Western Health Foundation

Mission:

The Western Health Foundation's mission is to serve as goodwill ambassadors to the community and to support Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services (RMCHCS) in providing quality healthcare close to home.

The Western Health Foundation is grateful for the support it received since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. From in-kind donations of food, beverages, hand sanitizers, PPE, homemade masks to cash donation in support of front-line staff and the hotel isolation program, these gifts have made a profound difference to our staff and community during this challenging time.

The COVID vaccine has had a powerful impact in reducing the number of Covid-related hospitalizations in McKinley County. However, with the spread of the Delta virus and other variants, we are once again seeing an increase in the number of COVID patients. While we hope this surge will not be as bad as the first two surges, we are making sure we have the resources needed to care for all our patients.

Typically the Western Health Foundation hosts an annual fundraising event--Charity Invitational--for specific projects. The Foundation has not hosted an event since the beginning of the pandemic, but looks forward to bringing the event back. However, there are a number of ongoing projects for which we would appreciate your support. Please consider how you might support the Western Health Foundation with your donation.

History:

In 1983 Dr. Thomas Carmany, pathologist for RMCHCS, led the merger of Rehoboth Christian Hospital and McKinley County General Hospital. He believed that one day RMCHCS would need to secure private funds for the improvement of hospital facilities and to support its work in providing services for individuals struggling with alcohol and drug use disorders. He brought together influential leaders in the community who shared his vision. In 1986, the Western Health Foundation was incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 organization for this purpose. Since then, the Western Health Foundation has raised funds for medical equipment, new programs and services, facility upgrades and renovations and well as for support of ongoing programs.

Click here to view our Past honorees and past projects

Projects We Support

Patient Emergency Fund

The Western Health Foundation received a donation of $30,000 from the Safeway Foundation to set up a Patient Emergency Fund. This fund provides emergency support for patients who are being discharged from the hospital but have no funds to cover the cost of transportation, hotel stays, oxygen and other medical supplies. Donations to this fund will allow the Foundation to continue to provide support for patients in need.

COVID-19 Fund

A donation to the COVID-19 Fund will be used to provide meals and other means of support for frontline workers. Donations will also be used to support the Hotel Isolation program for individuals and families who do not have a safe place to quaratine while recovering from Covid-19.

Chaplaincy Program

We are grateful for the outpouring of support from our community and beyond. For more information, call 505-863-7287. RMCHCS's chaplain works with patients and their families as they struggle through the trauma of critical illness and the loss of loved ones. The chaplain also supports employees who are in the firing line of the coronavirus day after day, many of whom have suffered their own personal losses.

Rural Family Medicine Residency Program

RMCHCS welcomed its first cohorts of four residents to its new three-year rural Family Medicine Residency Program in July 2021. The program's mission is to train family medicine residents to provide the highest quality accessible, culturally competent care while inspiring them to serve New Mexico and the Four Corners' rural and Native American populations. Special emphasis is made on recruiting a diverse cohort of residents, including Native American residents, with demonstrated commitment to Native Health as a long-term strategy to address the physician shortage in the area.

In preparation for the residency program, the Foundation provided funds to help develop a Family Medicine wing in RMCHCS' primary care clinic--College Clinic. The Residency Program Services are Temporarily Closed.

Rural Family Medicine Residency Endowment

The Foundation has also established an endowment to provide on-going support for the Family Medicine Residency program and welcomes donations to help grow the endowment as well.

Reach Out and Read Program

Many young children seen by RMCHCS pediatricians do not have any books at home. The Reach Out and Read Program is a national program where pediatricians teach parents about the importance of reading to their young children starting at birth. RMCHCS pediatricians give out over 5,000 books every year to children ages 0 - 5 years. By the time the children begin school, they will have their own collection of books they can read together with their families. The Western Health Foundation supports this program by purchasing books for the program and requests donations to help cover the cost of these books.

Mobile Health Clinic

"Healthcare on the Road." RMCHCS has a mobile health unit that provides women's health services, podiatry services and health education to the people living on the Navajo-Ramah Reservation. This project was made possible with a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Outreach Program and additional support from Americans for Native American (ANA) located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Rotary International including the Gallup Rotary Cub, Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE) program and Pine Hill Health Center.

General Fund

Donations made to the General Fund will support the work of the Foundation and be used where most needed.

Make A Donation

To make an on-line donation in support any of the above programs CLICK HERE. You can also mail in your donation to:

Endowment

The Western Health Foundation received $250,000 as seed money for an endowment for the residency program. The Foundation is also seeking funds to help cover the cost of renovations in the hospital and in College Clinic in preparation for the program.

Annual Fundraising Event

The Foundation's annual fundraising event is Charity Invitational, which includes several events, including its signature golf tournament and a celebratory gala event. One highlight of Charity Invitational is the selection of an honoree. Every year we recognize an individual or group of individuals for their significant contribution to healthcare in the community.

In 2020, Charity Invitational 24 will raise funds for the renovation of an area in College Clinic for a Family Medicine Clinic, which will be the home of RMCHCS' Family Medicine Residency Program.

For more information on Charity Invitational 24, click here.

Foundation Board Members (PENDING)

Ways you can support the Western Health Foundation:

Planned Giving: Including RMCHCS in your will allows you to have a long-term impact on the health of our community and the care provided by our hospital, clinics and behavioral health services.

Gifts of stocks and securities

In-kind Donations

Cash, checks, credit cards and on-line donations

To make an on-line donation in support any of the above programs click here. You can also mail in your donation to:

Western Health Foundation
1901 Red Rock Dr. Gallup, NM 87301

Please be sure to note which program you are supporting or if this is for general support to be used as needed.

For more information, please contact:

Rhonda Ray, Director of Marketing/Development and Public Affairs RMCHCS/Western Health Foundation
1901 Red Rock Dr. Gallup NM 87301
rray@rmchcs.org 505-863-7024