(MENAFNEditorial) TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The (PWSJ), a leadership network of community-minded women who invest annual membership gifts, is celebrating a significant milestone this year. With the inclusion of its 2017 grant, the group crosses the $1 million mark in donations that support health care for women, children and families at St. Joseph's Hospitals in Tampa.

Dr. Andrew Sherman, chief of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, demonstrates the endoscopic tower which was funded by the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph's (PWSJ) to PWSJ benefactors Priscilla Castellano and Sally Sierra, PWSJ co-founders Elaine Fantle Shimberg and Donna Jordan, and PWSJ benefactor Cherie Schonbrun on Dec. 13, 2017. The group was established in 2009 by co-founders Elaine Shimberg and Donna Jordan, and today has more than 150 members who are changing and saving lives in the Tampa Bay community by supporting innovative and life-saving services and technology at St. Joseph's Hospitals.

"The idea behind the PWSJ is that many hands make light work," said Shimberg.

Jordan agreed, adding that "Individually, we are great. Collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with."

Using the power of collective philanthropy, the PWSJ members' annual philanthropic contributions are pooled and the entire membership joins in deciding which program, project or new equipment will be funded.

This year, the group raised and approved $176,000 in grants for two machines: a 3D Pediatric and Adult Echocardiography Unit that can conduct tests using sound waves to take pictures of a patient's heart; and an endoscopic tower, a device that will house the video scopes used to assess leg veins and perform thorascopic procedures in certain heart operations.

Past initiatives include the purchase of a digital radiography system that allows surgeons to examine tissue samples while patient is still in the operating room, ultrasound equipment for bedside use during emergencies, ventilators for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a new Mobile Medical Clinic which provides free immunizations and exams to children in underserved areas.

"We are proud to reach this exciting milestone in giving, enabling St. Joseph's Hospitals to further its mission to improve the health and well-being of the community with high-quality, compassionate care," said Jordan.

To learn more about the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph's or to become a member, visit or call (813) 872-0979.

About St. Joseph's Hospital

St. Joseph's Hospital, part of the , is known for advanced medical technology and compassionate care. Its Centers of Excellence include the Heart Institute, Cancer Institute, Stroke and Neuroscience Program, Robotic Surgery Program and Emergency/Trauma Departments, which treats more patients than any other hospital in the Tampa Bay region. More than 70 specialties are represented among the medical staff, from internal medicine to cardiology, neurology to surgery. The hospital was founded in 1934 by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.

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SOURCE St. Joseph's Hospital

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