From left - Assemblyman Martin Garrick’s Chief of Staff, Michael Zimmerman; Assemblywoman Diane Harkey; Tri-City Medical Center CEO Larry Anderson; and Shirley Anderson.

A capacity crowd of more than 525 people attended the Tri-City Hospital Foundation’s 2009 Baile gala, which was held November 14 at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara.
This year’s gala, themed “Baile . . .And All That Jazz,” yielded $193,250 in proceeds that will help support the hospital’s mission.
In addition to community members, those attending included District and Foundation board members, local and state elected officials, hospital leadership, and nurses.
Emcee for this year’s Baile was well-known local TV news anchor, Carol LeBeau. The Baile included a silent auction, a live auction, and a paddle raiser. The paddle raiser, in which the bids are a straight donation, raised enough money to fund a much-needed second ultrasound unit for the Emergency Department. Earlier this year, the Foundation asked hospital departments to identify their priority needs. The ultrasound unit was on the “wish list” from the Emergency Department.
“We were pleased to help make this possible,” said Foundation President and CEO, Debbie King. “The new ultrasound unit will immediately start benefitting many ER patients, so it’s really a gift to the entire community.”
There was strong support from not only those in attendance but from the Foundation’s Corporate Council, which serves as a philanthropic link between the corporate community and the hospital. The Corporate Council offered to match the first $25,000 in paddle raiser bids. That amount was quickly reached and exceeded, and the Emergency Department will soon receive its new portable ultrasound machine.
One of the evening’s highlights was screening of a video about Maj. Chris Gillette, a Marine from Camp Pendleton who returned from a tour of duty in Iraq to face a life-threatening pulmonary embolism while walking across the base. That incident brought him into the capable hands of physicians and nurses at TCMC. He credits the hospital, which he refers to as Tri-City Miracle Center, with saving his life. The drama of the presentation was heightened when the lights came up and Gillette himself was center stage.
A second highlight was recognition of two distinguished, long-time TCMC physicians. Dr. Ted Folkerth received the Outstanding Achievement Award, which recognizes a physician who has provided an extended period of exceptional service to Tri-City Medical Center. In making the presentation, District Board chair Madeline Rodriquez cited Dr. Folkerth’s more than two decades of service, and his exceptional skills as a cardiac surgeon.
TCMC CEO, Larry Anderson, presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to renowned orthopedist Dr. James Esch for his significant contribution to the profession and to Tri-City Medical Center. “Thanks to the commitment and hard work of a lot of people, particularly the volunteer Baile committee, this was an exceptional event in every way,” said the Baile chair, Gigi Gleason. “We were thrilled by the strong community support and the financial success of the Baile.”