Giving Back

Giving Back to Our Community

 Send This Page To A Friend

Every day, Meriter provides care and healing through quality healthcare services. But Meriter's impact on the community is broader than the care given within our hospital campus – we also participate in innovative community programs that offer information, hope and healing.

Meriter is honored to give back to our community through these programs, because we know the impact that they have on the lives of area families. Part of the reason our community programs are so effective is that we work together with a variety of community partners.

By working with schools, community agencies, the United Way and other healthcare organizations, we can better address the community's health and social issues and improve the community's well-being. If Meriter cannot be the solution to a problem, we try our best to be a catalyst for a solution by bringing the right people together to work on it.

These community benefit expenses, translated to a dollar amount, totaled a commitment of more than $40,624,767 from Meriter in 2008. But the real benefit is so much more than a dollar figure. As you'll see in the examples below, the real benefit is that we're finding real ways to give back to our community – inside and outside of our hospital campus.
Girl

Annual Statistical Review - 2008

Empowering Moms

Meriter's Prenatal Care Coordination Program teaches moms "to fish." Just as teaching someone to fish, rather than just giving them a fish, will help them feed themselves for a long time, this program helps pregnant women at high risk for early deliveries access and utilize the support and services they need to have healthy babies. In addition to health issues, many women served by this program are educated on exploring the housing, transportation, parenting and other resources available, helping them make the vital connections and filling out the necessary applications to assure a more stable life for their babies.

Seal Dane

Through "Seal Dane," Meriter has partnered with Public Health Madison and Dane County to help children who don't have a regular dentist. Targeting third-graders, this school-based program raises awareness of the importance of dental health, provides free sealants to eligible children, and coordinates necessary follow-up dental care needs.

Better Health Inspired by Fashion and Storytelling

Despite the alarming fact that it's their number one cause of death, too many women still are not aware that heart disease is their top health risk. In 2008, Meriter took a unique approach to creating awareness and inspiring women to take action to protect their own heart health. "Designs of the Heart" combined a dress design competition, a fashion show and personal stories to put a spotlight on one of our community's biggest health risks.

Meriter Takes Aim on Heart Health

To give hunters a better understanding of their personal cardiovascular fitness, Meriter Heart Hospital staff brings heart health screenings to where the hunters are - the annual Dane County Hunter Sight-In. Hunters receive a heart risk assessment, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, as well as safety advice.


For More Information

Described above are just a few of the ways Meriter and its staff are working to build a healthier community. If you have any questions about Meriter's community initiatives, please contact Meriter Community Relations at (608) 417-5620.

You may also find our Commitment to Quality section interesting, which highlights how Meriter is working to continuously improve the quality of care within our hospital.

11/11/2009