Loading

Celebrating HOPE 2021 Vidant health foundation annual report

Dear friends,

Once again, we find ourselves closing the door on a year filled with unknowns and the unexpected. COVID has forced us to live a new normal, and for each of us, that means something different. While we all have experienced some level of change, what this pandemic has taught each of us is patience, flexibility, and the importance of still believing there is hope.

2021 brought many reasons to celebrate hope, with one of the main ones being the close of the $50 million cancer capital campaign. Vidant Cancer Care has provided so many people with the hope of living life without cancer. Every dollar donated was significant and impactful. We conclude the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the Vidant Health Foundation feeling very grateful for your encouragement and partnership. We also opened a new pediatric pharmacy in the James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital at Vidant Medical Center. This new, state-of-the-art space is making a difference in the lives of our youngest patients.

One other way we celebrated hope in 2021 was by partnering with Vidant Health and community agencies to provide more than 81,000 Doses of Hope COVID vaccine to community members. The Vidant Health Foundation team raised more than $53,000 when those who received their vaccine donated to receive a Dose of Hope T-shirt.

It is our hope that you will find all of the information in this digital annual report useful and beneficial. It is our vision to provide hope for the people of eastern North Carolina, and we are excited to take a moment to celebrate this hope in all different ways. We know that there is always hope for a healthier tomorrow. We are grateful for your partnership to make this a reality for our region.

Sincerely,

Scott Senatore, President -- Vidant Health Foundation

Because we believe...

In March of 2015, we officially broke ground on what would become a state-of-the-art cancer center that would serve as the hub for cancer care for our entire region. T.A. Loving, in partnership with Rodgers Builders and The East Group was asked to build this amazing facility. Less than one year later, we celebrated with a special ceremony to commemorate the final beam being placed into this emerging structure. Two more years of construction followed before we officially opened our doors to our patients. In March of 2018, we celebrated years of hard work with a variety of events which included a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, a Community Open House, and a Cocktail Reception for our donors.

Because of the commitment and support of countless donors as well as the generosity of the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Foundation, the facility was formally named in their honor and is now known as Vidant Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower. Over 3,600 donors contributed to our campaign, and because of each of them, we not only reached our $50 million dollar goal, but we exceeded it!

We were so fortunate to work side-by-side with a very dedicated Campaign Cabinet who spent countless hours providing tremendous advocacy and offering philanthropic support. Thank you to: Dr. Mary Raab, Honorary Chair; Myra Bowen, Co-Chair; David Womack, Co-Chair; Lindsey Griffin, Frank Fisher, Dr. Brian Brodish, Dr. Brian Kuszyk, Jackie Taylor, Cindy Kittrell, Cathy and Bill Mitchum, Dr. Walter Pofahl, Raj Patel, Phil Flowers, and Bynum Satterwhite.

The impact of this new facility is far-reaching and is providing hope for the patients and families we serve. Under the direction of Dr. Emmanuel Zervos as Executive Director, we are reducing our mortality rates and saving more lives each year. Because of your generosity, we are providing the highest quality of coordinated care which is improving outcomes and providing much needed access. This coordinated approach which includes oncologists, surgeons, nurses, therapists, navigators, and many others creates the very best plan of care for each patient providing convenient access to everyone under one roof. All patients in eastern North Carolina now have access to Vidant supported cancer care which includes nine hospitals, five radiation oncology sites, three joint ventures, and numerous outpatient clinics.

Since opening in 2018, Vidant Cancer Care has:

• More than 100,000 new outpatient registrations

• More than 90,000 outpatient clinic visits

• Recruited top specialist oncology physicians from all over the nation

• Over 50,000 infusion patients treated

• Over 9,500 PET scans completed

• More than 77,000 patients treated in radiation oncology

• 1,200 support and survivorship programs hosted

Thank you for believing in life without cancer and for your support and participation in this campaign. Every dollar donated was immensely significant and impactful. Your generosity and philanthropic commitment is in every detail of our stunning cancer center as well as the services we provide and the resources we offer. We conclude the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the Vidant Health Foundation feeling very grateful for your encouragement and partnership.

The Service League of Greenville pledges $2 million to Vidant Cancer Care programs and services

In May 2021, the Service League of Greenville pledged a $2 million endowment to sustain programs and services within Vidant Cancer Care. The endowment matches the Service League’s $2 million gift to Vidant Cancer Care for the capital portion of the campaign in 2015.

“Our mission is to ‘minister to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy through various projects, which benefit the hospital and community’,” said Danette Pugh, president of The Service League of Greenville. “We are so fortunate to have Vidant Cancer Care here in eastern North Carolina, and we are blessed to be able to fulfill our mission by sustaining cancer programs and services for the foreseeable future.”

“It is truly remarkable that over $4 million dollars raised by The Service League in pursuit of our mission to envision a life without cancer came in small increments selling candy, coffee, flowers and gifts from the gift shops, cafés and vending machines,” said Dr. Emmanuel Zervos, executive director of Vidant Cancer Care, and professor and Drs. Mary and Spencer Raab Distinguished Professor in Adult Oncology. “The dedication and commitment of The Service League to this region is the secret ingredient that makes eastern North Carolina such a special place. The Service League has been with us since day one, and we look forward to continuing our partnership to serve the region."

The league is celebrating its 83rd year of service. The organization operates several amenities throughout Vidant Medical Center, including the Coffee Shop, the gift shops, all vending services, and two freestanding Starbucks coffee operations—known as the Coffee Corner and the ECHI Café. The group was also monumental in helping fund The Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice, which provides inpatient medical care in an environment that meets the emotional, spiritual and comfort needs of patients and their loved ones during a terminal illness. The group also helped fund the construction of The Service League of Greenville Interfaith Chapel.

All profits from the league’s hospital operations are donated back to the hospital through the Vidant Health Foundation. Through the years, The Service League’s total commitment to Vidant Medical Center is more than $13 million.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital opened a new 7,000 square foot, state-of-the-art pediatric pharmacy just above the neonatal intensive care unit in November 2020.

Previously, the pediatric pharmacy operated from a 600-square-foot room and required support from the Vidant Medical Center Main Pharmacy, as well as the Cancer Center Pharmacy. This new pharmacy has increased productivity, allowing pediatric pharmacy team members to work more efficiently with all the services and support in one location within the Children’s Hospital. It has also helped to improve team member and patient experience.

Donations from our community are critical to helping Vidant fulfill its mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. We are forever grateful for the philanthropic support our donors provide.

Click here to watch a video that takes us inside the new pediatric pharmacy and learn more about the difference it makes in the lives of our youngest patients.

As we continue to develop creative solutions—fueled by hard work—to respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19, it is important to take time to reflect on what we have accomplished and celebrate the work and dedication of the Vidant family. In Spring 2021, Vidant Health, along with many vital community partners, held a mass vaccination clinic at the Greenville Convention Center where more than 81,000 doses of the COVID vaccine were administered.

Volunteers from all across Vidant Health, including the Vidant Health Foundation, along with community volunteers, worked in various roles throughout the clinic. What became apparent to everyone soon after the clinic opened was the gratefulness of those who had received their vaccine, as well as the desire to be able to mark such a momentous time.

With the help of several departments across Vidant, the opportunity was created for those visiting the clinic to make a donation to the Vidant Health Hero Fund and receive a commemorative T-shirt. Between February and April, more than $53,000 was raised and more than 2,000 shirts were distributed. We also encouraged patients to send in notes of gratitude to Vidant team members. We received more than 300 notes from community members expressing their thankfulness and appreciation for all that Vidant did to help keep eastern North Carolina safe.

In 2021, $18 million in gifts and grants were received from our generous donors, supporting education, capital projects, and patient support among many other program needs.

The Foundation distributed over $9 million in funding to Vidant Health and other mission-driven programs during that same period.

Thanks to the generous support the Foundation receives from Vidant Health, we are able to direct 100 percent of each donation directly to the program or area designated by each donor. We are humbled by your continued commitment to the health and well-being of your community. Your support has been vital to the advancement of health care across eastern North Carolina.

Chris Smith, MSA, CPA -- VP, Finance and Operations