We've had a couple of people reach out and ask how they might help in the current crisis. We reached out to UMMC and our contact there shared this document with us:
Gifts of Supplies
We are so appreciative of the support of our community and the desire to help our caregivers in their jobs. Businesses and individuals have offered to donate masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and other personal protective equipment. Here are some guidelines as you consider a gift of supplies:
- Many types of equipment and medical items are in short supply, but due to regulatory requirements we are only allowed to accept items under certain circumstances.
- Please do not buy items with the intent of donating them. Rochester Regional Health and other health systems are working closely with suppliers to ensure that critical supplies are available. When individuals buy these items, however well-intentioned, it further depletes the supply chain and can make it more difficult for healthcare providers to get what they need.
If you have an item you wish to donate, please contact the Rochester Regional Health Foundations at 585.922.4800 or RRHFoundation@rochesterregional.org. For the safety of our patients and caregivers, donations will be accepted by appointment only and distributed throughout the system where they are needed most.
The Best Way to Help
The best way to help is to make a monetary gift, which will give our hospital leadership the flexibility to allocate help where it is needed most. Gifts of any amount will show Rochester Regional caregivers that the community is standing with them. The COVID-19 Support Fund was set up in response to requests from the community asking how to help our frontline care providers and the patients they serve. This emergency fund will provide critical support to Rochester Regional Health care teams as they navigate these unprecedented times.
Some of the many needs already identified are additional staff support, essential medical supplies, comfort for patients in isolation, and supplemental emergency structures. Your donation will enable our clinical staff to continue providing safe, high-quality care to patients.
Thanking our Frontline Heros
Our caregivers are at the beginning of this fight and they need our support to keep going. You can help raise their spirits by sending encouraging notes and positivity their way. Photographs of drawings and letters from children are incredibly uplifting and are especially welcome to bring bring a smile during their stressful days and night.
Please email RRHFoundation@rochesterregional.org with notes of encouragement and thanks, and we will distribute the messages across the system.
