960 Canterbury Place, Suite 200, Escondido, CA 92025 | TEL: 760.739.2787 | FAX: 760.745.7040 | WEB: www.PalomarHealthFoundation.org

Arie de Jong and his family are the classic American success story,

resplendent with an Ellis Island beginning and inspiring lessons

about what it takes to make it in the land of opportunity – hard

work, family unity and an entrepreneurial spirit.

The de Jongs founded San Marcos-based Hollandia Dairy, one of the

most successful dairy businesses to come out of San Diego County and still

going strong more than 60 years after its humble beginning.

But before the de Jongs made it in America, they were immigrants who

could not speak English and had just $35 in their possession.

Humble BeginningsArie de Jong was just a boy when his family of 12 emigrated from Holland to

the United States and settled in North County.

The family sold everything to pay for their trip across the Atlantic Ocean

and brought with them few possessions. But that didn’t matter. They had

survived the Great Depression and World War II. It was time to start anew.

“We were a team. That was it,” de Jong says over a cup of coffee in his

ranch-style home near Lake Wolhford in Escondido. “We didn’t have a lot of

options. When the war was over we had nothing. So we had to start all over,

and America was the promised land.”

The de Jong Family HeritageCoffee and pastries at 10 a.m. are a daily ritual for de Jong and Anneke,

his wife of nearly 50 years, in the dining area of their home in the historic

estate known as Melrose Ranch. It is here where de Jong recalls his family’s

voyage to New York and passing

through Ellis Island. A picture of

the de Jong children and their

parents stepping off their boat

is prominently displayed on the

Hollandia Dairy website.

“It was a rough boat ride,” de

Jong remembers. “I remember

waking up and seeing the Statue of

Liberty and saying ‘wow, we’re in

America’.”

The de Jongs were indebted to

“Uncle Sam,” from the start de Jong

says. That would be his uncle, Sam

Bruinsma, the dairy farmer who

sponsored his family and gave the de

Jongs their first jobs in America.

“We worked hard and saved

money,” de Jong says. The family

initially lived in three small cottages

by a creek near Old Pomerado Road

in Poway. They eventually moved to

Escondido, where de Jong attended

Escondido High School.

Hollandia Dairy: A Story About Heart, Hard Work and Heritage

B u i l d i n g Y o u r H e a lt H C a r e S Y S t e m o f t H e f u t u r e

Focus

Historical photos provided by Arie de Jong

Anneke and Arie de Jong

The de Jong Family

photographed when they

emigrated from Holland to

New York via Ellis Island. This

photo was taken as they

embarked on a flight from New

York to the West Coast.

Arie de Jong, Sr., and his wife, Maartge, emigrated from the

Netherlands in 1949 and went on to build Hollandia Dairy, one of the

most successful dairy businesses based in North San Diego County.

FoundationSUMMER 2014

2 Foundation Focus | www.PalomarHealthFoundation.org

PALOMAR HEALTH FOUNDATION

Serving North San Diego County Since 1950

The timing of the family’s

arrival in North County

could not have been

better. In 1949, milk

was the number one agricultural

product in San Diego County and

the de Jongs knew dairy farming

well. The family had been in the

dairy business for more than 200

years in Holland.

One year after their arrival,

the family had saved enough to

buy a dairy farm with 28 cows at

the corner of Felicita and Highway

395 (now Centre City Parkway) in

Escondido. In 1952, they bought

a larger dairy farm in San Marcos

and continued expanding over the

years. They named their business

Hollandia Dairy in honor of their

homeland and eventually moved

their headquarters to San Marcos.

Hollandia Dairy today is

one of the few remaining dairy

businesses in San Diego County

and one of the best known,

supplying milk and dairy

products to schools, hospitals,

prisons and the military across

Southern California.

De Jong, now in his 70s,

left the dairy business many

years ago but did not abandon

his entrepreneurial spirit. He

flourished as the operator of

successful waste management

and recycling businesses in

North County before his

so-called “retirement” in the

late 1990s.

“Retirement is really not for

me,” de Jong says, flashing his

familiar smile. “I don’t mind

being retired as long as I’m

allowed to have projects on

the side.”

Home delivery trucks and drivers stationed just outside Hollandia Dairy in San Marcos, circa 1964.

Hollandia Dairy circa 1958 on Felicita Avenue and Centre City Parkway. Pictured in the bottom left is the Fireside Restaurant.

Arie de Jong’s family outside the Bar

C Bar Ranch Dairy in Poway circa

1949. Pictured from top left to

right: Brothers Tom, Kees, Elso, Karl,

John; and Arie. Pictured from bottom

left to right: Uncle Nick; Father, Arie

Sr.; Uncle Sam (the de Jong family

sponsor); Cousin Alice; Uncle Elso.

Among those projects

are the charitable

works that de

Jong has become

known for throughout North

County. After selling his waste

management business, de Jong

gave his former employees a $1

million bonus to share for all

their years of support and went

about looking for other projects

“to help mankind.”

He found one when he

purchased Green Oak Ranch

in Vista in the late 1990s. De

Jong made improvements to

the facility that houses a drug

and alcohol recovery program

and charged the operators a

nominal fee of $1 to continue

their mission.

Palomar Health is

fortunate to be a

recipient of de Jong’s

generosity. De Jong

recently made a gift through

the Palomar Health Foundation

that is being used for the

construction of a conference

room at the new Palomar

Medical Center. The state-of-

the-art conference room was

dedicated to the de Jong family.

De Jong has fond memories

of Palomar Health. As a youth he

used to deliver milk throughout

North County, including the

original Palomar Medical Center

in downtown Escondido. His four

children were all born at the

historic hospital.

A younger generation of de

Jongs now runs the Hollandia

Dairy. Arie de Jong’s side of

the family is not involved but

his children are all successful.

His oldest son, Eric, operates

San Marcos-based Diamond

Environmental Services, which

provides restroom rentals across

Southern California. Second

son Johnnie de Jong owns

Summerhill Dairy, a 2,000-goat

farm, and Dover Dairy, a 2,500

cow-farm in Central California.

These days, Arie de Jong

remains a sturdy businessman

with a gift for cutting deals

and a heart of gratitude for

his family and their adoptive

country. In 1999, he chartered

a train, bus and boat to take

his family and close friends to

Catalina Island to celebrate the

50th anniversary of the de Jongs’

coming to America. In 2009, he

hosted more than 300 members

of his family and close friends

to celebrate the family’s 60th

anniversary in North County and

took them all to an overnight trip

to Disneyland.

De Jong also stays busy

making improvements to his

beloved Melrose Ranch.

The picturesque 118-acre historic

estate, where famous celebrities

and members of the English

aristocracy once entertained,

today doubles as a wedding and

special event operation that

offers professional catering and

can accommodate up to 500

guests.

“I’ve done good but I need

to stick around because I’m not

done yet,” de Jong says. “I haven’t

finished all my projects. I have

enough projects coming up for

the next 10 years.”

The de Jong Family Legacy

Personal Ties to Palomar Health

Arie de Jong’s family pictured in Alphen on the Rhine,

Holland, circa 1946. From left to right, Pete, brother; Ellie,

sister; Arie Sr., father; Arie (bottom left); Kees, brother;

Maartje, mother; Elso, brother; Karl, brother; John, brother

(bottom right); Tom, brother.

Arie de Jong standing beside his Ford

Ranchero in 1964.

Workers fill milk bottles at the milk plant

in San Marcos circa 1955.

Hollandia Dairy bottles

processed through a

bottle filler, circa 1964.

The early days of Hollandia Dairy, located on the corner of Felicita Avenue and Centre City Parkway.

Photo pre-dates 1958.

Arie de Jong’s aunt, Maggie, bottles and caps milk bottles, two at a time, at the dairy in Escondido on Felicita Avenue and Centre City Parkway, circa 1954.

SUMMER 2014

A ribbon cutting

ceremony held June

9 commemorated the

opening of the chapel

which became a reality thanks

to the generosity of more than

800 generous Palomar Health

employees, faith groups and

the Harold and Penny Dokmo

Family who supported the

chapel. The campaign to build a

chapel originated with a group

of dedicated and determined

employees who saw a need

to provide an interfaith space

where patients, their families,

physicians, employees and

chaplains could find solace and

personal reflection.

The chapel was shelled due

to funding constraints presented

during the completion of the

new hospital.

This small group of 11

employees and chaplains

recognized that a chapel was

such a vital place they began

raising awareness by calling

their campaign effort “The

Power of One,” in early 2012.

As their campaign gained

momentum, a chapel campaign

was formed and a goal of

$500,000 was set.

Employees leading the

charge, including Alma Davis, Rev.

Richard Gonzalez, Genie Tanksley,

Margaret and Danny Thomas

and Sonia Lopez quickly gained

support from fellow employees,

staff members and community

groups.

Two years after the campaign

began more than 800 employees

pledged their support for the

chapel, raising a combined

$125,000 in donations.

Their generosity inspired

a six-figure transformational

gift from the Harold and Penny

Dokmo Family.

The Raymond Family

Conference Center

located on the second

floor of the Palomar

Medical Center opened to

physicians, staff and the

community on June 9 thanks to

the generosity of the Jack and

Caroline Raymond Family and the

Arie and Anneke de Jong Family.

The conference center

includes two conference rooms

that will be available for staff

and board meetings, Continuing

Medical Education (CME), as well

as teleconferencing consultation

calls between Palomar Health

doctors and specialists.

4 Foundation Focus | www.PalomarHealthFoundation.org

The Building of the Chapel at Palomar Medical Center

The Jack Raymond Family Conference Room boasts a classroom

style setting with plenty of seating for lectures, seminars and

gatherings.

From left to right: Palomar Medical Center Chief Administrative

Officer, Gerald Bracht; Palomar Health Chief Executive Officer,

Michael H. Covert; Donors, Jack Raymond, and Anneke and Arie de

Jong; and Chief Medical Staff Officer Richard Engel celebrate the

opening of the Medical Education Resource Center.

The chapel features window treatments that depict a natural environment. Inside, the

chapel design includes a replica of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. There is a much-publicized

practice of placing slips of paper containing written prayers into the crevices of the wall.

More than a million notes are placed on the real wall each year.

The Raymond Family Conference Center

Interfaith leaders held pieces of wood and stone that were used to build the chapel in a special blessing during the chapel opening.

PALOMAR HEALTH FOUNDATION

Downtown Chapel Renovation CelebrationThe Grand Opening of the chapel at the Palomar Health Downtown Campus was celebrated on Good Friday, April 18,

with a brief ceremony that included a ribbon cutting and the blessing of the chapel by Rev. Richard Gonzalez who was one

of the campaign’s early supporters and biggest champions.

The expansion and beautification of the chapel, which includes new carpet, lighting and a mural, were made possible with

a private gift from Margaret Groves. Groves was inspired to renovate the chapel at the downtown campus after learning

of the contributions made by Palomar Health employees and the Dokmo Family toward the completion of the chapel at the

new hospital.

Groves said she and her daughters often wished they had a quiet place for personal reflection and prayer when her husband

was hospitalized at the downtown campus several years ago.

Her gift makes it possible for all patients, their families, physicians, staff and chaplains to have a dedicated space for

meditation and personal reflection. The chapel is open to individuals of all faiths and backgrounds.

Steinway Model ‘O’ Piano DedicationFollowing the successful example of other

hospitals that have implemented music therapy

to help patients’ healing, a handful of physicians

at Palomar Health initiated the charge to

purchase a Steinway piano by making generous,

personal donations.

Thanks to a lead gift by Ms. Jean Cheng and

Dr. George Kung, as well as contributions by Drs.

Richard Engel, Thomas Jones, Paul Neustein,

Ben and Maria Padilla and Jeffrey Rosenburg,

and Musician Richard Elliot, the piano can now

provide soothing melodies to patients, their

families, staff and guests.

Dennis James, owner of SoCal Pianos, also

donated a piano player which will allow the piano

to be played automatically and be controlled

through a computer or smart phone.

The Palomar Health Downtown Campus

features a wall mural representative of a

natural, healing environment bestowed upon all

chapel visitors.

From left to right: SoCal Pianos Owner Dennis James, Drs. Richard Engel,

Jeffrey Rosenburg, Thomas Jones; Mrs. Randi Feinberg and Dr. Neustein;

Ms. Jean Cheng, Dr. George Kung and their daughter, Jasmine Kung.

The renovation of the chapel at the Palomar Health Downtown Campus was

celebrated with a ribbon cutting on Good Friday. Pictured from left to right

are: Ann Braun, Randy Wilson, Margaret Thomas, Sheila Brown and John Forst.

SUMMER 2014

When Elizabeth

“Liza” Pille-

Speacht joined

the Palomar

Health Foundation Board,

the Morgan Stanley financial

advisor and portfolio manager

brought a wealth of community

involvement experience to the

position.

The North County resident

works for Morgan Stanley, a

Global Wealth Management firm

that recognizes and supports

employees who volunteer

in their local communities

through special grant programs.

“They like to support our

involvement,” Pille-Speacht says

about Morgan Stanley.

An active member in the

local investment community,

Pille-Speacht is also generous

with her volunteer time, sitting

on numerous North County

boards and lending her talents

to various charitable groups.

She recently secured a grant

from Morgan Stanley that she

directed to the Palomar Health

Foundation to support North San

Diego County Forensic Health

Services for victims of abuse

which was in danger of closing

without financial help.

The dedicated volunteer

made it easy for Morgan Stanley

to say yes to her request. Morgan

Stanley employees who annually

donate at least 55 hours to a

health or social service cause

are eligible to apply for a grant

for the organization they

are helping through Morgan

Stanley’s Volunteer Incentive

Program, (VIP).

“I was delighted that Morgan

Stanley was able to make a grant

to help save such a valuable

program for North County,”

Pille-Speacht says. “It didn’t

make sense for kids who live in

North County to have to go all

the way to San Diego for services

in the midst of dealing with a

terrible trauma. It makes more

sense for them to go somewhere

locally – so they and their

families could get counseling

and help,” she says.

The Palomar Health

Foundation raised $200,000 last

year to help save the programs.

The programs work closely

with the county’s Child Welfare

Services and law enforcement

agencies to determine the

extent of a victim’s abuse.

Palomar Health experts have

helped the San Diego County

District Attorney’s office convict

many offenders.

“Palomar Health Foundation

is fortunate to have a board

member with the background and

skills that Pille-Speacht possesses,”

says Kimberly Rideout Cardoso, of

the Palomar Health Foundation.

Pille-Speacht says she plans to

apply for another Morgan Stanley

VIP grant to help Forensic Health

Services.

“It’s something that should

be supported for many years to

come,” she says.

In the age of health care

reform, the best care providers

are recognized for delivering

high quality services. Add

the Palomar Health Orthopedic

Institute to that decorated list.

The Orthopedic Institute’s

reputation for positive patient

outcomes is supported by

endorsements from major health

plans after meeting stringent

quality and outcomes criteria.

They have awarded their seals

of approval to several Palomar

Health orthopedic service lines.

The Institute – made up of

multidisciplinary clinical teams

has received three designations

for excellence in recent years:

• Blue Distinction for high

quality knee and hip

replacement by Anthem

Blue Shield of California for

Palomar Medical Center and

Pomerado Hospital.

• Blue Distinction Center for

high quality spine surgery

by Anthem Blue Shield

of California for Palomar

Medical Center.

• Aetna Institute of Quality®

Orthopedic Care Facility for

spine surgery for Palomar

Medical Center.

Who benefits from these

designations? Patients do, in a

big way.

Clinical orthopedic teams

across Palomar Health are

working more closely than ever

and producing very measurable

and positive results that are

being evaluated and recognized

by health plans.

This is good news

particularly for patients who

are in need of treatment for

traumatic, degenerative or

inflammatory joint diseases.

“These designations represent a certain high level of expertise and commitment to the service,” says

– Natalie Brawner, Palomar Health

Director of Business Development and

Physician Integration.

Brawner led the formation

of the institute, which includes

physicians from Arch Health

Partners.

“These designations are

tributes to the dedicated team of

physicians, nurses, technicians

and therapists who have helped

develop Palomar Medical

Center and Pomerado Hospital’s

comprehensive programs in

knee and hip replacement and

in spine surgery,” Brawner says.

“Their clinical expertise in

these areas of specialty care has

resulted in better overall results

for our patients,” she adds.

This Orthopedic Institute’s

comprehensive team approach

methodology to providing

care is a model of excellence,

says Brian Cohen, Palomar

Health Manager of Program

Development.

“This includes tight

collaborations between

orthopedic experts – including

board-certified and fellowship-

trained orthopedic surgeons,

specialty trained nurses,

pharmacists, physical therapists

and clinicians – all dedicated

to providing excellence in

orthopedic care,” says Cohen,

who was also involved in the

development of the orthopedic

institute.

In addition to the decorated

service lines for spine, hip,

and knee replacement care,

the Palomar Health clinical

teams provide treatment for

foot and ankle, hand and wrist,

shoulder and elbow. Clinical

teams specialize in a wide range

of orthopedic care treatments,

including minimally invasive

total joint replacement, motion

preserving spine surgery and

therapeutic rehabilitation.

Brawner says the application

process for the special

designations is lengthy and

meticulous but worth the time

and effort because the results

tell so much about the Palomar

Health Orthopedic Institute’s

dedication to excellence. “Every

goal we are setting we are

hitting,” Brawner says.

6 Foundation Focus | www.PalomarHealthFoundation.org

Liza Pille-Speacht Facilitates Morgan Stanley Foundation Grant

Orthopedic Institute Recognized for Quality

Liza Pille-Speacht with her

half-quarter horse/half

thoroughbred, Sam.

PALOMAR HEALTH FOUNDATION

Palomar HealtH foundation leaderSHiP

Palomar Health foundation BoardJohn Forst, ChairCraig Brown, Vice ChairDonald BelcherSharon CafagnaJohn ClarkHarold DokmoJacke GoldbergKevin HarkenriderSue HerndonHarvey N. HershkowitzStephen T. HundleyGeorge Kung, M.D.Evangeline J. “Ginger” Larson Fred NasseriElizabeth “Liza” Pille-SpeachtJaime Rivas, M.D. Thomas H. Silberg Dennis StansfieldMichael StelmanTishmall TurnerKim Young

ex-officioMichael H. Covert, President and CEO, Palomar Health

Honorary Campaign CabinetJack Raymond, Co-ChairCarol Lazier, Co-ChairBarbara Warden, Co-ChairRoger J. Acheatel, M.D.Kenneth and Marjorie BlanchardGeorge ChamberlinJean ChengJim DesmondRichard C. Engel, M.D.Don HigginsonKenneth H. LounsberyLori PfeilerLaDainian and Torsha TomlinsonTom WilsonCharlene Zettel

Palomar Health district BoardT.E. (Ted) Kleiter, ChairSteve Yerxa, Vice-ChairLinda Greer, R.N., SecretaryJerry Kaufman, P.T.M.A., TreasurerBruce Krider, Immediate Past-ChairJeff Griffith Aeron Wickes, M.D.

Did you know Palomar

Health’s Pathmaker

Internship is one of

the largest pre-health

internship programs in the

country?

The 7-year-old program

helps build tomorrow’s health

care leaders through hands-on

experiences offered today at

Palomar Health. The program was

developed for the advancement

of local students interested in

exploring health care professions

through internship experience.

To date, approximately 3,000

students from local high schools

and universities have graduated

from the program.

Students accepted into

Pathmakers participate in

education modules to learn basic

patient care skills: assisting with

meals, discharging patients and

ambulating patients, amongst

others. Pathmakers then complete

department orientations and

shadow out-going interns

before they formally begin their

experience as interns.

The goal and purpose of the

program is to help students learn

the skills needed for their success

in the health care field and to help

them determine if they are ready

to join the health care work force.

“I know I wouldn’t be where I

am today if it hadn’t been for this

program,” said Bethany Dineen,

former student intern who joined

the Palomar Health Foundation as

a development assistant.

Building Tomorrow’s Health Leaders Today

Pathmaker interns are vital members of the Palomar Health team.

Charlene Zettel

A common thread runs

through Charlene

Zettel’s long and

productive public

service career: a passion for

health care issues.

It’s a thread the former two-

term state Assembly member

continues to weave into action on

a statewide level as an academic

and health care leader and locally

as a volunteer. Zettel is Chief

Executive Officer of Donate Life

California, the life-saving state

organ and tissue donor registry.

She is also longtime Palomar

Health volunteer.

“Health care has always been

my passion and continues to this

day,” says Zettel, who lives in

North County.

Zettel serves on the Board

of Regents for the University

of California, which oversees

10 UC campuses, five medical

centers and three national

research labs.

Her ties to Palomar date

back to the early 1990s when she

became active with the Palomar

Health Care Advisory Councils,

now known as Community Action

Councils. The community outreach

groups promote health in the

district and support great causes

such as the passage of Proposition

BB in 2004, which helped with

the building of the new Palomar

Medical Center.

Zettel currently serves on

the Palomar Health Foundation

Honorary Campaign Cabinet,

which supports the foundation’s

Building Your Healthcare System of

the Future capital campaign.

Having Zettel on your side

is always a sign of strength, says

Palomar Health Foundation

Board Director Sue Herndon, who

has known Zettel since the 1980s.

“Anything Charlene takes part in,

you can always count on having

her wholehearted support. She is

very accomplished. We are lucky

to have her as a supporter of

Palomar Health,” Herndon says.

Zettel’s accomplishments

extend well beyond health care.

Before becoming the first Latina

Republican elected to the state

Assembly in 1998, Zettel served

on the Poway Unified School

District Board. In 2004, former Gov.

Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed

her Director of the Department

of Consumer Affairs and later

appointed her director for the San

Diego Office of the Governor.

But it is her passion for health

care that has made her such a

valued friend of Palomar Health.

Zettel says the feeling is mutual

and admires the expansion of

services made under the visionary

leadership of CEO Michael H.

Covert and the tireless work of the

entire Palomar Health family.

“They wanted to provide the

best health care options for North

County communities and turned

that vision into reality with a

state-of-the-art hospital,” she says,

referring to the new Palomar

Medical Center.

UC Regent Supports Palomar Health

SUMMER 2014

960 Canterbury Place, Suite 200 Escondido, CA 92025 TEL: 760.739.2787 | FAX: 760.745.7040 EMAIL: ph.foundation@palomarhealth.org

TO:

NON PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTaGe

PeRMIT 751SaN DIeGO, Ca

Paid

Make a gift today.www.PalomarHealthFoundation.org

Corporate Partners in Health Spotlight: Alhiser-Comer Mortuary

Megan Comer recently toured

Palomar Medical Center and

came away impressed with the

new hospital. She saw that the

natural light, the neutral paint palette and

the open space convey warmth to patients

and their families.

A business manager for Alhiser-Comer

Mortuary in Escondido, Comer knows a thing

or two about soothing families when they are

most vulnerable. During her tour, she saw

opportunities to implement the hospital’s

welcoming environment in the viewing room

of the morgue.

“It’s such a trying time for families. It’s

important to provide them with a place that

is comfortable,” Comer says. At Alhiser-Comer

Mortuary, the viewing rooms have carpeting,

cushioned chairs, couches and calming paint.

“We’re hoping to see a family viewing room

at the hospital that is more comfortable, more

family-friendly, more inviting to families

during a tough period,” she adds.

Alhiser-Comer Mortuary joins more than

30 businesses participating in the Palomar

Health Foundation Corporate Partners in

Health program.

“We appreciate the opportunities the

Palomar Health Foundation has given us to

help out in the community,” Comer says.

The mortuary’s experience and reputation

made it an ideal donor for the beautification

project of the viewing room. Comer says her

family understands well the importance of

creating a supportive environment to families

after the death of a loved one.

The mortuary is the oldest continually

operating business in Escondido, with an active

presence dating back to the 1890s when it used

horse-drawn funeral carriages, and has evolved

into one of the most modern mortuaries around.

In 1989, Bill Comer and his son, Stuart,

purchased the mortuary. Stuart Comer

eventually assumed control of the business

and extensively refurbished and updated

the building on S. Broadway. In 2000, it

was renamed Alhiser-Comer Mortuary. The

Comer family also operates Lakepointe

Crematorium in Lake Elsinore in Riverside

County and the Lakepointe Cremation and

Burial in Rancho Bernardo.

The viewing room at Palomar Medical

Center will be named after

Alhiser-Comer Mortuary in

grateful appreciation of

their gift.

Thank You to Our Corporate Partners in Health