Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: Health Care

  • Texas Health announces $300M expansion project

    Texas Health Resources announced via a press release that it is embarking on a new surgical patient tower for Texas Health Fort Worth. The project, which will include 144 patient beds and 15 surgical suites, will expand the hospital’s capacity for advanced care. The project is planned to be completed in 2021 and will cost $300M.

    The project includes a new nine-story tower at Texas Health’s main Fort Worth Campus on Pennsylvania Ave. Construction should begin mid-2018.

    Barclay Berdan, Texas Health Chief Executive Officer, said in the press release: “With this new tower, we’re expanding our capacity for more complex procedures and advanced care, which lets people in Fort Worth and nearby communities stay close to home when they need care.”

    ABOUT TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES

    Texas Health Resources is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems in the United States. The health system includes Texas Health Physicians Group and hospitals under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. The system also includes outpatient facilities, satellite ERs, home health and preventive and fitness services to provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Dallas City Council supports plan to build new mental health clinic in south Dallas

    Dallas Morning News reports that Dallas City Council members voiced their support for a new mental health clinic to be built in south Dallas during a project briefing last week to the public safety and criminal justice committee.

    The story reports that the proposed clinic “would provide not just physical, mental and behavioral health care, but also clinical training for students at nearby schools and a jail diversion program.”

    Also reported is that the lack of available services south of I-30 in Dallas, as well as the increase in calls for help to emergency numbers in Dallas recently, means this new clinic is a much needed new resource for that area of the city.

    Read the story in full here.

    View a full briefing of the project by the city here.

  • Connecting to the Cause: The Dallas Bike MS 2018

    As a professional fundraiser and seasoned consultant, I am generally skeptical of the impact special athletic fundraisers have on serving a nonprofit organization’s cause and intended donor population. I’ve attended and even managed several charitable sporting events and am so often struck with the participants ambivalence to the cause they are supporting. Most of us are in it to stroke our athletic prowess and ego with little care for the cause. Additionally, all too often the charity is not walking away with a healthy event bottom line or authentically new donor relationships.

    I am writing this blog because the Dallas Bike MS 2018 in May proved a wonderful exception to my skeptical mindset.  My husband Mark and I rode the Dallas Bike MS that traversed 150 miles of north Texas from Frisco to Sundance Square in Fort Worth.  We were part of Fort Worth’s Health Angels team, one of many teams that together comprised the 1700 cyclists who participated in the two-day event. In addition to the cyclists, I am told there were nearly 1000 volunteers, police officers and local Multiple Sclerosis Society staff to serve the multitude of safety, healthcare, nutrition, shuttle and seemingly any other number of needs the cycling participants had.

    “I expected to ride my bike. I didn’t expect to get connected to the cause!” – Missy Gale, CFRE, President, M. Gale & Associates

    Admittedly, I joined the Health’s Angels team as a personal athletic journey within my birthday month. It was about my ego and me.  But this organization expertly changed that along the way.

    Our team, headed by a very passionate donor/volunteer who grew up with a mother afflicted by MS and wheelchair bound, led the team by example with every email, conversation and Facebook post sharing that whether we ride one mile or the entire distance, we are helping people like his mom.  He encouraged the team to fundraise for the cause and together the 65 or so of us who rode last weekend raised over $80,000. We were only one of many teams and while we won’t know the entire net proceeds of the ride until after fundraising ends in July, I suspect well over $1 million will be raised. In addition the MS Society kept in constant contact with us individually to encourage, support and steward me as a participant, and more importantly a donor.  Plus they periodically sent me information via email on what they are doing with the money we raise.

    When I arrived at the hotel site in Frisco, I was greeted by dozens of smiling volunteers and happy (not grumpy overworked) staff and vendors offering everything from bike checks and maintenance to the logistics for my bike and my bags for the two overnights and locations involved in this event. I also met several people with MS, all of whom said “thank you for riding and for your help for MS”.

    Throughout the next two days as I rode through the beautiful north Texas countryside and chatted with cyclists along the way, I heard dozens of stories. Many were riding FOR MS and many were riding WITH MS.  These riders shared that this event has provided over a billion dollars for research to slow the progression of and help find a cure for the debilitating disease of the central nervous system.  And many also shared stories about how this research has actually yielded medicines that have positively affected outcomes for themselves or their loved ones.

    This four-month engagement with an organization I had not previously connected with humbled me in a way that I could not have imagined. I was moved from my athletic self-interests to actually caring about this cause and the people MS affects.  The ride itself turned out to be very doable I believe because of the joy and gratitude that filled my heart as I rode. I am giving some of my highest praise and a THANKFUL SHOUT OUT to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Texas team, to Fort Worth’s Health Angels, and to all of those with and without MS who participated in last weekend’s ride.

    Y’all did this RIGHT!

    *Photos courtesy of Missy Gale

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Missy Gale, CFRE

    Missy Gale is a professional philanthropy advocate who works with nonprofit organizations looking to expand their mission impact.  Missy founded M. Gale & Associates in 2001 to bring the transformative power of relationship management to nonprofit organizations all over North Texas.  From arts to education and from social services to health care, M. Gale & Associates has taught hundreds of organizations the art and science of collaborative philanthropy.

    Missy lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband, Mark, of more than 25 years.  Their children have successfully launched and are currently chasing their dreams!  Missy and Mark’s personal philanthropy includes support of the arts and social services at the local and national levels.

  • Cook Children’s Medical Center Unveils New Art Cart

    Cook Children’s Medical Center recently rolled out its newest art adventure for our young patients, compliments of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation (ARVF). Patients now have the opportunity to do more painting, crafting and creating thanks to the cart and a bundle of art supplies donated by the ARVF. The cart will be kept in the dialysis center where patients often must sit for hours at a time, allowing them the opportunity for creativity and expression while receiving treatment.

    “Cook Children’s is grateful for this incredible donation from the Victorious foundation,” said Jillian Mitchell, community program coordinator at Cook Children’s.  “It allows us to provide an array of arts and crafts activities to our patients. We believe children gain so much freedom and empowerment from being able to make choices during their treatment, and this is one wonderful way we can do this. The art cart will be a welcome addition on a daily basis!”

    In the past, the ARVF has also provided funding to Cook Children’s for a teen lounge and teen kits that are provided to teen inpatients.

    Photo: Representatives from Safelite AutoGlass, partners of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation, attended the recent “Alicia’s Art Cart” unveiling at Cook Children’s Medical Center.  Pictured (left to right) are Chris Bailey, Amy Sandlin, Jillian Mitchell, Hanna Boyd, Shaun Mills and Scott Webb. Photo by Johnell Bègin.

    ABOUT COOK CHILDREN’S

    Cook Children’s not-for-profit organization is comprised of eight companies, including the Medical Center, Physician Network, Home Health Company, Northeast Hospital, Pediatric Surgery Center, Health Plan, Health Services Inc., and Health Foundation. With more than 60 primary, specialty and urgent care locations throughout Texas, families can access Cook’s top-ranked specialty programs and network of services to meet the unique needs of their child.

    Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Texas Health Resources announces possible data breach

    The Star-Telegram reported that Texas Health Resources recently announced that emails with private patient information may have been hacked last year. This would affect less than 4,000 patients who received care primarily in October of 2017.

    The organization conducted its own investigation after being alerted to the possible breach earlier this year and found that the email accounts at risk contained patients’ names, addresses, medical record numbers, dates of birth, insurance information, clinical information and, in some instances, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and state identification numbers. However, the organization told the Star-Telegram that there is no evidence that any of the compromised information has been misused.

    Texas Health Resources will offer one year of free credit monitoring and identity protection services to patients that may have had their Social Security numbers compromised.

    Patients worried that they may be affected can call a special Texas Health hotline at 855-331-3705, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time.

    ABOUT TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES

    Texas Health Resources is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems in the United States. The health system includes Texas Health Physicians Group and hospitals under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. The system also includes outpatient facilities, satellite ERs, home health and preventive and fitness services to provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • RIP Medical Debt eliminates medical debt for over 4,200 families with donation from Covenant Church

    This story originally appeared on Stream.org

    On Easter Sunday, Covenant Church in Carrollton announced to its membership that it planned to donate $100,000 to the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to eliminate medical debt for 4,229 families here in FWD.

    RIP Medical Debt works to acquire medical debt at a greatly reduced rate and then forgives it. With the $100,000 donation from Covenant Church, it will be able to eliminate $10,551,618 total in medical debt for these families.

    “While introducing ourselves as a local church to these families, we also showed them that we aren’t trying to get something from them — but rather give something to them,” said Pastor Stephen Hayes in a statement to The Stream.

    Hayes’ personal experience with medical bills inspired him and church leadership to prioritize debt elimination as a community outreach of the church, the Stream reports. Hayes was hit by a car at the age of 17, which lead to a long recovery and medical bills, which at the time were covered in part by the church.

    “My family has known the crushing weight that can come with medical debt,” Hayes told the Stream. “I felt strongly that the ability to buy it for just one penny on the dollar was not just a great opportunity, but also an act of good stewardship.”

    Read the full story here.

    ABOUT RIP MEDICAL DEBT

    RIP Medical Debt locates, buys and forgives medical debt across America, the only industrialized nation on earth with personal medical debt. It works on behalf of individual donors, philanthropists and organizations who provide financial relief for people burdened by unpaid and unpayable medical bills. A special focus is forgiving the medical debt of U.S. veterans and military troops. Find out more on the organization’s website.

    ABOUT COVENANT CHURCH

    When we founded Covenant Church we dreamed of a church where we could worship God in Spirit and in truth—a place where we celebrate and share the message of God’s desire to be in relationship with us. Through vibrant worship and powerful messages from the Word of God we are pointing to Christ and power of His Spirit. We hope what you’ll find is a church where you can experience God in a fresh, new and unexpected way. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Children’s Health Dallas and Cook Children’s each receive $15,000 from TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation

    Dallas-based TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation announced that it donated $15,000 to Children’s Health Dallas and $15,000 to Cook Children’s in Fort Worth to fund the Art Box Program. TeamConnor provides resources for hospitals to create personalized boxes of materials, including paints, canvases, crayons, markers, coloring books, digital tablets, and other items for kids to be creative while going through life-saving stem cell transplants in the hospital. These treatments typically result in extended and isolated hospital stays often lasting up to 90 days. During the treatment, a child often has very limited visitation. The Art Box Program drastically improves a patient’s overall experience.

    In addition to these gifts, TeamConnor announced it donated an additional $257,000 to hospitals in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco, in support of cutting-edge research for childhood cancers.

    “We are committed to funding research for childhood cancers at some of the best research centers in the country,” said Joy Cruse, founder of Dallas-based TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Despite being one of the leading causes of death among children, childhood cancer receives very little government funding for research. Therefore, if better treatment protocols and cures are to be found, it will take significant private and corporate support to fund the research.”

    *Pictured above: Elliot Stieglitz, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Kathryn Copple, Executive Director of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation

    ABOUT TEAMCONNOR CHILDHOOD CANCER FOUNDATION

    Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find cures for all childhood cancers. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • UT Southwestern receives $27 million in grants from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas

    The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has awarded UT Southwestern researchers more than $27 million, including nearly $3 million for two key cancer screening programs in underserved areas:

    • A lung cancer screening and tobacco-cessation program through UT Southwestern’s Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth
    • A mobile screening initiative to help address the rising incidence of liver cancer in Texas, which has one of the highest rates in the nation

    CPRIT awards also included Individual Investigator Awards for 15 UT Southwestern Medical Center faculty members for research into breast, prostate, brain, liver, kidney, and pediatric cancers, along with projects seeking innovative cancer therapies.

    CPRIT, which was established in 2007, has the goal of bringing world-class research and cancer-prevention efforts to Texas. To date, CPRIT has awarded grants totaling $1.95 billion and has reached every county in Texas. The current round of CPRIT awards comprises 49 academic research grants and eight prevention grants totaling more than $73 million.

    UT Southwestern’s Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth currently provides screening for breast, colon, and cervical cancers in Tarrant and 35 underserved outlying counties, a service area including 6 million people. As of January 2018, these screening services have detected more than 1,700 cancers. The CPRIT cancer-prevention funding will allow expansion of these screening services to include lung cancer and hepatitis C, a precursor to liver cancer.

    The nearly $1.5 million awarded for lung cancer screenings will provide education and outreach for about 100.000 people and screening for 2,500, combined with counseling and smoking-cessation programs,” said Dr. Keith Argenbright, Director of UT Southwestern’s Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth. “Building on our existing CPRIT-funded work in rural and underserved communities, this grant will provide a much-needed addition to the breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening currently offered aboard the Moncrief Cancer Institute custom-designed mobile health clinic.”

    With the over $1.3 million awarded to liver cancer and hp c screenings, Dr. Mamta Jain, Director of the HIV Research Unit at UT Southwestern, will conduct hepatitis C screening among baby boomers, with the goal of reducing the incidence of liver cancer.

    In addition to these community outreach programs for underserved populations, UT Southwestern scientists received a combined $16 million in CPRIT Individual Investigator Awards for research into breast, prostate, brain, kidney, and pediatric cancers.

    *Photo courtesy of UT Southwestern. Pictured: Dr. Keith Argenbright.

    ABOUT UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

    UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.

  • Community Hospice of Texas announces Diane Wolfe as new Development Officer

    Fort Worth’s Community Hospice of Texas announced recently that Diane Wolfe, CFRE will be joining its team as a Development Officer. Wolfe joins Chief Development Officer Karen Derrick, CFRE and Development Officer Bertha Orona.

    As a Development Officer, Wolfe will plan organize and coordinate fundraising for the organization.

    Prior to joining Community Hospice of Texas, Wolfe worked most recently with DRC Solutions, formerly Day Resource Center for the Homeless.

    ABOUT COMMUNITY HOSPICE OF TEXAS

    The mission of Community Hospice of Texas and Providence Hospice is to provide compassionate, end-of-life care services. Its vision is to be the recognized leader for end-of-life care in all of its communities. Its core values and standards of behavior include compassion, integrity, commitment, teamwork, service and quality. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Purple Foundation hosts pre-event for Apr. 7th’s No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party, benefiting AIDS Services of Dallas

    The Purple Foundation’s patron event for the 2018 No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party was held recently at the Turtle Creek Condominiums in Dallas. The event included 80’s music, a balloon-covered dance floor, catering by Terilli’s, desserts by Chocolate Secrets and the signature Totally Tubular cocktail. Special performers were Patti Le Plae Safe and Star Michaels. The No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party proceeds benefit AIDS Services of Dallas (ASD).

    In addition to food and cocktails, the patron party served exciting new announcements. Awards were given to two deserving individuals: Charlie Calise, president of Calise Partners, and Don Neubauer, president and managing partner of Siter-Neubauer & Associates. Calise received the Sheila Dolezal Humanitarian Award, for his advertising agency’s invaluable donation of creative services in rebranded and marketing No Tie for almost 10 years and for creating a new logo and “A Home for Life” campaign for ASD. Neubauer received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his endless dedication and support for ASD. Neubauer served on ASD’s Board of Trustees for 12 years as well as Chairman of the Board for the last three years. His firm volunteered tirelessly to recruit – not management and executives – but dinner hosts to help raise funds for No Tie.

    “No Tie and ASD wouldn’t be where they are today without the help of these individuals, and we are happy to honor them through these prestigious awards,” said Frye.

    The 2018 No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party themed “A Night to Remember,” will be held on Saturday, April 7, starting at 7:00 p.m., at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Tickets are $75 for general admission and $150 for VIP tickets, which includes early entry an hour before main event, auction preview, exclusive VIP lounge and bar in addition to VIP lines at each bar. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.notiedinner.org.

    *Photo courtesy of Kim Grubbs. Pictured: Publicity Chair Susan Friedman, Honorary Co-Chair Dr. Steven Pounders, and No Tie Chair Leslie Frye.

    ABOUT AIDS SERVICES OF DALLAS

    The mission of AIDS Services of Dallas (ASD) is to create and strengthen healthy communities through the delivery of quality, affordable, service-enriched housing for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. ASD’s mission includes advocacy, education, and the development of affordable housing options and community development opportunities, both for its residents living with HIV/AIDS, and for economically disadvantaged people. For more information about ASD, visit www.aidsdallas.org.

    ABOUT PURPLE FOUNDATION

    Established in 2001, Purple Foundation, an all-volunteer non-profit, has raised more than $750,000 to support local charities that improve the lives of people in the Dallas area who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Funds are raised through numerous dance fundraisers and social events throughout the year, including their premier, electrifying Purple Party Weekend featuring some of the world’s most popular DJs.