Heroes & Hearts
Our Heroes
Congratulations to our 2008 Heroes!
Alicia Boccellari, Ph.D has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining several unique mental health programs for patients at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center . These programs include the Trauma Recovery Center , Emergency Department Case Management Program, Psychosocial Medicine Clinic and Primary Care Psychiatric Services. As director of many of these programs, Dr. Boccellari has been working to remove barriers to care and to keep these important services available to San Franciscans. She is a mental health activist, forging new pathways of treatment by looking at the patient's needs and designing programs that are appropriate for them. Her passion demonstrates her belief that all members of society are worthy of receiving equitable and quality mental health services.
Robert V. Brody, M.D. is an internist, and a multi-tasker. He supplied the clinical vision for the electronic medical record and eReferral systems used by providers in the San Francisco health care safety net. He is nationally recognized for his expertise and advocacy in the areas of pain management and treatment of the terminally ill, and has taught several generations of UCSF students, trainees, and anyone else who might listen. To his staff at Health at Home, where he is Medical Director, and at San Francisco General Hospital , where he served as Chair of the Ethics Committee for almost twenty years, he is recognized as the "hero with heart" for his clinical leadership and compassionate care.
While driving home to Stockton every morning after finishing her night shift as a Public Safety Communications Technician for the City and County of San Francisco , Catherine "Toni" Dukes was overwhelmed and saddened by the number of homeless she saw on the street, many of which were children and elderly. Knowing how cold it can get in San Francisco at night, Toni decided to purchase some gloves and knit hats with her own money to hand out to the homeless in the Tenderloin area. With funds that her co-workers donated for the cause, Toni was able to purchase larger quantities of gloves and hats and regularly distributed them throughout the city. In an effort to reach more people in need, she also gave a stack of gloves and hats to beat officers in the Tenderloin to pass out. In her first year alone, Toni has handed out over 200 pairs of gloves and plans to continue her efforts in the future.
In 2000, Sergeant Bob Guinan participated in the Special Olympics Torch Run and was disappointed at the lack of interest by the community. The next year Sergeant Guinan volunteered to be the S.F. County Coordinator of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and soon became a member of the Law Enforcement Special Olympics Torch Run Executive Committee. Because of his passion for the cause and leadership skills, he was able to greatly increase the participation and sponsorship for the Torch Run and turned it into a well-attended, money-making event. His mission to raise money for the Special Olympics is never-ending. Bob works tirelessly, year-round, to create, organize and oversee numerous fundraisers to raise money for the Special Olympics. Over the last five years, Sergeant Guinan's efforts and commitment have resulted in the donation of over $500,000 to Special Olympics. Not only was he able to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics, but Bob and his colleagues also have developed lifelong relationships with many of Special Olympic athletes.
While selling his arts and crafts near The Cannery on June 3, 2007 , San Francisco street artist Fernando Hechavarria witnessed Cannery Security Guard Jim Brown getting brutally attacked. Without thinking, Hechavarria came to Brown's rescue causing the attacker to flee. Some may have stopped there, but Hechavarria went the extra mile and helped the San Francisco Police Department locate the assailant and agreed to testify at the trial. In the end, Hechavarria did not have to testify, but never questioned putting his own life on the line to save another.
2008 Spirit of "The General" Award
JUDY A. LUCE, M.D.
For over 20 years, Dr. Judy A. Luce has been Director of Oncology Services at The General. She is highly regarded by the medical industry and her peers as an expert in the field of cancer treatment. Throughout those 20 years, Dr. Luce has developed virtually every clinical program in oncology that The General offers, including the hospital oncology consultation service, the outpatient oncology clinic and the outpatient infusion center. She has also chaired The General's hospital cancer committee as well as their hospital tumor board. Dr. Luce has committed much of her time serving the underserved communities of San Francisco . With a grant she developed and secured from The Avon Foundation, The General was able to improve mammography services at the hospital, allowing women in these communities - who previously did not have the funds or access- to receive mammograms. The programs she and her colleagues created at The General have become models to improve treatment and service for underserved patients in hospitals throughout the country. Throughout her 20 years at The General, Dr. Luce has received numerous teaching awards from the University of California , including the San Francisco National Cancer Institute's Young Investigator Award and the Kaiser Teaching Award. She is regularly invited to speak on the subject of oncology to undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate classes at the University of California , San Francisco.
