Glenna Vaskelis, who turned Sequoia Hospital from red ink to black, is the recipient of the David D. Bohannon Memorial Award from San Mateo County’s business organization, SAMCEDA.
In 1996, the 55-year-old public hospital had lost $29 million when Ms. Vaskelis took over as president and CEO in its new life under Catholic Health Care West, said Scott Bohannon, grandson of the legendary Peninsula developer.
“Within three years, the hospital started to report profits,” Mr. Bohannon told an audience of more than 200 at SAMCEDA’s annual awards luncheon April 25. “In 2006, Sequoia Hospital provided almost $28 million in unsponsored care and programs for the benefit of the community.”
Caltrain won the Business Award for innovation, good management and overall success. The Peninsula railroad has survived a $13 million deficit in 2005, and brought more traffic relief by adding 10 trains a day — from 86 to 96 — with the same number of crew and equipment, the citation said. Caltrain was recently awarded the first nationwide Federal Transit Administration Ridership Award.
The Public Agency Award went to HEART, San Mateo County’s public/private agency that raises funds to meet critical housing needs. So far HEART has raised a total of $4 million, and invested it in three developments that will contribute 398 new affordable homes for working families and seniors.
Other SAMCEDA awards and the winners are: The Community Service Award to the First National Bank of Northern California, founded in Daly City; the Environmental Action Award to Acteron Corp. of San Carlos, which supplies specialty plating and anodizing for high-technology applications; and the Small Business Award to the Bay Meadows Land Co., which is redeveloping the Bay Meadows Race Track into a mixture of uses.
For information, go to samceda.org.
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