Pocono Health Foundation

TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH AN INVESTMENT IN POCONO HEALTH SYSTEM.

AS A RESIDENT OF MONROE COUNTY, IT IS LIKELY YOUR LIFE HAS BENEFITED FROM THE EFFORTS OF THE POCONO HEALTH FOUNDATION (PHF). THE MISSION OF THE PHF IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH FOR THOSE LIVING IN MONROE COUNTY. THIS MISSION IS SUPPORTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.THE MOST VISIBLE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PHF WAS THE $26 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2009 THROUGH 2012 WHICH HELPED BUILD AND FURNISH THE DALE & FRANCES HUGHES CANCER CENTER. THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER PROVIDES STATE-OF-THE-ART CANCER CARE FOR RESIDENTS IN MONROE COUNTY AND ACROSS THE POCONO REGION. IN 2019, THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER EARNED FULL ACCREDITATION AS PART OF THE MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING (MSK) ALLIANCE. THIS AFFILIATION, ONE OF ONLY THREE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDES LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH A CANCER DIAGNOSIS FULL-ACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING PROTOCOLS AND CLINICAL TRIALS AVAILABLE THROUGH MSK.BECAUSE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST PROVIDING HEALTH CARE, PHF PARTNERS WITH MANY LOCAL NONPROFITS TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION. MUCH OF THIS SUPPORT IS OFFERED THROUGH THE PHF'S ANNUAL GRANT & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS PHF HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $150,000 ANNUALLY TO COMMUNITY NON-PROFITS AND AN ADDITIONAL $40,000 TO STUDENTS PURSUING AN EDUCATION IN HEALTHCARE. THE IMPACT OF THESE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBSTANTIAL. FROM FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER TO EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES THESE HUMAN SERVICES ARE THE BACKBONE OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY.SCHOLARSHIPS ARE ALSO AWARDED TO APPLICANTS THROUGHOUT THE POCONO REGION EACH YEAR BASED ON BOTH ACADEMIC MERIT AND A PASSION FOR SERVING THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. THESE MONETARY AWARDS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING PATIENTS. PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HAVE GRADUATED TO BECOME NURSES, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS (PA), CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONERS (CRNP), RADIOLOGISTS, PATHOLOGISTS, AND PHYSICIANS, WITH MANY CHOOSING TO WORK AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL POCONO (LVH-P) AFTER EARNING THEIR DEGREES.THE PHF ACTIVELY SEEKS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF LVH-POCONO. IN RECENT YEARS, GRANTS TOTALING NEARLY $600,000 HAVE BEEN SECURED TO FUND PROJECTS LIKE THE HEALING GARDEN AT THE MONROE COUNTY HOSPICE HOUSE, A NEW CT SIMULATOR FOR THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER AND AN ADDITIONAL CARDIAC CATH LAB FOR THE HEART INSTITUTE AT LVH-POCONO. EVERY YEAR THE PHF ORGANIZES NUMEROUS DONOR RECOGNITION EVENTS TO THANK INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND BUSINESSES WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P. ADDITIONALLY, WE STRIVE TO KEEP THE DONOR BASE INFORMED OF PHF ACTIVITIES AND THE IMPACT THEIR DONATIONS HAVE ON NEW PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES BOTH HERE AT LVH-P AND IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS THE HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING EVENT. NOW IN ITS 31ST YEAR, THIS EVENT, HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE SMITHFIELDS, RAISES MONEY AND AWARDS GRANTS TO MONROE COUNTY NONPROFITS WHOSE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY BENEFIT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. THIS CELEBRATION AND AWARD CEREMONY, HOSTED AT THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER WITH SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOL BANDS AND CHORAL GROUPS PROVIDING MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT. IN FY22, $16,000 IN GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO EIGHT SEPARATE COMMUNITY NONPROFIT AGENCIES.THE PHF IS FORTUNATE TO SERVE A VERY GENEROUS COMMUNITY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P. MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND COMPASSIONATE CARE AT LVH-P ARE EAGER TO 'PAY IT FORWARD AND DONATE IN VARIETY OF WAYS. THE PHF OFFERS MORE THAN 80 DIFFERENT FUNDS FOR WHICH THESE DONATIONS TO BE DIRECTED BASED ON EACH DONOR'S PASSION OR INTERESTS. IN FY22, PHF RECEIVED $2.83 MILLION IN PROGRAM AND PATIENT CARE DIRECTED DONATIONS.IN THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM AS A WAY TO CONTRIBUTE, THE AUXILIARY OF LVH-P SERVES AS AN EXTENSION OF THE PHF. THE MISSION OF THE AUXILIARY IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING SPECIFIC PRIORITIES AT LVH-POCONO. THIS GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TYPICALLY MANAGE A VARIETY OF FUNDRAISERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE TWO LARGEST EVENTS ARE THE AUXILIARY GALA IN THE FALL AND THE AUXILIARY AUCTION IN THE SPRING. WHILE THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS POSTPONED RECENT EVENTS, THE AUXILIARY STILL OFFERS THE PERFECT FORUM FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT GIVE MONETARILY, BUT THROUGH THEIR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS CAN LEVERAGE LARGE DONATIONS FOR A SPECIFIC INITIATIVE AT LVH-P. LEADING UP TO THE PANDEMIC, AUXILIARY GIVING HAS AVERAGED NEARLY $40,000 PER YEAR.IN FY22, MORE THAN $133,000 IN DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY WERE MADE TO THE MONROE COUNTY HOSPICE HOUSE. SUPPORT FOR THIS NETWORK OWNED FACILITY HAS RESONATED WITH MANY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE EFFORTS OF THE HOSPICE HOUSE COMMUNITY GROUP TO LEAD FUNDRAISING EVENTS HAVE GENERATED A STEADY STREAM OF REVENUE. BEQUESTS HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED AND FOUNDATION STAFF SUPPORTS THESE EFFORTS BY ADMINISTERING AND ACKNOWLEDGING ALL GIFTS RECEIVED. SINCE THE REOPENING OF THE FACILITY UNTIL THE CLOSE OF FY22, NEARLY $1.9MM HAS BEEN RAISED TO SUPPORT HOSPICE HOUSE. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE PHF EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON GENERATING DONATIONS AND ALLOCATING FUNDS, ADDITIONAL EFFORTS ARE MADE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDED AT LVH-P AND THE NETWORK AS A WHOLE. IN AN EFFORT TO SHARE THESE ADVANCES WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO OVERSEE THE PROGRAMMING FOR THE LVHN BOARD OF ASSOCIATES AT LVH-POCONO. THIS BOARD, INTEGRAL TO COMMUNICATING OUR CLINICAL ADVANCES WITH THE COMMUNITY, MEETS FIVE TIMES PER YEAR AND CURRENTLY HAS 65 MEMBERS. MEMBERSHIP COMPOSITION INCLUDES A CROSS-SECTION OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, INFLUENCERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THE NETWORK; ACADEMIC, NON-PROFIT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, SENIORS, PRIVATE-SECTOR BUSINESS, BANKING, RETAIL AND TOURISM. THESE MEETINGS ALSO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE COMMENTS OR CONCERNS DIRECTLY WITH THE HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP. THE PHF WORKS COOPERATIVELY WITH MARKETING AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO ENSURE EACH SESSION IS EFFECTIVE, INFORMATIVE AND CREATES AN 'INSIDER' FEELING FOR ITS MEMBERS.THE PHF WORKS CONTINUOUSLY TO ENSURE THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P ARE SERVED, DONATIONS ARE STEWARDED RESPONSIBLY, AND DONORS ARE BOTH THANKED AND RECOGNIZED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE AND LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MONROE COUNTY.