Sonora, CA…Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Adventist Health Sonora Foundation’s UNGALA event held earlier this fall raised $219,000 for the new Digestive Health Center, which will expand gastroenterology (GI) services, provide greater patient comfort and convenience, and offer the most advanced GI treatment options in the Mother Lode.

Photo: Judy and Roger Haughton, 2022 Irving J. Symons Award recipients, have made an indelible impact on our community with their support of many organizations including Habitat for Humanity of Tuolumne County and Adventist Health Sonora. Credit: David Brown.

Held at Niemuth Manor in Angels Camp, the evening featured unique artistic performances, activities, and dining, in addition to a program honoring Roger and Judy Haughton, the recipients of the 2022 Irving J. Symons Award for outstanding community service.

“I am so humbled by the generosity of our community,” says Andee Houser, Adventist Health Sonora Director of Philanthropy. “Our goal is to raise 20 percent of the total cost of building the Digestive Health Center through community donations, and the UNGALA was an extraordinary launch of this effort.”

The UNGALA was dedicated to raising funds for the new Digestive Health Center this year because of the growing need for GI services in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. Adventist Health Sonora’s current GI lab was designed more than 20 years ago, when the level of demand for procedures like colonoscopies was less than it is today. With an aging population and approximately 100,000 people living in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, healthcare providers are at capacity for these important screenings, and patients often have to travel out of the area for timely care.

“As an organization, our focus on expanding digestive health services is about making sure our grandparents, friends and loved ones have access to the preventative screenings, tests and treatments they need,” says Michelle Fuentes, President of Adventist Health Sonora. “The new Digestive Health Center will double our current capacity, expand the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, and allow patients to receive world-class care for conditions affecting the digestive tract, all close to home.”

In addition to funds raised for the Digestive Health Center, the live auction at the UNGALA also raised $16,000 for Project HOPE, Adventist Health Sonora’s support fund for community members in crisis.

More information about the future of digestive healthcare in the Mother Lode and opportunities to make a gift are available by visiting AdventistHealthSonora.org/UNGALA or by calling the Philanthropy Office at 209-536-5029.

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About Adventist Health
Adventist Health is a faith-inspired, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 34,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.