CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY
Ronald McDonald House Charities : Helping Families Care for Children
RMHC will broaden the impact of its more than 680,000 programs .
By Diane C . Walsh Contributing Editor
Ronald McDonald House Charities ( RMHC )— an international nonprofit that provides homes away from homes for families as they care for sick children — now plans to expand its programs to increase access to quality healthcare .
Under the leadership of new CEO and president , Kelly Dolan , the organization is making access to quality healthcare a top priority in its strategic growth plan .
The 47-year-old charity operates in 62 countries around the world . Last year it saved families $ 935 million by providing them with homes away from home , food , support and comfort as they cared for sick loved ones .
Dolan said RMHC will broaden the impact of its more than 680,000 programs and seek innovative new ways to ensure that families of all backgrounds have access to the best medical , dental and mental health services .
The new CEO is eager to set the course . She brings to the job 30 years of experience in
RMHC programs help families with ill or injured children stay together and near leading hospitals and healthcare services .
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Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto nonprofit management and fundraising . Before taking the reins , Dolan had been the chief marketing and development officer at the charity .
She began her career in the private sector , working for the Leo Burnett ad agency in Chicago . When she relocated to Atlanta , she was recruited by the largest children ’ s healthcare system in the Southeast , now known as Children ’ s Healthcare of Atlanta . Working for a nonprofit organization with a mission and purpose fulfilled her . “ And I never looked back .”
In focusing on healthcare , RMHC will be building on some existing programs . Already the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile offers services , such as primary care , diagnostic treatment
“ RMHC saved families $ 935 million by providing homes away from home , food , support and comfort as they cared for sick loved ones .”
and dental care , through the charity ’ s partnership with medical providers . Dolan ’ s ambition is to expand on this foundation .
“ It ’ s at the heart of our mission ,” she said . “ Even in the midst of the global pandemic , the RMHC system has rallied together to not only provide vital support and resources to the families we serve , but also strategically pivot to temporarily repurpose several RMHC program spaces to support healthcare delivery and provide a respite for healthcare workers on the front line of the pandemic .”
All the services provided by the charity are accomplished through its vast network of chapters . In New Jersey — one of the most densely populated states in the nation — there are two chapters . Kristy Geoghan , executive director of RMH Central and Northern New Jersey , said the charity ’ s roots in the Garden State are more than 30 years old .
An eight-bedroom Ronald McDonald House was built in Long Branch in 1987 on the campus of what is now the RWJBarnabas Monmouth Medical Center . A second house was established in New Brunswick 16 years ago . It ’ s adjacent to the Robert Wood Johnson Children ’ s Specialized
Ronald McDonald House Charities President and CEO Kelly Dolan
Hospital and the Children ’ s Hospital at Saint Peter ’ s University . Since they opened , the houses have provided more than 120,000 nights of stay to more than 13,000 families .
In addition to the houses , the local chapter of RMHC also has family rooms at Monmouth Medical Center , Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center and a hospitality suite at Centra State Medical Center . These rooms offer respite and relief for families spending long hours at the hospital .
The Southern New Jersey chapter opened its house in 1998 in Camden and has served more than 28,000 families . The latest annual report showed that in 2019 more than 500 families used the facility . Many of them used the house as their children were undergoing daily treatment at nearby hospitals .
The RMHC facilities “ give families a place away from the hustle and bustle of the hospitals ,” said Dr . Harprett Pall , chairman of the pediatric department at the Hackensack Meridian K . Hovnanian Children ’ s Hospital within the Jersey Shore University Medical Center where a RMHC room is located . Pall said the facility has a comfortable place to sit , a kitchenette , and offers computer access and a laundry area . “ It ’ s so important to help parents cope by making it easier on them .”
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