At the end of last year, the North Memorial Health Foundation once again awarded small grants to departments throughout our system funded by gifts for “where the need is greatest.” With the pandemic straining resources across our health system, we received a record number of requests for support. In response, the Foundation Board increased the grant budget by 50% to help offset the financial impacts of the past year by implementing even more of this important work.
We are excited to announce the following grant projects for 2021:
- Equipment, supplies and team member training to expand the Community Paramedic Program into outstate Minnesota
- Assistance to help patients at our clinics access the care they need through our Community Care Management program
- Scholarships for youth who volunteer at North Memorial Health Hospital through the Junior Volunteer Program
- Recording equipment and new technology to support virtual Clinical training for team members during the pandemic
- A new blanket warmer in our Imaging Center that promotes relaxation and comfort during long, difficult procedures
- Cameras in the Labor and Delivery Operating Room at Maple Grove Hospital to help new mothers bond with their baby immediately after a Caesarean birth
- Upgraded, swiveling bassinets to support breastfeeding and bonding for mothers who cannot lift their baby due to incision healing or disability
- Simulation equipment and lab time to support Advanced Practice Provider team training for the Trauma Center
To help decide where the greatest needs are, the Foundation’s Board of Directors looks to the experts in our health system: our team members. Each year, our care teams are invited to identify pressing needs they see every day in their work and share solutions they believe would be most helpful. In response to these needs, the Foundation Board awards small grants to support the projects in the coming year. Grants generally support direct patient care and team member training.