Be Passionate About Your Community

Renee and Ed Chodkowski are avid supporters of St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and Local Care.

Message from Renee:

Ed and I always feel excited to support
St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and Brighton. Community support of local businesses
– in this case, local WORLD CLASS health care – is one of my passions as a
citizen and as “The Great Foodini*.” I have a story, and this is why
I am so committed to St. Joe’s and their remarkable Transformation project
right here in Livingston County.

My story….my dad died at 45 from heart disease. His dad died
at 42 from heart disease. His brother and sister barely made it to 60. Heart
disease. My mom died of lung cancer at 52. My goal is to live 25 out of my 24
hours every day.

When we were working as a family to get care for my dad, we
found ourselves traveling two and three states away for meetings, surgeries,
consultations and treatments. It was a logistical nightmare and financially
impossible to get what was considered the best care. It was never spoken aloud,
but I know that weighed heavily on my dad and I believe he would have been with
us longer had great health care been local.

My mom’s story is similar – her best
treatment was a thousand miles away, next best was 50 miles away, but between
Michigan winters, serious commuter traffic, parking nightmares and waiting, a
half hour treatment was a full day’s work. It exhausted her and she ultimately
declined treatment. I believe she would have been with us longer had great
health care been local.

There are two takeaways from my story. One is how important local care is, and St. Joe’s has demonstrated unwavering commitment to Livingston County. Second, education is key to prevention with so many illnesses. St. Joe’s has so many health education, screening, diagnostic, prevention and health management programs available – right here in Livingston County. You should see their new healthy education kitchen! (See article below). Foodini was excited! This is part of the ongoing Transformation project.

“St. Joe’s and the
patients we serve benefit greatly from passionate support like the Chodkowskis
give. We are so grateful to have them as
partners,” said John O’Malley, president, St. Joseph Mercy Livingston. “As donors and volunteer leaders, Ed and
Renee help ensure our community has high quality, high value, compassionate and
local care.”

Renee (*aka The Great
Foodini) believes anyone can learn to prepare healthy, delicious meals. She teaches and presents both home cooking
and worksite wellness programs for all ages and groups sizes but her favorite
is her home base demonstration kitchen at Cleary University in Howell. She is regular on Livingston County’s 93.5
WHMI FM; has achieved national acclaim on FOX’s reality series “MasterChef,”
was recognized in the “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” Contest on ABC’s “Good Morning
America;” and was selected by Red Gold Tomatoes as one of the top seven
food writers/bloggers in the U.S. Renee
is a tireless volunteer leader in support of farm-to-table cooking, good
nutrition for all ages, fighting hunger and making nutrition a part of healthy
living.

Outside
the kitchen, Renee and Ed have been
married for over 38 years, and have lived in Livingston County for 40 years. They raised their children here, who are both
graduates from Howell High School, and were born at St. Joe’s (when it was
still named McPherson Hospital). As
part of a healthy-lifestyle, Renee and Ed enjoy playing tennis, traveling,
scuba diving, and golfing, and of course eating the healthy meals Renee
prepares.

Ed and Renee are
champions for St. Joe’s, including serving as co-chairs for the 2019 Livingston
Ball last April. The couple is most
passionate about partnering with St. Joe’s on local care, prevention and
treatment through healthy eating, and making a lasting impact on the community.

First Intensive Heart Health Rehab Program in Livingston County

Your investment in St. Joseph Mercy Livingston is an investment in innovative, evidence-based, local health care. In November 2018, we opened the county’s first intensive heart health rehab program, Pritikin ICR (Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation).

“The Pritikin program has proven to be very successful for patients
at high risk for a cardiovascular event, and we are thrilled to offer this
program to Livingston County to improve the health and wellness of our local
community,” said John O’ Malley, president of St. Joseph Mercy Livingston.
“This is one example of our commitment to transforming care.”

Numerous studies have
documented the Pritikin program’s ability to lower blood cholesterol levels,
improve blood pressure and blood sugar control and reduce other lifestyle-related
risk factors.

Patients benefit from
Pritiken’s three-pronged approach that focuses on: healthy eating, healthy mindset and exercise.

At St. Joe’s Livingston, exercise physiologists facilitate individual and group workshops, yoga therapists lead our mind body workshops and yoga classes, the program includes personalized counseling and coaching, and nutritionists lead classes in meal planning, supermarket shopping and cooking – all in a renovated space including a gym, classrooms and demonstration kitchen. Patients learn skills they can use in every-day life to improve their health. Cardiac rehab can reduce the risk of dying or having another heart attack by as much as 30 to 50 percent, according to the American College of Cardiology.

For more information, please call St. Joe’s Cardiac Rehab at 517-545-6385.

To make a gift in support of innovative, quality, local care today, visit: giving.stjoeshealth.org/livingston

Or, contact the Office of Development:

Tina Casoli, Director of Major Gifts


517-545-5156 or tina.casoli@stjoeshealth.org

Lindsay Debolski, Gift Officer


517) 545-5151 or Lindsay.Debolski@stjoeshealth.org

(Source: Gift of Health Fall 2019)