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Grants Made for Calendar Year 2025

The St. Margaret Foundation Board of Directors voted to approve$809,090.36 in grants for 2025 in alignment with the organization’s strategic priorities of: 1) Patient Access, 2) Patient Education and 3) Patient Experience. New this year is the Patient Crisis Care Endowment, organized by physicians, which holds donations in perpetuity from which annual allocated earnings are distributed to help patients in crisis with critical medicine, medical equipment and outside services not covered by insurance. This year $92,000 in earnings was granted to help fill this gap.

 

Also new this year is a grant for adaptive feeding equipment requested in collaboration by the food and nutrition department, occupational therapists, nurses, and nutritionists at the hospital to help patients with tremors and stroke victims be able to eat when they leave the hospital. “A stroke or tremor that impairs hand mobility robs patients not only of nutrition but their dignity,” said Foundation President Mary Lee Gannon. “We want to be a solution.” Beginning this year, patients who need adapted utensils will be able to take them home, allowing them to have the proper tools to continue to feed themselves. “Our team at UPMC St. Margaret went above and beyond to put this program together for our patients, thinking down the road to what life would be like at home,” said Ms. Gannon. 
   

 In addition to its major commitment to four free shuttles, the Foundation board approved $109,000 for sleep chairs for patients’ family members to spend the night in their room while they recover. Ms. Gannon said the Foundation’s board of directors is dedicated to the organization’s motto of ‘Filling in the gaps with hope, healing and independence.’ “In a flash your health can turn into the biggest challenge of your life. The last thing we want is for you to forgo filling your prescription because you need to feed your family or for you not to replace a broken walker because Medicare won’t provide one for five years.. Our donors have answered the call of their neighbors in their hour of need,” said Ms. Gannon. “Because of them we are able to fill the gap.”

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Approved Grants

1. Patient Access

Patient Transportation to Fill in the Gaps for Under-Resourced Patients                                                                           $210,000.00

2 Free Rides for Seniors Shuttles (Sharpsburg/Aspinwall/Blawnox and  Etna/Tarentum/Hampton/Millvale)         $118,000.00

Free Shuttle to Alle-Kiski Valley Area                                                                                                                                         $90,500.00

Complimentary Valet Services for Patients with Disabilities                                                                                                   $45,000.00

               

2. Patient Education

C.A.R.E. Channel: Relaxing Programing in Every Patient Room                                                                                                $2,900.00

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Community CPR Grant                                                                                                               $2,100.00

Spiritual Care Resources for Patients                                                                                                                                             $1,600.00

               

3. Patient Experience

Comfort and Recovery: Enhancing Post-Op Care with Recliners                                                                                        $109,200.00

Bed Fund to Help Under-Resourced Patients                                                                                                                          $92,000.00

Family Health Center Requests                                                                                                                                                     $28,722.60

Kathleen’s Cupboard Free Food Pantry                                                                                                                                      $20,000.00

Free Flu Immunizations to the Underserved Elderly                                                                                                                 $17,205.76

Health Fair Screenings for the Underserved Communities                                                                                                    $16,000.00    

Family Emergency Fund                                                                                                                                                                $15,000.00

Comfort Items & Disability Resources for Patients                                                                                                                    $13,081.00

Appreciation Gifts for St. Margaret Employees                                                                                                                           $4,000.00

Adaptive Feeding Equipment Program                                                                                                                                        $3,000.00

Hospital Flower Planting and Beautification in Courtyards and Rehab Patio                                                                         $3,000.00

Gifts for Patients in the Hospital on Holidays Mother’s Day/Thanksgiving/Christmas                                                        $2,500.00

Teddy Bears for Patients                                                                                                                                                                  $1,665.00

               

Other

Volunteer Recognition Luncheon Gifts                                                                                                                                         $2,000.00

Nursing Recognition: DAISY Scholarships                                                                                                                                     $1,625.00

Code Lavender                                                                                                                                                                                     $500.00

                 

Total granted $799,706.26

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The Reason We Exist

St. Margaret Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that is further classified as a public charity, independent of UPMC. The reason we exist is because when you're sick it's difficult enough without having to worry if you have a ride to chemotherapy or treatment, or if you can pay for the expensive medicine, home oxygen, hearing aids, walkers, insulin, and other items you need that aren't covered by insurance and that most of us take for granted. Your gift fills in those heartbreaking gaps of suffering with hope, healing and independence for patients of St. Margaret. We thank you on their behalf.

Contact us

815 Freeport Road

100 Medical Arts Building 

Suite 112 
Pittsburgh, PA 15215

smf@upmc.edu | 412-784-4205

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