FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2009

ST. JOHN’S FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH ANNOUNCES
MORE THAN $2.5 MILLION IN GIFTS TO FUND PROJECTS

Family of William and Jane Pitt donates $1 million for
new pediatric cancer center as
St. John’s becomes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Affiliate

St. John’s officials and invited guests gathered Saturday evening for a “Celebration of Imagination” to unveil plans for expanded children’s healthcare services that include a formal affiliation with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and the recruitment of the region’s first pediatric hematology / oncology physician.
■ Click here to view photos from the event.

Dr. Remi Fasipe will join St. John’s Children’s Hospital Aug. 1 to offer pediatric cancer and hematology services now only available outside Springfield. An endowment to fund the position comes from the family of Jane Pitt to honor her commitment to and passion for children’s issues. Family members include: the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie family; Doug and Lisa Pitt and Rob and Julie Neal.

St. John’s Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center will open this summer in a temporary location on the fifth floor of St. John’s Hospital in the West Pavilion. Being a St. Jude domestic affiliate site will allow treatment and enrollment into the renowned hospital’s world-famous clinical research trials right here at St. John’s Children’s Hospital. This is the sixth St. Jude affiliated pediatric hematology-oncology clinic in the United States and will serve children in the region of southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas.

Affiliates are a network of pediatric hematology-oncology clinics, hospitals and universities and physicians. Staff at these sites work in collaboration with the staff of St. Jude to deliver protocol related care to pediatric hematology-oncology patients. They meet standards set by St. Jude and are subject to annual audits that confirm their on-going capability and commitment to quality care.

St. John’s has partnered with St. Jude for more than 10 years to provide protocol-based follow-up care for children with various types of cancer.

“We are pleased to have St. John’s as a St. Jude domestic affiliate. An affiliate partnership between our two hospitals will offer greater access to St. Jude treatment protocols for children in the Missouri and Northern Arkansas region,” said Joseph Laver, MD, MHA, St. Jude clinical director and Executive Vice President. “St. John’s experience and commitment to providing quality care makes them an ideal affiliate for St. Jude, and makes our two hospitals exceedingly compatible,” said Laver.

Patients receiving care at affiliate sites receive care without cost as long as they are accepted for cancer therapy on a St. Jude or cooperative group protocol and as long as they are considered an active patient.

“This certainly is a significant milestone in the history of children’s healthcare services in our region and a giant step towards providing multidisciplinary comprehensive care for children with serious illness in southwest Missouri.” said Dr. Sami Khoshyomn, St. John’s Children’s Hospital pediatric neurosurgeon. “Our Children’s Hospital has grown over the past eight years, adding many pediatric subspecialties, allowing families with sick children to receive high quality care close to home. We are proud to expand our services to include pediatric oncology and hematology.”

Khoshyomn joined St. John’s in 2005 and is the region’s only pediatric neurosurgeon. St. John’s Children’s Hospital has an extensive complement of pediatric subspecialties including pediatric surgery, neurology, orthopedic surgery, pediatric intensive care, neonatology, psychiatry and ophthalmology.  St. John’s is a National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) designated Children’s Hospital, providing the area’s most advanced pediatric healthcare services.

“Over the years, St. John’s has referred patients to St. Jude for enrollment in our clinical research protocols.  Now, as a St. Jude affiliate, St. John’s will receive clinical, academic and financial support to broaden the scope of this collaboration,” said Dr. William Evans, St. Jude director and CEO. “The significant benefit of this affiliation for both institutions will be having a clinic in Springfield that mirrors the standard of excellent care synonymous with St. Jude in Memphis.”

“We are excited to usher in this new era in children’s medical services for Southwest Missouri,” said Kim Day, St. John’s Health System president / CEO.  “The addition of pediatric cancer physicians and a clinic designed keep these children closer to home when being treated for these devastating illnesses is truly is a great thing for St. John’s patients and our community.”

Plans to expand St. John’s Children’s Hospital services also include doubling the size of the neonatal intensive and pediatric intensive care units; a new 31-bed pediatric unit, a 10-bedroom hospital-based Ronald McDonald House and others.

St. John’s Auxiliary stepped forward with a $1 million dollar pledge to help fund some of these additional projects, along with continued renovation at St. John’s C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Cancer Center. Since its inception in 1953, St. John’s Auxilians have worked thousands of hours of volunteer time and donated more than $5.8 million to St. John’s Health System through gift shop proceeds, fundraisers and personal donations. Nearly 700 men and women actively participate in a wide range of duties from being patient escorts to providing clerical support and staffing information desks.

St. John’s Eye Specialists launch Vision Fund with $500,000 pledge

Also announced at the St. John’s Foundation for Community Health event was the creation of a St. John’s Foundation for Community Health Vision Fund. St. John’s Clinic – Eye Specialists: Opthalmologists  Drs. C. Scott Atkinson; Tom Essman; James Gessler;  Robert Michaels; Craig Peterson;  Wendell Scott; X. Kathryn Sun; Ronald Swendris; Shachar Tauber and Optomestrists Drs. Cylinda Butler, Jeffrey Hasson; Thomas Jones; Allison Hood Kirar, Paul Knick and R. Derek Slinker announced a $500,000 pledge to launch a  St. John’s Foundation for Community Health Vision Fund to raise funds for support of research projects and expansion of services related to eye health and vision impairment.  The pledge will be fulfilled in increments of $50,000 annually over the next 10 years.

The first project will be the creation of Low Vision Center of the Ozarks, a non-profit community resource center that will provide quality care and service to individuals with diminished visual acuity that cannot be corrected with corrective lenses or surgery. The Center will use appropriate technology and a trained staff to care for the variety of visual needs, including a comprehensive rehabilitation system to assist patients who are coping with the loss of visual function, maximize their abilities and restore their quality of life as close as possible to what it was prior to their injury or illness. Other services could include low vision evaluations by a low vision optometrist specialist; low vision/blind teaching of orientation and mobility; a technology center where people can purchase, learn and practice the latest vision aids, transitional services, Braille literacy and social services to help patients access other services and funds. Services will be provided regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.

“Vision loss ranks just behind death in what people fear,” explains Dr. Tom Essman, St. John’s Clinic ophthalmologist.  “Currently, if an individual in the Springfield or surrounding area suffers severe vision loss, there is no organized system to help them achieve their highest quality of life. Low vision can lead to depression, social isolation, falls and medication errors. Without specialized services, blind people risk what we all fear the most: loss of independence and dignity.”

# # #

About St. John’s Children’s Hospital
St. John’s Children’s Hospital is the southwest Missouri’s only comprehensive children’s hospital. The hospital within a hospital includes a 24-bed Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) caring for nearly 600 critically ill and premature babies each year; 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with 24/7 care available by onsite pediatric intensivists; and a extensive team of pediatric specialists with subspecialties in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, neurology, ENT, plastic surgery and radiology. Services inside a new Patient Tower cover 150,000 square feet in state-of-the-art women’s and children’s units.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.  Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world.  No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay.  St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization.

About Dr. Remi Fasipe

Dr. Remi Fasipe joins St. John’s Children’s Hospital Aug. 1, 2009 as the region’s first pediatric oncologist / hematologist. Dr. Fasipe recently served as assistant professor of pediatrics head, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Department of Pediatrics at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, New Jersey.  Dr. Fasipe is board certified in general pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology Oncology. She completed her pediatric residency at University Medical Center at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY and Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City NJ. where she served as Chief Resident. She completed her pediatric hematology oncology fellowship at Montefiore medical center in the Bronx, NY after which she proceeded to Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, to obtain additional fellowship in Bone marrow transplantation. Dr. Fasipe’s special interests include: Leukemia, lymphoma, hemoglobinopathies, solid tumors.

# # #

For media information, contact Cora Scott, St. John’s Media Relations Director,  at 417-820-2426 or cora.scott@mercy.net or Judith Black, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Media Relations Director at (901) 595-2434 or Judith.black@stjude.org.