our mission for finding cures,
saving lives and transforming healthcare.
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