5 Ways Our Donor Community Is Helping Kids During COVID
In this time of uncertainty, our community has generously stepped up to support UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Below are a few examples of how we’ve risen to this challenge, fueled by philanthropy.
Scaling Telemedicine
Our hospitals have rapidly scaled telehealth services, dramatically reducing the number of in-person interactions while continuing to provide safe, high-quality, patient- and family-centered care. Since the first week of March, telehealth visits have increased from 190 to 4,000 visits per week. Telemedicine now represents more than 70% of outpatient visits.
"As a result of the incredible generosity and engagement of the donor community we’ve been able to rapidly develop and deploy telehealth access for our patients," George Weiss, Vice President of Ambulatory Services shares, "This has supported safe, timely and equitable access to care."
Thanks to donor support, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals launched the Newborn Maternal Telemedicine Program to deliver virtual home care for newborns that have recently been discharged from the hospital. "We were able to get our questions answered from our couch," first time parent Ashely Sutton says, "It’s been nice to have the flexibility and the support."
Learn About Our Newborn Telehealth VisitsSupporting Families in Need
As a safety-net hospital, we have quickly seen the impacts a halted economy can have on our patients’ health. For example, a family with a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit did not have the funds to pay for gas to visit their child after both parents lost their jobs. They live 90 miles from the hospital and were struggling to cover vital costs like groceries and rent.
Thankfully, donations to the COVID-10 Children’s Response Fund have been used to address these needs with the purchase of gift cards to cover gas, food, and expenses like clothing, cribs, and diapers.
Donate to the COVID-19 Children's Response FundSpreading Joy in the Hospital
Child Life staff can no longer visit many patients in person to avoid the risk of spreading disease and limit the use of protective gear. Meanwhile, they’re also taking on the new task of delivering accurate and accessible information about the coronavirus in terms children can understand.
In an effort to protect our patients in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Child Life team pivoted to using single-use toys and supplies to prevent the spread of germs and avoid use of sanitizing products that are in short supply. Pierre’s Birthday Fund, a longtime supporter of improving patients’ emotional wellbeing, donated enough to fund two full months of these toys and supplies.
See How Child Life Is Spreading JoyExpanding Testing
Support from Hyundai Hope on Wheels has enabled us to serve our community with a drive-through testing site on both sides of the Bay for any symptomatic patients and families referred by their primary physician.
This effort is supported by a generous grant from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels initiative which has funded 22 such testing centers around the country.
"As a global automaker, we continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and its potential harm to the U.S. and beyond,” said Jose Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “A best practice that was crucial in South Korea’s handling of the coronavirus was drive-thru testing. This approach protects the healthcare workers and patients from the potential spread of the virus, while diagnosing those most in need."
Learn More About Hyundai's Support
Protecting Health Care Workers
With the support of community partners and generous in-kind donations, UCSF has met its Personal Protective Equipment needs and all employees are equipped to ensure the health and safety of their patients.
East Bay Community Energy donated $25,000 toward protecting healthcare workers at our Oakland hospital. Their CEO Nick Chaset shared, "As a mission-driven public agency, our top priority is to provide vital resources to the communities we serve--particularly those that are historically underserved. We are honored to support partners like UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland who make heroic efforts every day for families within our service area."
Learn More About Supporting This Effort