Looking Forward With Hope

Help CPMC continue our life-saving work
in the year ahead

Thanks to you...

Because of your generosity, many Bay Area residents like Paul Smith who were diagnosed with serious diseases at California Pacific Medical Center are now looking forward with hope to 2012.

As you read Paul’s story, I hope that it will inspire you to make a tax-deductible contributionOpens new window of $25, $50, $100 or more to help CPMC continue our life-saving work in the year ahead.

Two days before a routine medical appointment, Paul developed a severe headache accompanied by odd visual distortions. He assumed it was a migraine and mentioned it to his doctor. As a precaution, Paul’s physician referred him to a neurologist, who ordered an MRI scan.

“I could tell right away that something was wrong by the reaction of the technician who first saw the image of my head,” Paul says. “Soon the neurologist was telling me that I had a large mass, possibly a tumor, in my brain. I decided I needed to seek a second opinion from the best experts I could find. That was how I ended up at CPMC.”

The best specialists, equipment, and care

Paul learned that the California Pacific Medical Center Neuroscience Institute combines some of California’s best neurosurgery, neurology and brain-cancer specialists with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and surgical technology to provide advanced care to patients like him.

Before Paul could even contact CPMC, one of our neurosurgeons, Charles Cobbs, M.D., heard about him from a friend and offered his personal cell phone number.

Paul says, “Although Dr. Cobbs is one of the best and busiest neurosurgeons in the city, he made time for me. At the end of our first meeting, he said he didn’t think I should go home. He wanted me admitted to the hospital right away.”

Dr. Cobbs removed a tumor called a glioma from Paul’s brain. “The margins were so clean I didn’t need other treatment,” Paul says. “My prognosis is as good as can possibly be expected.”

You have a direct impact on our patients

By making a gift to CPMC, you have a direct impact on patients like Paul. Charitable gifts are enabling us to pay for such important new equipment as a Brain Lab Cranial Navigation System and Neurosurgery Microscope for our Neurosciences Center of Excellence. Philanthropic support is also essential to sustaining such programs as our Institute for Health & Healing, which played a vital supportive role in Paul’s care by easing the difficult side-effects of his treatment.

As another new year begins, I hope you will join California Pacific Medical Center in renewing our commitment to the medical excellence, scientific inquiry and healing spirit that are so important to so many in our community.

Whatever program you choose to support, at whatever level, we will very much appreciate your continued investment in a healthier San Francisco. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Mark Kimbell, President
CPMC Foundation

Because life is precious, we encourage giving to life, and a lifetime of giving.