2011 Candlelight Capers to Benefit Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center
PHOENIX (Sept. 8, 2011) — For more than 32 years, hundreds of thousands of Arizonans have avoided trips to hospital emergency rooms by making a single phone call – to the Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center (1-800-222-1222).
This year, the Banner Health Foundation will hold its 57th Annual Candlelight Capers “Winter Solstice” to benefit the Poison Center on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa.
Tickets are now available through the Banner Foundation's website or by calling the Foundation's office at 602-747-GIVE.
The Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center provides vital information to Maricopa County and all Arizona residents. The free 24-hour emergency phone-line is staffed by nurses specifically trained in handling poison emergencies and who are supported by poison information providers and physician toxicologists.
In 2010, the 24-hour emergency hotline took more than 100,000 calls and 35,368 people were treated for their poisonings in their own home without a trip to the emergency room. Surveys indicate that about 15,000 callers would have gone to their local emergency department if in-home management had not been available from the Poison Center. This savings is estimated to be more than $30 million in unadjusted health care expenses.
More than 60 percent of Arizona’s poison center calls come through the Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center, making it the primary resource for information regarding accidental poisonings, chemical exposures, reactions to medications and help with managing insect bites or stings.
Calls concerning children’s health issues amount to just 20 percent of the call volume, while adults make up the remaining 80 percent. The Center is supported by Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, charitable donations, the State of Arizona, United Way, and the federal government, however funding has been significantly cut due to federal and state budget reductions.
The Banner Health Foundation’s Candlelight Capers hopes to raise much-needed funds to help the Poison Center continue its vital work. Last year, the event raised more than $230,000 for Banner Good Samaritan’s Heart Failure Program. The Banner Health Foundation is the philanthropic resource for the Phoenix-based non-profit Banner Health.
Candlelight Capers is the signature fundraising event for Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, This year’s black tie event, “Winter Solstice” will include silent and live auctions, dining, dancing and casino tables with all proceeds going to the Poison and Drug Information Center. To purchase tickets or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please call (602) 747-GIVE (4483).
About Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a non-profit organization. The hospital was named to the 2011-’12 U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Gynecology. Banner Good Samaritan has been recognized as a Magnet™ facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices, and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Valley by The Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ in 2007 and 2008 and one of the “Top 100 Hospitals to Work For” by Nursing Professionals magazine.
About Banner Health Foundation
Banner Health Foundation, the philanthropic resource for Banner Health, secures and stewards charitable contributions to advance Banner Health’s mission of making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care. Charitable contributions are invested locally to support programs and services in Banner’s non-profit hospitals and health care facilities throughout Arizona. Established in 1978, Banner Health Foundation is supported by the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations and thousands of active volunteers. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.org/BannerFoundation.
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