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THE SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
ANNOUNCES CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR
HEROES & HEARTS AWARDS;
MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2006 DEADLINE SET

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (October 12, 2006) - The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is seeking nominations for its second-annual Heroes & Hearts Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional and inspirational behavior to another individual or the community as a whole. Nominations are being accepted now through Monday, December 11, 2006.

To be eligible, nominees must reside and/or work in the city of San Francisco and must have rendered noteworthy service to an individual or the community as a whole (e.g. has demonstrated exceptional or inspirational behavior either through direct action such as a saving a life, or through a creative idea or policy that has had extraordinary benefits). Unfortunately, posthumous nominations cannot be considered.

Following evaluation by a selection committee comprised of San Francisco General Hospital Foundation Board Members, five recipients will be chosen by January 1, 2007. These recipients will be honored at the Heroes & Hearts luncheon on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 in San Francisco's Union Square.

KTVU-TV's Julie Haener, Master of Ceremonies; Judy Guggenhime and Pam Baer, Co-Chairs; Mayor Gavin Newsom; with the 2006 Heroes: Antoinette Griffin, Lt. Joe Garrity, Dr. Geoff Manley and Firefighters Joseph Giacomini and Charles Faciani. Photo Credit: Michael Speight.

The 2006 Heroes were Charles Faciani, Firefighter-Paramedic, San Francisco Fire Department; Lieutenant Joe Garrity, San Francisco Police Department; Joseph Giacomini, Firefighter-EMT, San Francisco Fire Department; Geoffrey Manley, MD, PhD Chief of Neurotrauma, San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center; and Antoinette Griffin, RN, CNS Psychiatric Nurse Consultant, San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.

Heroes & Hearts is sponsored by the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation to honor and celebrate the local heroes who help make San Francisco the first-class city it is. Heroes & Hearts is an outgrowth of 2004's Hearts in San Francisco city-wide art installation and fundraiser project. In addition to spotlighting exceptional community heroes at the February 2007 luncheon, several new heart artworks will be displayed and sold, with the proceeds going to support SF General. The 2004 Hearts in San Francisco and last year's Heroes & Hearts event have raised over $1.5 million for the Hospital.

For complete information and rules or to download a nomination form, please visit www.sfghf.net or call 415-206-5928.

About San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation's sole purpose is to fund projects that enhance patient care and comfort at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center (SFGH). SFGH provides a full complement of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, skilled nursing, diagnostic, mental health and rehabilitation services for adults and children, regardless of their ability to pay. It is the largest acute inpatient and rehabilitation hospital for psychiatric patients in the city. Additionally, it is the only acute hospital in San Francisco that provides twenty-four hour psychiatric emergency services and operates the only Level I Trauma Center for all residents in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. In addition, over 160 physicians and Ph.D. scientists with faculty appointments at UCSF conduct research through programs based at SFGH with an annual budget of over $83 million. The Foundation was created in 1994.

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For more information and digital images, please contact Charles Zukow Associates: (415) 296-0677 / charlesz@charleszukow.com