FOUNDATION NEWS
Hope Can ’ t Be Stopped
The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge is on schedule for spring 2021
hile COVID-19 has impacted countless lives , businesses and plans , it is incapable of diluting our commitment to caring for our patients — including those battling cancer .
Progress continues to be made at the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge , located on property donated by Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas .
Despite unforeseen challenges due to COVID-19 , construction has remained at a steady pace . and the building was “ topped off ”— completing the framing structure — in May . The project is on track to be completed in February 2021 , and in spring 2021 will open its doors to offer cancer patients and their caregivers a home away from home when they travel to receive care from any of North Texas ’ premier medical centers . The Gene
and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge is expected to provide more than 18,000 nights of free lodging annually , helping the thousands of cancer patients who travel each year from throughout the region to receive potentially lifesaving cancer treatment in North Texas .
Often , patients and their families spend days , weeks , even months away from home . The emotional and financial toll of the loss of income , medical bills , hotel rooms and dining out can be staggering .
Thanks to extraordinary support from generous individuals and organizations , more than $ 32 million has been raised to date for this project .
For more information on how you can support this initiative , contact Melissa Dalton at 214.820.2705 or Melissa . Dalton @ BSWHealth . org .
Letter from the Chair
When I sat down to write this column , we were nearly 250 days into the COVID-19 pandemic , more than 200 countries had reported cases , there were 178,000 deaths in the US from the virus and more than
600,000 cases in Texas alone .
As a banker for the past 35 years , you might expect me to be numbers focused . And I am . While those statistics help to paint a picture of how much the virus has spread , how effectively it is being treated and whether cases are trending up or down , another number I think about often is 28,000 — the 28,000 frontline caregivers across Baylor Scott & White Health .
These individuals have selflessly and faithfully served patients for each of those nearly 250 days . They compassionately cared for the more than 11,000 COVIDpositive patients diagnosed across the system . Through masks , gloves , face shields and layers of PPE , they helped make sure those patients ’ medical needs were addressed , while also providing emotional support for these patients while they were sick , scared and isolated from family and friends .
These 28,000 continued to care for all those who entered our facilities , serving patients seeking care for more than 2.2 million other routine and emergency healthcare needs . They helped deliver more than 12,500 babies and performed over 150 transplants and 4,000 cardiovascular surgeries across our System during the height of the pandemic . They helped create a safe environment for the community to turn to and receive needed care .
As Texas began to slowly reopen , they remained vigilant in wearing masks and practicing social distancing in order to keep their patients and their colleagues safe . Some stayed in separate rooms of their homes or in hotels to reduce the risk of exposing their elderly or immunocompromised loved ones . They were unwavering in their commitment to serving patients and communities across Baylor Scott & White while facing challenges and fears I can ’ t imagine .
These 28,000 have given us a million reasons to be grateful , and I am proud to be associated with an organization that shines even brighter in darker days .
Norm Bagwell Chair , Board of Directors Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation
To learn more about any Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation initiative , contact the Foundation at 214.820.3136 or email DallasFoundation @ BSWHealth . org . Write to us at 3600 Gaston Avenue , Barnett Tower Suite 100 , Dallas , TX 75246-1800 .
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