“You should be recognized for the work you do.” How a donor decided to make a major gift to Family First Health

Recently, Family First Health received a major gift from a donor in the Gettysburg area. The donor, who never had any interaction with FFH in the past, came to us on the recommendation of his own primary care provider, and personal friend. The doctor, who practices at a group practice and at the local emergency department, shared why he directed the donor to us. He said that he had recently asked him “Where can my money do some good in healthcare this year?” Without hesitation, the doctor told him that he should consider Family First Health. “I truly appreciate the work you do. I don’t know where we’d be without you and so I suggested to him that’s somewhere his money could really do some good.” He continued, “I know some of your providers and we all really appreciate the work you do.”

After this recommendation, the donor contacted us and asked for more information about who we are and what we do in the community. We invited him to our Gettysburg practice for a tour and to share more about our mission and how we provide medical and dental care to residents of Adams County who might otherwise struggle to access quality healthcare. On the tour, he was able to ask questions of two of our dentists, as well as other members of our care team. We had a conversation about why patients come to us, especially those without health insurance.

The question was posed: given all of the options, especially with the Affordable Care Act, why were some community members still without insurance? There are a few reasons, including challenges for patients who are undocumented and ineligible to receive health insurance, working families who can’t afford the premiums available to them through the insurance exchange, or patients who have barriers that prevent them from getting insurance such as not having access to the Internet or not understanding the process. While there are some reasons we cannot change, our team does work with uninsured patients to sign up for insurance that they can afford and they are eligible to receive. They also educate the patients about our sliding fee scale that makes their visits affordable, regardless of their insurance status.

At Family First Health we pride ourselves on being the accessible healthcare provider in the community to anyone who needs our care. Our mission sums up why we do what we do every day: “We improve lives: in big and small ways. From high quality health services and innovative partnerships to daily acts of compassion. In all ways, we work together to improve lives.” We are proud that other healthcare providers in the community recognize the importance of our mission, and the work that we do to support the health needs of the community. We are grateful that the donor decided to make a gift to Family First Health, and that he made the gift in honor of his friend who guided him to us.