Donor Spotlight
The VMC Foundation is grateful to our many committed donors. Please take a moment to learn about how these generous individuals achieved great impact through their personal contributions.
Dr. Balaji Govindaswami
"The VMC Foundation's unwavering support of the NICU and the feeblest of the VMC patients has touched many of our hearts. I give with the hope that it may inspire others to contribute to this very worthy cause."
Dr. Balaji Govindaswami is the Chief of Neonatology and the Director of VMC's renowned Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, established in 1972. He left one of the nation's top private hospitals to join the medical staff at VMC in early 2006, inspired by the culture of care at our hospital. In his short tenure, Dr. Govindaswami has led efforts to bring innovative technology into the NICU, including Total Body Cooling for newborn Neuro-protection following Birth Asphyxia. His vision is to establish VMC's NICU as a leading center for Clinical Research, with several extra-mural grants secured between 2006 and 2008. Collaborative ongoing NICU programs exist with many leading Universities including UCSD, UCSF and Stanford University. His leadership has already helped produce a striking decrease in the mortality rates of the lowest birthweight babies treated in the NICU.
But Dr. Govindaswami is not just committed to leading one of the top-ranked NICUs in the state. He's also committed to the sustainability of the hospital system and funding its critical programs. He has made personal contributions to the VMC Foundation and was one of the first people to join the Legacy Team, helping to ensure the long-term viability of the excellent care provided by VMC.
 John Sobrato
"As a businessman, I know the value of the return on an investment. Our family foundation's philanthropic strategy is to build community by investing in people and places, and the VMC Foundation not only meets pressing community needs, but boasts a number of successful programs that we're proud to support."
One of the VMC Foundation's longest-standing and committed champions is John Sobrato, a well-known businessman and Silicon Valley's preeminent philanthropist. John Sobrato has been a supporter of the VMC Foundation since the 1980s, and has offered a number of challenge grants to inspire and leverage additional investment from the community. From his support for the Parisi House on the Hill to his role as a VMC Foundation board member for nearly two decades, John Sobrato has been an essential partner in the work of the Foundation. Most recently, John Sobrato and the Sobrato Family Foundation made a significant gift to help complete the Sobrato Cancer Center at VMC’s new Valley Specialty Center.
Elaine Elkin 
"San Jose is a wonderful place to live, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to contribute in a small way toward making the health services the best they can be."
Elaine Elkin is perhaps the VMC Foundation's most prolific champion. She spearheaded the effort to build a pediatric playground on the hospital's rooftop a proven way to help kids heal faster with regular fresh air, play, and exercise. After learning that the dedicated nurses in VMC's renowned Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were digging into their own pockets to pay for needed supplies, Elaine created a special fund for items such as phone cards and travel vouchers for patient families. Soon after, she donated a Giraffe Bed incubator/radiant warmer to the NICU and established a Nurse Scholarship Fund to send unit nurses to regional and national training sessions. Elaine is a key supporter and board member for Turning Wheels For Kids, helping to put a brand new bike in the hands of low-income children throughout the Bay Area. She has also served as a VMC Foundation board member since 2005.
Richard and Susan Levy 
"Valley Medical Center is one of the most unique county hospitals in the country. It combines state-of-the-art medical excellence with its mission of care for the uninsured. We are proud to have such a facility in the Silicon Valley."
Dr. Richard and Susan Levy became supporters of the VMC Foundation as recently as 2007, but have already made an enormous impact in support of the Cancer Center Campaign. Dr. Levy knows a good hospital when he sees one. As the former CEO of Varian Medical Systems, he presided over one of the foremost medical technology companies. Because of their support of the VMC Foundation, among other worthy charities, Dr. Richard Levy received the 2008 Silicon Valley Exemplary Community Leadership Award.
T.J. Rodgers 
"I support the VMC Foundation because it's a much-needed medical resource in our community. It's run efficiently and makes the most of the donations that it receives."
T.J. Rodgers is best known as the brilliant director of a leading technology company. But his reputation as a Silicon Valley philanthropist is equally impressive. For the past two decades, Cypress Semiconductor – the company Rodgers founded – has become the VMC Foundation's top corporate donor, sponsoring programs such as the Cypress Rehab Gymnasium in the hospital's rehab center and the Cypress Material Outreach Van that provides mobile ultrasound services to pregnant women throughout the county. Most recently, T.J. Rodgers and Cypress Semiconductor made a donation to outfit VMC's new Valley Specialty Center with essential cancer detection equipment.
The Sorci Family 
"VMC takes care of everyone. Nobody is ever turned away. That is very important to our family, because everyone deserves good health care."
When a local family remains committed to the health of their community, they offer great gifts to those who need it most. The Sorci family has been a constant source of support for the VMC Foundation, donating their time and funds to help build the Parisi House on the Hill, a residential substance abuse facility for women and their children. Most recently, they've shown a dedication to VMC's most vulnerable patients by making a donation to obtain a Giraffe Bed incubator/radiant warmer and an echocardiogram, equipment that will save the lives of critically-ill newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This long-time valley family is doing what is takes to ensure a healthy future for the next generation.
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