Hutzel Women's Hospital Partners with March of Dimes to Pioneer Campaign that Turns Virtual Dimes into Bona Fide Dollars

03-Mar-05(Detroit, MI) During the 1950s, mothers went door-to-door across America and helped to conquer polio by collecting money in cylindrical canisters.

Eddie Cantor, a popular entertainer at the time, dubbed the effort the “March of Dimes.” Today, Detroit Medical Center's Hutzel Women's Hospital is partnering with the March of Dimes to pioneer a new fundraising campaign – with a 21st Century twist. Hutzel Women's Hospital and the March of Dimes will launch a “Virtual Canister” fundraising effort. For the first time, with a simple mouse click, virtual dimes are being turned into real dollars. Instead of collecting dimes door-to-door, supporters can use a credit card to make donations online. DMC employees and friends can make “Virtual Canister” donations at www.dmc.org and the DMC intraweb during the month of March. This collaborative effort is being tested first at the DMC's Hutzel Women's Hospital. If successful, the program will be shared with other Michigan companies and, ultimately, go nationwide. Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit was recently selected to house the Perinatology Research Branch, the $140 million, 10-year project office of the National Institutes of Health dedicated to studying the causes of premature births in America.“Hutzel Women's Hospital is proud to extend its support to an organization that shares its vision for healthier mothers and babies,” said Brooks F. Bock, M.D., president, Hutzel Women's Hospital and Harper University Hospital. “We hope that success of this campaign will be duplicated throughout the country and the lifesaving work of the March of Dimes can be furthered by this effort.”For the March of Dimes, this is one phase of a multi-year campaign addressing the issues of prematurity. To combat this rising problem, the March of Dimes launched a five year $75 million national prematurity campaign. In partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, their goals are to increase public awareness of the problem, and to decrease the rate of premature birth by 15percent by 2007. As the home of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Perinatology Research Branch, Hutzel Women's Hospital is also working to improve outcomes for moms and babies at risk of pre-term labor and births.Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, said, "Both the March of Dimes and Hutzel Women's Hospital care deeply about premature babies and their families, and we're pleased and excited about this new partnership."According to Rick Cole, Ph.D., EVP, Chief Administrative Officer of the Detroit Medical Center, cooperation between the DMC and the March of Dimes just makes sense. “Hutzel Women's Hospital and the March of Dimes evolved down parallel paths,” Cole said. “In fact, both organizations date back to the 1930s when we worked together to eradicate polio. Today we are collaborating again for healthy babies and mothers.”DMC President and CEO Mike Duggan agreed. “The virtual canister campaign is the next step in the collaboration between the DMC's Hutzel Women's Hospital and March of Dimes. The first time around it resulted in one of the most important medical breakthroughs of the 20th Century.”Though the DMC's Hutzel Women's Hospital is the pilot site for the “Virtual Canister”, another local organization has been working behind the scenes to make the campaign happen. Collaboration, a marketing firm in Pleasant Ridge, provided the graphic and web design for the launch. “Collaboration has bridged the gap,” said Cole. “Tom Szczepanski and his team provided the brick and mortar for the campaign, taking it from an idea to a reality.”A massive collection via March of Dimes canisters enabled researchers to discover the vaccine that wiped out polio a half-century ago. “A massive collection via the Virtual Canister could help prevent premature birth in the years to come,” said Cole.To make your Virtual Canister donation, go to www.dmc.org and follow the simple instructions for giving. Then, send an email to every person on your contact list and encourage them to do the same. The Detroit Medical Center's Hutzel Women's Hospital is Michigan's first and only hospital for women. It is home of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) and is one of the top teaching hospitals in Michigan in partnership with Wayne State University for obstetricians, gynecologists and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Hutzel physicians are experts in women's medicine and provide care in the areas of high-risk pregnancy, infertility, menopause and research. Thousands of women have turned to Hutzel, The Destination for Women's Care.The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a multi-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org . The Detroit Medical Center, Collaboration engages consumers with business-building communication. For more information visit collaborationLLC.com .