Our Mission Statement

Healing at Home:
The Foundation offers direct assistance to patients with urgent needs not covered by health insurance or for those with no insurance at all.  Once identified by a Saint Thomas Rutherford social worker, the Foundation aids patients in healing at home through medical equipment (from walkers to personal heart defibrillators), dental care or IV antibiotics.

Dispensary of Hope:
Ensuring all patients have the medicines they need is vital to our mission. Donations to Dispensary of Hope provide medications for thousands of underinsured or uninsured patients each year.

Family Care Centers:
The Saint Thomas Rutherford health clinics serve as the medical home for thousands of low-income and uninsured patients and families.  The Foundation offsets the cost of preventative and ongoing care to those served by these centers.

Expanded Access to Care:
The Foundation funds efforts that expand Ascension Saint Thomas Health’s reach to serve the underserved. Whether it’s programs like Our Mission in Motion mobile mammography unit or support for our smallest of patients, the Foundation champions causes which provide access and care for all.

Patient Care Facilities & Centers of Excellence:
Foundation donors make a remarkable impact on facilities and equipment elevating care for all patients.  From the improvement of patient waiting areas to the expansion of vital care service lines, philanthropic support uplifts the Saint Thomas patient experience.

Courageous Innovation:
Working with medical staff, the Foundation assists with the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to provide superb care.  Often championing advancements that are newly available, the Foundation invests in items such as telemedicine equipment or cutting edge programs that improve patient outcomes.

Emergency Assistance:
When a Saint Thomas Rutherford employee is faced with a crisis like a spouse’s job loss, sudden illness or other traumatic disrupter of life, the Foundation assists with basic needs like groceries, gas and utilities.

Education:
Donor support allows the Foundation to provide scholarships to help associates aspiring for a first or even a higher level degree in healthcare.

Training:
The Foundation assists associates who desire to learn a new skill or expand their expertise in their field beyond what is expected by underwriting professional conferences and workshops to grow our people and improve the patient experience.