St. Mary Medical Center Foundation

Honor a Caregiver

Our Guardian Angel program allows grateful patients, their families and friends the opportunity to support patient services and programs at St. Mary Medical Center while recognizing the exemplary care received from a staff member or physician at St. Mary.

Hearing "thank you" is priceless to your physician, nurses and other healthcare professionals. We hope you take this opportunity to share your story about the St. Mary caregiver who meant so much to you.

For more information please contact Heather Procaccino, Director of Hospital Philanthropy at 215.710.2443 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

My Mother is Alive Today because of the St. Mary Emergency Department

From: Yvonne Foery, daughter of a St. Mary patient

My mother Helen is amazing. At 74 years old she swims every other day, goes to garden club meetings and lives independently by herself. She has never had any significant health issues in her life; at least not until recently. It began on a Saturday during her regular swim time. She had chest pains but never said anything. Monday and Tuesday they were still occurring and by Wednesday morning it was bad, so she called me to take her to the emergency room.

By the time we arrived in the waiting room at the St. Mary Emergency Department she was not looking good. We walked in and she went into cardiac arrest right there in the middle of the waiting room. The ER staff started CPR immediately and took her back, shocked her and brought her up to the catheterization labs to repair the multiple blockages that caused her to go into cardiac arrest. Her cardiologist, Dr. Venkatesulu, suggested a new Therapeutic Hypothermia treatment. This treatment allowed my mother to fully recover.

I have never felt so helpless, scared, confused and worried. But throughout my mother’s ordeal the staff at St. Mary also took good care of me. They explained what they were doing, why they were doing it and what the expected outcome might be. I have so many people at St. Mary to thank; so many “Guardian Angels” including the couple who donated the equipment that saved my Mother’s life. My mother is alive today because of others who were willing and able to generously help people.

Patient Discovers Many St. Mary Guardian Angels from Surgery to Rehabilitation

“I was always treated like a partner in the medical process,” stated Lilyan M. Ferraro as she reflects upon her recent knee replacement surgery performed by Dr. George Cautilli at St. Mary Medical Center. Lilyan’s observations are especially credible because of her years of experience as a healthcare professional and specialist in organizational development.  

Over the past ten years, Lilyan had physical difficulties, but procrastinated about making the decision to have a knee replacement. “I kept postponing the operation longer than I should have given the pain level I was tolerating,” Lilyan admits. “Two years ago my husband and I vacationed in Paris, but I could not walk without my cane, go up or down stairs or really participate in sightseeing. Ultimately we could not visit the many beautiful sights in France because I was in such pain.”  

One morning during her prayers, Lilyan asked her deceased parents for guidance in making the decision and finding the right physician and believes that they guided her perfectly.  “I found Dr. Cautilli in an online search and I immediately had a feeling of calm and serenity, which was reinforced when I met Dr. Cautilli. He spent almost two hours with me and my husband, explaining what he would do and not do. Given the state of healthcare, excellence in healthcare is more challenging, but St. Mary staff has set the bar.”  

Lilyan’s entire experience at St. Mary has been profound and even spiritual. She cannot praise enough the in-patient nursing and rehabilitation staff, the medical team and its expertise. “I have a spiritual mindset,” she admits, “and it brought me to this hospital. I am convinced that outlook has helped me become an active person once again.”  

To read Lilyan’s full story, please visit the Fall 2010 issue of FOCUS.

A Guardian Angel Story: In my own words by Len Franckowiak

After experiencing occasional bouts of tachycardia for several years, requiring visits to emergency rooms, I opted for an ablation at St. Mary Medical Center. My decision to have the procedure was made easier with the installation of the new electro-physiology laboratory, installed as part of the last capital fund campaign. I liked the fact that the new equipment increased the odds for a successful ablation to near 99 percent.

Scott Burke, M.D. performed the ablation assisted by three wonderful nurses. Dr. Burke is good at what he does, but itwas the nurses who couldn't have been more caring, supportive and, calming, especially during the times when I was somewhat alert.

Having a good doctor at a modern hospital is a wonderful thing, but having a guardian angel at your side makes it a whole lot better.

Bonding over music, books and donuts

These days, Barry Huret only needs to visit St. Mary Medical Center once a year for his annual checkup with Dr. Cardinale, but he makes it a regular habit to pop in to the Cancer Center for a hug and a chat with a few of his favorite Guardian Angels.

Barry has a family history of prostate and other forms of cancer, so he always made regular screening with the top doctors in his native New York a priority. Then one day, after years of marginal changes in his PSA, a biopsy revealed that Barry had cancer.

Because of the aggressive nature of his treatment plan, Barry needed to put his faith in a specialist close to home, so his close friend and family physician placed him under the care of Dr. Cardinale here at St. Mary.

"I was very apprehensive and nervous during my first radiation treatment, but I noticed the music the nurses were playing and I struck up a conversation which took my mind off the treatment," Barry said with a smile. During the course of 41 subsequent treatments, Barry and his team of nurses and technologists bonded over music, books and an occasional box of donuts.

When Barry heard about the Guardian Angel program he was immediately interested. "Dr. Cardinale and each person on his team contributed to my well being. The level of care I received never wavered or diminished," said Barry. "I can't imagine knowing people that are any better than the ones who took care of me at St. Mary."