Simi Valley Hospital | Living Well | Fall 2015

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WHY I’M A SIMI VALLEY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION DONOR
Theywere therewhen our lives
were turned upside down
By Joni Bushman
When our daughter Kiki was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 13 months old, my
husband, Rob, and I were thrust into a world we weren’t prepared for. Our daughter
Sara was not even two years old at the time, so we had two babies, one of whom
now needed special care.
We will forever be grateful that we were referred to the Child Development Center
(CDC) at Simi Valley Hospital. We went in afraid of the unknown, and they welcomed
us into their family. We shared our hearts with the staff and with other families.
The therapists at the CDC were loving, kind and compassionate. Kiki’s cerebral
palsy kept her from crawling, so her caregivers crawled for her, moving her arms and
legs to imprint the movement onto her brain. In that way, they taught her to crawl
then to walk. They changed Kiki’s life—and, in turn, changed ours.
When Kiki “graduated” from the program two years later, she walked across the
stage independently—something no one had seen her do before. There were gasps,
joyful laughter and cheers. Today, Kiki is a vibrant, independent 23-year-old.
The CDC was the first place we thought of when we talked about donating
to a local organization. Our time there was an amazing, life-changing experience,
and we wanted to do our part to help other families receive services from this
special place.
To learn about donation options at Simi Valley Hospital, call 805-955-6673.
Heart Attack Survivors’
Support Group
For more information, call 805-955-6225.
Survivors of a heart attack are, of course, extremely grateful.
It is an extraordinary experience, though, and there are emotions, questions
and uncertainty to deal with. In this structured and informative support group, participants
can have their feelings validated and their questions answered, and they can
interact with others who’ve had a similar experience. This group is open to anyone in
the community who has ever experienced a heart attack and is facilitated by heart attack
survivor ShawnWillson. (See Shawn’s story on page 5.)
NEW
at
Simi Valley Hospital
CPR
Simi Valley Hospital offers CPR for community
residents, including infant CPR, adult/child CPR and
health care provider basic life support. For more
information, visit and
click on “Classes and Events” near the top
of the page, call 805-955-6890 or email
SV_Education@ah.org.
SUPPORT GROUPS
GRIEF SUPPORT
A safe place for people who are suffering the pain
of losing a loved one, no matter how long ago the
loss occurred. Groups are facilitated by Simi Valley
Hospital’s director of Spiritual Care Services.
Call 805-955-6225 for meeting times and location.
CANCER SUPPORT
The American Cancer Society offers a variety
of support groups free of charge. For more
information, call 800-227-2345 or visit
.
LOOK GOOD...FEEL BETTER
A free program for people with cancer. Learn more
at ; search “look good.” Reservations
required: 800-227-2345.
•Tuesdays, Oct. 6, Dec. 1
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Nancy Reagan Breast Center
Simi Valley Hospital
STROKE SUPPORT
Offered in conjunction with the National Stroke
Association, this free support group at Simi Valley
Hospital is for caregivers, families and survivors. Call
Richard at 805-498-2632 for more information.
CHILDBIRTHANDPARENTING
Registration is required for all classes. Unless
otherwise indicated, call 805-955-6304 to register,
or register online at . Click
on “Classes and Events” near the top of the page.
MATERNITY TOUR
•Tuesdays, Sept. 29; Oct. 6; Nov. 3, 17;
Dec. 1, 22
•Thursdays, Sept. 17; Oct. 1, 15; Nov. 5; Dec. 10
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Garden level of main building
PREPARED CHILDBIRTH
• Mondays, Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5 |
Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16 | Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14, 21
• Wednesdays, Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14 |
Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Garden level of main building | $50 per couple;
$25 per couple for refresher course (weeks two
and three); $12 per couple for C-section class only
(week three)
PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST BABY
•Tuesday, Nov. 10
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cafe Conference Room | $10 per couple
BREASTFEEDING CLASS
•Thursdays, Sept. 24, Oct. 29, Nov. 19, Dec. 17
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Garden level of main building | $35
BREASTFEEDING
SUPPORT GROUP
•Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Women’s Unit in Patient Care Tower
BABY CARE BASICS
Prepared Childbirth participants:
This class is included in your series.
• Mondays, Oct. 5, Nov. 16, Dec. 21
• Wednesdays, Oct. 14, Nov. 18
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Garden level of main building | $10 per couple
SIBLING RELATIONS
•Tuesdays, Oct. 13, Dec. 8
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cafe Conference Room
TWILIGHT INFANT/PARENT CLASS
• Mondays, Sept. 14 to Nov. 2
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Child Development Center
In this eight-week class, parents learn about child
development and parenting while their children
play alongside them under the supervision of child
development specialists. Dinner is provided.
Call 805-955-8120.
Find class
descriptions online at
. Click
on “Classes and Events” near
the top of the page.
SIMI VALLEY HOSPITAL
50th Anniversary Gala
Saturday, September 26
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. The blessing of Simi Valley Hospital,
dinner and entertainment
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to
hover over “About Us,” and then click on “50th Anniversary.”
Employee donors give from the heart
No one knows the value of gifts to Simi Valley Hospital like our employees, who see
firsthand how these generous donations make a difference in the lives of our patients.
More than 300 employees—about 1/3 of all employees—have become hospital
donors. Between 2008 and 2014, employee gifts totaled $447,188.
Here is what three of our employee donors had to say about why they give:
“My nursing career spans over four decades, and I can truthfully say this facility, the
dedicated medical staff, employees and volunteers are the best I have experienced.”
—Mary Jane Curry
“The reason I give to the organization is simple: This is my hospital. I see my donation
making a difference, and it is rewarding.”
—Loryn Bisner
“I have received so many praises for our diligence and compassion. It has made me realize
that what we are doing as a hospital means a lot more to our patients than even to us.”
—Keriyana Carter