wcw JANUARY 2023

just some
thoughts
Louise Bruderle
Editor and Publisher
West Coast Woman Stacey Corley
Stacey Corley
Photo by Evelyn England
SMH marked its 97th anniversary on Nov. 2,
2022. Which means its lofty centenary is in
2025. If you’ve lived here awhile, most likely
you’ve been there in one way or another. I was
there to visit friends in the hospital and had
one stint in the ER for a broken arm.
Thinking back on that ER visit, they have
changed, expanded and modernized that
space so much I doubt if I could retrace my
footsteps there. As media, I’ve been to SMH
for many ribbon-cuttings, openings, tours
and demonstrations during the past three
decades. I even remember getting a chance
to watch (from behind a glass wall) the thennew
angioplasty procedure.
We indeed have a generous community that seems determined to
make sure that SMH has all the best services and treatments and retains
and recruits talented physicians and staff. But there’s an entity that
makes sure of that and it’s the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation.
They have a new CEO and her name is Stacey Corley, a name familiar
to many in the thriving philanthropy community here. Since 1976,
their grants ($18 million in their last fiscal year alone), funded by many
donors, have assisted SMH in “raising the bar for healthcare in our community,”
according to their website. The Foundation focuses on patient
care, technology, facilities, clinical education, and medical research,
what they call their “pillars.”
Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation raised more than $1 million
in pledges and gifts in its first year. This past year they raised $46
million. Read what Stacey will be doing to keep that great tradition of
philanthropy continuing in the years ahead in this issue.
water. The Bay project has transformed the area and completed Phase 1 of
their major project to transform the bayfront - a tremendous asset we have
as citizens, not as condo or mansion owners. Up to now, we’ve only experienced
it as a parking lot around the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, the
Van Wezel, the Sarasota Orchestra and Art Center Sarasota. This parcel of
53-acres of city-owned land along Sarasota Bay will be developed in stages
and even more outdoor activities will be added in the future.
Already you can walk, take in a yoga class, but did you know you can
kayak there, too? I was delightfully surprised and enjoyed the early
Saturday morning experience that had me paddling through tranquil
waters past dense mangroves before entering on to Sarasota Bay. I highly
recommend this experience and an antidote to stress plus a way to see
your hometown from the water.
Resolve to get more sleep
And you thought naps were for babies or your grandparents…actually
they can be restorative provided you know how to do it. It’s about dozing
off, right? Not quite, as you’ll read in this month’s feature. For example, it
should only be 20-30 minutes. Longer can be counter productive. Instead
of thinking of it as a sign of getting older, think of it as a restorative practice.
That sure sounds better. Pleasant napping!
Coming up: 2023 Annual Climate
Conference Feb. 9
Tickets for the Climate Adaptation Center’s 2023 Annual Climate Conference
on the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus
are on sale.
Resolve to Learn something new
We have our Lifelong Learning issue this month and it’s once again
chockablock full of great offerings from stimulating lectures to art classes
to mastering the iPhone.
I’ll be lecturing at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, located
at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key (tbi-lbk.org/education-center). Get
me talking about art and art museums and I get all excited and I’m so
glad I’ll get to share that with like-minded people.
Join me on Tuesday, March 14,
for “Best Art Exhibits Nationally,
Statewide and Locally” (#LS10)
Zoom is also available (#ZALS10).
Description: Love to visit art museums?
Want to know which exhibits
are coming up that are “can’t miss?”
This visual presentation offers a
quick overview of upcoming exhibits
across the U.S., and also in places
like Miami and Orlando. Closer
to home, we’ll look at exhibits in
Naples, Tampa, Ft. Myers, and Sarasota.
It’s a fun class where I have saved you the time of scouring museum
sites all over the country to cherry pick the best and most unique. So, if
you love going to museums you’ll enjoy this class.
One of the pleasures of having done this before is that so many of the
attendees have traveled to these exhibits already plus can recommend
other exhibits. Questions? Email me at westcoastwoman@comcast.net
or contact the Education Center At Temple Beth Israel at 941-383-8222.
Resolve to Get out on the water
It’s hard to imagine pulling off US 41 in downtown Sarasota - perhaps after
challenging (heavy) traffic spent
sharing the road with tourists -
then finding yourself in a kayak
amidst mangroves, gliding out
to Sarasota Bay. Not a fantasy - it
really does happen when you embark
from The Bay’s kayak launch
that sits hidden from view near the
Sarasota Orchestra’s offices.
What that area was before was
a space with no visual appeal and
more than a little contaminated
The conference, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Thursday,
Feb. 9 in the Selby Auditorium, will focus on topics especially relevant
to living in Florida: The threats posed by rising global temperatures, rising
seas and extreme weather events; and how climate action can stimulate
the climate economy.
The conference will feature presentations and discussion by Climate
Adaptation Center (CAC) scientists, academic experts, business leaders
and government officials.
“Conference attendees will learn about the threat we face and the pathways
to action in an engaging inclusive day designed to move our area
forward with adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect the Florida
way of life,” said Bob Bunting, CEO of the CAC.
The morning session is “The Triple Threat of Water in a Warming Climate.”
The three threats are directly related to rising global temperatures
and rising sea levels; bigger storm surges on top of rising sea levels; and a
rising number of extreme precipitation and flooding events.
The afternoon session is “The Emergence of the Climate Economy.”
It will feature speakers and panelists who will provide an understanding
of how climate action can drive sound economic and growth objectives
for the Suncoast. Discussion will include how academia can stimulate
the climate economy through entrepreneurship and innovation; how
governments can stimulate the climate economy; how the private sector
can stimulate the climate economy; and the role philanthropy plays in
stimulating the climate economy.
The Climate Adaptation Center, Inc. (CAC), founded in 2019, is an independent,
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Sarasota. Its
mission is to bridge the gap between the latest scientific research and the
public’s understanding of the changing climate and how it impacts where
the public lives.
To purchase tickets and for other information, visit www.theclimateadaptationcenter.org.
Louise Bruderle | Editor and Publisher |
westcoastwoman@comcast.net
We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns and features in this issue.
You can reach us at westcoastwoman@comcast.net. We’re on the web at www.WestCoastWoman.com.
4 WEST COAST WOMAN JANUARY 2023