Investing in Excellence
As the philanthropic arm of Doylestown Health, Doylestown Health Foundation raises funds to safeguard the future of excellence in patient care and improve the quality of life for all members of the Doylestown community. In a recent interview, Laura Wortman, Vice President and Chief Development Officer, shared an update on the ongoing impact of philanthropic investments.
The focus of this year’s philanthropy report is Investing in Excellence. How do philanthropic investments make a difference at Doylestown Health?
Laura: We consider all philanthropic gifts to be an investment in healthcare excellence and the future of Doylestown Health. Just as the community invests in us, Investing in Excellence illustrates how Doylestown Health invests each gift in meaningful ways, such as building state-of-the-art facilities, launching innovative new programs, and strengthening the continuum of care across the health system.
Every investment we make is intentional so we can deliver care of the highest quality for our patients. When we launch a new facility project, for instance, we bring the very best healthcare leaders, architects, and designers to the table because it’s the right thing to do. We are committed to recruiting and retaining expert physicians, skilled nurses, and support staff who are dedicated to our mission of patient care excellence.
Simply put, with philanthropic investments we will realize our vision—One Vision—for the second century of healthcare excellence in this community.
The goal of the One Vision Campaign was raised from $75 million to $100 million this year. What factored into this important decision?
Laura: Since the public launch of One Vision in June of 2018, we’ve witnessed extraordinary generosity from more than 6,000 donors in our community and throughout the region. By January of 2021, longstanding supporters and new donors had committed more than $70 million to this campaign, just past the halfway mark to our planned conclusion in 2023. With this incredible vote of confidence from our community, the Boards of Trustees unanimously endorsed this ambitious new goal at the recommendation of the Campaign Committee. We have come a long way, yet there is so much more we can accomplish together. The new goal is also a symbolic step as we anticipate reaching our goal amid the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Doylestown Health in less than two years!
ONE VISION: The Campaign for Doylestown Health is comprehensive. How does it differ from previous fundraising campaigns?
Laura: A comprehensive campaign is broad in scope and secures funding for a wide range of initiatives. With One Vision, we are building on previous campaigns that were focused on one area or service line. We are also continuing the proud tradition of philanthropy started by our founders, the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown.
As Doylestown Health has grown, the margins in healthcare have grown proportionally smaller. Philanthropy helps to close that gap and allow priority projects to move forward faster, benefitting our patients sooner. As the campaign expanded beyond our initial goal, we’ve been able to identify additional funding priorities for support, such as the breast imaging center, rebuilding Children’s Village, our transition to an all-private bed hospital, and more.
This year, the Boards of Trustees for Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health Foundation issued a first-ever fundraising challenge match. What was unique about this effort?
Laura: The $100,000 Challenge Match recognized the dedication of our doctors, nurses, and volunteers. Our trustees are already generous supporters of the One Vision Campaign, and this challenge is something they rallied to do that goes above and beyond that. The past eighteen months have been extremely challenging for healthcare workers. At Doylestown Health, our incredible healthcare teams have risen to the challenge—through the pandemic and more.
This type of unanimous giving from the Boards is a statement of gratitude for the people of Doylestown Health, and a demonstration of their trust in us during uncertain times. They care very deeply about Doylestown Health, and it shows.
Enabling the Extraordinary
As the philanthropic arm of Doylestown Health, the Doylestown Health Foundation raises funds to safeguard the future of excellence in patient care and improve the quality of life for all members of the Doylestown community. In a recent interview, Laura Wortman, Vice President and Chief Development Officer, shares more about the role of the Foundation—with a special focus on giving in this unprecedented year.
How has philanthropy played a part in building Doylestown Health?
Laura: The tradition of philanthropic support at Doylestown Health was born with our founders, the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown (VIA), and their unwavering dedication to the concept that people in our community should be able to get the best healthcare possible right here in Doylestown. We are fortunate that the community has stepped forward to support Doylestown Health, which has grown from an eight-bed hospital in 1923 to the healthcare system we are today, serving thousands across the region.
How has the role of the Foundation expanded and changed with the inception of ONE VISION: The Campaign for Doylestown Health?
Laura: As Doylestown Health has grown and expanded, so has the role of the Foundation. This campaign is our most ambitious fundraising effort to date. Originally conceived with a $75 million goal, it was increased to $100 million early in 2021 thanks to the overwhelming early and ongoing support of our philanthropic community. We have a clearly defined vision and strategy for the second century of care at Doylestown Health and the Foundation will continue to play a major role in realizing that vision. Because the campaign is comprehensive, we are raising funds for long-term strategic priorities—facilities, programs, and people—across Doylestown Health. This is in addition to raising funds annually through leadership and planned giving, special events, and other projects.
How does this year compare to others in terms of philanthropic giving?
Laura: We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year at Doylestown Health. As always, all of our achievements have been supported by philanthropy. When COVID-19 hit Bucks County, and the hospital’s needs became more urgent and more specific, the response from our community was inspiring. Since March, we received over $800,000 in donations from 750 donors, hundreds of whom were first-time donors answering the call for help. That kind of support stands out among the many things that make this community so remarkable.
What were some of the ways the COVID-19 response impacted fundraising efforts this year?
Laura: Instead of slowing us down, the pandemic created new opportunities for our partners in philanthropy to get involved in meaningful ways. The Foundation is a connector—channeling the goodwill of our community into action to meet the immediate needs of the hospital.
Some of our donors even shifted their business operations to produce essential safety equipment for us to prevent shortages. We received and organized donations of food, medical supplies, PPE, comfort items for our clinical teams, and incredible messages of support. We are proud to feature some of these stories in this issue of the Philanthropy Report, and many more can be viewed on our website. It’s exciting to demonstrate to our donors that they are making a difference.
Does philanthropy impact Doylestown Health’s ability to remain independent? What are the advantages to being an independent health system in an era of healthcare consolidation?
Laura: Philanthropic investments have been, and will always be, a vital part of Doylestown Health’s success and standing as an independent health system. Our independence is a strength, and gives us the flexibility to innovate and act quickly when needed. Our response to COVID-19 is a great example. Since construction of the Clark Center for Critical Care Medicine is still underway, we have an opportunity to incorporate lessons learned from COVID-19 and real-time feedback from physicians and care providers. We are already making enhancements to the construction of the new ICU that will elevate care, comfort, and safety for patients. Philanthropy truly enables the extraordinary at Doylestown Health and we are grateful for every gift and every donor.
About Doylestown Health Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of Doylestown Health, the Doylestown Health Foundation raises funds to safeguard the future of excellence in patient care and improves the quality of life for all members of our Central Bucks County community and beyond.
Join us and make a gift today. For more information about Doylestown Health Foundation and giving opportunities at Doylestown Health, please call 215.345.2009 or email gifts@dh.org. Thank you.
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