JoAnne Obata

Both Facing Cancer, a Navy Sailor and His Mom Became Each Other’s Lifeline

Gunner’s Mate, Petty Officer Second Class Jay Pena landed in Southern California exhausted but determined, grateful he’d made it home the night before his mother’s surgery. Ana Radjevic had been diagnosed in 2023 with Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer, and doctors warned her that her chances of living beyond five years were slim. So Pena quickly secured emergency leave from his deployment in Djibouti, intent on making sure his mother wouldn’t face the fight of her life alone. What neither of them could have imagined was that just 54 days later, Pena would be sitting in a doctor’s office himself, hearing devastating news of his own.

Finding Strength In Solidarity

Richard Mendelsohn and his wife, Barbara, built a life rooted in love, adventure, and community. That life changed dramatically when Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Richard became her full-time caregiver. Through caregiver support groups at Sutter Health’s Ray Dolby Brain Health Center in San Francisco, Richard found connection and understanding during an isolating journey. Today, he is paying that support forward by helping expand the caregiver group in the Sacramento area — so no one has to face Alzheimer’s alone. 

New Business Partner Offers Post-Hospital Support for Seniors

For senior patients, particularly those living alone or with another elderly spouse, discharge from a hospital can cause anxiety; the same is true for hospital care teams concerned about the patient’s ability to recover effectively without support. Comfort Keepers, a new Hospital Council associate member, offers patients a way to balance independence and support.

GroupOne Background Screening Offers Faster, Safer Hiring

GroupOne Background Screening, a nationally recognized leader in health care background screening, is now a Hospital Council Corporate Associate Member.  

GroupOne brings a wealth of expertise in pre- and post-employment screening solutions, including criminal background checks, drug testing, employment verification, education verifications, professional licensure verifications, and ongoing sanctions screening.

Section Updates for May 13, 2026

Central Valley: Hospital Council continues working with hospitals to address the findings of this year’s community health heeds assessment, with planning for the first roundtable on food insecurity now underway. Input from key community organizations including local food banks and homeless missions — will inform hospitals’ collective efforts.

Two Sisters, One Triumphant Transplant

Elisabeth Lucien’s diagnosis with Hodgkin’s lymphoma led to a lifesaving bone marrow transplant at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center — one made possible by her sister, Rebekah Fenton. Her sister’s generosity not only helped bring Lucien into remission, but also inspired Fenton’s career in adolescent medicine at UC Davis Health.

A Walk Down the Aisle Made Possible by Teamwork

After a devastating accident left Bill Bagnani quadriplegic, his future seemed uncertain. Decades later, supported by highly coordinated, specialized care across Sutter Health to support his multiple complex conditions, he achieved a moment he once thought impossible — walking his adopted daughter down the aisle at her wedding.

Moving Hospitals Forward: How Mobility Drives Financial Performance and Patient Outcomes – On-Demand

Health systems are facing growing pressure to manage the intersection of patient outcomes, caregiver safety, and financial performance. As patient acuity in critical care, general practice, emergency rooms, and behavioral health settings increases, so does the healthcare market’s need to maintain high quality and proactive service delivery. Patient mobility plays a central role in each...