Ridgeview has a long history of being recognized for providing the highest

quality of care … and for doing so with kindness, compassion and intuition to every patient and family member, even in the most unexpected situations.

Ann McKinnon lives in North Carolina, so when she received a call from Ridgeview in November 2014 saying her 65-year-old dad, Doug, was at the hospital after being found driving erratically in Norwood Young America she was more than concerned.

Not only was she living far away in North Carolina, but her dad was the sole caregiver for her developmentally disabled and handicapped brother, Steven. She had no other family in Minnesota to comfort her brother while her dad was being treated at Ridgeview for vascular dementia and multiple strokes.

When Doug arrived via Ridgeview Ambulance with Steven, the Emergency Department staff assessed the situation. They quickly determined that Steven should not be separated from his dad. They realized the best support for Doug, as he received inpatient care, was to reassure him that son Steven was right alongside him, just like he always was.

One of Doug’s nurses, Beth Stender, RN, CICU, explains: “We typically don’t have two patients in a room, but Doug and Steven needed each other. We just had to make it work.”

While his physicians and nurses took care of Doug, Beth helped Steven feel comfortable

and settle into a chair right next to his dad’s bedside. She also had his clothes laundered and found DVDs for him to watch. The nursing team continued to watch over Steven, and spent time helping him relax with movies and be less anxious so he would eat and rest.

Miles away, Ann says this compassionate care was such a comfort to her. “It was difficult being so far away, but the doctors and nurses helped me navigate this situation. It was a blessing knowing they were both being cared for so well.”

Ann was so appreciative that she wrote an email to Robert Stevens, Ridgeview president and CEO, before Thanksgiving. She wanted to express her thanks to everyone who went

above and beyond for her family, and to tell them how much it meant to her. She did not expect to hear back from Ridgeview nor its CEO, but did so almost immediately. She summed up his response: “That’s what we do here.”

On a recent trip back to Minnesota, Ann had the opportunity to personally thank the Ridgeview nurses and staff who cared for her dad and brother.

Ann urges others to support the work done at Ridgeview. “Giving to Ridgeview can create more experiences like mine. You are supporting folks who, like my dad, didn’t have resources to pay for medical care. And it makes sure Ridgeview is here for your family, too.”

FocusRidgeview Foundation

Compassionate care: ‘It’s what we do here’Spring | 2015

Ann McKinnon with her brother, Steven. Photo courtesy of Sarah Grace Photography.

Dear Friends,

I am Chuck Spevacek, and I am writing you today as Ridgeview Foundation’s Board chair. I want to let you know how honored I am to serve in this capacity, and how much I am looking forward to the

next two years.

I would be remiss if I didn’t first publicly thank my predecessor, Jean Buller, for her two years of service as chair. So many great accomplishments happened on her watch, and Ridgeview Foundation has never been

stronger. I am truly fortunate to inherit the leadership of an organization in such good standing. I am also blessed in that Fred Green has agreed to serve with me as vice chair.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Foundation Focus. We consistently strive to share exceptional human interest stories and information on health care, and we hope you find this edition no exception. I think you’ll especially enjoy the Art Fuchs story.

I would like to close with a heartfelt thank you to all of our readers and supporters. It is because of you that Ridgeview Foundation and Ridgeview Medical Center can provide the southwest corridor communities with amazing physicians, great facilities and state-of-the-art technology.

I look forward to communicating with you regularly during the next two years and encourage you to continue your generous support of Ridgeview Foundation. We are truly blessed to count you among our friends.

Chuck SpevacekRidgeview Foundation Board Chair

Kathryn BarnesChanhassenPartner, Melchert Hubert Sjodin, PLLP

Ridgeview Foundation welcomes new Board members

Does your employer match gifts?

Did you know matching gifts are an easy way to double your impact? Some organizations even make gifts to match retired employees and volunteer hours. To learn more, contact with your employer’s/former employer’s human resources department. You can also contact Ridgeview Foundation at 952-442-6010 or via email at foundation@ridgeviewmedical.org for additional assistance.

Jon CrowChanhassenPartner, Meristem

Jeff WigenVictoriaPresident & CEO, Wigen Water Technologies

30th Annual Golf & Taste Celebration June 22Ridgeview Foundation invites you to the 30th Annual Golf & Taste Celebration, one of the metro’s most successful charity events, Monday, June 22, at Island View Golf Club, Waconia. Taste of the Ridgeview RegionThe Taste of the Ridgeview Region has grown into the “can’t-miss” party of the summer for the entire region. Through the years, this event has grown significantly and you are invited to join the more than 500 people who gather for great food, beverages and to show support for amazing health care in the west metro. Join the party with a fabulous tasting of appetizers and beverages from the region’s finest restaurants and establishments. The evening culminates with a fun silent auction and an action-packed live auction. Proceeds from this year’s event will support the Every Moment Counts endowment campaign. Come and cap off an incredible day that supports health care excellence in your own backyard.

JOIN US for these FUN EVENTS

Coming up in 2015 in support of

30

Monday, June 22 Island View Golf Club

Saturday, Oct. 3Oak Ridge Conference Center

Saturday, Nov. 21Hazeltine National Golf Club

Under theHarvest Moon

SAVEthe

DATE!

In collaboration with leading health care partners in the southwest metro region and beyond, Ridgeview now offers an Accountable

Care Organization (ACO) product Ridgeview Community Network™ powered by Medica.

As an ACO, the network of physicians, hospitals, clinics and health care providers is leveraging the full care system to ultimately improve quality and patient outcomes, and reduce costs—to both employers and their employees.

“A ‘community-based’ ACO is the perfect model for developing strong employer, employee and care system relationships. Our partnerships with area physicians and organizations result in a geographically sound network of the highest quality and most efficient providers in the market,” said Michael Phelps, chief executive officer, Ridgeview Community Network, and chief operating officer, Ridgeview Medical Center.

The Ridgeview Community Network includes a strong base of primary care options such as Lakeview Clinic, Ltd., Ridgeview Clinics, Wayzata Children’s Clinic and Western OB/GYN, A Division of Ridgeview Clinics. In addition, members have access to hundreds of top specialists and hospitals including Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center, Ridgeview Medical Center, Ridgeview Specialty Clinics and Ridgeview Sibley Medical Center. Ridgeview Community Network is available to fully and self-insured large employers and is offered alongside Medica Choice® Passport.

“I am pleased to also share that Ridgeview Medical Center has been added to our ACO’s ‘customer list.’ As a self-insured large employer, the ACO product supports our goals to provide access to the best quality of care without increasing costs to our employees or to us, the employer,” Phelps said.

Working with Medica as the plan administrator, the Ridgeview Community Network product was offered as a 2015 health plan option to 1,400 benefit-eligible Ridgeview employees. Of the more than 1,000 who elected health plan coverage, 79 percent enrolled in the Ridgeview Community Network plan.

“This is a true community health partnership focused on meeting local and community health needs through innovative care and cutting-edge service, and committed to working closely with employers in the southwest metro to create a healthier workplace,” Phelps said.

About Ridgeview Community Network™Ridgeview Community Network provides local, personalized care at one of the few independent health care systems in Minnesota. More than 300 physicians and 2,000 medical and support staff deliver coordinated care throughout a five-county service area in the southwest Twin Cities metro area and beyond.

For more information, visit ridgeviewcommunitynetwork.org.

Ridgeview Community Network available to employees

A ‘truly fine man’ and his Ridgeview Hospice storyArthur “Art” Fuchs is best described as someone who loved every aspect of life. As a man deeply rooted in faith and his community, his family knew when he passed in February 2014 that his story and his hospice experience must become part of his memorial.

Retired after 41 years as a school teacher and principal, Art was a husband and father of four children. Much of his retirement was spent enjoying trips to see his children out of state, cheering on his grandchildren in their various sports and enjoying life with his wife, Nora Ann. As a couple fondly described as complimentary to one another, Art and Nora Ann celebrated 64 years of marriage together. Art’s motto was “faith, family and friends,” and he exemplified his commitment and love to each throughout his 86 years of life.

His daughter Leann can only describe him as a “truly fine man.” Art was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in April 2013, which turned into a multiple myeloma diagnosis shortly after. Through rounds of chemotherapy and hip surgery after a fall, Art made the decision to stop chemo after his health further declined. After discussions with doctors and family, Art decided that Ridgeview Hospice was the best option for him to receive the care and pain management he deserved.

Art was moved to the Waconia Good Samaritan nursing home where he later passed. When Art and his family chose hospice, his daughter recalls a “weight being lifted; hospice affords families to not have to worry about their loved one.”

Ridgeview Hospice provided Art the ability to live comfortably and his family to focus on what mattered: him. Art’s care team met once a week with him and his family to discuss plans and care for him. They were also there to aid in paperwork, help navigate insurance, or do whatever was necessary so the family’s focus could remain on Art.

Art’s pain was skillfully managed. He was surrounded by a team that was there to aid in his care, pain management and, most of all, his

soul. Ministry, massage and music therapy were three aspects of care provided to Art that eased discomfort and helped him heal mentally. Although massage therapy was not something Art considered right away, he found relief through this service. But what helped Art the most was music therapy. Art had played the organ for years so when Christian Nielsen, music therapist, visited, together they enjoyed some of Art’s favorite songs, such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “How Great Thou Art.”

The connections Art made through his hospice experience were significant and “full of life.” In fact, on the one-year anniversary of his passing, Leann and her family were joined by the family of Art’s roommate at Good Samaritan … a true testament to Art’s legacy and life.

This Memorial Day, consider donating to the Ridgeview Hospice program so that other families may benefit. Your tax-deductible gift makes programs such as music therapy and massage therapy possible. Thanks to your gift, Ridgeview Hospice can provide end-of-life care for individuals and provide support to their families.

Participants in Ridgeview’s Prayer Shawl Program create beautiful shawls—shawls they hope will literally wrap recipients in prayer. Each shawl begins with a blessing, prayer or wish, dedicating the work of the shawl maker’s hands. Many blessings are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. When the shawl is completed, it is filled with prayers providing not only physical warmth, but also great spiritual comfort.

Ridgeview Foundation, Ridgeview Hospice and Volunteer Services extend a special thank you to those who participated in the Feb. 17 Prayer Shawl Ceremony, held in the Ridgeview Chapel. The Shawl Blessing Service began with a blessing, prayer or wish, and the shawls were was given a final blessing by the Ridgeview chaplains before being given to a Ridgeview patient.

The need for these shawls is great and will continue as the number of patients increases. To learn more, please contact Cindy Polkow, Ridgeview Volunteer Services, at 952-442-2191, ext. 5574, or cindy.polkow@ridgeviewmedical.org.

Prayer shawl blessing ceremony

Top: Art Fuchs and his wife, Nora Ann (9/16/2013).Bottom: Art and his family (clockwise from top left): Kevin Fuchs, Karen Smith, Leann Feltmann, Larry Fuchs, Art Fuchs and Nora Ann Fuchs.

There are a number of ways to amplify your impact at Ridgeview Medical Center. To find the gift vehicle that is right for you, rank these benefits in order of importance to you:___ Retain flexibility___ Receive an income tax deduction and eliminate capital gains taxes___ Ensure the future of Ridgeview___ Provide for heirs___ Secure a retirement income

Now see which type of gift matches your priorities.

To retain flexibility, consider a gift to Ridgeview in your will or trust. Since this gift will not go into effect until after your lifetime, you are free to change your mind at any time to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

To receive an income tax deduction and eliminate capital gains taxes, make a gift of appreciated assets that you have owned for more than one year. Your tax deduction will be for the full fair market value of the donated property up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income, and you will be exempt from paying capital gains taxes on any increase in value. Ridgeview Foundation will sell the asset and use the proceeds to support our patients, medical staff and services.

To ensure the future of Ridgeview, create a named endowment. You make a gift, we carefully invest the money and then a portion of the

earnings is released each year to support Ridgeview’s needs. The rest of the endowment remains invested to create a lasting legacy.

To provide for your heirs, make sure their inheritances don’t carry an unnecessary tax burden. Distributions from qualified pensions and retirement plans, for example, are subject to income taxes at the beneficiary’s ordinary income tax rate. Instead, consider leaving less tax-burdened assets, such as real estate and life insurance, to your loved ones and naming Ridgeview Foundation as beneficiary of pensions and retirement plans. We are eligible to receive the full amount of these assets and bypass any federal taxes.

To secure a retirement income, arrange a charitable gift annuity with Ridgeview Foundation. In addition to supporting Ridgeview with your gift, you will receive fixed payments for life and a partial income tax deduction in the year your gift is made.

Which gift is right for you?Identify your goals to uncover the ideal donation option

FREE GUIDELearn more about getting the most from your generosity in “Your Personal Guide to Gift Planning.” Uncover a variety of gift options, how they work and the advantages of each one. Return the enclosed survey today to request your copy.

Ridgeview Foundation invites you and a guest to a free breakfast event to hear Ridgeview Medical Center President and CEO Robert Stevens share Ridgeview’s five-year strategic plan and how we plan to serve the health needs of our community.

To register for this free event, call 952-442-6010 or email foundation@ridgeviewmedical.org. Space is limited. Registrations are preferred by May 6.

Ridgeview’s Strategic Future: Investing in Our Communities

Wednesday, May 137:30–8:45 a.m.Two Twelve Medical Center 3rd Floor Conference Room111 Hundertmark RoadChaska, MN 55318

Thursday, May 147:30–8:45 a.m.Ridgeview Medical CenterCommunity Auditorium500 S. Maple StreetWaconia, MN 55387

2014

2-MINUTE SURVEYThank you for providing your feedback! If you would like to support Ridgeview Foundation this year, please feel free to include a check with this survey in the enclosed envelope or visit www.ridgeviewmedical.org to donate online.

LET US KNOW (Please check all that apply.)

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What part of Ridgeview’s future most interests you? Our mission Services Capital Our endowment Community provided projects fund outreach

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490 S. Maple Street, Suite 110 • Waconia, MN 55387www.ridgeviewfoundation.org • 952-442-6010

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©2015 Ridgeview Medical CenterIf you would like to stop receiving Ridgeview Foundation printed material, please send an email, including your name and address, to foundation@ridgeviewmedical.org or call 952-442-6010.

Board of DirectorsNancy Bach, WayzataKathryn Barnes, ChanhassenBrian Beniek, MoundJean Buller, ChaskaDermot Cowley, Secretary, WatertownJon Crow, ChanhassenStacy Desai, Eden PrairieTim Foster, WayzataFred Green, Vice Chair, EdinaDarla Holmgren, Finance Chair, WaconiaGreg Kummer, Norwood Young AmericaJim Leonard, ChaskaRick Polk, ExcelsiorLinda Roebke, WaconiaDaniel Ross, DDS, ChaskaLorene Rutherford, MD, PlymouthCharles Spevacek, Chair, ShorewoodMark Steingas, ExcelsiorCarla Struble, ChaskaPaul Whittaker, WaconiaJeff Wigen, VictoriaDavid Windschitl, ChanhassenSteve Youngstedt, Deephaven

Ex-Officio Robert Stevens, President and CEO, Ridgeview Medical Center Doug Stasek, Executive Director, Ridgeview Foundation

Planning Your Future—Advance Care PlanningAs adults, it is important to consider who we choose to make our health care decisions in the event something happens and we cannot communicate our wishes.Saturday, May 16, 9:30 a.m.Saturday, June 13, 9:30 a.m.Ridgeview Medical Center 500 S. Maple Street, WaconiaCall 952-442-2191, ext. 5735, to register Cancer and Nutrition SeminarsA sound nutrition plan can have a significant impact on your health and well-being while undergoing cancer treatment.Monday, June 1, 6:30 p.m.Two Twelve Medical Center 111 Hundertmark Road, ChaskaCall 952-442-8083 to register. Newly formed Cancer Support GroupCo-sponsored by Ridgeview Medical Center and the American Cancer Society, Ridgeview’s Cancer Support Group is a group

to share questions and concerns about their experiences with cancer.Monday, June 1, 5:30 p.m.Two Twelve Medical Center 111 Hundertmark Road, Chaska Look Good … Feel BetterA program designed for women dealing with hair loss and skin changes from chemotherapy and radiation. Learn techniques to help make the most of your appearance while undergoing treatment.Wednesday, May 13, 4–6 p.m.Ridgeview Medical Center 500 S. Maple Street, WaconiaCall the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345 to register. Birthing Center Tours and Childbirth Preparation ClassesCall Ridgeview Community Relations at 952-442-8083 to arrange a tour of the Birthing Center or to schedule Childbirth Preparation or Breastfeeding Classes.

Classes & Events