Ever wondered how a small county like Humboldt is ensuring healthcare for all its residents? We've got Heather and Steve from Destination Humboldt, a new initiative that's making waves in healthcare access, to tell you all about it. They’re sharing their personal journeys, their vision, and how they’re addressing the local doctor shortage. There's a way for you to help too, and they’ll let you know exactly how.
We're also tackling the somewhat tricky public perceptions about healthcare in Humboldt, California - the good, the bad, and everything in between. Despite the challenges, what's fascinating is that Humboldt is home to some top-tier specialists. But, like any other healthcare system, there are gaps to fill, mainly the urgent need for primary care and caregivers. We’re talking about how philanthropy is stepping up to the plate and how you can join this crucial cause.
What’s more, we are exploring how the arts, community, and healthcare in Humboldt intersect. We're hosting a guests who share their unique experiences, giving us an inside look at the deep-rooted sense of community in healthcare. We also touch upon the friendly vibe of Humboldt and how to best enjoy a day off here. And let's not forget about technology and its role in improving patient care and communication at Providence Health & Services. We have all the info you need to reach out. So, tune in, discover the remarkable healthcare services in Humboldt, and learn how you can contribute to their continued improvement.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Ever wondered how a small county like Humboldt is ensuring healthcare for all its residents? We've got Heather and Steve from Destination Humboldt, a new initiative that's making waves in healthcare access, to tell you all about it. They’re sharing their personal journeys, their vision, and how they’re addressing the local doctor shortage. There's a way for you to help too, and they’ll let you know exactly how.
We're also tackling the somewhat tricky public perceptions about healthcare in Humboldt, California - the good, the bad, and everything in between. Despite the challenges, what's fascinating is that Humboldt is home to some top-tier specialists. But, like any other healthcare system, there are gaps to fill, mainly the urgent need for primary care and caregivers. We’re talking about how philanthropy is stepping up to the plate and how you can join this crucial cause.
What’s more, we are exploring how the arts, community, and healthcare in Humboldt intersect. We're hosting a guests who share their unique experiences, giving us an inside look at the deep-rooted sense of community in healthcare. We also touch upon the friendly vibe of Humboldt and how to best enjoy a day off here. And let's not forget about technology and its role in improving patient care and communication at Providence Health & Services. We have all the info you need to reach out. So, tune in, discover the remarkable healthcare services in Humboldt, and learn how you can contribute to their continued improvement.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Hey there folks, it's Scott Hammond, with 100% Humboldt, with our special guest today, heather and Steve. Hi Hi, scott, how are you guys?
Speaker 2:Doing great Pleasure to meet you.
Speaker 1:First time we've ever had two guests in one room with me. It's scary.
Speaker 3:You're very lucky yeah.
Speaker 1:The pleasure is all mine. So Steve and I go way back 100 years ago. Steve and I have been friends for a while these couple of weeks, and I'm just so happy to have you here. Tell us quickly at the Steve story. Oh gosh, and we're coming to talk about Destination Humboldt, which we'll get to here, I'm sure, really quick. And then, Heather, I want to hear your kind of short life story too. Sure.
Speaker 3:I'm definitely from Humboldt, born and raised. My parents actually live in the same house they moved into when I was six months old, so a lot of history here tried to leave when I was younger and then we had kids and decided this is where we want to keep our kids. So I've been here ever since Been in the financial space since I was 19. My business partner and I launched Eureka Payments it's the only local credit card processing company 14 years ago this month Wow. So that's our very short run there. My kids are all still here, except for the one who's gone to college, so it's definitely lifers at this point. Is she coming back? So he will be coming back. He is in his sophomore year studying cybersecurity, so part of his goal is to be able to work remote when he's done with school and move back here as well.
Speaker 1:So you're 100% Humboldt. Sorry to overuse that already, but I'd expect nothing less. It won't be the first, or? The last time folks.
Speaker 2:Nice branding yeah good branding.
Speaker 1:Have you heard about 100% Humboldt? Hey, tell me about the Heather story. Sure, welcome, and you're from Humboldt.
Speaker 2:I am. Heather's story also begins in Humboldt, although I did leave to seek my fortune, and now I'm back.
Speaker 1:Like so many.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I grew up here, went to what is now Cal Poly I've just called it that because my husband works there. Formerly known as Formerly known as HSU Prince.
Speaker 1:The artist known as Prince.
Speaker 2:Yes, started here in journalism and was a reporter and went out and worked in a few other states. I've been gone for about 20 years and I am now back, welcome home With my family. Thank you.
Speaker 1:So tell us what you do. What's your vocation? I know it has to do with this.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it. I appreciate the product placement and the branding. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Destination to.
Speaker 2:Humboldt, yes. So that's what I'm very excited about right now that Steve and I are working on together. Currently, I am the chief philanthropy officer for Providence and Humboldt, and so we fundraise for local health care. Steve is our board chair at St Joe's, and he and I, along with others, are working together on Destination Humboldt, which is our new initiative to bring access to health care to everyone in Humboldt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we talked about that a lot, the medical desert, how it's hard to get good, consistent, everything medical, and so what a welcome relief. And I think it's really important to talk about early and my wife pointed this out the other night this is not Providence necessary, this is your separate arm.
Speaker 2:We're part of Providence, we are the philanthropy arm of Providence. So we're part of the California division of Providence and within that there's a philanthropy division and that's what I'm part of and I represent that in Humboldt County, gotcha. So we are a department of the Hospital of Providence St Joseph Hospital and Redwood Memorial and we fundraise in the community through events, through just donor one-on-one connections and through getting the word out like this Right, and so this is really new.
Speaker 1:It's not new in the sense of philanthropy, but it's new in the sense of how you're doing it, the success with which you've done it.
Speaker 3:I think what's unique is the focus of what the dollars are being used for. So historically, we've gone out and looked for dollars for a specific project it could be the Cancer Center, it could be the Heart Institute, the residency program which are very narrow and very specific. Ask so when Heather's talking to potential donors, this is what we're raising money for. It's a very narrow program or very focused program or a piece of equipment or something to that effect, and the new initiative gives us a lot more flexibility. It's a lot more broad and the focus is on bringing additional. It's helping with recruitment, so bringing additional practitioners to the area, which is really what we're lacking right now, our inability to get appointments in a timely manner.
Speaker 3:That's what we hear the most. Right, that's not for lack of facility, that's not for lack of equipment, it's lack of people. So nationally there is a doctor shortage and we, I think, are impacted even more here, being as rural as we are. Oh yeah, so typical humboldt, right. Whatever's happening nationally probably affects us a little bit deeper. So that's what Heather's working tirelessly to address.
Speaker 1:Right on. Thank you, Steve. So if we cut to the chase immediately, people are going, how can I help? And I'm sure we'll get there again and again before we're through and I want to hear more about specifics about where the money goes. But if somebody wanted to help right now, how would they get more info? Just go online, Mr Goop.
Speaker 2:Sure, so well, you can look up our foundation, our Providence St Joseph Eureka Hospital Foundation. That's important because in the system there are other St Joseph hospitals and then also Redwood Memorial Foundation, so you're able to give online through our website, but also you can contact the hospital and be transferred to our department, to the foundation. We're also going to be doing more community outreach like this in the coming year. Good, and just to let people know. It's recruitment and retention. We want to keep the doctors that we have here and everyone that supports their practices. Well, nurses, scribes, techs all of these people are necessary to have a successful practice.
Speaker 1:So there's a website too, obviously, and can you give directly on the website, like paypal.
Speaker 2:Yes, on the foundation website. Yes, oh great.
Speaker 1:OK and learn more. Is there a Facebook page?
Speaker 2:Not specifically for this program. We do have a Providence in Humboldt Facebook page that has hospital information and we post this on there as well.
Speaker 1:So $5 million in my pocket. But I want to research. I can easily find it and then you can call Heather.
Speaker 3:She's happy to help you with the 50.
Speaker 2:You can call myself for a million dollars. Yes, she'll come by and say hi.
Speaker 1:So tell me more about the successes you guys have seen together in this first couple of years, and so we really launched this program six months ago, so it's still in its infancy, right.
Speaker 3:So it's not this long program that's been building and building and building. But what we found is we are able to utilize these funds to bring in new practitioners out of the gate. I don't think we expected it to be as successful as it is, which is great. It's a good problem to have, but also that also means Heather's job gets a little bit more intense trying to find more dollars to keep this coming. So do you want to talk about kind of what we've already drawn in? Sure?
Speaker 2:Sure. So, as Steve mentioned, we started in April and we have already raised to this point $1.3 million for our initiative no-transcript, and we've already planned that all out. We've already committed all of those dollars. So we have signed on 12 new providers. Nine of those are physicians and three are nurse practitioners, and so we're very excited about that. The way that this is a little different than some recruitment in the past is it's not a relocation bonus or a signing bonus. With the best of intentions. In the past, people have moved here before they get their large bonus and then, oh humble, it's not for me and they leave. So what we want to do is welcome people to be part of the community. So it's an agreement where the physician or provider has a contract with us to stay in practice for five years and in turn we do different types of assistance. We help with their loan repayment. Medical school loans are crazy now. When people graduate from medical school, they might owe anywhere from 200,000 to even $500,000 or more on the special team.
Speaker 2:So we do loan assistance payments as part of that agreement over three to four years and they work it off in a way, if you will, by practicing each year. So at the end of five years we hope that we've sold them on us and that they stay.
Speaker 3:And that really comes down to the community aspect of Humble. Right Is, heather can do this work along with everyone at Providence. On the recruiting side, we can help fund part of that. But once they get here, and we as a community as we should all the time need to wrap ourselves around these new people that are coming here, especially those that we as a community rely upon. But these aren't no offense to the retirees out there, but this isn't retirees that are moving here, that are gonna be consumers of services, right, these are those that we're relying on for providing the services that need to be consumed. So I think as a community, once we get folks here, it really comes down to all of us in the business community, in the social world, education, all of those different pieces have to really wrap ourselves around these folks.
Speaker 3:So embracing our new friends Absolutely and, from a donor perspective, the flexibility that we have with this the loan assistance is just one piece, so it's working with the recruiters to really talk to each person that they're trying to bring in. What do you need? If, for whatever reason, they don't need loan assistance, great, can we assist with housing, we assist with tuition for your kids for school, or what do you need? And those are in the personal realm. And then on the clinical side is hey, I'm interested in coming there, but I really need this assistant or this other person in my office. We may be able to help fund some of those people, the support team, to allow them to be successful here, that they wouldn't come if they didn't have Right. So the flexibility of it is what's unique.
Speaker 1:I love the creativity part. It's out of the box and I have a son. He needs to be in a private high school. Oh, we know some people. We could probably make some arrangements to get you connected and help out. I love it.
Speaker 2:Something that we really, I think, excel at and humbled is those connections and helping each other.
Speaker 1:And the cool thing is you brought that into this program to go. Okay, education, entertainment, a vacation home done by Benbo well, we could work on it. Yeah, not a problem.
Speaker 3:That might be a harder sell, but we'll see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll see, it is still philanthropy what we'll do is we'll just borrow your vacation home.
Speaker 3:It's a big one, yeah, my big one yeah, it's a time.
Speaker 1:share it's room 12 at the Benbo.
Speaker 3:Inn got it.
Speaker 1:It's a time share and Reno somewhere. So what I love about the five year thing is it gives me, the new doctor and my beautiful young wife and two kids a chance to fall in love with Humble Exactly.
Speaker 1:And vice versa, and I love that idea of we might be in acquired taste. I don't know that. Everybody comes here and goes, hey, I'm gonna stay here. This is Shangri-La and Maui, and it's maybe it's not. Maybe it's winter and it's raining crazy, but you fell in love with it during the summer because Arcadia was real slow and it was a quiet little town when the former HSU was done in session. Anyway, I digress a lot, so tell us more about what's a foot coming up. So you've had this 1.2 million. What are the goals going forward? Do you have some aspiring play?
Speaker 2:Oh, this, then we get into the intricacies of philanthropy and all nonprofits do this. You know, work toward goals and we of course would love to raise as much as possible to support this program. We were looking at this being a focus, definitely for the next two to three years. I have kind of a personal lofty goal that I'd like to raise $10 million toward this project over the next three years. But what we do it's a new program, so it's evolving and it's part of the philanthropy foundation at the hospital. We're still fundraising, you know, as need. I mean we didn't start that. That's been in existence for a long time and this community has helped it tremendously. We have such a generous community here and humbled. This is just our current initiative because we sat and looked at what is the greatest need, because that's what philanthropy is supposed to meet and the greatest need here for us is access to healthcare.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I'm gonna ask such a base, silly question that it's important to me. Why is that important? I live in McKinleyville with nine kids I don't have. I just came here from Timbuktu and bought a home and I worked for the Winf farm.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1:Why is that? Why is good medical care important to? The basis, the foundation of a good, healthy community.
Speaker 2:Well, if we talk about you mentioned the Winf farm if we talk about attracting new businesses and retaining the business leaders that we have here, people want to know that their workforce is going to be taken care of, that their families are going to be taken care of. So that's definitely a key factor and worth investing in is ensuring that we have housing, education and healthcare, and healthcare. Steve is fond of championing those three causes and it's very important, and so we are working on healthcare because it's vital, it crosses all socioeconomic barriers and it's just everyone needs it.
Speaker 1:So we retain seniors, retirees, maybe folks like me with advanced maturity.
Speaker 3:We also bring in Advanced maturity, Metal age, whoever Wow sorry.
Speaker 1:And then young people, young couples.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And you guys are. You've stayed here most of your life but most humble people that I've known. They left for a while and maybe that wouldn't happen as much if there was core medical.
Speaker 2:And we and I certainly don't want to shortchange what we have we have incredible medical care here. I think that people are often surprised to learn the level of specialty care that we have our oncology, our orthopedics, they are really on par with much larger facilities. We have doctors here from Stanford, from UCLA, from Boston, mass, general, johns Hopkins, I mean, those are Heavy hitters.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Big names, and they choose, they train in those places and they choose to come to Humboldt. They like the way of life here, they like the pace and we have that. What we don't have is a lot of bench strength. So in the different specialties we need to recruit more people. So our doctors are so dedicated and they're on call all the time. So we, you know, so they need relief. So that's the specialty area. The other area we're really focused on is primary care, and that is where you have, you know, 20 people in a room and say who has had trouble getting into a doctor, and everyone raises their hand right as we are here, and it's a challenge and it's something that we all are working toward. I mean, no one at the hospital thinks that's not a challenge and not a problem. We're all trying to be creative and do our best, and so what we're doing that's different is just also bringing philanthropy into that.
Speaker 1:Right. I think this is spot on. It's so tracking with everything that's needed, so 100% of my dollars go to this right. That's a pure, straightforward gift.
Speaker 2:Yes, in the different factors we have. Women for wellness actually is a fantastic group and that's just an example of 100% going toward an initiative. So our women for wellness members, which is open to women from all backgrounds, business, retirees, just you know it's a wonderful group of women and they would give $1,000 a year and it's collective philanthropy. And then the group votes to benefit different areas within the program, like equipment. You know this might be needed and they just are able to help supply that Direct to giving.
Speaker 1:So I'll ask Steve and then you get the question what's the biggest challenge to making that 10 million goal, that big Harry goal?
Speaker 3:happen. I think that it's multifaceted. There's a lot of challenges in there. I would say one of the things that I don't know if it's the biggest challenge, but it's one that I think is most in front of us pretty often is just public perception. Right, like you said, if you ask how many people in this room have had trouble getting a doctor, getting an appointment, whatever the case may be. To Heather's point earlier is we have amazing healthcare in a lot of these specialty areas and I think that's under-recognized. Those that have an issue with the hospital or local healthcare are very loud and they get platform Good point. So I think public perception, not even just locally, even broader is the perception is Providence. Is this large organization they've got tons of money and that's not necessarily the case Right, you know it is a Catholic based, mission based health organization who loses eight un of money. We were just talking about what was the number from the first quarter.
Speaker 2:Actually, yesterday we had an update that to date in 2023, just system wide, we have had nearly $400 million go out in charity care and unreimbursed care, which is part of our mission and we're very proud to carry on the tradition of our founding sisters. But just that's something to keep in mind when people look at it and assume, oh, it's a big health system and they have tons of money. That much money goes out the door and we're not paid for that care that we give. It's not.
Speaker 3:So I think that public perception piece plays into it. So for Heather to go out, even if we have a meeting with potential donors, inevitably part of that meeting is going to be that challenge of public perception and talking about what we have going on. That's right. And then we can get to, we peel that onion back, we can get to the core of what we're trying to accomplish. We're trying to bring more general practitioners, we're trying to bring more nurse practitioners, we're trying to bring more caregivers across the board. But we got to get through that perception first. That's a good one and I think a lot of not just social media. Social media is a big part of it because that's so easy to air your laundry and complain, right, and we all have that hospital experience. But I think, even broader, it's much more challenging for us to get the positive stories out there.
Speaker 3:As far as what our local healthcare is doing for our local community, we had an event earlier this week, just a small event, and we had a handful of potential donors there and we had our radiation oncology doctor and the first time this is going to be all over the board.
Speaker 3:But the first time that I got involved in the philanthropy piece was when they had just installed the new linear accelerators in the cancer program and I got to go tour the facility. That was the moment that I was sold on, like we have amazing things going on here in healthcare. We just don't know it at large in the community. But in talking with that doctor he was saying even recently it's not uncommon for people to leave here for second opinions right Going to Stanford or wherever. But sometimes folks from here are going to Stanford first. They want that to be their first opinion because they're the best. How often Stanford is actually referring care back to Humboldt because we are on par with them? So these doctors I mean in the cancer world and the radiation oncology department they all know each other across the state because they're all involved in multiple cases.
Speaker 3:that may cross lines right, and frequently the Stanford docs will be referring people back up here for care.
Speaker 2:And UCSF.
Speaker 3:And that's a big deal. That really speaks to what we have going on here. But if you were in a room with the same 20 people who's had a problem with the hospital, how many hands would go up? When do you understand the level of cancer care we have here? It's just not out there. Obviously, that's good. We don't all want to have to have the experience where we're firsthand aware of that, but those that do really appreciate what's here and those are the stories that I think we need to get out there more and more.
Speaker 1:That's good and.
Speaker 3:I think that helps Heather on the philanthropy side. If we have this going on here, man, we can increase that, we can build on that if we have the dollars to bring in the additional folks Love it, good story.
Speaker 2:And something else I would add just about local fundraising is yes, we are part of a health system, but the funds raised here absolutely stay in. Humboldt, they are here for our community hospitals.
Speaker 1:So legacy givers want to know that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yes, if you started a plumbing or a construction business here and it's 10 generations and you want to give, it's going to stay. Yes, Home town Providing health care in Humboldt, one might say 100% Humboldt. One might, one might and one just did.
Speaker 2:Do we have a tally Like?
Speaker 1:how do you ring?
Speaker 2:every time you say it, I think scoreboard. I think I probably should ring in on that, I think you should.
Speaker 1:And the facility is right here in Eureka, california. Is that about right yeah?
Speaker 2:it's very nice, and then?
Speaker 1:Fortuna's down this way. This is where Redwood Memorial is. Yes.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 1:I said I would use the prop and thanks Nick for keeping that up there. I appreciate it Very useful In case you're lost. That's Humboldt County, the size of Rhode Island and the populate. What do we have? A buck 30?.
Speaker 2:I was going to say 125, 130.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's not. It comes to goes, and it tends to, so we should have probably asked this first why do people want to live here? What makes this magical and amazing, or is it?
Speaker 3:And what?
Speaker 1:I'll start with you. Why did you keep your family here? And what do you like best about Humboldt?
Speaker 3:I guess I mean for me, my world is focused around my kids, my family, and that's really the core of it, right? My parents are still here. My kids have a desire to stay here as long as we have things for them from a recreation standpoint, from an employment standpoint. Now that my kids are adults, I can see my kids staying here, and probably, if you asked each of them, it would probably be each for different reasons as well, sure, but I think the community aspect that we have here is unique. We're definitely not city mindset, but we're not super small town mindset either. We kind of have that blended between the two, and I think part of that comes from those legacy folks that have been here forever. And then you have a lot of transplants coming in in the last five to 10 years as well, and I think the integration of those two makes it a unique place from a community aspect. The arts Sure. Sure you can find whatever it is that you're into. I think there's a piece of that that you can find.
Speaker 1:University, now known as Cal Poly, apparently.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you, I went to.
Speaker 1:Humboldt State, so don't worry about it. Good answer, though You're right, I think it has built on itself, and something wonderful and also problematic there's certainly maybe we'll go there in a minute, but so what's kept you in Humboldt? Why did you come back?
Speaker 2:I would say also family and what I love about our community. And also I had not worked in healthcare prior to this job. I'd worked in non-profit, but what I have really found is this family within the walls of the hospital. It is such a. I mean, I came back for my family, but this job came open and it's really been just transformational for me in my life to walk down the hall and see the impact of what you do every day is wonderful and what we do in philanthropy is help these people here provide for your loved ones and your family and provide care, and it's just an incredible feeling and it's extra special and Humboldt.
Speaker 2:this team is so dedicated and I mean healthcare workers everywhere are dedicated, but it really has a family feeling here and I think that makes it special.
Speaker 1:So we've had special kids that have had to go to Shriners and, you see, davis, and not for lack of care here at all, it just and the people that are part of that bigger family, that tribe, are amazing. How do you do that? 20, 365 for a lifetime or career? It's like I couldn't do that for a day and I would just lose my mind.
Speaker 1:And these guys, what are you gonna say? You can't say enough. I think you both touched on something that's really key to my heart after traveling to Amsterdam and watching people who are European and just not very friendly. It wasn't me folks, it was just the culture, and I respect that. But being a connector and a relationship person, you have that in spades. Here you have people, and it's really highlighted to me that you could walk down the street and say, hey, steve, what's up? And I might not even know Steve.
Speaker 3:That's why I tell my kids you can never get away with anything or anything.
Speaker 1:Don't even try. Everybody does. It's small enough and that's really true that people are super friendly and you might not know the person at the dinner across from you, but they're just friends you haven't met yet, and that's by and large true. It's not 100%, of course, but I like that about us Go team 100% Humboldt. Wait, I did it again Ding can I ring the? Bell. Okay, let's do the bell, you're right.
Speaker 2:I love it, yep.
Speaker 1:Okay, first question this is all about favorite things at Humboldt. So, steve, tomorrow for real, you get a whole day off and you go anywhere, do anything with unlimited budget.
Speaker 2:You're off tomorrow.
Speaker 1:I am sorry.
Speaker 2:You might be.
Speaker 3:Heather and I are drinking tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Five, so you could do anything you want in Humboldt budgets, not really even a consideration. What do you go do on your free day?
Speaker 3:Honestly, that's I know you're looking for like a just basic answer. You have to be honest. No, you don't.
Speaker 3:It depends on who's available. Honestly, it really depends, cause my world revolves around my kids, my family and when I, and then my extended family, which goes beyond just my kids and we joke that I have part-time children, right. So my world is. I spent a lot of time with high school and young adults kind of just pouring into them in different ways. So first thing I do, I'm not one to sit at home. I'm not a sit still kind of guy. You know I get a day off. I'm just gonna chill at home 10 minutes in, okay, all right, I'm bored.
Speaker 1:Who am I gonna?
Speaker 3:call who's available. So I think it's a matter of Honestly, it would just be. It's not even a budget thing. It's spending time with people within my different circles, and there's lots, I think there's lots of small little circles that would interact or intersect each other. But gosh, as far as like destination to go to where most of my pockets of individuals, when we hang out, it's food and wine, that's. You know, pick a restaurant, pick a winery or five, and that's where you can find us.
Speaker 1:It's funny how that R&R kind of that connection can happen in that circle, so you might have multiple meetings in a day, multiple in your free day Tastings meetings.
Speaker 2:Meetings yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think anyway. Yeah, that was around 11 in the morning at Amador, I think, if I remember would be correct. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I would like to clarify. I was not present. I am on the clock working. There you go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was too Well, maybe not. So no, I like that because I think that's part of what I would do with. My day is like how many lunches can I have, with the answers not?
Speaker 3:that many, but I think that here's the shortened answer that it doesn't matter as far as destination, doesn't matter where I'm going, so who can I spend the time with? That's really what it comes down to.
Speaker 2:Aw that's so nice.
Speaker 1:And you might manage to find an amazing view from the top of Ingo Mar Sure or just on the bay somewhere.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:Pick a place. You already know I've discovered our date night COVID date night, and you've heard this. You probably don't know, you might not know this. So we have a Honda Odyssey, we drive it to Scenic Drive, camel Rock. It's five minutes from McKinleyville. Why didn't we know this before? Covid, super cheap date, and we pop up with a picnic basket that we might have some Dick Taylor chocolate and a grid bottle of wine, some picnic stuff and sponsored by. Sponsored by. Oh, I wish You're welcome, you guys. They're right here in Eureka, in case you're a waterfront.
Speaker 2:Thanks for the map.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they have a good mocha now. That's quite good. Oh, I digress. Yeah, so that's our picnic spot. Thank you, covid, thank you America. But also connection point, and there's a lot of places to do that for that have great beauty for maybe no money, sit on the bay, whatever. So your day off, tell us wait good answers. Thank you, you won a prize.
Speaker 2:Oh, you won a prize. Steven and I are a little competitive sometimes, yeah, so All the time Our prize we're going to lose, oh nice.
Speaker 1:If you're not first and last Me either.
Speaker 3:What do you do so?
Speaker 1:you get a day off tomorrow, heather. Do whatever you want, unlimited budget, just call it out. Where do you go? What do you?
Speaker 2:do. Okay. So I have two. One would kind of be a self-indulgent spa day on my own just because I talk a lot. No, but I really love what Steve said and I think that just connections with family, my sisters here, we talk every day. I have one here and one in San Francisco and we're best friends and I just I really value that. Nice, it means a lot to me, my husband and my daughter. We like to go out to eat places and walk around and just enjoy being here. The ocean when I was away for 20 years and landlocked, I missed the ocean terribly, so I absolutely love going to the beach and just the amazing aura of that.
Speaker 1:I had a good friend that we just talked this week and he said, just knowing that I haven't been to the ocean for a bit, but knowing that it's there or driving by it is like this so back to Amsterdam, it's landlocked and it's flat and whatever, but I really miss the ocean because we live in McKinleyville and you can look over scenic drive or Trinidad or Palm Beach and it's like, oh, this is awesome, or I can hear it and experience it from a distance. So it's, yeah, there's therapy. I forgot the word he used, just kind of knowing that it's there is really important, also part of our community.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I'm actually very proud, I am working on converting my very, very city city boy husband to appreciating the ocean. Nice, I don't have that much sand, but he likes. Where's he from? He's from Buenos Aires, argentina. Okay, so the New York slash Paris of South America. So he's always grown up around concrete and city noises and loud things and you know which is very cool, he's adjusting well. He is adjusting well.
Speaker 1:You've met General Carl Adams at the Carter House. He's a surgeon at St Joe's yes, thresk surgeon. He's one of our humble heroes and he likes to stay at the Carter and enjoys good fine wine and then tells a lot of stories. And he's actually 27 deployments. If you find five or six you're major, but he's two star general. He's quite a guy. Anyway, he said if I had to travel somewhere he goes, I'd go to South America. It's got all the elements of Europe but it's less money, it's fun, there's a lot of other foods and it's not Euro pretentious. He had some opinions that I won't repeat but that John and I would definitely like to go to Peru and Argentina and go see that. That'd be fun. I just want to go all the places.
Speaker 3:Yes, the wine's good there too right South America.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, decent wine. Okay, good, good to know. Check that box. Well, good job, you've checked all the boxes and both went to prize and we'll take those off camera if you don't mind.
Speaker 2:Is my prize better than Steve's? I just want to know.
Speaker 3:Yes of course, it doesn't matter what mine is. I'm going to donate it to the hospital, oh thank you, you won.
Speaker 1:Tell us one more time how to get back Sure.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well. We will be doing more things like this and just our own little road show of going around to rotary and seroptimists and different events. But again, you can look on the website. You can search for St Joseph. Eureka Foundation is probably the easiest way. Call your office directly or you can call our office directly.
Speaker 1:You want to plug that phone number for those who are going to write stuff down. Ready, sure, grab your pen.
Speaker 2:It is 707-269-4200. Callers are standing by.
Speaker 1:Right and operators.
Speaker 2:And operators Whoops.
Speaker 1:Hopefully there's a lot of callers too. No, we'd love to promote that too. And then social media we could cross, promote or learn more Absolutely, and then the Providence Humboldt Facebook group.
Speaker 2:What do we see?
Speaker 1:more posts coming forward to as you guys start to create more and more awareness.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Cool. And those stories, the testimonials.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And 100% right on that observation. Oh, medicine's broken, America's divided. I mean, just how do you know that? Well, somebody told me, did you do the research? No, I don't really know much about medicine and humble. Well, you've come to the right people. Can we share a little bit? And so perfect, Get curious. There's a big gap of knowledge which seems to be Shrinking actually at this point. So I like that.
Speaker 3:Learning more about you guys, what you're doing, so parting shots anything from your I think I would just hit on something Heather mentioned earlier, which is the women for wellness portion. That is a low-cost entry level way to kind of really dive in and learn more for the ladies in the community. I'd really encourage that one. What's your membership? It's around 100 or so.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:So that's $100,000 right there that's brought in collectively. And then what that group does is they'll have educational sessions once a quarter or every so often that they'll gather and they'll actually hear from a practitioner or a doctor, or Heather maybe, or someone in her office and what that is. I think that is one. When people hear philanthropy, I think they're expecting big checks with big zeros and lots of commas and things like that, and every dollar really does matter and I think that's one way that that's really exemplified in our community there. So I think that's one. If you're not sure where to start as far as giving to the hospital or local healthcare and want to learn more about what local healthcare is, that's probably one of the easiest routes for the women in our community to really hear about.
Speaker 1:So you're saying start somewhere, thank you, Steve, yeah, I love it. Absolutely so. Do you perceive that people are and I'm gonna ask you the same question too that people are giving here in.
Speaker 2:Humboldt, no gosh. Oh, absolutely the extra generous and in our day everything I've heard.
Speaker 3:In my day job we participate in pre-COVID. I think we were doing around 45 to 50 fundraiser dinners a year. So there's an endless number of nonprofits locally and they each have their piece that they touch on. They're all important for that piece or whatever. I do think that what we're working on here is very, very broad. But it's amazing. You go to these events and dollars are flowing and a lot of times it's a lot of the same people and there's just an endless amount of giving. That does happen here, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it's a community as a whole.
Speaker 1:And the generosity for us People here really care and I like that.
Speaker 2:you talked about the big check with all the zeros, because we often ask people, when they're considering a gift, an amount that is meaningful to you, and I truly mean that because what comes from your heart and depending on the capacity that you might have to give, you shouldn't assume that you can't contribute something. I mean, we have people send in $25 and they send a note. That's like this doctor meant so much to me and that's incredible. I mean just the spirit of Cheerful givers, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, not that we're not opposed to the five million.
Speaker 2:We do like the zeros, yeah, yeah, but it all adds up. It's collectively taking care of our community together, and that's something that Humboldt excels at.
Speaker 1:So if I wanted to do a meaningful gift, is it something that you would come, we possibly might come to a gathering of, I don't know, givers, philanthropists, generous?
Speaker 3:people. It can be through an event like that, or just contacting the office directly, absolutely, or you would have a meeting at your office or whatever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:We would have a meeting at my office or out or with some other officers on our staff, gotcha yeah, and we do fundraising events throughout the year. We'll have our destination Humboldt Gala in June and Redwood Memorial. We have a golf tournament in October and the benefit ball in November, and both of those have been going on for many, many years.
Speaker 3:And I think there's one other event too that we don't always highlight enough is we have a legacy lunch. That's happening next week. So sometimes folks aren't in a position today to write that check, but they still understand, and really want to participate in this, that there is planned giving. So we have folks that will meet with Heather and or a planned giving officer and really make the hospital part of the estate plan. So I might not be able with my cash flow to write a check today, but as part of my legacy, when I'm gone I'm going to leave a portion of my assets to the hospital. I think that's a piece we don't always in these type of forums, touch on. It can be. It's not always an easy conversation to have that, because you're planning for the end, right, and that's not always easy to talk about. But I think that is one event we have next week. That's a fairly small event but it is a lunch just to honor those that have put the hospital into their estate plan.
Speaker 2:Right and talk about a meaningful gift. I mean when you look at a need and say I want to leave a legacy when I'm gone that ensures care for people. You know it's very beautiful.
Speaker 1:There are other venues to give to besides just to check or the legacy. Is there a state giving where you could?
Speaker 3:That's what we're talking about right here.
Speaker 1:But maybe pre-estate if I wanted to divest a home absolutely, absolutely and a reverse mortgage.
Speaker 2:I don't know what I'm talking about. No, but we did and we have people who specialize in that. So if it's something that you're interested in and you called the office, we do have a plan giving officer who can.
Speaker 1:So I have a 52 jag and it's worth a million bucks. I imagine you could help me figure something out, we can help you. Yeah, so resources are coming all forms. People might be surprised what they have. I have nine kids. Are you interested in some of them?
Speaker 2:Well we're always hiring, we're always hiring.
Speaker 1:Oh, good answer, good answer, we do need a healthcare workforce. Micah could bench 450, he's amazing. We'll find him a job yeah okay, good, well, thanks for coming, you guys. Any parting shots? Thank you, then you wanted anything.
Speaker 2:I was just trying to work away into the conversation that I could ding the bell, but here I'm gonna slide the bell you away.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't want a charity bell.
Speaker 2:No, no, okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm gonna say I'll take it.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna say Steve is 100% humbled and I'm ringing the bell on that.
Speaker 1:Here we go. Oh, you got one more, louder, better.
Speaker 3:Oh can't even ring a bell. Okay, I'm competitive and you can't even pull that off.
Speaker 1:I think it's at a bad spot here.
Speaker 2:Slide it that way, Appreciate your okay now, it's just humiliating.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, moving on here. I don't need it.
Speaker 1:He's gonna try it before we go.
Speaker 2:As soon as you turn the camera off.
Speaker 1:yeah, Anyway, thanks for coming to you guys. Appreciate learning about all this and wanting to hear more and expecting that coming into 24, you guys are gonna be out there and gonna be learning more.
Speaker 3:And yeah, and don't hesitate to hit Heather up in her department. Absolutely, one more time. Phone number, thank you 269-4200.
Speaker 1:4200 and email if you wanted to reach you. Is that something you'd want? Public Sure.
Speaker 2:It is heatherseton S-E-T-T-O-N at providenceorg org.
Speaker 1:Okay, great. Yeah, Thanks Stephen for coming. Not a problem, appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you Stephen.
Speaker 1:And thanks Heather, have a great day.
Speaker 2:Thank you, scott you too.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having us. We'll be right back.