News

$500,000 matching gift program establishes the Disaster Relief Fund for employees who worked through COVID-19 pandemic

Patient 2,500 discharged

Greenwich, CT (July 14, 2020) – The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left millions in need of financial relief, including many frontline caregivers who worked tirelessly through this unprecedented health crisis and now face unexpected hardships of their own.

In response to this need, Greenwich Hospital has established a COVID-19 Employee Disaster Relief Fund to support those frontline workers who sacrificed to save lives in our region. The O’Malley Family Foundation has generously initiated a matching gift program of up to $500,000 to launch the new fund.

“The staff at Greenwich Hospital has performed extraordinary service for our community. They’ve put themselves in harm’s way to make sure the residents of Greenwich and the surrounding area receive the care necessary during this pandemic. We think it’s incredibly important to recognize their contribution and assist those staff members who have suffered physical and financial damages,” said Mary Alice O’Malley about the establishment of the disaster relief fund.

The new fund provides assistance to employees of Greenwich Hospital as well as other frontline employees from across Yale New Haven Health who traveled to Greenwich Hospital to help during the height of the pandemic in this region. Greenwich Hospital saw its first COVID-19 patient on March 14 and to date has had 653 COVID admissions.

For many, the financial stress stemming from the pandemic includes the loss of household income, increased childcare costs and COVID-related critical care expenses, to name a few. The new program empowers Greenwich Hospital to provide flexibility around what the disaster relief fund can cover and lower the burden for employees after a difficult time that impacted people in many ways.

“Greenwich Hospital is profoundly grateful to our frontline heroes who, thrust into the epicenter of Connecticut and Westchester County’s COVID-19 pandemic, met this challenge and worked tirelessly for our patients and their families. Every healthcare professional and all support staff – from the nursing assistant and respiratory therapist to environmental services and transport – selflessly committed themselves to the demands of this crisis,” said Diane P. Kelly, Greenwich Hospital’s president.

“It is the intent of Greenwich Hospital to continue to show our employees that we are committed to caring for the caregiver and frontline workers,” she said.

Supporters wishing to make a donation to the employee disaster relief fund – and have their contributions doubled – can visit https://giving.greenhosp.org/giving/covid-19-disaster-relief.

Greenwich Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health. Greenwich is a 206-bed (includes 32 isolettes) community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a major academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine. Since its founding in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution representing all medical specialties and offering a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. Greenwich Hospital is recognized throughout the healthcare industry as a leader in service and patient satisfaction excellence. Greenwich Hospital has the prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence.
Greenwich Hospital Office of Development is committed to securing the funds needed for the hospital to fulfill its mission of extending the highest quality of safe and compassionate health care to everyone in our region, regardless of their ability to pay.

Contact:
Julie Lapin
Sr. Communications Officer
Greenwich Hospital Office of Development
203-863-3887 (o)
julie.lapin@greenwichhospital.org