Contact: Jennifer Kurczek
Community Relations Director
(920)361-5481 or jkurczek@partnershealth.org
The
Gift of Health:
CHN Foundation designed to help local residents deal with medical
needs
“Community Health Network was created
because of community need, and beyond hands-on medical care, our CHN Foundation
was created for the same reason,” said Craig W.C. Schmidt, CHN’s President and
Chief Executive Officer. “Helping local families with the challenges of dealing
with devastating medical situations enables CHN to further fulfill our mission
of improving the health and quality of life in the communities we serve.”
Lucille
Schultz Caring For Kids, supported by funds raised
through the annual CHN Charity Golf Classic, helps children and their families
who experiencing catastrophic medical needs. The Sandy Tincher Trust Fund, established in memory of local resident
Sandy Tincher, provides financial assistance and supportive services to adults
experiencing serious medical problems.
To qualify for grant funding through the
CHN Foundation, an applicant must reside within the CHN Service Area (see map)
and be diagnosed with a medical, dental or mental health problem that is life
threatening; long term; or temporary and the family lacks the financial
resources to provide necessary corrective treatment. Grants are provided
in-kind and need not be paid back, and the recipient of funding is not required
to be a CHN patient.
Through the past five years,
prior to the incorporation of the Foundation, CHN has provided tens of
thousands of dollars in assistance to local families – so they can focus on
dealing with the medical issue at hand rather than how they are going to pay
for it.
Take 13-year-old Kayla Smith
of
Kayla began intensive
chemotherapy treatments in
To cover the family’s added costs, Ken not only worked at his regular full-time
position, but also took on two other part-time jobs to generate income. Balancing
her job responsibilities while transporting Kayla to appointments and caring
for her after chemo treatments, Kim exhausted her paid vacation and sick leave
benefits.
“We were at the point of
having to sell our personal belongings or ask family and friends for their help
as a last resort,” Kim said. “But then a coworker told me about the Caring for
Kids Fund through CHN – and how it can provide grants to working folks, like us,
who don’t qualify for medical assistance yet cannot cover our medical expenses
with our income.”
The Smiths received a Caring
For Kids grant to underwrite outstanding bills for
office co-payments, numerous prescriptions and travel expenses.
“Getting help from the CHN
Foundation lifted a huge burden off our shoulders during a very difficult time
for our family,” Kim said. “We were able to devote our energies to getting Kayla
better instead of stressing out about how we were going to pay for her care.”
Having concluded
chemotherapy treatments four months ago, today Kayla is considered to be in
remission from her disease and is “like a normal, healthy teenager,” her mother
said. She continues to see her oncologist on a regular basis for monitoring,
but once she has been in remission for five years, when she is 18 years old,
Kayla will be considered cured.
Applications for CHN
Foundation grants to individuals and families are available on the CHN website
and www.communityhealthnetwork.org, most schools and county
health departments, or by calling
The CHN Foundation is directed by a
Board of Directors, consisting of representatives of the CHN service area;
Development and Planned Giving, Grants, and Investment Committees; and CHN
administrative staff. The 2003
Members of the CHN Foundation’s Grants
Committee, which reviews applications, are Starshak; Berkoben; Kurczek;
The Development and Planned Giving
Committee, which crafts and implements the Foundation’s strategic fundraising
plan, includes Dutcher, Simonson, Kurczek, John Garbis, Sue Kuehn, Steve
Michaelson, Karen Peterson, Wendy Seaman, Susie Thom, and Don Tincher.
Anyone
interested in serving on the
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