Providence’s Area of Greatest Need (Here For You Campaign)

This fund honors the legacy of the Daughters of Charity since Providence’s inception in 1905 when the Daughters met the need of our community by opening Providence, Waco’s first hospital. This Fund’s goal is to continue to meet Providence’s greatest needs. This fund is allocated via the Providence Foundation’s spring and fall grant funding cycles and is administered through the Foundation Office. On average, Providence Foundation awards over $300,000 each year to departments and clinics of Ascension Providence to support advanced technology and equipment to provide the best care possible to our patients and community.

Impact: Awarded 27 grants to 13 departments totaling $447,822.32 in Calendar year 2021

Click here to see all grants funded in Calendar Year 2021

Breast Health “Pink Partners” Fund

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and it’s vital for breast cancer to be diagnosed early for better patient outcomes. Donations to the Pink Partners Fund will be used to provide mammograms and follow up biopsies at the Ascension Providence Breast Health Center for uninsured and underinsured women in Central Texas, to ensure they have access to this life-saving exam.

Impact:

2020
# of patients served 170
# of services provided 245
# of cancers detected 7

2021
# of patients served 418
# of services provided 598
# of cancers detected 14

Patient Comments:
“I haven’t taken a breast exam in close to 3 years because I haven’t had the money and my job doesn’t offer health insurance for such matters, so I am very grateful for Pink Partners.”

“I’m grateful for the Pink Partners Program because I could not have my mammogram without it.”

“I thank the Pink Partners Program for helping me. Without y’all, I would not have been able to have my very first mammogram. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

 “I want to thank the Pink Partners Program so much. This is very important to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

Medical Mission at Home

This fund supports Ascension Providence’s Medical Mission at Home, a one-day free healthcare event, organized and implemented by volunteers, that will provide individuals and families in need with access to primary medical care, health screenings, education, and access to community resources. Access to affordable remains a challenge for many, and Medical Mission at Home is part of Ascension Providence’s national commitment to reach individuals who are uninsured and need better access to healthcare services. It’s about more than one day of free healthcare- this event also helps connect those who struggle medically and/or financially with long-term medical homes and insurances.

John F. Sheehy, Jr. Education Fund

Providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary educational opportunities is vital to providing quality care to all patients. The Ascension Providence fund will support a multi-disciplinary education plan in which Providence Foundation will provide annual educational funding for all eligible nurses, clinical staff and non-clinical associates who wish to provide direct support to nurses. This fund will also support clinical staff with annual tuition reimbursement, annual travel to national conferences, annual CNE educational symposiums and additional off-cycle critical capital funding needed to better support our patients. This fund is named after the late John F. Sheehy, Jr., co-founder of Providence Foundation and long-time Providence supporter.

Story:

My career began more than 21 years ago as an LVN on the telemetry floor at Providence. After getting my associates degree, I worked in the ICU for the following 13 years, and my passion to continue to help others motivated me to advance my career and continue my education.

In 2017 I earned my BSN degree and in 2019 completed the MSN program and adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program.

I’m thankful for the support of my Providence management team as well as the financial assistance I received at Providence that helped me reach my career goals. The tuition reimbursement program and ICU Nurses Scholarship Fund eased my financial burden of going back to school and made me feel like more schooling was attainable.

The ICU Nurses Scholarship Fund through Providence Foundation was so kindly set up by the family of a patient that spent some time in our unit. The family was so touched by the care their father received that they wanted to do more for Providence ICU nurses, so they set up a fund to help ICU nurses advance their education. Recently, this fund has become more broad for other nurses and is now the John F. Sheehy, Jr. Education Fund. This is awesome- as we all need a little encouragement every now and then!

I am truly thankful for my Providence family of so many generations throughout my time here, including donors who make stories like mine possible.

Today I’m proud to work at the AMG Providence Lung Clinic and am excited for many more years of serving our beloved patients.

-Kim Woodliff, APRN, AG-ACNP-BC, AMG Providence Lung Clinic

Ascension Living Long Term Care Endowment

Donations will be placed in a special fund for long-term care facility needs. Donations to this fund are invested, and the earnings are used for Ascension Living: Providence Village’s greatest needs. This fund is administered through the Foundation Office.

 Agape Fund

Donations will be used to provide assistance to patients to ensure holistic care and that their healing process continues even after they leave our care. These funds do not cover direct hospital costs, but may provide funding for patient’s medications upon discharge, transportation home once discharged, or clothing and meals if needed.

Calendar Year 2021 Impact:

Provided over 1,400 prescriptions/medical supplies totaling over $44,000
Served over 575 patients

Providence Foundation Associate Hardship Support Program

This fund was created during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to help associates facing financial hardships to meet emergent needs such as rent, mortgage, utilities, medical expenses, expenses related to the death of an immediate family member, urgent auto repairs (excludes wear and tear), furnace/sewer repairs, air conditioning & water heater repairs and other unexpected needs. This fund is a no pay back financial assistance program that directly supports associates in need who have been employed for at least 90 days (working at least 24 hours/week). This fund supports all facilities across the ministry and is administered through the Providence Foundation office. 

Calendar Year 2021 Impact:

Over $31,000 gifted
Over 50 associates served

 Daughters of Charity Employee Relief Fund

At Ascension Providence, we understand that in order to care for others, we must first make sure our Ascension Providence associates’ needs are met. This fund is an interest free pay-back loan program that directly supports associates in need who are in good standing and have been employed for at least a year. This fund supports all facilities across the ministry and is administered through the Administration Office.

Calendar Year 2021 Impact:

Over $169,000 loaned interest free
Over 250 associates served