Since 1973, Friends of UW Health has existed to support hospital patients and their families. The organization is served by a volunteer board of directors, under the leadership of President Tara Swalve and supported by a membership of approximately 400 household donors.
In the last 17 years, Friends annual fundraising has grown from an average of $100,000 annually to $2.8 million in impact during 2018 and 2019. Examples of philanthropic support include the following:
American Family Children’s Hospital
Through biennial galas and Hearts and Hands events, Friends contributed a total of $7,136,700 to support the building campaign and greatest need fund. The 2018 gala alone generated $1.5 million. These funds were used in the initial building of American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) and expansion which included the addition of the imaging pavilion, surgical suites, universal care unit and neonatal intensive care unit, as well as support for the child life program, patient and family support services and pediatric research.
UW Health Breast Center
Through the 2018 Wine Women and Shoes event and Lighting the Way for Pink campaign, Friends raised $257,500 to support the UW Health Breast Center at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. This funding is used to support cold cap treatment which allows some women undergoing chemotherapy to keep their hair, as well as general patient assistance and groundbreaking breast cancer research.
UW Health Grants Program
In 2018, Friends provided $180,342 in grant funding to support 40 projects recommended by UW Health departments that directly benefit patients and their families. Through this annual grant program, Friends can meet the needs of patients that may not otherwise be covered by insurance or fund special projects that may fall outside the scope of a department’s regular budget. Examples include:
- The Patient and Family Housing Fund; providing hotel rooms for patients and families who lack financial resources
- The Derzon Patient Assistance Fund; assisting the most under-served and under-insured patients with housing insecurity, food insecurity, medication, transportation and basic household needs
- Daily delivery of USA Today newspapers on patient breakfast trays to all inpatient units
- A golf cart to assist patients and visitors in the parking lot
- A Palliative Care Comfort and Healing Toolbox for the outpatient palliative care clinic
- Infant CPR kits to educate families so they feel safe taking their infants home after discharge
- Multicultural and diverse toys for the Outpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Department, so children can see themselves in the toys used for their therapy sessions
- A cognitive stimulation activities program for patients with dementia or delirium
- Sara Steady - to assist patients and visitors who need assistance getting in and out of vehicles at UW Health at The American Center.
External Grants Program
Last year, Friends also provided $ 91,500 in grant funding to twelve community organizations that demonstrated commitment and service to UW Health patients and their families. Some of these programs and organizations included:
- Access Community Health Center’s newly acquired in-house oral surgery practice
- Harambee Village; providing pregnancy, birth, and lactation support to mothers and families
- BSP Free Clinic; providing quality multi-specialty healthcare to uninsured patients
- CenteringPregnancy Expansion; combining health assessment, interactive learning and community building to help support positive health behaviors and drive better health outcomes
- Badger Childhood Cancer Network; providing financial assistance for children under treatment for cancer and blood disorders
- Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center; helping to reduce the trauma to children who are victims of abuse or neglect or witnesses to crimes
- Share the Health Free Gynecology Clinic, Inc.; improving the health of underserved women in need of gynecologic specialty care in Dane County and neighboring communities
- Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation; providing smoking cessation counseling for pregnant and postpartum patients
Wigs for Patients
For the last 23 years, Friends has funded the Wigs for Patients program which provides free wigs, scarves and turbans to UW Health patients experiencing hair loss due to cancer or other health issues. In 2004, the program expanded to include wig cutting and styling services by a licensed cosmetologist. Friends fully funds this program annually. Last year, the program served 450 patients and cost $69,000.
Love Lights
Each year, Friends hosts Love Lights – a program to honor and remember loved ones during the holiday season that is attended by more than 1,000 patient families. Love Lights serves as the only memorial program for adult patients at UW Health, and Friends donates a light in memory of every hospital patient who has passed away in the previous year. Families and friends are also able to purchase lights in honor or in memory of a loved, and the funds raised support the Friends Grants Program. In 2018, the program raised $20,158 to support the grants program.