NorthBay Foundation unveils new board

After a pandemic pause and months of “reimagining a stronger and more philanthropic future,” NorthBay Health Foundation has emerged with a newly established board of directors and a fundraising campaign that's “full of heart,” officials at the healthcare system said.

“Quite literally,” the new board's first assignment will be to raise $12 million to update and upgrade NorthBay's aging cardiac catheterization labs, Diane Barney, a spokeswoman for Fairfield-based NorthBay, added in a press statement.

The nonprofit medical corporation's foundation has set aside $18 million for the project, but it needs the $12 million philanthropic boost to make the project become reality, said Paul McGinty, foundation president.

“There are simply too many lives at stake to put this project on hold any longer,” he said.

The newly seated board of directors includes interventional cardiologist Dr. Mark Villalon, who also is serving to educate the board and the community about the system's heart and vascular needs.

“Just like hearts, medical equipment has a lifespan, and our first cath lab's equipment is about to expire,” Villalon said in the prepared statement. “At the same time, the communities we serve have continued to grow. That translates into more and more patients in need of life-saving procedures.”

NorthBay first started offering catheterization services in 1992. The equipment was upgraded in 2009, when the NorthBay Heart and Vascular Center opened, bringing together surgeons and clinical staff, equipment and advanced procedures such as open heart surgery, said Barney.

“Our team and our procedures have gotten more and more advanced,” said Kim Williams, a registered nurse and senior director of cardiovascular service. “But the equipment we're using is still the same.

Imagine using the same smart phone that you purchased in 2009. Sure, you can make a call, but very few people would be willing to use a 13-year-old phone. The new equipment will be much more precise, efficient and reliable.”

The team eventually hopes to add a third lab, to keep up with the volume of a growing community.

The board has already raised $500,000 to kick off the campaign, with $100,000 coming from the chairman, Dennis Landis and his wife, Alex. Senior leadership at NorthBay Health has also donated more than $200,000.

As many as 15 community and civic leaders will be invited to serve on the board, and additional positions will be added over the next two years to avoid having all board members term out at the same time.

For those interested in donating, volunteering or to learn more about NorthBay Health's campaign to fund an updated and expanded catheterization lab, visit NorthBay.org/ Foundation.