Community September 04, 2008
Hospital Refines Campaign to Bring United Way Closer to Employees
United Way does extremely important work in greater New Haven and needs our help to do it," said Sue Fitzsimons, RN, senior vice president, Patient Services, and co-chair of the hospital-wide United Way campaign.
"This year, we want to bring the campaign closer to employees to give them a better understanding of how United Way works, so we restructured the campaign and the committees which organize the drive," she explained. "We want employees talking to employees about United Way, so we are looking for staff who have been touched by a United Way agency and will share that experience with others."
Paula Crombie, director, Social Work, and campaign co-chair, has been involved with United Way of Greater New Haven since she joined Yale-New Haven in 1992. For many years, Crombie has headed the United Way's community investment committee which reviews agencies to ensure that the programs it funds achieve the results they promised.
"It benefits us all if New Haven is a healthy, safe and functioning city," said Crombie. "United Way focuses attention and resources to ensure that kids are better educated, teenagers are better prepared for their next steps, families are secure and the elderly can continue to safely live in the community."
Crombie points to United Way's Success by Six program and agencies like the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, the VNA whose nurses bring services to the homes of the elderly, and Life Haven which provides temporary shelter to women with young children, as examples of agencies where she has "seen many small, successful steps that make greater New Haven a more livable community."
"As a committee, our first goal is to thank employees who have already given their dollars, time and commitment to United Way," said Crombie. "This year, we want to personally reach more employees and show them how their generosity concretely benefits the community where we work and where many of us live." Co-chairs - many of them former campaign chairs - will spearhead the campaign work of five new work groups:
Speakers Bureau: chaired by Bertie Chuong, RN, director, Temple Recovery Care Center, and Stephanie Bilskis, RN, practice administrator, Community Health, will identify employees who have been served by United Way programs and ask them to present at department and staff meetings;
Events, Incentives and Publicity: chaired by Debbie Klotzer, executive assistant, Cancer Network, and Karen Anderson, pre-admissions coordinator/patient account representative, Shoreline Medical Center, will create events that inform hospital employees - both on- and off-campus - about the work of United Way;
Pledge Card, Education and Data Tracking: co-chaired by Harry Nicholls, director, outpatient registration and clinical information services, PFAS, and Jeff Clark, coordinator, facility group systems, Plant Engineering, will design and print pledge cards, track pledges and communicate progress;
Days of Caring: co-chaired by Judy Grant, RN, patient service manager, Resource Support Group, and Cindy Dabbraccio, RN, patient service manager, GI Procedures Center, will coordinate the hospital's efforts for Days of Caring; and
School Supply Drive: co-chaired by Sandy Elkin-Randi, manager, outpatient registration, PFAS, and Camille Lamothe, department head secretary, Radiation Therapy, are organizing the annual school supply drive.
"Yale-New Haven employees are generous and give in their communities, schools and churches," said Fitzsimons. "If they understand the importance of a safe and healthy New Haven, I think they will support United Way where they work, as well."
Article originally appeared in the September 4, 2008 issue of the Bulletin employee newsletter (page 3)
http://www.ynhh.org/bulletin_archive/2008/090408_bulletin.pdf
Update: See the October 23, 2008 issue of the Bulletin employee newsletter for photos and updates
http://www.ynhh.org/bulletin_archive/2008/102308_bulletin.pdf (pages 3-6)
