From the Executive Director

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With 2017 behind me along with three fundraisers, the 80th Anniversary Celebration for VTCC, Pack-2-School, Project Christmas, board meetings and retreat, budget planning and updating the strategic plan plus over nine months of clinic management -- I'm feeling at home. Many thanks to Ron Aldrich and the rest of the board of directors; Aurora Trujillo, Fellow at CHRISTUS; Carter Howell, intern with St. Vincent's Hospital Foundation; the Archdiocese and our grantors for their support; and, especially to the VTCC staff and volunteer health care providers for helping to make my "rookie" year so productive!

It's my pleasure to announce that the Holiday Calcutta in December raised over $20,000. It was such a fun evening at the beautiful ballroom at the LaFonda Hotel. Credit and thanks go to Jill Cook, chair of the event, and her committee. Don't skip the article below reporting the event details including our awesome sponsors and silent auction donors. 

In other fundraising news: upon recommendation of the Development Committee, the Board has voted to discontinue the Geranium Sale. It's been fun every spring to bring these beautiful flowers to you and we are grateful for your purchases and support. The geraniums were grown by New Mexico Plant Company in Cerrillos. In the spring you may contact them directly at 505-471-3685 for their days and hours of operation.

Last September we reported receiving the grant from CHRISTUS Health. Last year VTCC also received a $10,000 grant from CHI St. Joseph's Children for general operations and $13,000 from SC Ministry Foundation which represented the second half of a grant for the dental program. In September we also received a $7,000 grant from The Catholic Foundation.

Some recent and not-so-recent news on our dental program. I'd like to introduce Brandon Cera, DDS who has been volunteering for several years and recently was appointed the clinic's Dental Director. And, I'd like to re-welcome Chris Morgan, DMD and Jeffrey Wheaton DDS, MD who have returned to volunteering for VTCC and are regularly scheduled at an extraction clinic. 

Looking ahead to 2018 and my second "season" with VTCC team, there are a few plans I'd like to share with you. First, the Board of Directors has approved the revised strategic plan which sets as one of its goals to search for a new location in Santa Fe for the clinic. We've also been tasked to implement mobile outreach for some our clinics in an effort to expand the reach of our services. Finally, we are working with athenagives, a program of athenahealth , which provides free service for electronic medical records (EMR) to clinics like VTCC that provide free medical services. 

It should be an all-star year!

Sincerely,
Victoria

News from the Board of Directors

Helping to Achieve Goals for 2018

In December the board approved the Strategic Action Plan, a copy of which can be viewed on our website.

We'd like to welcome four new board members: Peter Bastone, Rafael Garabis, Mary Jo Metzger, and Tendai Shereni.

• Mr. Bastone has extensive experience in healthcare for non-profit systems and faith-based organizations most recently with Ivy Healthcare Innovations & Analytics in Mission Viejo, California.
• Dr. Garabis is a family medicine trained physician currently working as a hospitalist at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. "As a physician trained in family and social medicine," Dr. Garabis said, "it is my mission and duty to ensure access and provide quality health care for our community's vulnerable and underserved."
• Ms. Metzger has been in healthcare for over 30 years. She moved to Santa Fe in 1987 and has worked at CHRISTUS St. Vincent for the past 17 years and serves as Executive Director of Diagnostic and Respiratory Care Service Lines. "I feel blessed to be part of the CHRISTUS ministries," Ms. Metzger said, "and believe serving on the board of Villa Therese Catholic Clinic is an extension of this ministry, to improve the health and well-being of our community."
• Mr. Shereni is a finance professional with experience in the planning and implementation phases of financial projects and transactions.

At the January board meeting the budget for 2018 was approved. Thank you to the Finance Committee and Victoria for all their work.

Project Christmas

Joy for Children and Families

Though lots of organizing and work, it's a joy to be "Santa Claus" and help our families have a better Christmas. We are able to do this through the generosity of the parishioners of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Firefighter Charities of Los Alamos, and individual donors Archbishop John Wester, Edwina and Warren Wood and Melissa Segura who donated gift cards from Walmart, Target or other retailers. Having a gift card enables families to purchase a specific wish on a child's list for Santa. In addition, the Firefighter Charities donated age-appropriate toys and bikes that were distributed to other families. Again this year the Santa Fe Detention Center collected money and purchased presents for one of our families with five children who receive medical and dental services.  

By the numbers we were able to share Christmas to over 210 children from 73 families. But the smiles and joy can't be counted!

Braces For Smiles 

Orthodontia Program Continues

Braces For Smiles. Yes, a healthier mouth with straight teeth and improved bite brings confidence to young teens -- and then smiles! It's the main reason why this program was started approximately forty years ago. The clinic seeks grants that help defray the cost of orthodontia supplies and orthodontists generously volunteer their time and expertise to treat the teens to correct the malocclusion. 

Using a portion of the grant money from CHRISTUS Health, nine young teens were selected in late December to receive the braces. They have agreed to take care of their teeth daily and meet all the required dental cleanings and orthodontia appointments. For this group of teens, participating orthodontists are: Stephen Darmitzel, DDS; Stephen Kellam, DMD, MS; Daniel Meyers, DDS; Clarice Pick, DDS; Taylor Usatilo, DDS; and, Devan R. Vest, DDS, MS.

Thank you to CHRISTUS Health and these orthodontists for giving healthy smiles to deserving young teens!

Holiday Fundraiser

$20,000 Raised for VTCC Services

The clinic's biggest fundraiser was a success in the fun -- and funding -- department! Almost $20,000 was raised which will be used to cover expenses for both the medical and dental programs. And, through a special fund-a-need at the event, $3,000 was collected for the Pack to School program. Pack to School provides a backpack and school supplies when children return to school after their summer vacation. 

The Holiday Fundraiser was held in the Lumpkins Ballroom at the La Fonda on the Plaza. It was a lovely event space and the hotel staff was helpful and gracious.  Ron Newman's lively music was the perfect background during the cocktail and dinner hours. The food? Delicious!

Thanks go to Jill Cook, the Holiday Fundraiser committee, volunteers, and the Board for their support of this fundraiser. Special thanks to Cynthia Lackner for organizing the silent auction including soliciting donations from local individuals and businesses and setting up the auction displays. Thank you to the Board for reaching out to new supporters of the event and the clinic. Thanks to Richard White who handled the event logistics of check-in and auction check-out.

And a special thanks to our sponsors and silent auction donors for their generous support. Sponsors and a list of silent auction donors are below. Please patronize their businesses!

We would be remiss if we didn't thank YOU -- our loyal supporters!