St. Margaret Foundation, workers team to ease covid's burden

The St. Margaret Foundation and hospital employees have teamed up to churn out initiatives that seek to alleviate the continued toll of covid-19.

Foundation President Mary Lee Gannon said hospital employees donated $143,000 to the foundation’s annual employee campaign, much of which will be funneled to easing burdens brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This community immediately rallied around UPMC St. Margaret in response to the pandemic,” Gannon said. “It’s as if they know that never has there been a more crucial time than now to help our essential employees and patients.”

Money is being used to pay utility bills for patients and employees in crisis, provide food through a hospital pantry and plant a patient’s patio flower garden on the rehab unit.

Gannon said the foundation purchased seven iPads for the ICU and other units, so that patients and families can FaceTime but remain socially distant.

In the spring, nearly 2,000 employees received a $25 gift card from the foundation as a thank you for working on the frontline of the pandemic.

The foundation also offered free hotel rooms to employees exposed to covid-19 and who were concerned about spreading the virus to their families.

Gannon said the foundation also provided $5,500 in emergency childcare assistance grants to employees, paid for more than 30 weekly care packages of household necessities and delivered roses in a vase to every female patient in the hospital on Mother’s Day because state health guidance prohibited visitors.