New Formalized Grant Cycle Process Deemed Successful
The Shawano Medical Center Foundation recently announced $36,598 in grants that were awarded in support of the hospital and other community healthcare efforts. Additionally, Friends of Hospice granted $18,336 in funding to support the Shawano area hospice program for a total of $54,934 in grants.
A newly formalized grant process was used to solicit, review and select grant applications for the first time this year. The call for grants was opened in October 2014 and awards were announced in March 2015. According to Patsey Robertson, SMC Foundation grant committee chairperson, the new process was a success for several reasons. “We raised awareness within ThedaCare in Shawano and the wider community about the role of the SMC Foundation in this area. The application was user friendly, succinct, and definitely reflected our mission as an organization. We used a scoring tool for the first time. It was such a pleasure for everyone on the committee because the applications were so well-written and thoughtful.”
Monetary support was provided to the following hospital, clinic and community programs:
- The SMC Birth Center, for sleep sacks for newborns to use and take home
- Respiratory therapy, for a CPAP mask for patients that must stay overnight and did not bring their own
- Laboratory, for a new incubator for the microbiology department to grow and maintain cultures
- The outpatient treatment center, for training for three registered nurses to become certified in wound care
- Radiology, for an anchor leg and lateral hip stabilizer for improved images
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) for standard equipment used by the examining nurse
- The Perry Initiative, for a day-long learning experience for high school girls in Shawano and surrounding school districts to gain hands-on experience in orthopedic surgery and engineering
- Shawano Pathways, to promote the development and use of bicycle and pedestrian trails
Hospice services were supported via:
- Massage therapy, for hospice patients to better manage pain, insomnia, and other symptoms
- Pet therapy, in support of recruiting and training dogs to visit hospice patients
- Navarino Nature Center, for the construction of boardwalks and trails to give access to individuals in wheelchairs, strollers and walkers
Linda Gilbert, Shawano Medical Center Foundation executive director, said, “We collaborated very closely with managers within ThedaCare in Shawano to invest our dollars wisely, in a way that helps people at all stages of their lives.” The grant application process is expected to continue on an annual basis; however, Gilbert said the foundation might review another round of applications after the hospital moves to its new location in September.
Funds for these grants are made available through the generous support of community members, foundations, employees, businesses and grateful patients, and through the SMC Foundation’s year-round fundraising events. For more information, or to make a donation, please contact Linda Gilbert at (715) 526-7149 or lindasmc.gilbert@thedacare.org or SMC Foundation and Friends of Hospice, 309 N. Bartlett Street, Shawano WI 54166.
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of seven hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, Berlin Memorial Hospital, Wild Rose Community Memorial Hospital, and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare At Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,803 employees. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
