Passion, commitment to excellence and community support from area leaders; these are some of the reasons John Gilbert and Sarita Tirpak got involved in St. Mary Medical Center. Both are lifelong residents of the area. Sarita grew up in Levittown and John in neighboring Washington Crossing, New Jersey. John’s first contact with the hospital was through his friend and business associate Sid Yates, one of the founding members of St. Mary. John started working in Newtown in 1975 when Sid introduced John to many other area business leaders who were also involved with the hospital. From the early days of Sister Clare to the current leadership of Greg Wozniak, John and Sarita have been impressed with the hospital’s focus on quality, growth and mission. Faith plays an important role in Sarita’s life and the healing environment at St. Mary made it their hospital of choice when her father was in the late stages of his cancer. “Our family was truly appreciative of the quality of care he received. The nurses and nurse assistants are amazing people. They treated my father like a gentleman and always showed him respect in all aspects of his care.” “What has impressed me over the years is the level of passion and commitment our community members have to providing access to excellent healthcare to our area. Passion is contagious, and being part of something special makes us want to do more.” Two years ago John and Sarita’s interests took a new turn. They made their first gift to St. Mary and have been advocates ever since. They take their role as community leaders very...
A twenty-five year love affair with St. Mary—still going strong Len and Marilyn Franckowiak are loving and living retired life. They have lived in Bucks County long enough to witness St. Mary sprouting from a farm field and growing into a wonderful medical center. “It is comforting to know that our medical needs can be addressed within a short ride, and sophisticated emergency care is available at the end of an ambulance ride.” “We, our children, and grandchildren have experienced very good care through the generations. There are so many reasons why we donate, encourage others to donate and volunteer our services.” Marilyn was first encouraged to volunteer 25 years ago by Sr. Hildegarde Grogan, who, at the time was Vice-President of Patient Services. Sr. Hildegarde needed someone to sift through tons of data and prepare charts—and at that time, it was with a pencil, ruler, and graph paper! Soon Marilyn was named a community representative to Ethics Committee on which she served for 15 years. Sister Hildegarde was aware that Marilyn’s first career was in nursing, and she put her to work researching and writing the nursing standards for the new Cancer Center. When Sister left, Marilyn continued to work for the next five Vice Presidents. For the past year, Marilyn has worked for the Trauma Prevention Coordinator. Another area of opportunity for her service was the Healing Environment program. Marilyn makes afghans and hats for cancer patients, has delivered them to and visited with patients, and even designed two items to aid patients during their healing. Marilyn absolutely cherishes every minute of her more than 6500 hours...
Leadership happens when individuals seize the moment and show others the path to a greater good. Certainly, leadership was demonstrated when the physician partners at the Endoscopy Center at St. Mary pledged a major gift to the St. Mary Medical Center Capital Campaign, Expanding on Excellence, Your Health, Your Hospital. Drs. John Volpe, Anne-Marie Marcoux and Richard Goldstein led their partners Drs. Salowe, Barash, Kravitz and Modena to become one of the first medical groups to make a donation. Through the Expanding on Excellence Campaign, the group saw an opportunity to help the hospital further its mission in an important way. It was, in Dr. Marcoux’s words, a group decision to say “thank you” to a medical center whose leadership has recognized the needs of physicians by creating a medical environment that better serves the needs of the patients. “The Endoscopy Center has enhanced the way we practice medicine,” explained Dr. Volpe. “We can give better care to the patient because we have the tools and state of the art technology to do so.” “St. Mary is a good friend professionally and a strong pillar of the community,” Dr. Goldstein added. “We see ourselves as partners in the process and recognize the philanthropic efforts St. Mary makes in the community through the work they do at the Mother Bachmann Maternity Center and other outreach programs in Bensalem.” And they also see St. Mary worthy of their philanthropic support. Having worked with other hospitals, they are incredibly impressed by the leadership, transparencies, and stewardship of a well-run organization. Drs. Volpe, Goldstein and Marcoux are trailblazers in their support for this...
What would you say to a cherished loved one if both of you knew he had only thirty six hours to live? Jane Eagleston faced that excruciating moment two years ago, and her answer is truly a love letter to her beloved husband Mark, and in the telling, to St. Mary Medical Center. “Mark and I are both New York born and bred,” admitted Jane. “Moving to Bucks County in 2003 was a major move for me, but Mark was enthusiastic about expanding his company into Southern new Jersey and Pennsylvania.” They spent the next few years exploring this new environment and enjoying the beauty that is Bucks County. Life, however, began to darken in 2007. Mark started to complain about a terrific pain in his chest and general malaise. Initially, his physician thought he had developed pleurisy and ordered a complete series of tests. The good news was that all the tests showed negative results; the bad news was that the pain persisted and became more severe. Then one day Mark sneezed. “I heard him sneeze, and instantly thereafter, he screamed in agony, ‘I feel as though every rib in my chest is broken!’” Jane recalled. “his pain was so intense he threatened suicide.” Immediately, Jane rushed him to St. Mary Medical Center where indeed, it was determined that he had fractured his ribs. More tests were ordered, and this time, the results were dire. “Mark was diagnosed with a most lethal, aggressive form of blood cancer,” said Jane. “His oncologist Dr. Evan Alley said there was an inoperable tumor behind his rib cage, causing the fractures. he...
Louis DiFranco, Lower Makefield resident, is a very busy man. He and his wife Jacki are fully engaged parents of two “tween” children who participate in many school and extra-curricular activities. His professional career is equally demanding. As an executive in the field of Finance and Asset Management, Louis’ time is a precious commodity. However, he has found the time for St. Mary Medical Center, and says that decision has led to a tremendously rewarding and enriching experience in his life. How does a New Jersey transplant find his way to St. Mary? According to Louis, he and Jacki moved from Lawrenceville several years ago to Bucks County, and as a responsible member of his new community, he was looking for a way to volunteer in a meaningful way. A long time colleague, Bob Field, who serves on the St. Mary Medical Center Board, began the conversation about St. Mary, and indicated that Louis’ background might be a good fit to the board. “Bob talked to me about the high caliber of individuals who are leading St. Mary,” said Louis, “and that sparked my interest to pursue an involvement.” A meeting with Board Chairman Frank Guarrieri and CEO Greg Wozniak sealed the deal. “I was totally impressed with the professionalism of these men and the focus they placed on maintaining the integrity of the ministry and mission of St. Mary,” said Louis. “Their plans were broad based, expertly constructed with considerations for the financial well being of the hospital as well as responsive to community needs. When they encouraged me to join the St. Mary Medical Center Board, I...
