CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The UNC Health Foundation Board of Directors unanimously approved a $2.5 million investment in the UNC Health Employee Assistance Fund in response to the ongoing crisis in western North Carolina. The board approved the immediate transfer of funds on Friday, October 11, to provide emergency financial support for UNC Health teammates who have experienced catastrophic losses in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“We are deeply humbled by the resilience and dedication of our UNC Health teammates in western North Carolina, who continue to provide exceptional care to our community despite the profound challenges they face in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” said Karen Albritton, chair of the UNC Health Foundation Board of Directors. “Their unwavering commitment to serving others, even while grappling with the impact on their own lives, is a testament to their strength and compassion. This allocation to the UNC Health Employee Assistance Fund helps provide resources they need to recover, just as they help others do the same.”
“Our teammates in western North Carolina have experienced unimaginable challenges and have continued to care for their patients – their friends and neighbors – in a way that is truly inspiring,” said Wesley Burks, MD, CEO of UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine. “I am incredibly grateful to the UNC Health Foundation Board of Directors for recognizing the tremendous impact this has had on our teammates and working quickly to help provide this much-needed direct assistance for those who have done so much for their communities.”
Teammates at the four UNC Health hospitals in WNC – UNC Health Appalachian, UNC Health Blue Ridge, UNC Health Caldwell and UNC Health Pardee – as well as other clinics in the area are eligible to apply for up to $1,000 in emergency assistance for temporary housing, food, water, and other essentials not otherwise compensated through insurance or other means. To date, more than 1,000 UNC Health teammates have received financial support through the Employee Assistance Fund.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our communities in western North Carolina that have lost so much,” said Leslie H. Nelson-Bernier, UNC Health Foundation president and chief philanthropy officer for UNC Health. “I am so touched by this commitment from our board of directors in combination with the outpouring of support from our donors and the response from our UNC Health teammates from across the state who have stepped up to help those in need.”
For more information on ways to help, visit the UNC Health Foundation WNC Hurricane Relief page.
About UNC Health Foundation
At UNC Health Foundation, we inspire philanthropic support for UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine that transforms healthcare and provides hope to the people of North Carolina and communities around the world. For more information, please visit unchealthfoundation.org.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is a state entity and an affiliated enterprise of the University of North Carolina system, comprised of 15 hospitals, 19 hospital campuses and more than 900 clinics along with the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine (SOM). It exists to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others we serve and to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina SOM. UNC Health provided more than $522 million in charity care during the last five years. Our hospitals have received numerous awards and recognition for quality care, patient safety and the overall patient experience. For more information, please visit unchealth.org.