Elliot Health System Raises Nearly $285,000 for Patient Care During 22nd Annual Gala

Elliot Health System is pleased to announce that it raised close to $285,000 during the 22nd Annual Elliot Health System Gala on October 18th. Funds that were raised support Child Life Services, dementia focused hospital care, and our programs to support patients with varying social needs such as food insecurity. With close to 400 guests in attendance to support The Elliot, friends, sponsors, and staff were delighted to be together to celebrate the excellence in care that The Elliot provides to our community. 

The Elliot’s Child Life Program is dedicated to helping children feel more at ease about their hospital visits. Certified Child Life Specialists assist infants, children, teens, and families in managing the stress and uncertainty that comes with illnesses, injuries, trauma, disabilities, death, and bereavement. They offer developmentally and psychologically appropriate interventions such as therapeutic play, procedure preparation, and education to alleviate fear, anxiety, and pain. Our team is available throughout the hospital to help our youngest patients.

As a dementia-focused care hospital, The Elliot strives to provides a calm, safe environment for our patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, and our patients’ loved ones.  Staff use tools, resources, and best practices to create a caring environment that leads to a better patient experience, decreased length of stay, and decreased readmission rates. 

Elliot Hospital is located within our most in-need neighborhoods. These neighborhoods also have the highest rates of diabetes, food insecurity, and lack of insurance. 

Being diagnosed with diseases such as cancer or diabetes for example can be overwhelming. When you are also facing challenges such as lack of access to transportation, lack of food – including availability of fruits and vegetables and healthier food options that directly impact health – or other economic issues, a medical challenge can soon become more overwhelming. 

To help our community, we opened a food pantry dedicated to our patients at the Solinsky Center for Cancer Care at The Elliot in 2023. Our work to tackle food insecurity is just beginning.  We plan to open additional food programs, piloting a new program with our diabetes, thyroid disease, and bariatric patients in 2024-2025. We will further expand our support for patients to ensure they can focus on their care plans and disease management, while having access to essential resources to support their healing and wellbeing. 

“We had a remarkable turnout this year—the impact of The Elliot on our community is clearly felt far and wide and is appreciated. With a focus on supporting children who need care in the hospital, helping patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and providing access to needed food for our cancer patients to help them heal, it was once again, an incredibly meaningful experience this year at our gala,” said Executive Director of Philanthropy & Community Benefit Elliot Health System and SolutionHealth, Kelli Rafferty. “Thank you to all companies, organizations, and individuals for your generosity in supporting The Elliot’s vision to ‘Be your first choice to give and receive care’”.  

To join in giving to The Elliot, visit our website at ElliotHospital.org/MJEFoundation.