Newport Hospital and Health Services Foundation

Who benefits from this year’s fundraising?    Newport Hospital & Health Services Foundation was formed in 2008 with the mission to cultivate relationships and partnerships to generate financial and other resources to assist NHHS to serve the community, promote health and improve lives.    In support of the District’s mission, the Foundation raises money for needed healthcare equipment, supplies, healthcare delivery, and overall community health and education. Since 2008, support for hospital projects has varied, and totaled more than $96,000 for everything from walking paths and bone density scanners to digital mammography. Most recently, the NHHS Foundation purchased a newborn hearing screening device for The Birthing Unit and an allograft freezer to support orthopedic surgical services.  In addition to fulfilling certain equipment needs for Public Hospital District #1, the Foundation’s General Fund also supports employee higher education for internal workforce development.

Since 2012, the NHHS Foundation has provided nearly $145,000 to the Healthy Kids Snack Bag program and Reach Out & Read -- two programs benefiting children in Pend Oreille and West Bonner Counties.

The Healthy Kids Snack Bag Program’s goal is to combat basic food disparities and childhood obesity, as well as increase educational performance among local elementary school children (K-6th grade). The program provides them with a week’s worth of nutritious snacks (3 snacks/day, 7 days/week) and weekly nutrition education materials or healthy snack recipes. The Foundation also provides nutritious snacks to Pend Oreille Skills Center, Pend Oreille River School, and Pend Oreille Valley Adventist School.  Can I sponsor a child’s snack bag each week?  Absolutely! The cost to sponsor-a-child is $180 per year ... or $15 a month! Contact the Foundation Office to arrange a weekly credit card donation to cover the cost of a child’s snack bag. You can also talk to your employer about establishing a payroll deduction opportunity to be sent to the Foundation.

The Reach Out and Read Program is a parenting and early literacy program that helps children prepare for kindergarten by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. Doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence based model into well-child checkups from ages 6 months through 5 years. Primary care providers at Newport Health Center give each child a developmentally and culturally appropriate children's book to take home and keep.