Excellence in healthcare unsustainable without philanthropic giving
Jacksonville is home to the area’s only locally owned and governed healthcare system. That system receives more than 242,000 visits to its emergency centers annually and it includes five MagnetTM- designated hospitals, with 1,101 beds. (A Magnet designation is the gold standard for excellence in patient care and fewer than seven percent of hospitals in the country achieve it.)
That healthcare system is Baptist Health.
On the field or off, former NFL quarterback and current coach for the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Mark Brunell plays to win, especially when it comes to supporting Wolfson Children’s Hospital, a worthy cause near and dear to his heart for more than a decade.
When U.S. News & World Report released its Best Hospitals 2013-2014 rankings in 16 specialties, Baptist Health was nationally ranked in six specialties and high performing in 10. According to the report, 74 percent of its patients said they would recommend Baptist to friends and family; that’s higher than the state average of 68 percent and the national average of 71 percent.
When it comes to health care – especially that of your child’s – it makes good sense to “buy local.” Why?
The only children’s hospital in the region, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, is a nationally recognized children’s hospital. UU.S. News & World Report ranked diabetes and endocrinology, neonatology, orthopedic surgery, pulmonology and urology among the top 50 compared to children’s hospitals across the country.
In pediatric diabetes and endocrinology, Wolfson Children’s Hospital was superior in diabetic patient management, nurse-patient ratio, commitment to best practices, diabetes care options, clinical support services, advanced technologies, specialized clinics and programs, patient and family services, commitment to quality improvement and adoption of health information technology.
When it comes to newborns, Wolfson Children’s neonatology superiority is evident in prevention of ICU infections, heart-lung machines for newborns, advanced clinical services, clinical support services, and adoption of health information technology.
Children with pulmonary issues will be treated extraordinarily well at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which received superior ratings in success with asthma inpatients, asthma-management, management of neuromuscular weakness disorder, ventilator patient survival, prevention of pressure ulcers, nurse-patient ratio, commitment to best practices, clinical support services, patient and family services, commitment to quality improvement and adoption of health information technology.
Community Comes First
Since its founding in 1955, Baptist Health has invested more than $134 million in social responsibility initiatives, charity care and the cost of uncompensated care.
That’s important when it comes to kids. No child is turned away from receiving Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s care.
“We serve all children in our region, regardless of their ability to pay, because it is our mission and our commitment,” said Michael D. Aubin, hospital president, Wolfson Children’s Hospital and San Marco resident.
Baptist Health’s mission is to provide accessible, quality healthcare services at the highest level possible, cutting edge technology and research and relies, in large part, on the generosity of local benefactors.
“With the challenges facing health care and the rising costs of uncompensated care, philanthropic support is more critical than ever to our ability to maintain the highest quality programs and services,” said Aubin. “We will continue to treat all children, regardless of their families’ ability to pay, but we rely on financial gifts to be able to do so.”
To garner that philanthropic support, Baptist Health President and CEO Hugh Greene has a favorite mantra: community always comes first at Baptist Health. Doing unto others means that Baptist Health relies on community connections with local philanthropists and donors to achieve its goals for the community’s health care.
Gifts like the $10 million endowment in 2012 from J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver support behavioral health programs for children and adolescents.
Wolfson Children’s Hospital is also fortunate to have a philanthropic friend in former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback, Mark Brunell, who lives in Ortega with his family.
It’s thumbs up from Dr. Raj Sheth, head of Pediatric Neurology at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, for the generosity of local foundations, groups and individuals who give to ensure that the hospital maintains its ratings of excellence for children’s health care.
Brunell, who played for five NFL teams over the course of 18 years, has adopted Wolfson Children’s as a favorite charity. The Brunell Family Foundation has been an active supporter of Wolfson Children’s Hospital for more than a decade. “Mark has been steadfast and generous for so many years in support of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. We are grateful for all he and Stacy have done and continue to do,” said Greene.
The experience the family had when their six-week-old son required hospitalization at Wolfson Children’s in 1995 inspired Brunell to establish this foundation to benefit critically ill children and their families.
“Because Jacksonville is my family’s home, we like knowing that when our Foundation raises funds for Wolfson Children’s Hospital, 100 percent of our contributions stay local and go to the hospital, not overhead costs. And we know and trust that because Wolfson Children’s Hospital is locally owned and governed, the hospital will use these funds directly for the benefit of children, through expanded programs and advanced
technology.”
Next month Brunell joins the Weavers as members of The Pride of the Jaguars, when he is inducted during halftime at the Dec. 15 game against the Buffalo Bills. Prior to that induction, Brunell will hold a special fundraising brunch to benefit Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Forum for fund-raising
As one of the best children’s hospitals in the country, Wolfson Children’s Hospital can’t sustain its excellence without philanthropy. Over the 58-year history of Baptist Health, residents have been generous in their support. Among those who hold the healthcare system close to their hearts in gifts through the years include: J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital, The Lucy Gooding Charitable Foundation, The Brunell Family Foundation, C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Foundation, Wolfson Children’s Hospital Bass Tournament, and Wolfson Family Foundation.
The community just keeps on giving. Wolfson Children’s Hospital is a favorite beneficiary of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia residents of all ages, and gifts of any size are put to good use.
Before Baptist Health Foundation was established in 1985 to be the conduit for all of the fundraising activities that support Baptist Health, The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which predates the Foundation by 12 years, has raised more than $22 million for select equipment, programs and facilities at Wolfson Children’s Hospital since 1973. The Women’s Board’s two major fundraising events are the annual Art & Antiques Show, held ever December, and the Florida Forum lecture series. Both are well regarded and residents eagerly look forward to attending these events.
Many groups and individuals support Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the four adult hospitals that comprise Baptist Health. From soiree-style fundraisers to school projects to a child’s birthday or lemonade stand donations to individual monetary gifts, anyone can be a donor and it can be as easy as making a gift online at https://foundation.baptistjax.com/wchgive or call (904) 202-2919.
By Kate A. Hallock
Resident Community News
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