Their work for the foundation began after Bob had a life-threatening heart attack in 1982. After Bob thankfully recovered, he and Sandee sat down together and tried to think of ways they could give back to the hospital they credited with saving Bob’s life. Because the Carter’s feel strongly that each world-class hospital needs funds to continue the level of care Bob received, volunteering for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation seemed a natural fit for them. Reflecting on why he started working with the foundation, Bob Carter said “My personal experience demonstrated the valuable service provided by the hospital.” And so, with a new respect for how important a high caliber medical center is in one’s community, the Carters' started dedicating themselves to the Tri-City Hospital Foundation.
The Tri-City Hospital Foundation (TCHF) works to enhance programs that promote, encourage and assist the improvement and expansion of quality healthcare at Tri-City Medical Center and the North San Diego County community. Through fundraising and the acceptance of charitable gifts, TCHF has been able to allocate funds to support the advancement of patient care and clinical excellence at Tri-City Medical Center. Recent purchases have been a state-of-the-art 64-slice CT Scanner, patient room televisions, a mammography motorized viewer, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit car seats and books, and many other valuable resources.
For the last decade, Bob Carter has held many different board positions, including President, Treasurer, Audit Committee Chair and Asset & Trust Committee Member. During this time, he has undergone two other life-threatening situations and so has seen first-hand the level of care received by patients at Tri-City Medical Center. Each time, Bob says that “the care was technically excellent… This care, demonstrated by staff at all levels, sets Tri-City Hospital apart from other similar institutions.”
Sandee has also done her fair share for the board. For two years she co-chaired the Baile de Esperanza event, one of the medical center’s biggest fundraisers. The funds raised go toward purchasing specialized medical equipment for the hospital, renovating surgical areas and rehabilitation facilities, and other immediate needs. When asked why she has worked on Baile de Esperanza and other TCHF fundraising events, Sandee said “I enjoy fundraising for causes that I feel passionate about. It was natural for me to help Tri-City Medical Center for the past 10 years.” Sandee is also a board member for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation, where she currently serves on the Nominating Committee and the By-law Committee.
For Bob and Sandee Carter, their dedication to the Tri-City Hospital Foundation and the Medical Center itself has allowed them to help make their community a better place for all residents. According to Sandee, “The Tri-City Medical Center stands on its own as a medical campus of highly skilled physicians, nurses, and technicians using the latest techniques and equipment. Bob and I want to help it stay that way, not only for our family and friends, but for our community’s future as well.”
Article by North County Times. Photo by Louise Donahue, Staff Photographer |
