The fund-raising arm of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, The MED Foundation, was granted $50,000 from Arkansas-based Helena Health Foundation for renovations to the hospital’s critical care waiting room. The waiting room is the main gathering place for patients’ family and friends and has not been updated in more than a decade.
“The waiting room is an extremely important area of The MED, as it’s the only place for friends and family to find respite during a very traumatic time,” said Tammie Ritchey, executive director of the Foundation. “The updates were absolutely vital; there is no question.”
The nonprofit Helena Health Foundation (Helena Health) serves Phillips County, Arkansas as well as surrounding healthcare facilities that serve the needs of its residents. The MED is the only level-one trauma care center within a 150-mile radius of Memphis, thus offering exclusive life-saving services to the Phillips County community not available elsewhere in the region.
In fiscal year 2007, The MED treated approximately 250 Phillips County patients with charges totaling more than $5 million, only $1.2 million of which has been paid by these patients and/or their insurance carriers.
Established in 2002, Helena Health recommends prudent and creative grants to address community needs in a wide range of charitable activities in healthcare and provides leadership in identifying and addressing community health problems and opportunities.
Updates to the waiting room include replacing all of the furniture including more than 40 recliners, renovating bathroom and kitchenette areas and adding a computer area to include wireless Internet service.
“The waiting room is where families and friends have consultations with doctors, chaplains and interpreters; so part of the renovation was to give them more privacy during these very emotional discussions,” said Ritchey.
The waiting room was scheduled to be completed by the end of September.
The MED Foundation is the charitable, non-profit, 501© 3 fundraising arm for The MED.  Founded in 1986, the Foundation operates for the benefit of The MED with a volunteer Board of Directors, which guides the fundraising, allocations and investment of dollars. The mission of the Foundation is to provide financial support and community awareness for The MED.
For more information visit www.themedfoundation.org or call Ritchey at 901-545-8372.