By Carol M. Karimi, February 2010

Excellent service, exceptional fundraising

The Guild of California Pacific Medical Center was presented with the ACE Award for continued excellent quality by Alan Pont, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer in December 2009. Guild President Valerie Mayer, who accepted the award, was also praised on behalf of The Guild’s exceptional fundraising work and generous donations to crucial hospital programs totaling over $70,000 in 2009. To date, The Guild has donated over $8 million dollars to the Medical Center.

The Guild is open to both men and women —many of whom are retired volunteers— and promotes a mission of care, community and service to Medical Center. In addition to volunteering and fundraising, The Guild also designates any profits from CPMC's four campus gift shops to a Medical Center fund or program chosen by The Guild each year.

Grateful patients become extraordinary leaders and volunteers

Mayer attributes the resiliency of the Guild to the leadership of the last 15 years. “The ladies who have preceded me have done some extraordinary things. Former presidents M’Lou Coppinger and Barbara Horton have carried the organization in a tremendously significant way.” Serving two and three terms respectively, both women were also grateful patients who came back to CPMC as volunteers. Ms. Horton, who has been volunteering at the Pacific campus front desk for 12 years, attributes her dedication to being a patient seven times. She declares, “I got such good care that I promised myself I would be a volunteer here.”

Because life is precious, we encourage giving to life and a lifetime of giving.