SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Ronald McDonald House Charities Intermountain Area has been awarded a $75,000 grant from Cambia Health Foundation to fund a one-year pilot program – the first of its kind in the nation. This innovative project will establish a new Palliative Care and Behavioral Health Specialist position on-site at the Ronald McDonald House who will provide additional support and resources to pediatric patients and their families including:  

• Family-centered crisis intervention and mental health care for pediatric patient families from the intermountain area, who are scared, grieving or distressed and may have limited resources.
• Collaborative case management to help address social determinants of health with robust referral resources both locally and throughout the surrounding states. In addition, the program will assist families transition home and connect to community resources for job placement, food security, school, diagnosis- specific support groups and diagnosis-specific financial resources
• Grief and bereavement support through each child’s diagnosis, medical journey and palliative care.   

Carrie Romano, CEO of RMHC Intermountain Area emphasized the importance of this pilot program and the need it will address for the pediatric patient families served by RMHC. “Providing this resource to families on-site has been a long-time desire of the organization – and in light of COVID-19 vulnerable patient families need support more than ever. We are excited to launch this game-changing model as we know that family-centered care improves outcomes. The families we serve are often traveling from rural areas to access life-saving medical care for their children. They are facing complex challenges with very limited resources which will only continue to be exacerbated as we navigate this global pandemic. We believe this proactive pilot program is timely and will have meaningful positive impacts for patient families and our health care systems.”

“We’re honored to align Cambia Health Foundation’s commitment to pediatric palliative care with RMHC’s demonstrated commitment to family-centered approach to caring for seriously ill children and their families,” said Peggy Maguire, President and Board Chair, Cambia Health Foundation. “This innovative project will improve lives by making it easier for families to access behavioral support and resources needed to help them navigate unimaginable challenges." 

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area has posted for the Palliative Care and Behavioral Health Specialist position and expects to offer the new program resources to families in late Fall 2020. to read the job description for this new position, click:https://www.rmhcslc.org/employment-opportunities/.

ABOUT RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES (RMHC) – INTERMOUNTAIN AREA
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is to surround families with the support they need to be near and care for their seriously ill or injured children. RMHC provides a home-away-from-home to ease daily burdens and empower families of hospitalized children with meaningful experiences and quality time together. To learn more, visit our website at www.rmhcslc.org

About Cambia Health Foundation 
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to making health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. Founded in 2007, the foundation has funded almost $70 million in grants to advance patient- and family-centered care for all. Cambia Health Foundation strategically invests in philanthropy to change the way people experience health care from birth to natural completion of life.  Learn more at www.cambiahealthfoundation.org, and follow us on Twitter:@CambiaHealthFdn.