NGH Foundation/Employee Giving: One Foundation. Many needs. And three ways you can support their mission.

If you, a loved one, or someone you know has ever been a patient at Nashville General Hospital or one of its clinics, you more than likely received a service that was funded and supported through the Nashville General Hospital Foundation.

As the fundraising arm of the hospital, the NGH Foundation’s single purpose is to support patients, families, staff and volunteers. “We focus on finding better ways to help and we use a different approach to patient care,” explains Vernon Rose, NGH Foundation Executive Director. 

The reason for the different approach to patient care is because Nashville General Hospital is a safety net hospital. As Nashville’s safety net facility, NGH provides healthcare for individuals regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. “Right now, forty percent of the patients we see can’t pay for their health care, may be living with food insecurity or struggle to meet living expenses,” says Rose. “These are some of Nashville’s most vulnerable residents and their condition may require continuing care.” 

The NGH Foundation supports hospital and clinic patients’ needs in two ways:

• Fundraising 
• Raising volunteer hours

Foundation programs that your donations support:

• The Food Pharmacy – Located within Nashville General Hospital, patients who suffer from food insecurity or patients who have been diagnosed with chronic diseases can access nutrition that is appropriate for their health condition. “We recognize the role that food plays in helping to restore good health,” Rose explains. “We help our patients change their eating habits by offering healthy and delicious ways to prepare their meals.” Food Pharmacy patients receive no-cost totes that contain enough meats, fruits and shelf-stable food for 16 meals. 

Want to find out how you can support the Food Pharmacy? Visit https://www.nashgenfoundation.org/food-pharmacy.html.

• Addressing food insecurity in the community – Two combined crises hit Nashville spring 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic and a tornado. Both catastrophes have left more Nashville residents facing food insecurity. The NGH Foundation assembled volunteers, community partners and community members to help identify households that may be living with food insecurity. Between the months of March and December, NGH Foundation volunteers and partners delivered 202,000 meals to Nashville residents. 

Visit https://www.nashgenfoundation.org/food-pharmacy.html to learn more about how you can help support the work the Food Pharmacy is doing to address food insecurity within our community. 

• Medications Fund – This fund bridges a temporary gap for patients in need of medications until community resources can be put in place. The fund supports the medication needs of patients seen in the NGH emergency department, in one of our outpatient clinics, or admitted as an inpatient. More than 1,200 medications were funded last year.

Contact Vernon Rose, at Vernon.Rose@nashvilleha.org for more information.

• Project Warm – This program provides warm clothing and winter garments to patients in need during the colder months. Project Warm operates year-round and accepts both clothing and financial donations. 

Visit https://www.nashgenfoundation.org/project-warm.html to view the list of emergency needs or to donate.

• Increasing Health Literacy – According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, only 12 % of the U.S. population is health literate. A whooping 88% of people do not understand information provided to them by their physicians or healthcare facilities. The NGH Foundation is committed to increasing the number of health literate people in the Nashville community. Last fall, the Foundation hosted its first Health Literacy Forum and planning is already underway for the next one. 

This list represents just a few of the NGH Foundation’s community outreach programs. Learn more about the Foundation’s work at https://www.nashgenfoundation.org.

How you can help:

The NGH Foundation’s support programs are funded through grants, private donations, the community and Nashville General Hospital Employee Giving. 

To make a donation or participate in one of the programs, visit the NGH Foundation online at www.nashgenfoundation.org.

If you are a Nashville General Hospital employee, you can financially support the Foundation by:

• Setting up an ongoing payroll deduction. 
• Making a one-time donation

Last but certainly not least, the NGH Foundation is always looking for volunteers. Contact the Foundation’s Volunteer Coordinator, Kate Haygood, at Kate.Haygood@nashvilleha.org. She’ll be happy to help you get started.