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Network: December/January 2008
Mission
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| Anne B. Addington, grateful patient to the Sentara Cardiac Research Institute. |  Grateful Giving on the Rise
Patients and families wanting to express gratitude for the care they received at Sentara facilities comprise one of the largest donor groups to Sentara Health Foundation. In 2006 alone, Sentara received more than 2,785 individual and corporate gifts, many from grateful patients and family members. Donors also have the opportunity to direct funds to a variety of clinical areas of their choice including cancer, hospice, trauma/emergency care or areas of greatest need. This is becoming increasingly popular among this segment of donors.
Online Giving Now Available
Grateful families and patients may now contribute online through a new feature added to www.sentara.com. While the traditional donor form is still available for those who wish to print it out and mail it in, online giving is a convenient option that allows the use of credit/debit cards. In the future, Sentara also plans to add an automatic draft or transfer option to the website. Learn more about online giving.
Foundation Study on Emergency Department Utilization Underway
As part of its mission to improve access to health care, Sentara Health Foundation recently designed and commissioned an Emergency Department Utilization Study at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Up to 1,000 patients seeking care at the Emergency Department were polled in November by masters-level Public Health students from Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School to determine the reason for their visit. Currently, more than 50 percent of Sentara hospital admissions come through the Emergency Department and many patients seen there could be treated more appropriately in a physician’s office. The Foundation hopes the study will help Sentara to better understand patient’s needs and motivations and to foster potential solutions to benefit the community.
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