2008 Donor Impact Report

Philanthropy supports a wide range of programs and services throughout Froedtert Hospital.  Highlighted below is a sampling of how donor dollars have been invested this year.  This is not an all-inclusive list.

Patient Education

Management of a serious condition like cancer or heart disease continues well beyond a hospital stay. For most patients, it is a life-long process. Donors to Froedtert Hospital Foundation have supported discharge kits and other support materials for patients with congestive heart failure. Donors have also helped to provide cancer patients with books and binders containing all the materials related to their treatment and follow-up care.

Housing for BMT Patients

Recovery after bone marrow transplant is a long, arduous process.  Most patients are required to live within five miles of Froedtert Hospital so caregivers can respond rapidly to any complications.  Group housing is not suitable for patients because of their fragile immune systems and the need for a sterile environment.  In response to this need, the hospital provides an apartment nearby.  Donor dollars have helped to furnish this living space.

Nursing

Nurses are essential to the delivery of care.  Recruiting and retaining the best nurses with a passion for patient care is a top priority.  Toward that end, donors support scholarships for professional development.  Charitable dollars have also helped nurses in Transplant Medicine, Orthopedics and Palliative Care attend professional conferences this year, helping them to learn about advancements in nursing practice and patient care.

Helping Patients with Basic Needs

In these tough economic times, our most disadvantaged patients and their families are facing even greater challenges to meeting basic needs.  The Froedtert Hospital Foundation’s indigent care fund has provided items ranging from blood pressure cuffs to grocery vouchers.

Cancer Screening

Early detection is key to beating cancer and regular screening can save lives.  Donor dollars support free screening for prostate cancer at Froedtert Hospital every week day of the year.  On average, more than 250 men are screened annually.

Physician Training

Teaching the next generation of health care professionals is a major part of our mission and important to addressing the future health care needs of our region.  Donors to Froedtert Hospital Foundation are supporting four high-profile fellowships.  Fellowships provide advanced specialty training to physicians and help to address physician shortages in certain specialties.  Fellowships include the Donald M. Soref Fellowship for Clinical Neuroscience, the Donald J. Schuenke Cancer Fellowship, the Mazie Froedtert Willms & Sue Froedtert Cancer Fellowship, and the Women’s Sports Medicine Fellowship.

Bricks and Mortar

Green space at the entrance to Froedtert East will be transformed next year into a “Healing Plaza” – a park-like setting with trees, a water fountain, paths and benches, providing a quiet oasis for visitors.  The Healing Plaza will be entirely donor supported.  Meanwhile, donor dollars will support some basic renovations to the Family Center in Froedtert West.  The Family Center is the primary meeting area for families whose loved ones are in surgery or in the Intensive Care Unit.  With more than 80,000 visitors annually, constant “wear and tear” is a challenge.

Infant Safety

Infant safety is a major focus of donor-funded educational programs. Teaching new parents about the dangers of shaking a baby is the focus of The Period of Purple Crying educational program.  The Froedtert Hospital Foundation also funds portable beds, so that every baby can have a safe sleep environment.

Emotional and Spiritual Support

Froedtert employs chaplains to help address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and guests.  The Froedtert Hospital Foundation has provided start-up dollars for the chaplaincy program’s new prayer shawl ministry.  Volunteers hand-knit the shawls, which are given to patients and their loved ones as a source of comfort after a serious diagnosis or difficult medical procedure, or following a loss.

Art Program

In response to research showing that art can have a positive, almost therapeutic impact on patients, the Clinical Cancer Center has launched a new program featuring donor-funded professional art and an art therapy program.