Last updated 1 year ago
Hope Endowment is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which fundraises for three specific orphanages or group homes for impoverished children in India. All children are provided with housing, food, clothing, medical, education and social services as needed. The children that are served are between the ages of 3 to 18. The Hope Endowment currently supports 180 children across the three homes.
Why now and why India? India will soon overtake China as the most populated country in the world. Currently more than 30% of the world’s births are in India and in total 16 million children are born every year (one child every 2 seconds). These children face a dim future as 37% of the population is below the poverty line and 40% of the population is illiterate. Over 50% of the children are also malnourished. Many of these children are abused, sold into prostitution or exposed to drugs. The children that come to the Hope Endowment sponsored orphanages are either found abandoned, picked up off the street by local police or come from nearby overcrowded orphanages. Some are even brought in by parents or relatives too impoverished to care for another child.
(Photo) Top: Left to Right: Chris Siebenaler, CEO; Niraj Patel, MD.; Swapan Dubey, M.D.; Lowell Stanton, CFO; Bottom: Left to Right: Leena Taneja, Director of Physician Relations; Janet Leatherwood, CNO; Molly Philip, RN; Minal Vyas; Nicholas Desai, M.D. and Becky Chalupa, ACNO (Not pictured- Parin Shah, M.D.)
What started as one person's mission and promise to take care of orphans and impoverished children has blossomed into a full-fledged non-profit serving hundreds of children in India. The work began in 2004, Dr. Niraj Patel, a Sugar Land physician partnered with Molly Philip, an Emergency Room Nurse to provide on-going support for Shepherd Children's Home in Kerala, India. The Home, based in a small cottage, housed three young boys and their caretakers. After demand for services increased in the community, the Home was expanded to a new two story structure that was completed in 2005 and serviced 60 boys and girls, and the planned expansion served 100 children by 2010. In 2005, Dr. Patel asked Ms. Philip to explore ways to expand the Home's services outside of Kerala. In 2006, two facilities were established in Gujurat: a Home in Rajkot currently serves 20 children and a Home in Dumda near Surat houses 52 children. The need for these services has outstripped the current facilities and plans are underway to expand the capacity of both of these homes. Because of this need, the Hope Endowment was created as an official 501(c)(3) in the United States and simultaneously the Hope Endowment Trust, an NGO, was created in India to better serve these children.
The Fire and Ice Gala – presented by Methodist Sugar Land Hospital – is scheduled for Friday, August 26, 2011 at the Marriott Sugar Land Town Center Hotel. What makes Hope Endowment so unique is all private donations will go directly to the children’s care in India. The founding members of Hope Endowment have pledged to cover all administrative costs.
“We are honored to join Hope Endowment in their mission to empower children in India to transcend poverty by providing a safe, caring, compassionate home and prepare these children with education and social development,” said Chris Siebenaler, CEO at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
Hope Endowment deeply thanks the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital for being the presenting sponsor for the Fire and Ice Gala. This event would not be possible without their support.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. To purchase Gala tickets or for more information, contact Minal Vyas at 713-876-5110 or hopeendowment@gmail.com. Additional information and to donate online can also be found at www.hopeendowment.net.
Last updated 1 year ago
FICTION: It is OK to go to any imaging center.
FACT: It can make a difference where you go and who interprets your images. Methodist Sugar Land Hospital not only has state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained staff, but also has fellowshiptrained radiologists specializing in breast, nuclear, neuro, interventional, musculoskeletal and body imaging. Save yourself time and money by going to the right place the first time. Otherwise, you may end up needing to repeat an exam if the quality of the image is not sufficient to diagnose or determine a treatment plan.
To schedule an imaging study at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, call 281-274-7170.
Last updated 1 year ago
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has received The Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification. The certification recognizes Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations. Achievement of certification signifies that the care provided encompasses the critical elements to achieve long term success in improving outcomes. It is the best indicator to the community that the quality of care provided by a hospital is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients with the best possible outcomes.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and The Joint Commission Primary Stroke Certification addresses the important element of time,” said Amitabh Shukla, M.D., Medical Director of the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Stroke Program. “The mortality rate for stroke in Harris and surrounding counties is twice as high as the national average, making it even more important for Methodist Sugar Land Hospital to bring this higher standard of stroke care to Fort Bend County residents,” said Maria Socci, Manager, Stroke Program. Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients in the emergency room. Stroke patients will have access to immediate brain imaging scans and timely review by the radiologist, as well as, a neurologist who will conduct patient evaluations and use clot-busting medications when appropriate.
Photo: Left to Right: Stroke Care Team - Julie Pickle, Physical Therapist; Christina Berg, RN, ICU; Lee Rutledge, Nurse Practitioner; Diane McGraw, Director of Quality Management; Kathleen Thoede, Speech Pathologist; Trude Cables, Lab Technologist; Chris Siebenaler, CEO; Amitabh Shukla, M.D., Medical Director of the Stroke Program; Tiffany Bell, RN and Nursing Manager; Maria Socci, Stroke Program Manager; Nichelle Everett, Director of Pharmacy; April Kelly, CT Technologist; Madonna Suarez, RN, Emergency Department and Ann Prather, RN, Quality Management.
“To receive The Joint Commission Primary Stroke Certification, Methodist Sugar Land Hospital consistently followed The Joint Commission standards. These standards include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation,” said Socci.
“Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is focused on improving the quality of stroke care by achieving The Joint Commission Primary Stroke Certification. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population,” said Janet Leatherwood, CNO at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
For a physician referral, please call Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s physician referral line 281-274-7500, or visit MethodistSugarLand.com.
Last updated 1 year ago
FICTION: Breast cancer radiation treatment always takes six to eight weeks.
FACT: The radiation oncologists at the Methodist Sugar Land Cancer Center have the latest technology and innovations to tailor treatment programs to each patient. For some patients, new high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is possible, which reduces the time needed for radiation treatment to five days rather than six to eight weeks. HDR brachytherapy uses strategically placed catheters to deliver precise levels of radiation directly to the tumor, which also helps save surrounding breast tissue.
For more information on HDR brachytherapy, call 281-242-CURE (2873).
To schedule a mammogram, call 281-242-PINK (7465).
