In all of the the communities it serves, FirstHealth of the Carolinas works to be a good neighbor, with a commitment to caring for people that extends far beyond the walls of its hospitals.

That is particularly true in Montgomery County, where the FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation purposefully invests in programs that aim to improve the quality of life for at-risk children, the working poor and others in need.

“The FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation is not your typical hospital foundation,” says Kerry Hensley, president of FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital. “It’s a community foundation. In fact, the hospital has not received any funds from this foundation since it was started six years ago. All of our fundraising supports programs and services that we deliver directly to the community. We’ve been able to do a lot of very good things.”

FirstHealth Cares
The FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation’s sole fundraiser is its annual Spring Event, a well-attended coat-and-tie affair organized by the foundation’s 12-member Board of Trustees. Held every April since 2002 at the Blair House, a circa 1893 bedand- breakfast in Troy, the Spring Event features silent and live auctions, a band and gourmet refreshments.

Proceeds from the last two Spring Events have supported FirstHealth Cares, a medication assistance program for underserved residents of Montgomery County.

“FirstHealth Cares helps folks with chronic health conditions who may have medical insurance but not prescription coverage, or those who don’t have any health insurance at all,” says Hensley.

FirstHealth Cares staff members help eligible people enroll in patient-assistance programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. One of the most comprehensive programs is the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), which “offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance

programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies,” according to the PPA Web site, https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php.

During the “gap” period—the three, four or up to six weeks that it takes for pharmaceutical companies to process an individual’s application, FirstHealth Cares steps in with a month’s supply of free medicine. Gap coverage is intended for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, emphysema, high cholesterol, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

Kids in Crisis
Of all the programs funded by the FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation, one strikes a special chord with Hensley: Kids in Crisis.

“Donor generosity has enabled us to provide nurses at the two School-based Health Centers with a special fund they can use to meet children’s uncovered medical or personal needs,” she says. “This program has touched my heart particularly because of the circumstances some of these children find themselves in.”

In 2006, Kids in Crisis helped more than 300 school children, including one whose eyeglasses were broken by a parent during a domestic-violence incident. Medicaid would not cover replacement glasses, so the Kids in Crisis fund was tapped to help the family buy new glasses.

“In another family, the father’s work schedule was cut to two days a week, and the family could no longer afford the child’s ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) medicine,” Hensley says. “The FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation paid for the child’s prescription, which allowed the child to perform much better in school.”

Kids in Crisis also funded specialty care and treatment for a child who struggled with reading.

“The school nurse noticed the child squinted and blinked a lot, so she sent the child for an evaluation by an optometrist and then an ophthalmologist,” says Hensley. “The child was diagnosed with a treatable genetic eye disorder. Shortly after treatment, that child’s reading improved by four grade levels.”

Montgomery Smiles
At the elementary-school level, the FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation has supported a countywide dental sealant and screening program known as Montgomery Smiles. During the program’s three school years, 2,274 students were screened for dental problems. Of the 711 children screened in 2006, 374 were referred to FirstHealth dental providers and other community dentists for sealants.

Inspired by the resounding success of Montgomery Smiles, the FirstHealth Montgomery Foundation recently expanded its dental outreach to low-income adult patients.

“After identifying this significant need, the Sandhills Emergency Physicians group has made a donation to our foundation to start a fund to help improve the oral health of our community’s underserved adults,” says Hensley.

“That’s what makes the work of this foundation so meaningful,” she says. “Even though we are part of a large regional organization, the money given to the First Health Montgomery Foundation stays in Montgomery County. Giving to our foundation is an opportunity for the whole community to work together to help our neighbors who are less fortunate with basic services they need.”