Betsy Wright, CEO of UPMC Chautauqua WCA, left, holds a check from Cristie Herbst and Brigetta Overcash, vice-president and executive director, respectively, for a portion of the $473,960 of grants for equipment and scholarships distributed in 2016 by WCA Foundation.

Just as midnight revelers pondered their past year to begin anew with more determination to achieve their resolutions, so too, the WCA Foundation has an even stronger commitment to support the health care initiative of Jamestown’s regional hospital, UPMC Chautauqua WCA. The stellar support WCA Foundation has given to the Hospital for the better part of 35 years will continue with even more vigor as the foundation and UPMC Chautauqua WCA make new history. WCA Foundation’s mission to be supportive of the health care initiatives of our Jamestown’s hospital have been accomplished through the grant-making capacity of its more than $13 million endowment. Its role as a supportive 501 (c)(3) foundation to Jamestown’s world-class hospital, UPMC Chautauqua WCA, will continue as WCA Foundation remains an independent organization. Helping sustain the best health care for this region will continue be the goal of the foundation and its donors.

Grants of $473,960 for equipment and scholarships for hospital employees were distributed in 2016 by the foundation. As the hospital and WCA Foundation move into their combined future, resolution to serve our community with life changing medicine abounds. The foundation, with the assistance of its donors, has made sure those promises for support are targeted to the needs of this community. Over the past two years, the foundation has assisted the hospital with life-saving technologies exceeding $562,000 for an Aortic Balloon Pump and the upgrade of the mobile cardiac monitoring system used by the hospital. The foundation also purchased life-saving training equipment for difficult births performed in the Obstetrical Unit of UPMC Chautauqua WCA. Preparing the staff to meet such emergencies is only one way the foundation has assisted in supporting the recently created Obstetrical and Gynecological surgical suite. New bassinets for the newborns have also been upgraded through recent grants.

Community needs have been addressed through grants of $55,000 for upgrades in the Neurology department and Sleep Canter of WCA. The Ears, Nose Throat (ENT) department was supported by grants of $83,000 for renovations and new equipment. Throughout the hospital, equipment has been granted to meet specific needs like a bariatric wheel chair and thermometer stands used in the Emergency Department.

New funds that support these efforts are the Patricia and James Phillips Family Fund to support maternity nursery care, The Grateful Patient Fund in honor of Dr. Wilson Shaw for general surgical needs of the hospital, the Framed in Pink-Bowling Over Breast Cancer and Rapaport Fund which support the fight against breast cancer. General grants are made to the hospital from the Unrestricted Fund, Board Designated Fund, Dennis P. Bush Memorial Fund, Verland and Doris Danielson Fund,  Clifford S. Davis Fund, Margaret Hitchcock Trust, the Hoag Fund, Elizabeth Garratt Taylor Fund, Elizabeth Warner Marvin Trust and the Starr Fund. The adult mental health unit of the hospital is supported by the Kellie Anne Murphy Memorial Fund. Dialysis Dialysis in-patient services is supported by the C. Donald and Marilyn L. Haglund and Family Fund and the Betty Sheldon Starflight Fund supports the life-saving Starflight program.

Pediatrics is supported by the Allen J. and Barbara B. Yahn Family Fund, Dale C. and Rebeccah I. Robbins Fund and the Phillips fund. Palliative patient care is supported by the Carol D. Evans Memorial Fund and autoimmune diseases are addressed by the Eaglesome Family Fund. The LaVerne M. Meyers Memorial Fund supports the Emergency Department of UPMC Chautauqua WCA and the Florence G. Cass Fund supports the operations of WCA Foundation. The Dr. Glen M. Ebersole Memorial Fund supports physician recruitment and the Robert G. Gingell M.D. Memorial Fund supports Pediatric Cardiology patient care at UPMC Chautauqua WCA where he practiced for more than three decades.

Jessica Lord transports a thermometer stand donated by the foundation through the halls of the UPMC Chautauqua WCA Emergency Department.

Cancer care at the UPMC Chautauqua WCA Cancer Care Center is supported by the Carol B. Bogdan Memorial Cancer Treatment Fund, LINKS Charity Cancer Care Fun, Judy Pollino Memorial Fund, the WCA Cancer Treatment Center Patient Assistance Fund and the Dr. Harold M. and Joyce S. Childress Fund, which also support education and the library at UPMC Chautauqua WCA.

Scholarships to staff and participants in UPMC Chautauqua WCA School of Radiologic Technology and the UPMC Chautauqua WCA Medical Laboratory Science Program are funded through the Karen Ross Crossley Memorial Scholarship Fund, Marie Barone Memorial Fund, Mary Lou Messina Nursing Scholarship Fund, Murray S. Marsh Scholarship Fund, Vincent A. Messina Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Vivian Wettingfeld Nursing Education Fund.

For more information about WCA Foundation or how donations can be made to these funds, or to start a new one, contact Brigetta Overcash, executive director of WCA Foundation, 716-664-5461, or Megan D’Angelo Barone, UPMC Chautauqua WCA director of development, 716-664-8423. Visit the wcafoundationjamestown.org website for more information and on-line donation opportunities.

WCA Foundation’s grant of $83,000 helped renovate and purchase equipment for the new Ears, Nose Throat Department.