Mercy Health Foundation, Clark & Champaign Counties, known formerly as the Community Mercy Foundation, is building on a successful 2017 as it announces funding priorities for 2018.

“Last year, Mercy Health Foundation, Clark & Champaign Counties distributed almost $800,000 to advance healthcare in our community,” said Kristy Kohl McCready, president of the Foundation. “The Foundation supports programs that provide greater access to care as well as those that help people be well in mind, body and spirit.”

In 2017, the Foundation provided funds for:

  • breast cancer screenings, support for additions to the speech and occupational therapy program for children and program support at the Health Resource Center 
  • a caseworker to assist clients of Mercy Health – REACH Services (Recovery, Education, Advocacy, Care and Hope)
  • capital investments that helped make possible the purchase of the mobile mammography van, stereotactic radiation body therapy equipment and linear accelerator, Mako robotic-assisted surgery system and an outdoor therapy playground for children 
  • an emergency fund that provides support services, including temporary housing, clothing and more for people in need
  • 100 percent of prescription vouchers through the Mercy Med Assist program for those unable to pay for their medications

Additionally, the Foundation: 

  • supported the hiring of psychosocial coordinator to assist families and patients of Springfield Regional Cancer Center and also supported the center’s music and massage therapy programs
  • utilized a bequest from a longtime resident to reinvigorate the common area at Mercy Health - Oakwood Village to give residents a welcoming space in which to gather and spend time together
  • applied a gift from a trust to help fund the renovation of Mercy Health - Urbana Hospital

The Foundation is already off and running in 2018, funding the purchase of a FibroScan machine, which aids in the diagnosis and monitoring of adult patients with liver disease. 

Other 2018 funding priorities include:

  • building a walking and activity path and expanding therapy options for children at Mercy Health’s pediatric rehabilitation facility 
  • promoting fitness in area schools through the Go Noodle program
  • expanding healthcare services at the minority health fair in April
  • providing support to patients who are victims of sexual abuse
  • initiatives to care for patients with chronic conditions, including COPD, diabetes and congestive heart failure

The Foundation’s annual golf classic and gala are its largest fundraisers. Employee donations to the Mercy Health Foundation, Clark & Champaign Counties are among the most generous in all of Mercy Health and a primary source of funding. In addition to the philanthropic support the Foundation received from generous business and individual donors, the Foundation celebrates its partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Columbus Affiliate, the Della Selsor Trust and the Springfield Foundation, which assist in the effort to improve the health of our communities.

“If you would like to give in support of care in your community, we can discuss your giving options and ways your philanthropic support may benefit you, Mercy Health Foundation Clark & Champaign Counties and those we serve,” says Kohl McCready. 

For more information, contact the Foundation at (937) 523-6670 or at kkmccready@mercy.com.