April 3, 2020 – El Camino Health has spent months putting measures in place to prepare for what would eventually become the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These actions included contracting with agencies for supplemental healthcare staff, maintaining as many recovery beds as possible by delaying elective procedures and ensuring there is an adequate supply of personal protection equipment (PPE) for staff, to name a few.
Several El Camino Health Foundation board members expressed interest in doing something to help support the hospitals and our healthcare teams during this time, and the idea for an El Camino Health COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was established. Simultaneously, the organization started receiving inquiries from individuals and organizations who had access to PPE such as masks, gloves and sanitizing wipes. The foundation team responded immediately and affirmed that we could accept material donations as another way to further ensure that our employees were protected appropriately.
“It has been humbling and inspiring to see our community respond so quickly and generously to support El Camino Health and our care teams. Our team has fielded hundreds of calls and emails from community members who are offering support to our hospitals so that they can continue to be prepared to provide the highest quality of care possible. We are very grateful for this outpouring and it has been uplifting for everyone involved,” says Andrew Cope, El Camino Health Foundation president.
More than 250 donors made financial gifts and the hospitals have received nearly 100 different donations of PPE from organizations who have gifted their own supplies. Individuals and companies have responded quickly to emerging needs and this generosity has helped El Camino Health remain well positioned to care for our community safely. These gifts, whether financial or tangible materials like PPE, allow people to support healthcare workers and feel that they are actually doing something that will make a difference in the long run. These generous gifts are critically important to fighting the effects of this pandemic.
“A situation like this can bring out the best in our communities and I think it is important to share these uplifting stories to provide hope and strengthen our ties to each other. I am fortunate to be able to experience and share the overwhelmingly positive reactions I witness almost every day through my work. El Camino Health is a model for how a community hospital can have a synergistic relationship with the patients and families it serves,” adds Cope.
Individuals who wish to make a financial gift online to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund can do so with a credit card and will receive an electronic receipt immediately. Checks can be sent to the Foundation office (El Camino Health Foundation, 2500 Grant Road, PAR116, Mountain View, CA 94040) and the gift will be acknowledged with a mailed receipt. Material donations are also accepted. We ask that all potential donors contact us in advance, via email so that we can make sure the donation can be used and we can provide instructions how to safely drop off the items.
El Camino Health is extremely grateful for the support, encouragement and the speed with which our community has responded. Thank you and know your generosity allows our healthcare teams to do their critical work safely and with the confidence that they will be able to meet the needs of our community today and in the future.