Rich Patterson Memorial

A memorial service will be held for Richard Patterson here at VMC Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 12-2 PM on the lawn in front of the Rehabilitation Center, 751 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128. Richard was an amazing man who influenced so many diverse circles and will be missed terribly. He led the peer-support counseling program at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for the past 15 years. He was a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities, peer support coordinator, committee member for the Public Authority for In-Home-Supportive-Services, a co-chair of the Disability Advisory Commission for the City of San Jose, brother, son, fiancé, colleague, and friend. His loss will impact the thousands of lives he has touched. A fund has been set up in Rich's name through the VMC Foundation entitled The Richard Patterson SCI Matters Fund. It will be used to honor Rich's diligent efforts on behalf of individuals with disabilities by providing a quarterly community-based education program for individuals with spinal cord injury. It will also be utilized to complete the "narrowcast" program Richard was working on to link the VMC, Dominican Health and Rehab Services, and VA Palo Alto Health Care System inpatient peer support networks virtually. The program would allow patients at all three facilities to connect at a personal level, early on, and provide peer support as individuals adapt to their newly acquired spinal cord injury. For anyone who wants to donate to this new fund in Rich's memory, checks can be sent to the VMC Foundation at 2400 Moorpark Ave. #207 San Jose CA 95128. Please be sure to put "Richard Patterson" in the memo line of your check. For credit card donations, call us at 408-885-5299 or visit http://www.vmcfoundation.org/donate.html The family will also be scheduling a larger memorial later in July to allow family colleagues and friends time to adjust, and travel so they too share in the celebration of Richard's life. We will share that information as soon as it becomes available. Lastly, the family is aware how so many individuals would like to memorialize Richard so we have set up an email for your to send memories, notes, pictures, etc. that will be included at the July memorial service. The email is Richard.Paterson@tbi-sci.org Anything sent by Monday, July 5th will be included in the combined memorial.

Rich Patterson : Peer Support Coordinator

Rich Patterson has been Clinical Support Coordinator for Persons with Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries since 1995. As part of his outreach to the community of spinal-cord injured individuals, Rich made this outstanding video entitled "Me and My Spinal-Cord Injury" . Rich includes a number of interviews with individuals dealing with a spinal-cord injury.

Thanks Rich for releasing this to sci-peers.org, and thanks for all you do for our support groups.

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