Donations that Move Mountains

To the patient who has just learned of a serious diagnosis, the road ahead looms like a giant mountain. The services and programs funded by donor dollars make that journey easier. Other donor dollars extend services to patients who lack the resources to obtain critical care. Still others fund programs to improve the general health of our community, reducing the chance that individuals will contract diseases or conditions that require hospitalization.

All gifts matter. Varied in size and purpose, together they have great power to improve the lives of our family, friends and neighbors in this area.

Here are just a few examples of what donors have made possible:

• Clinical trials to ensure that potentially terminally ill patients in our area have every opportunity to defeat their diseases.
• Participation in cancer prevention studies to test supplements and other pharmaceuticals that may prevent cancer development.
• Girls on the Run to help economically challenged girls gain self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running and curricula that addresses physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.
• Staff development in the neonatal intensive care unit to ensure premature infants have leading-edge care.
• Chaplain's Fund resources for the chaplains and their volunteer team to support special, unseen needs of patients in crisis.
• Resources to support the work of retired and volunteer physicians and other professional colleagues providing free healthcare to low-income, medically uninsured area residents at the Community Care Clinic.
• Scholarships to special classes for patients who lack insurance coverage or other resources to help them reduce diabetes-related illnesses.
• Nurse navigators to guide patients through complex treatment and therapy schedules and to be available at any time to answer questions and provide counsel.
• Today's Woman Health & Wellness Center services for uninsured, underserved women, especially those who need prenatal care to ensure delivery of a healthy baby.
• Funds to provide assistance for gas and overnight accommodations to financially challenged patients traveling to FMC for life-saving treatments.
• Obesity and weight management programs for youth, not only to lose harmful weight but also to learn healthy eating practices to enhance long-term health.
• A range of health screening assessments and education for men, women and children including cholesterol, blood sugar, hypertension, obesity, bone density, breast and other cancers.
• High-risk clinics and genetic counseling to provide patients at high risk for life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, to understand the level of risk and adopt preemptive life-style habits.
• Integrative therapies for cancer - such as vitamins, herbs and the arts - that, when combined with traditional treatments, have enhanced their effectiveness.
• Lactation support services to help new mothers provide the nutritional benefits of breast milk for their newborns.
• Community health educator to work with Latina women making healthcare decisions for their families in a new culture and community.
• Activity funds to enhance the lives of residents at The Oaks skilled nursing facility.
• Nursing scholarships to ensure highly trained and adequate staffing for specialty care requirements of an aging population.
• Expansion of mental health services with the creation of around-the-clock community-based crisis care.