October 20, 2006

IS team donates bonuses to the MGH

Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." The MGH/MGPO team of Partners Information Systems (IS) may have taken this sentiment to heart when the group decided to donate their MGH-awarded 2005 bonuses back to the hospital's Pediatric Proton Radiation Therapy Group. The generous donation totaled $48,000 and made possible the purchase of new equipment for the proton beam machine, as well as toys for the pediatric waiting room at the Frances H. Burr Proton Therapy Center.

"This incredible donation from the MGH/MGPO IS team allowed us to purchase
a unique piece of equipment called a lathe," says Nancy J. Tarbell, MD, of MGH Radiation Oncology. "This apparatus produces custom-shaped brass beams that are used to treat tumors of any shape in the body. Each patient requires a unique shape that is individually made. The MGH Radiation Oncology Machine Shop typically creates these pieces manually, which is both costly and time-consuming. The new lathe is computer-controlled and enables the machinist to produce these parts more quickly and accurately, streamlining the process and allowing patients to start treatment sooner. The equipment makes it possible to increase the number of children we can treat with proton radiation therapy. We were all deeply touched by this generous gift from the IS team."

"The MGH/MGPO IS group decided as a team to give back to the MGH to support
the hospital in a meaningful way," says James Noga, MGH chief information officer. "Our success as an IS group is due to the success of the MGH as a whole. We were pleased that the donation would benefit patients and help them to receive the care they need."