Craig Hospital needs donations to maintain its excellence in helping patients to achieve the best possible outcomes. Charitable gifts are directed to general hospital activities or other specific needs at a donor’s request. Craig’s programs rely on the hundreds of individuals, families, corporations and foundations that have supported our mission over the years.
The following is a list of programs and services at Craig Hospital that are dependent on your gifts.
Patient Assistance Funds
Over half of the patients that come to Craig annually need help to get them through their crisis. These funds help patients with minimal income or inadequate insurance to purchase adaptive equipment, remodel homes for accessibility or train caregivers. In addition to a general patient assistance fund, Craig Hospital Foundation has funds to help with specific patient needs. Two such funds are:
Project EQL: Equipment for Quality Life
These funds ensure that 100% of Craig’s inpatients return to their community with the basic adaptive equipment required to lead the most independent life possible following a catastrophic injury.
Alumni Education Scholarships Each year Craig Hospital supports 45-60 of its graduates in their pursuit of higher education. Contributions to this fund provide financial assistance with tuition and books for college education. Graduates interested in applying to receive these funds may download an Adobe Acrobat version of the application and submit it between January 1 and May 31. For additional information contact Terry Chase at 303-789-8211 or email tmchase@craighospital.org. Awards are given each year in August for the upcoming school year.
Hospital Programs
Craig Hospital has pioneered numerous rehabilitation concepts central to the success of its graduates. The hospital needs donations to pay for innovative programming not covered by insurance companies, yet are vital to patients’ health and independence over a lifetime. Some of the programs that depend on community support include:
Therapeutic Recreation
A keystone of rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation motivates patients to make the most out of rehabilitation so that they can enjoy life again and ultimately return to their lives. Staff with a broad range of expertise in adaptive sports, horticulture, cooking, crafts and more work one-on-one with patients and organize outings and activities for inpatients, families and sometimes outpatients.
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Nursing Advice Line
Nurses at Craig Hospital have the experience to help identify potential complications before they become serious health issues. Two common health concerns are neurogenic bowel or bladder problems and skin issues, both of which can cause major health problems for people living with SCI if not caught early. In addition to answering health-related questions, callers can obtain educational resources unique for healthy living with this injury. A service of the Outpatient Nursing Department, this program launched in 2008 to provide a dedicated nurse to answer non-emergent calls Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Patient and Family Education
Patients and families need new knowledge, skills and confidence to go forth following a catastrophic injury. Patient & Family Education integrates a teaching philosophy into Craig’s therapy and health services so that patients and family members learn about the physical, psychological and social aspects of their injury. We know from past experience that a well informed patient is much more likely to maintain health over time.
Complementary Therapy and Alternative Medicine Program
Alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture or aromatherapy can help greatly with pain management, increasing the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The Research Department, through a grant from the National Institute of Health, is studying whether these medical approaches can help Craig patients by reducing pain, sleeplessness or the use of medications. Contributions to this program fund the delivery of these services to patients who have medical approval.
Research
Since the mid-1970’s, Craig has been on the frontier of scientific research related to improving the lives of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. The research department is currently conducting a wide variety of ongoing studies involving the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Additionally, Craig is collaborating with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden on Stem Cell research. The Hospital also conducts clinical trials of new medications to improve patient outcomes.
Endowment
Looking to the future, the only way to ensure that people who suffer catastrophic injuries can always achieve maximum independence is to supplement declining health insurance benefits with philanthropic support, especially endowment funding. Started in 2004, these funds are growing and can be permanently restricted to a special purpose or given to support general needs of the future. In 2008, the Denny O’Malley Endowment Fund was established to honor a 34-year presidency that shaped the excellence for which Craig Hospital is world-renowned for today. Click here to learn more.
Unrestricted
Today, thousands of patients are leading better lives because of the medical care, rehabilitation services and research of Craig Hospital. General support gifts support programs in greatest need. These contributions provide the hospital with the most flexibility in addressing the particular needs of the institution each year. |
