Healthcare philanthropy is made for times like these

Obviously, healthcare philanthropy has an impact in all times, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shined an especially bright light on the unique ability of philanthropic support for healthcare organizations to make a difference in people’s lives.  

I have seen firsthand how philanthropy has contributed to IU Health’s response to COVID-19. Thanks in part to donor support, the 34,000 IU Health team members statewide are receiving resources needed to be nimble, to meet unanticipated needs, and to go above and beyond what’s expected to provide exceptional patient care under extremely difficult and stressful conditions. I can’t think of any other time in my 23 years in healthcare philanthropy where that’s been more important.  

Consider the breadth of IU Health’s impact: When COVID-19 began to emerge in the U.S., IU Health hit the ground running, quickly creating a virtual screening clinic and COVID-19 testing operation. Through the first week of May, IU Health had provided virtual screenings to nearly 40,000 individuals, directed more than 8,000 Hoosiers to self-isolate and referred nearly 400 others for additional medical care. In that same period, the IU Health Pathology Lab processed nearly 30,000 COVID-19 tests. (For the most up-to-date data, click here.) 

But big numbers don’t always tell the biggest story. Sometimes one-on-stories say the most. I recently heard about an IU Health team member who was caring for a woman nearing the end of her life. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the woman’s family could not be with her in those final hours. So our team member stayed with the woman, held her hand and prayed with her, and ensured that family members could say goodbye via iPad.   

To help make both massive and intimate efforts such as these possible, IU Health Foundation created an emergency fund for IU Health team members and a COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund which directs funds to areas of greatest and most urgent need. In some cases, that has meant directing support to IU Health team members who – because a spouse lost a job, a child needs special care or other reasons – find themselves struggling financially during the COVID-19 crisis. We have been overwhelmed by the generous response to both funds, with a combined total of more than $410,000 donated by more than 470 donors through May 8. Donors directed more than half of the financial total to support team members in need.   

Like many Hoosiers, the people who contributed to that fund might have been looking simply for a way to get involved in the fight against COVID-19. And that highlights another way that I believe healthcare philanthropy delivers value in times like these: It provides a vehicle for action. It allows people who can’t be on the front lines to support those who are. It allows you and me to deliver to healthcare teams the things they need to deliver life-saving care. And it allows everyday Hoosiers to ensure that healthcare organizations are prepared to meet the next crisis head-on.   

I have long believed in the power of healthcare philanthropy to improve people’s lives, and in its ability to allow people to improve their communities and their world. This belief has only been strengthened by the COVID-19 crisis. It has truly highlighted the fact that healthcare philanthropy is made for times like these, when we’ve never needed our healthcare organizations more.