Areas of Support
When you support The Tuomey Foundation, you invest in the future of the community. And the Foundation ensures your donation - 100 percent of it - works hard to make a vital difference in Sumter's long-term health.
Sumter's generous gifts to The Tuomey Foundation make our ongoing support of the following programs possible. Following are some components of the Foundation's programs and the areas to which you can designate your gift.
Endowments
Endowments enable The Tuomey Foundation to provide for the healthcare needs of our community now and for generations to come. Contributions to a specified endowment go towards the principle and only the interest from that fund is allocated.
Jeanne C. Watson Oncology Endowment
Established by the Watson family to honor Jeanne C. Watson, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000, this endowment was created to support education, equipment, training and other cancer-related services in the oncology department. Additional donations serve to increase the fund's value and thus provide expanded opportunities for oncology patients.
Dr. Charles H. White, Sr. Cardiac Endowment
Established in 2001 by Mrs. Charles H. White, Sr. in memory of her late husband, a pioneer in the medical field and a legend throughout Tuomey halls, this endowment supports the needs of the cardiac department. Like the Watson Oncology Endowment, this fund is used to cover costs associated with education, equipment, training and other heart-related services.
Community Outreach Endowment
This fund takes the healthful programs initiated by Tuomey Healthcare System outside the hospital walls and into the community. Community Outreach Endowment programs include SAFE KIDS, the Tuomey Wellness Van, Camp Scamp, free screenings and much more.
Tuomey Foundation Endowment
This fund provides for needs that will enhance the quality of care for patients and their family members at Tuomey. It could be in the form of equipment, programmatic or educational needs.
Dr. and Mrs. Wendell Levi, Jr. Nursing Scholarship Endowment
This fund provides for scholarships for Central Carolina Technical College Nursing Students committed to staying in the community and continuing their nursing careers at Tuomey Healthcare System.
Scholarship Endowment
A fund to provide financial assistance to Tuomey Employees and their families for pursuit of higher education. We provide four scholarships a year to deserving individuals. This endowment was established from funds raised by employees.
Tuomey Hospice Services
As healthcare providers, we are conditioned to resist death. But there comes a point at which we must accept it and lovingly help others do the same. With that in mind, the Tuomey Hospice Program was created to comfort and support those facing this final stage of life.
For patients with a terminal illness, compassionate care means focusing on quality of life rather than length of life. Hospice emphasizes treating the person, not their disease. For many, that means spending their final weeks at home, where they can enjoy the company and support of family and friends. Through the financial support of the foundation and by staffing home health caregivers, hospice makes this happen. And hospice services are not limited to the patient. Bereavement, spiritual, and respite care are all significant components of the hospice care plan and are in place to aid patients and their loved ones.
SAFE Kids
In the United States, the rate of misuse for infant and child car seats is tremendously high. South Carolina is no exception. It's a terrifying reality, and one Sumter County SAFE KIDS is working to change.
Through the significant financial support of The Tuomey Foundation and the collaborative efforts of a number of community partners, SAFE KIDS distributes free bike helmets, free or discounted car seats, and checks child restraint systems in automobiles to be sure they were properly installed. In addition, the organization visits countless schools, safety fairs and other public settings, exposing children and parents to a variety of issues including fire and water safety, electrical dangers, drug abuse and more.
Camp Scamp
Children with asthma face a special set of challenges. Frequent school absences. Constant medication. But the most trying aspect of their condition could be the sense of anxiety and exclusion that overshadows activities other kids take for granted.
That's why there's Camp Scamp. Funded by The Tuomey Foundation and coordinated by Tuomey's Women's and Children's Services division, Camp Scamp offers a traditional camp experience for more than 60 asthmatic children each summer. Here, sports, cookouts and field trips are combined with educational sessions that help kids better understand and manage their asthma. And it all takes place in a safe, well-monitored environment staffed by nurses and respiratory therapists. Thanks in part to the generous gifts of The Tuomey Foundation, there is no cost to the child's family.
Industrial Medicine and Wellness
Allows for the Foundation to provide for various screenings in our community. These screenings include, but are not limited to, prostate, breast, blood pressure, cholesterol and skin. In addition to these screenings, Industrial Medicine and Wellness provides educational/prevention programs.
Care Reach
Protecting the health of our children, regardless of their family's financial capabilities, is the sole purpose of Care Reach. This program stretches deep into the heart of Sumter and Lee counties and connects children with needed medical and dental care. Typically, these kids are referred by school nurses and have problems that could affect educational outcomes. Funded by The Duke Endowment and The Tuomey Foundation, Care Reach aided approximately 550 to 600 children last year through its school-linked program. Of that, the Foundation provided 30 percent of the money that went toward direct services for the children.
Unrestricted Giving
When you give unrestricted contributions, the Foundation applies these gifts toward projects and programs undertaken by Tuomey Healthcare System in meeting its mission to deliver the best healthcare possible to the Sumter area. We apply these dollars where the needs are greatest.
Women and Children Services
Enable Tuomey to provide for the very best care for our female population and out most precious asset, our children. In 2007 The Tuomey Foundation completed a $3 million capitol campaign for the completion of the Bell Women and Infants Pavilion.
You Decide
Every gift to The Tuomey Foundation is a blessing, and we are grateful for each dollar contributed. If there is another program, service or department at Tuomey that touches your heart other than those mentioned above, you may designate your gift elsewhere.