POCONO HEALTH FOUNDATION

AS A RESIDENT OF MONROE COUNTY, IT IS LIKELY YOUR LIFE HAS BENEFITED FROM THE EFFORTS OF THE POCONO FOUNDATION (PF). THE MISSION OF THE PF IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH FOR THOSE LIVING IN MONROE COUNTY. THIS MISSION IS SUPPORTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.THE MOST VISIBLE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PF WAS THE $26 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2009 THROUGH 2012 WHICH HELPED BUILD AND FURNISH THE DALE & FRANCES HUGHES CANCER CENTER. THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER PROVIDES STATE-OF-THE-ART CANCER CARE FOR RESIDENTS IN MONROE COUNTY AND ACROSS THE POCONO REGION. IN 2019, THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER EARNED FULL ACCREDITATION AS PART OF THE MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING (MSK) ALLIANCE. THIS AFFILIATION, ONE OF ONLY THREE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDES LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH A CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND ACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING PROTOCOLS AND CLINICAL TRIALS AVAILABLE THROUGH MSK.BECAUSE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST PROVIDING HEALTH CARE, PF PARTNERS WITH MANY LOCAL NONPROFITS TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION. MUCH OF THIS SUPPORT IS OFFERED THROUGH THE PF'S ANNUAL GRANT & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. FOR FY25, PF HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $95,000 TO COMMUNITY NON-PROFITS AND AN ADDITIONAL $46,000 TO STUDENTS PURSUING AN EDUCATION IN HEALTHCARE. THE IMPACT OF THESE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS IS SUBSTANTIAL. FROM FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER TO EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES THESE HUMAN SERVICES ARE THE BACKBONE OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY.SCHOLARSHIPS ARE ALSO AWARDED TO APPLICANTS THROUGHOUT THE POCONO REGION EACH YEAR BASED ON BOTH ACADEMIC MERIT AND A PASSION FOR SERVING THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. THESE MONETARY AWARDS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING PATIENTS. PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HAVE GRADUATED TO BECOME NURSES, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS (PA), CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONERS (CRNP), RADIOLOGISTS, PATHOLOGISTS, AND PHYSICIANS, WITH MANY CHOOSING TO WORK AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL - POCONO (LVH-P) AFTER EARNING THEIR DEGREES.THE PF ACTIVELY SEEKS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF LVH-POCONO. IN RECENT YEARS, GRANTS TOTALING NEARLY $600,000 HAVE BEEN SECURED TO FUND PROJECTS LIKE THE HEALING GARDEN AT THE MONROE COUNTY HOSPICE HOUSE, A NEW CT SIMULATOR FOR THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER, AND AN ADDITIONAL CARDIAC CATH LAB FOR THE HEART INSTITUTE AT LVH-POCONO. IN FY25, PF RECEIVED GRANTS TOTALING $155,000 TO FUND OUR DALE AND FRANCES HUGHES CANCER CENTER EXPANSION AND THE FAMILY BIRTH AND NEWBORN CENTER AT LVH-POCONO.EVERY YEAR THE PF ORGANIZES DONOR RECOGNITION EVENTS TO THANK INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND BUSINESSES WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P. ADDITIONALLY, WE STRIVE TO KEEP THE DONOR BASE INFORMED OF PF ACTIVITIES AND THE IMPACT THEIR DONATIONS HAVE ON NEW PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES BOTH HERE AT LVH-P AND IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING EVENT. NOW IN ITS 34TH YEAR, THIS EVENT, HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE SMITHFIELDS, RAISES MONEY AND AWARDS GRANTS TO MONROE COUNTY NONPROFITS WHOSE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY BENEFIT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. THIS CELEBRATION AND AWARD CEREMONY WAS HOSTED AT THE HUGHES CANCER CENTER WITH SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOL BANDS AND CHORAL GROUPS PROVIDING MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT. IN FY25, $14,000 IN GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO FOURTEEN COMMUNITY NONPROFIT AGENCIES.THE PF IS FORTUNATE TO SERVE A VERY GENEROUS COMMUNITY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P. MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND COMPASSIONATE CARE AT LVH-P ARE EAGER TO 'PAY IT FORWARD AND DONATE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. THE PF OFFERS MORE THAN 60 DIFFERENT FUNDS FOR WHICH THESE DONATIONS ARE TO BE DIRECTED BASED ON EACH DONOR'S PASSION OR INTERESTS. IN FY25, PF RECEIVED MORE THAN $345,000 IN THE PROGRAM AND PATIENT CARE-DIRECTED DONATIONS.IN THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM TO CONTRIBUTE, THE AUXILIARY OF LVH-P SERVES AS AN EXTENSION OF THE PF. THE MISSION OF THE AUXILIARY IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING SPECIFIC PRIORITIES AT LVH-POCONO. THIS GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TYPICALLY MANAGES A VARIETY OF FUNDRAISERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING LVH-P VENDOR SALES AND PAINT N' SIPS. THE AUXILIARY OFFERS THE PERFECT FORUM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT GIVE MONETARILY, BUT THROUGH THEIR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS CAN LEVERAGE LARGE DONATIONS FOR A SPECIFIC INITIATIVE AT LVH-P. IN FY25, THE AUXILIARY DONATED $8,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE MONROE COUNTY HOSPICE HOUSE AND THE FAMILY BIRTH AND NEWBORN CENTER AT LVH-P.IN FY25, MORE THAN $145,000 IN DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY WERE MADE TO THE MONROE COUNTY HOSPICE HOUSE. SUPPORT FOR THIS NETWORK OWNED FACILITY HAS RESONATED WITH MANY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE EFFORTS OF THE HOSPICE HOUSE COMMUNITY GROUP TO LEAD FUNDRAISING EVENTS HAVE GENERATED A STEADY STREAM OF REVENUE. BEQUESTS HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED AND FOUNDATION STAFF SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS BY ADMINISTERING AND ACKNOWLEDGING ALL GIFTS RECEIVED. THE PF WORKS CONTINUOUSLY TO ENSURE THE PROGRAMS AND PATIENTS AT LVH-P ARE SERVED, DONATIONS ARE STEWARDED RESPONSIBLY, AND DONORS ARE BOTH THANKED AND RECOGNIZED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE AND LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MONROE COUNTY.