Reading Hospital Foundation announced today it has received $42,552.75 from Reading Hospital employees during the annual "It Starts With Us" Employee Giving Campaign. The Campaign is a fundraising effort that encourages Reading Hospital team members to support programs and services that directly impact patients and colleagues. Many of these initiatives were inspired and developed by Hospital staff. The campaign was held from June 20 through July 8 and received donations from 156 generous employees.
The Reading Hospital Foundation helps fund programs that directly benefit patients, employees, the hospital, and community. Employee donors had the opportunity to designate where their contributions will be used. These areas include:
- Area of Greatest Need allocates resources to crucial areas within Reading Hospital for unanticipated expenses.
- Community Wellness/Street Medicine Fund supports delivery of primary and urgent care to the unsheltered in Berks County, providing medication, equipment, and medical supplies. It also reduces barriers to care by addressing the challenges some patients face with housing instability, health-related legal issues, transportation, or food insecurity.
- Nursing Excellence Fund expands learning opportunities for the Hospital’s nurses. This fund supports those nurses who wish to pursue a bachelor, masters, or doctorate degree; advance to leadership roles; or obtain specialized training in areas such as transplant and geriatric care.
- Employee Assistance Fund aids Reading Hospital employees facing immediate, severe, and temporary financial hardships due to an emergency.
- Gwen's Closet provides basic clothing items to Reading Hospital patients who need new or clean clothes to wear when they are discharged.
"Our employees have been through much over the last two and a half years," said Charles F. Barbera, MD, Reading Hospital President and CEO. "Even after everything, they continue to give back to benefit their patients, our community, and their colleagues. I am proud to donate to the 'It Starts With Us' campaign and I thank my colleagues for doing the same."
Katherine Thornton, President of Reading Hospital Foundation, added, "Every day, the work of our team members makes a difference in the lives of our patients. In addition to all the healthcare and related services needed by our patients and their families, they also provide a listening ear and caring heart to those at their most vulnerable. They are the reason Reading Hospital has an incredible impact on our community."
Gifts of any size donated to Reading Hospital Foundation stay at Reading Hospital to benefit patients, colleagues, and the community. To learn more about Reading Hospital Foundation, please visit towerhealth.org/RHFoundation.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 697-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years (and moving up to America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2022) and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.