$5.8M in expenses

Cheshire Health Foundation raises funds to support the health and wellness mission of Cheshire Medical Center. For Fiscal Year 2024, Medical Center senior leaders and Trustees collaborated with Foundation Trustees to determine strategic needs for the year. The purchase of new patient care equipment - ventilators for the ICU, a new nurse call system for the Thompson Unit, and a new infant security system for our Birthing Pavilion - were determined to be the main funding priorities. Charitable donations funded these purchases. Cheshire purchased eight new ventilators for the ICU. These machines are not only vital to the care of critically ill patients who need life support, but also ensure that care remains close to home for those patients and their families. On the Thompson Unit, the new nurse call system has helped to improve communication and response times between patients and their care teams. It has also helped to reduce alarm fatigue for Cheshire's caregivers. The Birthing Pavilion's new state-of-the-art infant security system integrates with Cheshire's existing security measures, helping to protect some of our most vulnerable patients. Its features include triggering alarms, locking doors and stopping elevators. The Foundation also received gifts for a variety of specialized equipment to support inpatient and outpatient care needs. This includes EKG equipment for the Emergency Department, a new breast board for patients undergoing cancer radiation therapy, financial assistance, and other specific needs. Gifts to scholarship funds advanced medical training opportunities for Cheshire's nurses and other staff. Other donations supported Cheshire's local Dartmouth Cancer Center through equipment and program needs, assisting patients financially who have difficulty meeting their daily living expenses. Charitable support received also helped Cheshire continue renovations on the West Campus building, helping to fund support for future capital projects. Bequests received benefited future strategic capital purchases. Planned gifts over the years have created specific purpose funds and permanently restricted endowment funds that support patient care, including patient financial assistance, and nursing scholarships and professional development.