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With support from philanthropic funding, UCHealth launched “Navigating the Seas of Stress,” a three-part video series created to help families navigate child stress related to COVID-19. The videos are available to the community free of charge.

In considering your plans for the future, you may not be thinking about how you might benefit the health of our community. However, a charitable bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make and permits you to leave a legacy. You can create a bequest of any dollar amount, gift specific property, or designate a percentage of your estate in your will or trust plan. At UCHealth Northern Colorado Foundation, we are privileged to witness, on a daily basis, the difference health care philanthropy makes for those we serve.

Does COVID-19 have lingering effects on survivors? If so, what are they, and how long do they last? Can we modify existing treatments or develop new ones to avoid or minimize the effects? These are just some of the questions scientists and clinicians across the globe have been trying to answer since the early days of the pandemic. Here in northern Colorado, with help from funding donated through the foundation, a team of scientists and clinicians at CSU and UCHealth formed a partnership to work on getting answers.

The Sunshine Cart program began through WISH funding in 2018 and has grown from three carts in two hospitals to 21 carts in three hospitals. The Sunshine Cart is filled with meaningful activities and tools to help reduce the risk of confusion and to decrease distress in hospitalized persons living with dementia. The items are single-use only for infection control, so each item is a gift to the patient.

Since UCHealth's northern region gynecologic oncology program was established last year, volumes have been higher than forecasted. To help meet the high demand for services, nurse practitioner Kristin Slunecka was added to the staff earlier this year. To support Dr. Christine Walsh with complex GYN-ONC patients, Slunecka needed qualification as a surgical assistant. With full tuition supported by donor contributions to our cancer services fund, Slunecka received the advanced training.

As the holidays approach, food drives and turkey donations come to mind, but addressing food insecurity is a perpetual need. The UCHealth Family Medicine Center (FMC) food pantry, which partners with Food Bank for Larimer County, helps provide fresh, healthy food to people in need year-round.

Inner-ear problems can have a sudden onset, disrupting a person's ability to do basic things such as roll over or walk. These disorders can be treated with physical therapy, including eye, head and balance exercises. To develop a treatment plan customized to the patient’s needs, accurate diagnosis is essential and can require special equipment known as Frenzel goggles. With help from WISH funding, two physical therapists procured this equipment for PVH.

Each September, the Ptarmigan Ladies Golf Association (PLGA) hosts the Double Cup Golf Tournament to benefit our cancer patient and family assistance fund. This year, the golfers celebrated the event’s 10th anniversary—along with the fact that their event has raised $44,000 over the past 10 years to help cancer patients and their families pay for expenses not covered by health insurance.

Did you know one blood donation could save three lives? The blood you give supports patients at multiple UCHealth hospitals in northern Colorado. Many opportunities to donate are available, listed here with links to sign up.

These eloquent words about the power of giving are from Kristi Benningsdorf, who became the new chair of the foundation’s board of directors on July 1. Benningsdorf succeeds Yvonne Myers, whose term ended on June 30. Benningsdorf joined the foundation board six years ago and has an extensive history of service to our community. In this Q&A, she shares what inspires her to serve.