Additional $1 million goal by June 30 will close the campaign
The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation has exceeded several goals and raised more than $26 million toward the Your Health, Our Mission: Caring for Our Families Together comprehensive campaign that began in July 2017. The foundation hopes to raise an additional $1 million by June 30 to close the campaign, making this the most successful fundraising effort in the history of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health.
The campaign began with two goals–to reshape behavioral health care in Harford County and to strengthen services through integrated program offerings provided by Cancer LifeNet and the Senator Bob Hooper House.
“The success of the Your Health, Our Mission campaign shows just how much our community cares about one another. It is the most successful fundraising campaign ever for any organization in Harford County,“ said Jay Young, Chairman, Board of Directors, The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation. “Gifts today ensure that these vital programs and services are available to all of us, our friends and neighbors, during times of need. This is the foundation’s motto in action; friends and neighbors helping friends and neighbors.”
Under the leadership of Craig Ward and Terri Garland, campaign co-chairs, and honorary co-chairs, Tony Meoli and the late Andrew P. Klein, the campaign began with a $12 million goal. The positive response from community members and donors encouraged the campaign leadership to increase the goal several times, from $12 million to $15 million to $20 million. The funds raised assist University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health in meeting the diverse needs of Harford County, offering flexible and affordable health care that is close to home.
“The Your Health, Our Mission campaign demonstrates visionary community leaders helping their friends and neighbors. More than 8,700 individuals, families, local businesses and organizations have donated to the campaign, and we are grateful for their support,” said Elizabeth Wise, President and Chief Executive Officer of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. “The impact of this campaign will help those needing mental health or addiction care, support during and after a cancer diagnosis, and end-of-life hospice care. We are fortunate to have vested stakeholders and community partners who support our mission of quality health care, close to home.”
The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center
Reshaping and increasing behavioral health care services in Harford County was identified early as a campaign goal because of the lack of a centralized location for support and a coordinated continuum of care for those in need.
“This was a project that my father really wanted to do in his life. He saw the need for addiction services and outpatient crisis services in Harford County,” explained Marshall Klein, about his father, Andy Klein, and his commitment to establishing a crisis center in Harford County. “Every single one of us who runs a business, whether you employ 10 people or a thousand people, have someone who works for them that struggles with addiction and mental health. It’s crucial that you be able to get quality, best-in-class care where you live.”
The Klein Family joined with other donors and community partners who were united in finding a way to offer comprehensive behavioral health services in Harford County.
The resulting Klein Family Harford Crisis Center, located at 802 Baltimore Pike in Bel Air, opened in 2019.
It is a co-funded, public/private partnership, including philanthropy, offering behavioral, mental health and addiction services that offers a 24/7 hotline and mobile crisis team, behavioral health walk-in urgent care clinic and residential crisis services in addition to one-to-one personalized care, individualized treatment plans, peer coaches and assistance with coordinated ongoing treatment. University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health also provides outpatient psychotherapy and medication management services for mental health issues.
“What defines me as a person and what defines my family is giving back to the communities that supported us. Upper Chesapeake is so pivotal to our family. We couldn’t think of a better way to give back than health care,” said Klein, CEO/Partner of Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland.
In Fiscal Year 2021, The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center served 10,685 individuals, including 6,331 who received urgent care and residential treatment and 4,354 individuals who visited the outpatient clinic. The crisis center supports clients of all ages; the oldest person served is 93, and the youngest is 5.
The crisis center is managed by University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health in partnership with Harford County Government, Healthy Harford/Healthy Cecil, Harford County Health Department and Office on Mental Health/Core Service Agency of Harford County, Inc.
While the campaign helped to establish the crisis center, continuing community support through philanthropy is vital to ongoing behavioral health services for neighbors who need them in the future, particularly those neighbors for whom cost is a challenge.
Cancer LifeNet
Strengthening the services of Cancer LifeNet through integrated programs is an important part of the Your Health, Our Mission campaign.
Founded in 2006 and located in the Kaufman Cancer Center at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, Cancer LifeNet provides free-of-charge supportive care services to all residents of Harford and Cecil counties, regardless of where cancer treatment is received.
Offering navigation and support, Cancer LifeNet helps people cope with the physical, financial, psychological and emotional aspects of having cancer. Nurse navigators, social workers and other specialists work alongside people diagnosed with cancer and their families to create a safe and nurturing environment and help them with each stage of their cancer journey.
Over the past year, 1,800 people have used the more than 300 programs and services provided by Cancer LifeNet. The cost is $1 million yearly, and it is funded solely through philanthropic support. Since its founding 16 years ago, more than 17,000 cancer patients and family members have used the services of Cancer LifeNet.
Senator Bob Hooper House
The third, yet equally important, funding priority of the Your Health, Our Mission campaign is to ensure compassionate, end-of-life care remains available to all residents and their loved ones at the Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill.
In its 11th year of providing services, the Senator Bob Hooper House is an assisted living community specializing in hospice care. The Hooper House provides a coordinated program of hospice care and support services, helping residents and their families through the myriad issues associated with end-of-life care.
The Hooper House’s team of professionals and volunteers handle residents’ needs so that loved ones and families can treasure remaining time and focus on what matters most.
This beautiful and comfortable house provides a peaceful, supportive setting for families to come together during a loved one’s final days. The mission of the Hooper House is to provide compassionate, full-service end-of-life care close to home.
The Hooper House provides more than $300,000 each year in charity care courtesy of generous donors in the community. No one is ever turned away because of their inability to pay.
Gifts of any size toward the Your Health, Our Mission campaign are welcome. Donations may be made through cash gifts, pledges, appreciated securities, stocks and bonds, matching gifts and legacy gifts. Many gifts are also made in honor or in memory of a relative, friend, valued physician or other significant person to the donor. For more information or to make a donation, visit uchfoundation.org or call 443-643-3460.
About University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, part of the University of Maryland Medical System, includes the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and the Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center on its Bel Air campus. Most recently, it opened The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center in Bel Air offering services for behavioral health. The Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill is an assisted living facility that specializes in hospice. The University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital has been operating in the community for over a century and is located in Havre de Grace. The leading health care system and largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health care services, specialty care, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland. Visit www.umms.org/uch for more information.
