SAMC Foundation Gift
SAMC Foundation Makes Its Largest Gift Ever
Each year generous community donors give to the hospital Foundation which then directs charitable funds to SAMC to assist in purchasing technology for patient care and in funding community outreach.
This year, the $500,000 allocation approved by the Foundation's board of trustees is expected to benefit more than 25,000 lives throughout the region once project requests are fully implemented.
Charitable funding for SAMC was raised during the Foundation's annual special events and various fundraising campaigns, including the SAMC employee campaign.
"This year's allocation is the largest gift our organization has made since we began making distributions five years ago," said Foundation Executive Director Valerie Barnes.
Since opening its doors in 2007, the Foundation's generous donors have made health and wellness gifts in excess of $5 million for the benefit of those living and working in the communities served by the Medical Center and its affiliates.
Most of the Foundation's 2012 gift to the hospital was directed toward community outreach initiatives, start-up of new services and patient quality projects. In selecting projects to be funded, patient safety, education and satisfaction, as well as projects that will support LEAN principles were also considered.
"The Foundation's allocations process is very detailed and requests are vetted from every possible angle. The committees involved in making the final funding recommendations to our board take their job very seriously because it is important to everyone involved that we be good stewards of the donors' dollars," said Foundation Board Chairwoman, Alison Creekbaum. "With each passing year, the Foundation has become more strategic in its project funding."
The Foundation's top projects this year include the Neuromuscular Disorders Center – a new service that incorporates rehabilitative therapies and customized exercise. The Center is available for those affected by Parkinson's and other neuromuscular disorders that impair balance, mobility and quality of life. Some $180,000 was allocated to help launch the Center, expected to benefit more than 200 in its first year of operation.
The Stroke Initiative received $166,138 to purchase six telemedicine units to link rural hospital partners with a neurologist and advanced services at SAMC. The Southeast Regional Screening Program, which provides rural access to lifesaving cancer screenings, received $77,500. The Kohl's Kids Fit for Life Childhood Obesity Initiative received $55,025, and $28,758 was approved for the purchase of STAXI wheelchairs designed to enhance the patient experience.
"It has been the Foundation's desire from the beginning to build an organization that would attract the community's philanthropic interest and one that positively impacts the health and wellness needs of those served by SAMC and its affiliates," Barnes explained. "Without the generosity of our compassionate donors, our organization would not have been able to accomplish so much in such a short time," she added.
Donations* enabled the SAMC Foundation to give $500,000 to the Medical Center in 2012 for the following projects:
• Neuromuscular and Balance Center Equipment and Operations, $179,980
• Stroke Initiative – Six Telemedicine Units, $166,138
• Southeast Regional Screening Program, $77,500
• Kohl's Kids Fit for Life Childhood Obesity Initiative, $55,025
• Brubaker System Replacement, $32,750
• STAXI Chairs, $28,758
• Lymphedema Treatment Program, $11,550
• Comfort Zone Operations, $10,000
• L 15-7 io Probe, $9,425
• Two Standing Aid Units for Limited Mobility Patients, $9,000
• Phaser 7800/GX Printer & Starter Kit, $7,614
• Blanket Warmer & Cabinet, $5,000
• Pawsitive Therapy Program, $4,400
• Patient Education Material for Oncology Unit, $4,000
• Stroke Education Materials, $3,000
• Pediatric Lab Remodel for Enterprise Medical Clinic, $2,000
• Patient Education Materials & Outpatient Classroom TV, $1,978
• Computers for Mammography Workroom, $1,754
• Privacy Curtains/Dividers for Off-Site Screening, $1,608
• Ultrasound Training for New Vascular Procedure, $1,300
• Patient Care Cabinets, $1,200
• Document Scanner, $895
• New Portable Computer Cart for TIMMIS System, $850
• Textbooks, $693
• Neonatal Books, $500
*Some projects were partially or completed funded with prior year Foundation allocation excesses.