Ron Sidell

Ron Sidell, is CEO of Ophoenix, a new Bay Area non-profit dedicated to helping ordinary people overcome extraordinary medical challenges. Three years ago Ron became disabled by a rare disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, causing total paralysis and dependence on a ventilator for a year, unable to speak or move. Now breathing on his own, with much upper body movement, Ron requires a wheelchair to get around and is continuing his recovery. He is working on an MS in mathematics at San Jose State University, is on the board of directors at the Valley Medical Center Foundation, and, with his wife Helen, and works tirelessly to help others through Ophoenix.

Ophoenix is a charitable organization serving the San Francisco Bay Area, committed to assisting patients recovering from disabling medical conditions to leave the hospital and re-integrate into the community. The obstacles facing many patients and their families dealing with sudden disabilities are huge, and such families often fall through society’s cracks. Ophoenix’s mission is to facilitate the disabled to become productive members of the community and realize their full potential as individuals, utilizing both new and traditional technologies. To date Ophoenix has set up WIAP (Wireless Internet Access for Patients and Virtual Visit) for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, allowing hundreds of rehab patients and their families to stay connected to each other, their employers, and the community. WIAP programs at other Bay Area hospitals are planned.