Special to Iredell Free News
The Iredell Health Foundation recently awarded grants from its Grateful Patients & Families Fund to three patient care projects. The goal of the fund is to support patients during their time of greatest need and enrich the patient and family experience at Iredell Health System.
Eleven grant applications were submitted during the first year for the program at Iredell Health System. An internal grant committee, made of Iredell Health System employees, reviewed all applications and chose three projects. The three grants awarded totaled nearly $12,000.
The grantees and the projects supported are:
♦ Care Transitions Patient Advocate Project: The care transitions department at Iredell Health System makes it their mission to reach and engage Iredell Physician Network and Iredell Health System patients that are at-risk and offer patient-centered guidance to help them lead healthier lives. This funding will help the care transitions team assist patients with food insecurity, social isolation, housing insecurity, addiction, transportation access, financial insecurity, and health literacy. The grant will provide qualified patients with items such as health management tools, clothing, food, medications, and improvements to living conditions that may inhibit their wellbeing.
♦ Radiation Therapy Blanket Warmer: Due to the radiation equipment, the radiation therapy department is kept at a cooler temperature. This funding will go toward purchasing a blanket warmer specifically for the radiation therapy department that will keep patients comfortable during their cancer treatments.
♦ Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center Blanket Warmer: Iredell Wound Care had over 5,500 patient visits in 2022. Many patients that visit the center are on blood thinners, which can make them susceptible to being cold. Due to safety protocol, patients are restricted in what they are able to bring into the hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber. This funding will go toward purchasing a blanket warmer to help patients feel a sense of comfort and protection.
Iredell Health Foundation’s Grateful Patients & Families Fund is supported by donations from patients and families who are grateful for the care they received at Iredell Health System.
“We are pleased to be able to assist our patients in their time of greatest need and grateful for the generosity of those patients and families that helped to make this happen. These selfless gifts make a profound impact on care at Iredell. We hope to be able to continue to give out these grants for special patient care projects each spring,” said Jen Balog, executive director of the Iredell Health Foundation.
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the fund, or to make a donation, visit IredellHealthFoundation.org or call the Foundation office at 704-878-7669.
About Iredell Health Foundation
The Iredell Health Foundation is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization responsible for philanthropy for Iredell Health System. It supports the system’s programs and services through donor-centered fundraising. The Foundation focuses on raising community awareness of specific programs that need funding and provides individuals and organizations hoping to make a difference and leave a legacy the opportunity to support local healthcare needs of their choice. To learn more, or to make a donation, visit www.iredellhealthfoundation.org or call 704-878-7669.