During his many years on the Bench as Associate Judge in Baltimore County Circuit Court, the Honorable Alfred L. Brennan, Sr. was not shy about expressing his words. He is equally emphatic when talking about St. Joseph Medical Center. Undergoing treatment for cancer, Judge Brennan calls the nurses in the Cancer Institute, "my chemo angels." And he is equally effusive when talking about his Cancer Institute physicians Josh Forman, M.D. and Richard Schrader, M.D. "These fellows keep me going. They're expert doctors who also happen to be truly great people."[Read more+]

With 13 apartment and townhome communities to oversee, A&G Management Company, Inc. is one very busy company. They found the time, however, to use their business model to come up with a unique way to raise funds during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A&G Management ran a special promotion to donate $50 of every lease signed in October towards this important cause. The result: $2,275.00 was given to the Breast Center, part of St. Joseph Medical Center’s Cancer Institute. [Read more+]

Grateful patient, Dave Zimmerman, knows a good thing when he sees it so he goes a step further and uses his love of photography to commemorate it! That includes his cardiac care at St. Joseph Medical Center’s Heart Institute. “The caregivers are so important. They need to know they are appreciated,” says Zimmerman. He is particularly pleased with his cardiologist Dr. Mahmood Alikhan, and the staff in Nuclear Medicine who see him twice a year. “The staff in Nuclear Medicine is phenomenal. They’re professional, informative and nice, to boot,” he continues. “When I was rushed to St. Joe’s Emergency Department in 1997 with heart trouble, I had the good fortune to be the beneficiary of Dr. Alikhan’s skill. “He takes his time and is so thorough, I feel like I’m his only patient. I have several medical issues so this kind of attention is vital to me. He and the folks in the Cath Lab and Nuclear Medicine have been taking fantastic care of me for 15 years.” [Read more+]

For Joanna Fridinger, the act of giving is a family matter. On September 25, 2009 the staff in the Serpick Infusion Center worked 9 hours straight, staying past their shifts, to try and get Janice Horner’s potassium levels under control. They were on a mission. Horner, a terminal patient, was due to be the maid-of-honor in her niece’s wedding the following day and nothing was going to prevent this from happening. The determination of Horner and The Cancer Institute staff made her dream come true and on September 26, Horner stood up for her niece in a ceremony that was about the power of love.

After Horner passed away on January 26, 2010, her sister, Joanna Fridinger, wanted to do something to honor Horner that would be meaningful for other patients. “Janice was such a giving person. She never showed up to anyone’s house – or any party – without a gift in hand,” says Fridinger, “and I wanted to find a way to continue her legacy of generosity.” [Read more+]

When folks in the Baltimore area, Annapolis and the Eastern Shore are asked to name a supermarket that is known for outstanding quality and service, a name that always comes to mind is Graul’s. What most people don’t know is that the Hereford store, owned by Tom Graul, son of Graul’s founders, was purchased on horseback! Graul had been courting the reluctant owner of the convenience store that became Graul’s and convinced him to sell when the two were out riding together. It was their mutual love of horses that finally sealed the deal.

In addition to providing an outstanding service, Graul believes strongly in giving back to the community where he has been so blessed. [Read more+]