FOUNDATION PROFILE: Health First Foundation

HEALTH FIRST FOUNDATION's annual benefit ball raised $465,000 in sponsorships to benefit Vital Watch, Health First’s eICU program. The computer-based intensive care monitoring system allows critical-care physicians and nurses to monitor patients 24 hours a day from a central location.

The life-saving and humanitarian efforts of all Health First entities have always relied in part on the generous time, energy and financial gifts of local residents.

The bridge between the people investing in the future of local health care and the healthcare system committed to fulfilling the shared vision is the Health First Foundation.

Through support of the Health First Foundation, facilities can be built and renovated, new patient services launched, life-saving equipment purchased, and high quality doctors and nurses recruited and retained.

Providing the level of health care we all want requires a strong foundation of community participation. Private donations and grants support programs such as Health First Leeza’s Place, a community-centered resource offering innovative programs to those affected by memory disorders, and help to provide hospice care to all regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Cape Canaveral Hospital

Cape Canaveral Hospital is deeply rooted in the heart and history of Central Brevard. As the surrounding area has grown and matured, CCH has strived to meet the  demands of an increasing older population.

Dr. Rosemary Laird

Located on the hospital campus, the Health First Aging Institute provides a total healthcare approach for seniors made possible in part by the Health First Foundation. The program’s interdisciplinary team includes Rosemary Laird, MD – the area’s only board-certified geriatrician, specialized nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, case managers, as well as physical, occupational, and speech therapists.

As part of the Aging Institute, Health First’s Leeza’s Place is a resource center that assists both caregivers and those recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. The Health First Foundation provided the funds to open Florida’s first Leeza’s Place; however, continued support is always needed to support these programs.

These successful programs along with the hospital’s expansion of Endovascular Services, Cancer Care, and Women’s Diagnostic Services have benefited from fundraisers such as golf tournaments, galas, and the Cape Canaveral Hospital Grand Prix.

Holmes Regional Medical Center

Health First Foundation supporters of Holmes Regional Medical Center have much to be proud of. The hospital has repeatedly been named one of the Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals by a leading healthcare research and information agency.

Additional recognition comes from Health Grades, Inc., the nation’s leading source for healthcare quality information. Health Grades analyzed more than 4,700 hospitals nation-wide and placed all of Health First’s hospitals, including Holmes Regional Medical Center, in the nation’s top two percent for patient safety outcomes.

The stunning $130 million, eight-story heart hospital, part of an innovative campus expansion. The centerpiece is the Health First Heart Center, which is designed to provide world-class cardiac care for patients requiring everything from outpatient diagnostic tests to the latest in open-heart surgery.

TRAUMA TEAM MEMBERS pose on the helipad atop the eight-story Heart Center at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

The Health First Foundation spear-headed efforts to fund this major project with an intensive capital campaign, as well as signature fundraisers like the Grape Escape and the Benefit for the Heart.

The expansion increases private beds at Holmes Regional Medical Center from 50 percent to more than 80 percent and houses a new Emergency Department and Trauma Center. Holmes Regional Trauma Center (HRTC) is the Space Coast’s only Level II state-approved trauma center.

Many Health First Foundation supporters have had emergency heart care at Holmes Regional Medical Center and understand all too well the need for the best possible critical care close to home.

The annual Holmes Regional Medical Center Ball is the Foundation’s primary fundraising event for the hospital. This community celebration helps to raise donations for initiatives including the all-new Mother/Baby Unit with a direct-express glass elevator.

Palm Bay Hospital

Palm Bay Hospital serves the seventh largest city by area in Florida. In keeping pace with the healthcare needs of the booming south Brevard area, the hospital has expanded and improved many services with the help of the Health First Foundation.

In 2004, Palm Bay Community Hospital’s Emergency Department doubled its capacity from 10 to 20 beds and was ranked in the top three percent of all emergency departments nationwide for patient satisfaction.

PALM BAY HOSPITAL critical care nurse Elena Hamant, RN shows the red button that bedside caregivers in any Health First hospital ICU room can push to call the VitalWatch eICU team.

The hospital’s Sleep Center treats patients with ailments including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. It is Brevard’s only hospital-based, accredited sleep disorders testing center.

With its signature fundraisers such as the Palm Bay Community Hospital Golf Classic, the hospital has expanded facilities including its Clinical Laboratory services, Catheterization Laboratory, and new all-digital Radiology suite.

As part of an ongoing commitment to excellence, Palm Bay Community Hospital, along with Holmes Regional Medical Center, was awarded "Nursing Magnet Status" by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Nursing Magnet Status designation is the highest level of recognition ANCC accords organized nursing services in the national and international healthcare communities. Less than 1.5 percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved this status.

William Childs Hospice House

Residents from all walks of life and income levels worked together with Health First Foundation to rally support for an inpatient Hospice facility with a home-like environment where around-the-clock medical and palliative care is available to the terminally ill. In the summer of 2004, years of hard work, careful planning, and tireless volunteer fundraising made Brevard’s first Hospice House a reality.

The Hospice House is named in honor of William Childs, who spent his final days in the care of Hospice of Health First. His wife, Madeline Childs, made a generous donation in his memory after she witnessed the professional and compassionate care provided by the nurses, social workers, and volunteers of Hospice. "This gift is the best way for me to express my gratitude to the Hospice family," she noted.

Hospice of Health First is clearly a beloved cause for many Health First Foundation supporters. They either have had loved ones reach life’s end in Hospice’s loving care or they have been touched by the passion of others involved in the program. Either way, they made a choice to give that just felt right.

Through the Health First Foundation, donated funds ensure that the needs of the terminally ill are met with compassion and dignity through Hospice of Health First.

The William Childs Hospice House is a shining example of how a community can rally to make things happen.

For additional information, please contact Jeanene Donilon, Director of Individual Giving at 321-434-7353.

Online giving - make a donation online.

Be a Good Samaritan!

"Good Samaritan" is the name the Health First Foundation bestows upon community-minded citizens who distinguish themselves by advancing Health First’s healthcare mission with leadership gifts. The highest level within Good Samaritan Club is the "Society of Founders." Many supporters have taken advantage of naming opportunities to commemorate a family member or to honor a substantial family donation. The Health First Foundation staff will be happy to meet with you and your financial planner to discuss giving opportunities that are right for you.

For additional information, please contact Jeanene Donilon, Director of Individual Giving at 321-434-7353.

Tax considerations

All contributions to the Health First Foundation qualify for tax deductions to the full extent permitted by law. Health First and the Health First Foundation are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Florida. The Health First Foundation is further classified as a public charity under Section 509(a)(1) of The Internal Revenue Code.

While cash donations are the most common method of giving, contributions of appreciated assets such as stocks and bonds, can have added tax benefits for the donor.

The Health First Foundation welcomes your participation in the life-saving and humanitarian efforts at whatever level is right for you. No gift is too small when it comes to serving the needs of our families, our neighbors, and ourselves.

When you give, your donation may be restricted for use by a specific Health First hospital or program, or you can allow your gift to be used where the need is the greatest.

Contact Health First Foundation

The Health First Foundation has offices supporting Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Community Hospital, and Hospice of Health First.

Our main administrative office is located at 3462 N. Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne FL 32935.  Please call 321-434-7353 for additional information.

Cape Canaveral Hospital Events - Contact Michelle Lyle at 321-868-2720 or email michelle.lyle@health-first.org.

Holmes Regional Medical Center/Palm Bay Community Hospital Events - Contact Sandy Grutta at 321-434-7140 or email sandy.grutta@health-first.org

Health First Foundation Board of Directors

• Dale A. Dettmer, Chairman
• Evelyn Foster, Vice Chairman
• Gene Bjerning, Treasurer
• Wendy Brandon, Secretary
• Patrick T. Biddix, Immediate Past Chairman
• Mike Chaplin
• Debbie Cherin
• Carl Coddington, Jr.
• Linda Coleman
• Robert Dow
• Tim Dwight
• Melissa Flammio-Clark
• Larry F. Garrison
• Cole Goatley
• Henry Goode
• Myra Haley
• Rhonda Lee
• Robert Mandel, MD
• Michael D. Means
• Polly Molnar
• Patricia Pruitt
• Charles Ragland
• Barry Richardson
• John Stark
• Kevin Steele
• Nancy Taylor
• Rick Theisen
• Mindy Thompson

Related posts:

1. Community Philanthropy Supports Palm Bay Hospital Expansion
2. Wuesthoff Health System Foundation: Building Community Relationships
3. Harris Corp, Health First Form IT Partnership
4. From Humble Roots To Nation’s Best
5. Cancer Care Centers Foundation Aids Cancer Patients In Time of Need