DMC/Sinai-Grace Hospital’s Comprehensive Heart Program Receives the Robert Sosnick Award of Excellence

November 2003

For more information, contact Jodee Fishman Raines, (248) 203-1487

DMC/Sinai-Grace Hospital’s Comprehensive Heart Program received the Robert Sosnick Award of Excellence at The Jewish Fund’s Annual Meeting last week.

According to Jewish Fund Chair David Page, “The Comprehensive Heart Center has been a pivotal program in the rejuvenation of Sinai-Grace Hospital and has made a significant difference in the lives of the people in northwest Detroit and beyond. Selecting this program for the Sosnick Award reflects The Jewish Fund’s commitment to improving the health care of the individuals beyond the Jewish community and recognizes our commitment to perpetuating the mission of Sinai Hospital.”

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and death in the U.S. Sinai Hospital, from whose sale The Jewish Fund was created, was a recognized leader in cardiac care. After purchasing and consolidating Sinai and Grace Hospitals, DMC/Sinai-Grace Hospital opened a new and improved $6.2 million Comprehensive Heart Center in November 2001.

The Center includes three new surgery suites with state-of-the-art technology, a new telemetry patient unit with advanced monitoring capability and renovated preoperative and postoperative recovery areas.

The Center treats all stages of heart disease, including preventive and emergency treatment, diagnostic, interventional, post-surgical, rehabilitation and long-term care. Center staff provide compassionate, expert care, and were specially trained at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Accepting the award on behalf of Sinai-Grace was Conrad Mallet, Jr., its interim CEO. According to Mallet, “Sinai-Grace Hospital is alive and well. We submitted a balanced budget to the DMC this year, and look forward to another balanced budget next year. The Comprehensive Heart Center, desperately needed within the northwest Detroit community, will also help us make a profit. Our relationship with The Jewish Fund has played a significant role in the hospital’s and center’s success.”

The Robert Sosnick Award of Excellence was established in memory of Bob Sosnick, whose bold vision and leadership abilities led to the creation of The Jewish Fund. In tribute to Mr. Sosnick and in keeping with the mission of The Jewish Fund, the program selected for the award must be a collaborative, innovative and compassionate effort to improve the quality of life of our most vulnerable populations. Past winners of the Sosnick Award are JVS/JAS-Assisted Meals Program (2000), Kids Kicking Cancer (2001) and Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network (2002).

The Award was presented at The Jewish Fund’s Annual Meeting on November 24th, 2003.

Other actions at the Annual Meeting included election of two new board members, Glenda Price and Allan Nachman (see related article) and re-election of board members Nancy Grand, Merle Harris, Samuel Indenbaum, M.D., Florine Mark Ross, Eduardo Phillips, M.D., Richard Roth and Karen Sosnick Schoenberg. David Page was re-elected as Board Chair and Robert Naftaly as Vice-Chair. Outgoing board members Mark Hauser and Wilbourne Kelley, III were recognized for their years of service to the Board as well.

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The Jewish Fund was created in 1997 from proceeds of the sale of Sinai Hospital to the Detroit Medical Center and has since awarded $22 million in grants to expand health and human services to residents of metropolitan Detroit.

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