In recognition of National Nurses Month, Reading Hospital Foundation is highlighting nurses through a social media fundraising campaign titled "Behind the Mask."
To recognize the extraordinary work nurses do each day, the campaign will highlight nurses on the Reading Hospital Facebook and Instagram pages with side-by-side images. The first photo will be the nurse in personal protective equipment and the second will depict the nurse outside of work with a brief description as to why they chose to enter the nursing profession.
The campaign is raising funds to benefit Reading Hospital Foundation’s Nursing Excellence Fund. The Nursing Excellence Fund was established to expand learning opportunities for nurses as they play a critical role on the patient care team.
“We appreciate the support of this year’s generous donors, including John & Karen Scholl, State Farm Insurance, and the Reading Hospital Medical Staff,” said Katherine Thornton, President, Reading Hospital Foundation. “To date, we’ve raised more than $15,000 to directly support our nurses. These generous donations will ensure members of the nursing team can continue to grow professionally.”
“Nurses were an integral part of the healthcare team, and their courage and compassion was instrumental to the care provided over the past year to our COVID-19 patients,” said Rosemary Wurster, DNP, RN, MPH, NEA-BC, CEN, Chief Nursing Officer at Reading Hospital. “We are so proud of the work they do each day. The Nursing Excellence Fund allows grateful patients the opportunity to show support for the nurses who made an impact on their care. With the funds, we are hosting sought-after speaker Jennifer Croneberger to discuss mental health, burnout, resilience, self-care, disconnect, and loneliness for our nursing team.”
The Nursing Excellence Fund will also support specialty education and certification, national conference participation, intensive leadership training for new nurse leaders, and participation in national programs to enhance the clinical care that nurses provide.
Donations can be made online by visiting events.towerhealth.org/make-a-gift/ and selecting “Nursing Excellence” under gift purpose.
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 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, Tower Health Transplant Institute, 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 and 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 five consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.