Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: Health Care

  • Community Healthcare of Texas Announces Board Chair

    Community Healthcare of Texas, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider, announces the recent appointment of a new Chair to its Board of Directors.

    Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger served on the organization’s Board for six years beginning in 2013 and was re-elected in 2021. He has served on the Executive, Finance, and Development Committees during his board tenure with Community Healthcare of Texas before now being appointed as Chair.

    Community Healthcare of Texas is the largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider in Texas. It has provided compassionate end-of-life care services for adult and pediatric patients and their families since 1996. The organization serves 25 counties in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco areas.

    Previously Senior Rabbi of the Beth-El Congregation in Fort Worth, Rabbi Mecklenburger retired in 2016 after 32 years. He has received numerous honors over his nearly four decades of service to the community, including Fort Worth’s Multicultural Alliance presenting him with its annual award for his interfaith and interethnic work in 2011. He currently serves as Rabbi Emeritus of Beth-El Congregation.

    “It is an honor to welcome Rabbi Mecklenburger as our new Board Chair.  He is a respected voice in our organization, and throughout the communities we serve,” said Viki Jingle, CEO for Community Healthcare of Texas. “His guidance and leadership come at the perfect time as we navigate the changes we expect to see for hospice and healthcare over the next few years. I look forward to working closely with him as we compassionately care for our patients and their families.”

  • Adult Day Program reopens for dementia patients

    Adult Day Program reopens for dementia patients

    Charitable gifts received from individuals and foundations have provided funding to acquire a building in Fort Worth that will serve individuals living with dementia.

    The James L. West Center for Dementia Care has purchased a medical building located at 6050 Harris Parkway in Southwest Fort Worth to help reopen and expand its dementia specific Adult Day Program post-pandemic.  A faith-inspired organization, the West Center provides personalized, innovative care for families, as well as specialized education for caregivers, healthcare professionals and the community at large.

    The West Center has offered its Day Program since 1986, but was forced to temporarily close it due to COVID-19. The recent property purchase allows the organization to reinvigorate and expand the program moving forward, serving more members of the community.

    Fundraising continues as the West Center moves closer to reach the Day Program campaign goal of $3.65 million. Included in the campaign total is a goal of securing at least $300,000 in charitable care funding to ensure that the program is accessible to all persons in the community.

    The new Adult Day Center will feature both case management and care management programs to support the success of caregivers and persons living with dementia who reside in North Texas. The Day Program is projected to serve approximately 60 participants when at full capacity.

    The new location will feature engagement programming geared to those with dementia, a beauty salon, nutrition services and supports as well as other services that will complement the West Center’s expertise in care for persons living with dementia. Negotiations are also underway to house a clinic for older persons at the same location.

    The Day Program is scheduled for an April 2022 opening. 

  • Program launches to aid organ donor families

    Beginning this month, organ donor families have access to a new resource thanks to a free nationwide grief support program.

    Taylor’s Gift Foundation, a Dallas-based organization created to raise the visibility of organ donation, is launching the Kindred Hearts Program with a mission to help organ donor families receive the emotional support they need. The program will provide support groups and a dedicated Caring Guide to walk with organ donor families as they navigate through their grief journey.  

    Taylor’s Gift was founded in 2010 by Tara and Todd Storch after their 13-year-old daughter Taylor died in a skiing accident in March 2010 and their decision to donate her organs saved the lives of five people. The agency provides emotional support to organ donor families.

    In the case of organ donation, studies prove that donor families often experience a complicated grief and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Storches saw a need to have dedicated emotional support specifically for these families, because nationally there are very few grief support resources specifically dedicated to them. Additionally, grief support can be expensive – especially the right kind of help with people trained in complex grief therapy.

    Through support groups led by trained volunteers, and through a partnership with Heritage CARES to provide trained Caring Guides, the Kindred Hearts Program will fill that void and provide grief support for the entire bereaved family, at no cost, for as long as they need.  A trained Caring Guide will be hand-selected and matched to an organ donor family. The Caring Guide also has life experience with grief – a shared experience that has tremendous benefits to the donor family.  

    The Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine will partner with Taylor’s Gift to conduct a study of Kindred Hearts and the grief support the program will provide.  

  • Golf tourney gets local charity back into the fundraising swing of things

    A local nonprofit returned to pre-COVID fundraising levels with its first golf tournament since before the pandemic forced an extended end to in-person charitable events.

    The Swing Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament, benefiting Leukemia Texas, raised more than $100,000 in November at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco. The organization last hosted a golf tournament in 2018, which raised $112,000. All funds from this year’s event will help Texans through patient aid and research.

    “The support we received for the return of the golf tournament was extraordinary,” said Jessica Dunn, Chief Executive Officer for Leukemia Texas. “We raised critical funds that will benefit Texas families who are battling leukemia. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it was great to be back on the Stonebriar course with our sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and celebrity guests.”

    Dallas native Cody Gribble, a past PGA Tour Champion, challenged golfers to “Out Drive the Pro” for friendly competition, and Derek Holland, MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers was the guest speaker.

    Texas Oncology was the presenting sponsor of the Swing Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament, which included an auction featuring a suite to the December 26 Dallas Cowboys game, a signed Dak Prescott jersey, a suite to either a Dallas Mavericks or Dallas Stars game, signed sports memorabilia and other fun items.

    Leukemia Texas improves the lives of those with leukemia through funding research and patient aid in Texas. Financial assistance is provided to leukemia patients needing help with expenses related to treatments that are left uncovered by insurance. Leukemia Texas Patient Aid currently serves hundreds of individuals ranging in age from under one year to over 90 years old.

    Additionally, the organization’s Leukemia Texas Research program awards grants for research to develop new and improved methods of treatment to ultimately find a cure for leukemia. Through the Research Program, Leukemia Texas is committed to supporting translational science and advancing research careers in Texas. The Research Program has granted millions of dollars towards studies conducted at leading Texas research centers, including Cook Children’s Medical Center, UNT Health Science Center, Baylor Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist and others.

    Leukemia Texas does not receive any government funding. The majority of funds are raised through special events as well as individual contributors and corporate sponsors, including a program in which the community can adopt a Buddy the Bear that will be given to pediatric leukemia patients. Buddy the Bear is named after Buddy Minyard, who created Leukemia Texas in 1970 to support Texans who are in their leukemia journey. The fundraising effort gives kids a huggable companion during treatments and hospital stays. Each bear comes with a note of encouragement to let the child know someone is thinking about them. Adoptions are $25 each and are available at LeukemiaTexas.org.

  • Where food insecurity and mental health meet: 2 local organizations partner

    The Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) and The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation (TJEHF) recently announced the formation of a new, national education module that tackles the relationship between food insecurity and mental health.

    Food insecurity is an issue that many families in the Tarrant area are facing. During the Delta Variant pandemic, TAFB saw an increase in the number of families who relied on food bank services for the first time. Research shows children who live with food insecurity experience prolonged trauma and are more prone to anxiety, depression, and suicide.

    “We all know that food affects our physical health, but it can also affect our mental health,” said Julie Butner, President and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank.   “Food is fuel not just for your body, but for your brain too.  We are excited to initiate this new partnership with TJEHF, and through this program, we hope to bring attention to the negative effects food insecurity can have on mental well-being”

    TAFB empowers communities to alleviate hunger by providing food, education and resources. Through its network of 350 partners, TAFB is able to provide access to over 1M nutritious meals weekly to children and adults facing hunger. This work resulted in access to 50 million nutritious meals in fiscal year 2020.

    The partnership between TAFB and TJEHF kicked-off with a Special Mobile Market Distribution at Eastern Hills High School, at an event that served all Fort Worth ISD families and those interested in learning about mental health. TAFB hosted its The RED Bus, Resources Education Delivered, at the event. The mobile wellness vehicle provided free healthy recipe demos, as well as an onsite mobile food distribution and wellness education.  While this was a local rollout, the module will be included nationally in TJEHF ‘s Hope Squad curriculum.

    Hope Squad is a school-based peer support program that empowers students to take action to prevent suicide through a partnership with their local mental health agency. The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation is the agency that brings Hope Squad to Tarrant County.

    THE JORDAN ELIZABETH HARRIS FOUNDATION (TJEHF) is a public charity and was created after the 2012 suicide of Jordan Harris, a remarkable young woman from North Richland Hills, Texas. TJEHF provides suicide prevention training and education in North Texas and funds research projects focusing on depression and mental illness.

  • Nonprofit hospice provider finds fundraising success with hybrid event model

    Nonprofit hospice provider finds fundraising success with hybrid event model

    Community Healthcare of Texas is finding success with a hybrid model of an in-person and virtual fundraising experience. As the largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider in Texas, Community Healthcare of Texas has provided end-of-life care services for adult and pediatric patients since 1996.  With six office locations and three inpatient hospice houses, Community Healthcare of Texas serves 25 counties in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco areas. 

    Since October 7, 2021 the organization has raised more than $170,000 through Messages of Hope, a pre-recorded video celebrating patients and their families, along with reflections from staff and volunteers.

    The Messages of Hope video premiered live across Community Healthcare of Texas’ social media platforms on October 7. Since that time, it has also been viewed in several smaller live gatherings across the North Central Texas region.

    “In response to the pandemic in 2020, we moved our annual fundraising luncheon to a virtual event. And we discovered that many of our supporters appreciated the option to participate in the event at a time most convenient for them. We also recognized the added benefit of reaching a larger audience online,” shares Community Healthcare of Texas Chief Development Officer Karen Derrick. “But, we also know there is nothing like face-to-face interaction at fundraising events like this. That is why this new hybrid model gives us the best of both worlds.”

    The money raised through Messages of Hope and other fundraising campaigns directly supports services for Community Healthcare of Texas patients and their families. “While many patients have private insurance or Medicare, we also serve those with limited resources,” explains Karen. “Additionally, several services and therapies we provide are not covered by insurance and Medicare. For example, we make our bereavement program available free of charge to anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a loved one. And that is only made possible because of the generosity of our donors.”

    View Messages of Hope 2021 here.

  • Celebrities announced for We Love Kids Telethon

    The We Love Kids Telethon benefiting the Shaken Baby Alliance proudly announces the celebrity lineup for the upcoming live and virtually streamed event taking place on September 18, 2021. The event raises funds for children victimized by Shaken Baby Syndrome and child physical abuse while providing the community with a day of fun and laughter.

    “We have a number of celebrities confirmed for the telethon. Jason Spradlin will be here along with Meach Pango and Former Mayor Betsy Price. Don’t miss out on the amazing performance of both the Texas Christian University Drumline and the Boswell High School Drumline. In addition, Emmy award-winning journalist Ashleigh Banfield will be taking part in the festivities along with U.S. Bobsled Olympian Johnny Quinn, Kate Delaney, and Perry King from the TV series Riptide. We cannot say thank you enough to these individuals who are working to help make our telethon a success, ” Bonnie Armstrong, co-founder of the Shaken Baby Alliance, announces.

    The mini-marathon event takes place from 9 am to 5 pm CST at Billy Bob’s 81 Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The club’s 10,000 square feet will be dedicated to ensuring everyone has a great time, and there will be a Kid’s Zone complete with hands-on activities for children ages three to 12. Live on-stage acts will be supplemented with virtual performances from around the world. There’s something for everyone at this event.

    “Children are the reason we started Shaken Baby Alliance, as our families have been personally touched by it. We don’t want them to miss out on the fun. Our goal is to raise $20,000 during this eight-hour event…” Armstrong continues.

    Funds raised from the telethon will support the mission of the Shaken Baby Alliance, a charitable organization based in Fort Worth, and benefit people across the nation. Every kid deserves an amazing childhood, and the organization works to ensure this is what they get. With the help of events such as this telethon, Shaken Baby Alliance can provide support for victim families and professionals, prevent child and elder abuse, and seek justice for innocent victims.


  • AWARE announces grants and new Board of Directors

    AWARE announces grants and new Board of Directors

    Karisti Julia, president of AWARE, announces the Grant Recipients and the new board for 2021-2022.

    Members of the  new board are: 

    President: Karisti Julia; First Vice President: Jack Broyles; Second Vice President: Maurice Ballew; Treasurer: Emily Collins; Recording Secretary: Carol Stabler; Membership: Sharon Walker; Grant Review Chair: Jolie Humphrey; Finance/Immediate Past Grant Chair: Stacey Angel; Corresponding Secretary: Audette Rackley; Communications/Website: Veronica Shanklin; Directory/Yearbook/Name Tags:Barbara Mathes; Programs: Karen Koop; Programs: Margo Crofford; Long Range/Strategic Planning/Grant Review Chair-Elect: Gail Plummer; Inspirational: Nicole Bates; Immediate Past President: Barbara Glass.

    The final selections have been made and the 2021-2022 grant recipients are:


    BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE DALLAS FOUNDATION:  Salary support for the Baylor AT&T Memory Center to provide a trained care navigation specialist on site at the Center.  At the point of care, patients and families are provided with disease education, caregiver training and support groups, elder law and financial planning, and a 24/7 helpline. 

    CASA DE VIDA:   Support for Casa de Vida, a program at NorthPark Presbyterian Church giving respite relief to caregivers by providing trained volunteer one-on-one care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

    CENTER FOR BRAIN HEALTH AT UT DALLAS:   Support for production of a series of educational videos, Alzheimer’s Voices: Creating a New Narrative, distributed worldwide via the Center’s YouTube channel, that will change the conversation about Alzheimer’s by communicating a strengths-based approach with testimonials to help others navigate a positive path.

    DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL SOCIETY:   Support for expansion of the Memory Gardennature program that incorporates horticulture, conversations, and crafts to enrich the life of those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

    DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART:   Support for Meaningful Moments, a DMA program designed to provide participants with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families or caregivers with ways to engage in art, providing a continuing cultural opportunity regardless of the abilities.

    ED-U-CARE:   Support for the annual Compassion Fatigue Symposium designed to educate caregivers about compassion fatigue and build resilient professionals and family members caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

    FOR LOVE AND ART:   Support for Celebrating the Art Experience for Seniors to bring the art experience to people with cognitive impairment and limited mobility in long-term care facilities to stimulate art enrichment and memories while empowering caregivers to love people in creative and transformative ways. 

    JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE :  Support for the older adults program staff to provide in-home mental health counseling, care management, and daily living support to older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, allowing them to remain living in their own home.

    JULIETTE FOWLER COMMUNITIES:   Support for facility dementia care programs, including the expansion of I’m Still Here, a six-month intensive dementia care training program for staff members throughout the Fowler communities.

    PLANO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:   Support for Healing Notes, a free music-therapy programtargeted toward low-income seniors dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

    STOMPING GROUND COMEDY:   Support for the Improv for Caregivers program, a therapeutic and psycho-educational workshop that uses improvisational comedy techniques to teach caregivers effective communication skills that are specific to the needs of Alzheimer’s patients.

    THE SENIOR SOURCE:   Support for the Senior Companion Program matching trained volunteers with low-income individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families needing assistance with meals, errands, and light housekeeping, providing caregivers with respite and/or time to work outside the home.  

    TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES:   Support for the outpatient memory care program, Lifelines, to provide cognitive stimulation therapy, a short-term evidence-based intervention for individuals with mild to moderate dementia.

    TEXAS WINDS MUSICAL OUTREACH:   Support for the Concerts for Seniors program providing interactive concerts in 95 nursing homes and adult day care facilities bringing joy, relief from isolation, and peace to individuals affected by memory loss. 

    THE MEADOWS MUSEUM AT SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY:   Support for the Meadows Museum memory care programs, Connections and Re-connections, which provide social and emotional support to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, their caregivers and partners through engagement with art.

    THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOUNDATION FOR THE CALLIER CENTER:   Support for research to develop Therabeat, an easy-to-use and cost-effective mobile application designed to improve the cognitive and psychological well-being of Alzheimer’s disease patients. 

    THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER:   Support for a clinical trial research program to determine whether noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology is an effective treatment for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and associated memory problems.

    VISITING NURSES ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS:   Support for the VNA RN nurse navigators to evaluate clients of the Meals on Wheels program with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other dementias for need of a higher level of care.

    WILSHIRE BAPTIST CHURCH:   Support for the Friday Friends program addressing the need to provide respite to those who care for a dementia relative at home, and who have little or no assistance for relieving them of the constant care and supervision of their loved one, while providing a stimulating day of art, music and games for the individual with Alzheimer’s.

    Myrna D. Schlegel AWARE Scholarship Fund:   Scholarship support for nursing students at Baylor University, Texas Woman’s University, and Texas Christian University toward studies in gerontology, especially in the field of dementia.

  • The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation to fund groundbreaking research in youth mental health

    The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, a nonprofit providing suicide prevention training and education services in North Texas, has provided research funding in the amount of $49,950 to Dr. Crystal Cooper, a researcher with the Cook Children’s Jane and John Justin Neuroscience Center, called Cognitive and Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Well-being in Youth with and without Epilepsy.

    Dr. Cooper states, “Here at Cook Children’s Neuroscience Research Center, we use the latest innovative developments in pediatric neuroimaging to understand brain structure and function. On top of that, our physicians are invested in harnessing research knowledge to aid clinical care.” Cooper continues, “Like depression, epilepsy is a common, diverse disorder with various causes, treatments, and outcomes. Having multiple mental health struggles are common in patients with epilepsy, with nearly 50% of patients having depression.” 

    In addition to mental health disturbances among the general population, psychiatric disorders occur at high rates in patients with epilepsy, with nearly 50% of patients having depression, and 30% having anxiety. Additionally, a CDC study published in Epilepsy and Behavior reported a 22% higher rate of suicide among those with epilepsy compared to the general population. The work of Dr. Cooper in Cook Children’s Neuroscience Research Center, directed by Dr. Christos Papadelis, is bridging mental health and cognitive neuroscience to better understand and inform the clinical world’s ability to enhance its precision treatment for these young patients. Her work is aligned with the main goal of the center to facilitate the development of methods, technologies and treatments to alleviate the negative effects of these diseases and in some cases, to cure them.

    Christina Judge, Executive Director of The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation states, “We are very excited to provide this funding for Dr. Cooper’s project and have the utmost respect for the groundbreaking research projects going on at Cook Children’s Health Care System to support the health and well-being of our community’s children.”

  • Kelly Allan Gray to lead AIDS Outreach Center

    After serving on the Fort Worth City Council representing District 8 for nine years, Kelly Allen Gray joined AIDS Outreach Center as Executive Director in June.

    Source: Fort Worth Black News