EMPLOYEE GIVING SUPPORTS COMPASSIONATE CARE
Gifts don’t have to come in big sizes to make a major impact. Sometimes a seemingly small gesture, like taking a photograph of a loved one’s hands at the end of their life, can provide comfort beyond measure. Thoughtful, compassionate care is a hallmark of University Health. To help demonstrate a spirit of gratitude, the University Health Foundation manages a program where every gift can leave a lasting impression.
University Health’s Employee Giving program enables staff to give back in different ways. In 2019, employees donated a record $262,705 to support programs benefiting patients, programs and staff members.
“Our employees provide compassionate care, not only in the work they do here every day, but also in how they go above and beyond the brick and mortar of the hospital to support special programs,” said Renee Polka, Development Officer.
One 2019 Lifeline Grant helped to create a Pediatric Reclining Wheelchair Loaner Program. Access to a wheelchair that can recline can be a necessity before a pediatric patient can leave the hospital. Without one, discharge can be delayed for days while families wait for insurance to be authorized and equipment to be delivered. The extra wait and additional costs are unnecessarily stressful. This new program provides a reclining wheelchair for pediatric patients to borrow for a short period of time. It eliminates extra burdens on children and families, decreases their overall hospital stay and saves patient and rehabilitation costs.
As long as patients and families need attention and care, the University Health Foundation will continue to find innovative ways to provide it with the utmost comfort and compassion.