ASHLAND, Ohio – Samaritan Hospital Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to UH Samaritan Medical Center to help sustain the local community during the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.
“The front line healthcare workers at UH Samaritan Medical Center are giving their utmost in caring for the healthcare needs of our community during this COVID-19 crisis. It is crucial for us to show our support for our local hospital and all their employees during this unprecedented time,” states Richard Beal, President Samaritan Hospital Foundation.
“The Samaritan Hospital Foundation is a critical partner in the fight we have in front of us. The foundation is focused on our community’s health and wellness, and has always been a significant supporter of programs and services at the hospital through their financial support” said Todd Harford, President of UH Samaritan. He added “These funds will be used to support caregivers, manage hospital operations, support testing and access to testing for caregivers and the community as well as help UH Samaritan meet vital needs for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).”
The UH COVID-19 Community Response Fund will help support the unanticipated, system-wide costs of the COVID-19 health crisis, including extensive patient care, medical supplies and research as well as providing for the protection, wellness and resilience of UH caregivers. In addition to Samaritan, Elyria Medical Center, Parma Hospital and Portage Medical Center received grants. Collectively, UH system hospital foundations contributed $2 million to University Hospitals to support the COVID-19 Community Response Funds.
“University Hospitals has a long-standing commitment to the health and well-being of our community, a promise that we extended in recent years to more patients than ever with the health system’s regional expansion,” said Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO, University Hospitals. “Today, that promise is more important than ever and we are grateful to have the support of our community hospital foundations as we face this pandemic together.”
Leading by example in Ashland, the Samaritan Hospital Foundation hopes the new grant inspires others to join them in supporting UH Samaritan Medical Center and other local caregivers, responders and providers.
“UH Samaritan understands the importance of community and ensures our patients have quality, compassionate care close to home,” said Richard Beal. “In return, we hope our community continues to pull together and helps alleviate the cost of this crisis.”
“This donation to UH Samaritan Medical Center by the Samaritan Foundation is unbelievably generous and we are profoundly thankful for it. The outpouring of support for the hospital and our caregivers by the community as a whole has been inspiring and uplifting. We are committed to using these gifts to support, protect and ensure the safety and well-being of our Samaritan family here in Ashland,” conveyed Todd Harford. Community members who would like to contribute to the UH Samaritan Medical Center COVID 19 Community Response Fund can do so by making a gift at www.uhgiving.org/samaritan or by calling Tiffany Lotridge at 419-207-2540.