‘It Can Have an Incredible Ripple Effect’

Staff from a diverse range of departments and backgrounds talk about why they are leading MLKCH Gives, the annual staff giving campaign

A nurse educator who believes in the ripple effects. A patient experience expert who thinks it makes us all better at our jobs. A director who wants to help the community he grew up in.

These are the faces of the MLKCH Gives 2019 Leadership team. These are the faces of caring.

Like previous leaders in the staff giving campaign—which raised more than $100,000 in 2018 and reached an almost 40% participation rate—our leadership team comes from diverse departments and backgrounds within our hospital. They are care managers and public safety officers, nurses, educators, and IT directors. They are new to the job or veterans with decades of experience.

They have two things in common: a belief in the importance of MLKCH for our community—and a conviction that generosity is one of the most compelling ways to demonstrate that belief.

Here are their voices on why they give to MLKCH, and why they think you should, too.

Natasha Adams, Nursing Educator

“MLKCH Gives may not raise millions of dollars, but it can have an incredible ripple effect. Something small can lead to something big. A new tool we fund saves more lives and brings in more doctors, which interests more philanthropic supporters. That’s how we grow. We grow because we believed in ourselves and we led the way.”

Tammy Turner, Manager, Perinatal

“It’s important to be a good steward to the organization where you work. If we expect others to be charitable towards our mission, we have to model that behavior.”

Devone Deale, Manager, Public Safety

“In simplest terms, it just feels good to give back. We grew up here. This is where all my friends are, this is where I work, so it feels good to give back to the community where I was raised.”

Tara Chadwick, Manager, Patient Experience

“It makes us more empathetic and more able to connect with people. When you see real need…you ask yourself, ‘If I didn’t have this, how would it feel? If I lived in an area where there wasn’t healthcare, what would I do?’ The giving spirit can pull us all together and make us even better caregivers and people in general.”

Chandelier Greenfield, 4th Floor Unit Secretary

“No matter the dollar amount, if everybody is contributing, I feel like the entire team is working towards the mission—they all see it and reach for it together.”

Rita Calderon, Manager, Med Surg Telemetry

“I give for the same reason I drive nearly 140 miles each day to come here—because I really believe in what MLKCH is doing.”

Danny Lujan, Sr. Director, Health Information Technology Operations

“It sends a message that the employees at this hospital care really care about the patients and this hospital. And I firmly believe that when you give, whether to this hospital or any other charity, you’ll be given back twice as much back.”

Carole Newsom, Director, Health Information Technology Programs

“I hadn’t worked in an organization with an employee giving program before. Being part of this program gives me a tangible feeling of giving back. Seeing the patients being treated here or watching an ED patient walk out the door—that’s what drives me.”

This year’s staff giving campaign runs from July 15 to August 1. The goal is for 500 staff members to make gifts in support of the hospital. Will you join us?