PROMISE YOURSELF Jim Alley, President

Optimist Club of Coronado Pres.08-09 Leslie

Post Office Box 180251 Crawford
Coronado, CA 92178-0251 VPs-Irish Flynn & John
January 24, 2008 Bowen
If you must choose between two evils, Stu Powell, Secretary
choose the one that you've never tried before. John Freeman, Treas.
Meetings at 7AM on Thurs at Coronado Yacht Club USNA ’45 Publishers

Rain swept streets greeted us while the sun was observed arising like thunder A group that’s too noble
over San Diego Bay. Down at the Coronado Yacht Club Sue Cargill and Marilyn for fear
Schaefer gave personal greetings in exchange for six bucks and a smile. www.sportsfiesta.net

President Alley stuck the bell twice. That sort of impatience got Moses’ ticket into the Promised Land pulled.
But Jim didn’t worry. The bell got us started. Al Aegerter prayed that we all do one good Optimist deed this
week and then we will see about next week. Doug Leland started the pledge.

Jim Alley told us about a visit this week to the Special Warfare Command by a select few of our board who
have the right stuff. John Bowen, Irish Flynn, John Freeman, Lee Cargill and the president met with
Commodore Tom Brown and staff members who thanked our club more that we deserve for our gift of the
rehab unit and our pledge to support the Seals that deploy from our community. The planning goes on
concerning this developing relationship, so I expect to hear more soon.

Jack Davis told us that Paul Dudley is celebrating his birthday recouping from surgery. However Jack brought
word that last year on his birthday Paul won the 50-50 drawing, and he thought another win would speed his
recovery. Jack asked for the funds to be passed to him, but they were handed to Linda Stanton instead in
exchange for a winning ticket. Linda won $62 which would buy her a nice breakfast at the Del or a dozen
special breakfasts at Marie Callender’s where you get eggs with bacon and toast for $3.99.

This morning Bob Harshberger told us that his barbershop singers will give the same sort of Valentine’s Day
service that Jim Rodgers briefed us on last week. That would be a visit by four real singers dressed in period
costumes who will sing a sweet song—none of that rapper stuff please—to the lover of your choice. Now I am
glad to see competition. This is the American way. So far no prices have been disclosed, so let your fingers do
the walking and ask for an audition of the foursome.

According to Carla Fargo the Octagon Club at the High School and the Junior Optimists at the Middle School
are hosting a district-wide meeting of all Optimist Youth Groups on Saturday, February 2, from 10AM until 1PM.
The meeting will be at Graham Memorial Church, and she wanted four senior Optimists to be on hand. The
signup sheets looked pretty full, but give Carla a call if you want to help out.

George Bruce celebrated his 28th anniversary as an Optimist having breakfast somewhere else. But Joe
Petrucci came, harmonica in mouth, to serenade our birthday crew: Paul Dudley, Sue Cargill, Len Rausch, and
Jim Organ. After HBTY Joe played a romantic version of “Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey”, and then
“Danny Boy”. Very, very, very good stuff, Joe.

Charlie Ahern introduced Marsha Hall, CEO of our Sharp Coronado Hospital. Ms. Hall has a long and
distinguished career in the Sharp Health System. She has been CEO here for fourteen years and has been a
driving force in changing the atmosphere for the better.

The last time she was our speaker Ms. Hall told us about efforts to personalize, humanize and demystify the
healthcare experience through the Planetree model of healthcare. She told us how these efforts have resulted
in high marks for Coronado in surveys of the satisfaction of patients. Doctors and staff are also happy here.
The physicians in our system are in the 97th percentile of satisfaction. Coronado’s staff is the happiest of any
staffs of any of the Sharp Hospitals.

The hospital is the winner of several notable awards. The remodeled emergency room won the Summit Award
for all ERs across the country for patient satisfaction, and Coronado has been recognized three times as the
best hospital for Orthopedics. Sharp Coronado Hospital was one of just five hospitals nationwide to receive
the Planetree Patient-Centered Hospital Designation.

The Coronado Hospital Foundation is the key arm of the hospital; it raises monies to keep our hospital
competitive. The success of the foundation together with the generosity of the city government have made
remodeling of the emergency room, the ICU and the several areas of the plant possible. Extra operating funds
are always needed to cover uncompensated care that is provided by law, and expensive upgrades to
equipment tax budgets, but we have our head above water at the hospital.

Ms. Hall discussed the proposal to raise the Transient Occupancy Tax with the increment going to operate the
hospital. This seems like a complicated issue, where our new mandarins, the lawyers, will tell us more that we
want to know. First I have to sort out Proposition 93.

Next week come and hear Captain Sean Carroll, USMC on operations in IRAQ. Bring a friend.