Templeton, CA., April 2, 2008 - Over forty employees from Twin Cities Community Hospital will be participating in the Arthritis Foundation’s first San Luis Obispo Arthritis Walk on Saturday, May 10, at Atascadero Lake Park in Atascadero.Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., opening ceremonies begin at 9:00 a.m. and the walk starts at 10:00 a.m. The Arthritis Walk aims to raise significant funds to support research and programs offered by the Arthritis Foundation.
“The Twin Cities Community Hospital family of employees, physicians and volunteers has a legacy of rallying in support of those in need in our community, says Rick Lyons, Chief Executive Officer at Twin Cities Community Hospital. “ Every day we provide care and caring to people who suffer from Arthritis and other debilitating joint diseases. We believe our participation in the Annual Arthritis Foundation Walk further supports our commitment to the people we serve.”
The Arthritis Walk is open to people of all ages and athletic ability. Participants are encouraged to raise donations to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Money raised from the walk will support arthritis research to find a cure, as well as improve the quality of life for those 46 million people nationwide affected by the more than 100 forms of arthritis. Arthritis is the country’s leading chronic, debilitating disease, and affects one in five Americans, including more than 300,000 children. More than 300,000 people in the Tri-Counties area are affected by this condition.
“It’s important that people are aware of the prevalence and severity of this disease,” said Michael Sherman, the 2008 San Luis Obispo Walk Chair. “Hopefully this walk will accomplish that as well as help us move closer to finding a cure and better treatments for arthritis.”
Sherman started this walk in memory of his father, James, the walk’s official honoree who passed away at age 68 from complications of rheumatoid arthritis. A clinical exercise physiologist at North County Physical Therapy, Michael has dedicated his career and now much of his free time to benefiting the lives of those with arthritis.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Established in 1948, the Arthritis Foundation is the only national voluntary organization that works on behalf of people with all forms of arthritis. The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. The Arthritis Foundation funds research to find cures and improve care, issues up-to-date information about arthritis and its treatment, provides referrals to doctors and clinics, assists in finding local services, offers exercise and self-help classes and sponsors support and education groups. For more information, please call (805) 563-4685 or email info.sca.sbb@arthritis.org.
Twin Cities Community Hospital, part of Tenet California, is an 114-bed acute care hospital located at 1100 Las Tablas Road in Templeton. Since opening in 1977, Twin Cities has provided personalized quality patient care as the cornerstone of its operating philosophy. Twin Cities’ new patient tower, opened in fall 2007, provides 30 new private rooms for obstetrics, intensive and telemetry care patients, and 23 ER suites, including three trauma rooms. Twin Cities Community Hospital provides a broad range of medical, surgical and outpatient care. Working closely with affiliated physicians, Twin Cities places special emphasis on clinical services important to local residents, including hip and knee replacement, surgical care, stroke intervention, emergency care and maternal child services. Twin Cities and its sister facility Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center together employ more than 1,700 local residents, making Tenet the second largest private employer in San Luis Obispo County. More than 115 active medical staff members practice at Twin Cities and 160 local residents volunteer at the hospital. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Twin Cities, visit www.twincitieshospital.com.