COVID-19 Donations
How You Can Help
For COVID-19 related testing or other clinical or diagnosis questions, please contact the Bozeman Health COVID-19 Hotline at 406-414-2619.
We are honored by the depth of generosity in our communities! While we need to be thoughtful in what we receive, those wanting to make any in-kind contributions, such as masks, respirators, gloves, etc. may call the Foundation at 406-414-1085. All offers are being documented and shared with Incident Command for their consideration. No items should be dropped off at the hospital without prior approval.
In addition to equipment contributions, several community members expressed interest in working with local restaurant businesses to provide meals for hospital employees. This also must be coordinated through the Foundation and we are not able to accept homemade food items due to infection prevention precautions.
Bozeman Health COVID-19 Employee Compassion Fund
Background
As Bozeman Health, Deaconess Hospital, Big Sky Medical Center and partners throughout our communities prepare for and address the challenges presented to us and our patients by COVID-19, local individuals, corporations and foundations are asking: “How can we help?” We appreciate these expressions of generosity and we know that, during emergencies, volunteering and providing financial support offer concrete ways for people to make a difference and feel a sense of solidarity with those in need.
We find ourselves in the midst of a very fluid situation, where circumstances are changing daily, if not by the hour. With this in mind, we’ve established the “Bozeman Health COVID-19 Employee Compassion Fund” to help provide for an evolving and broadly defined set of potential health system and patient needs across the communities we serve, as well as additional support for our employees. At this time, our focus is to provide support to our employees working tirelessly to care for an influx of very sick patients. Proceeds will be used to purchase healthy snacks and meals, as well as to support emotional well-being for frontline staff. As donors consider making gifts to support this fund, we respectfully request that they do so with an understanding that flexibility and adaptability in when, how and where the resources they provide may be used by Bozeman Health is essential.
The trust we’ve built with our supporters, partners and community is our most vital asset. We never want to create expectations that may be impossible to meet. At the same time, we know that having access to a pool of charitable resources to support local needs allows us to be innovative and to be more responsive to changing circumstances. Below, please find a list of where contributions designated to this fund are anticipated to prove helpful to us, our patients and our communities.
Specialized equipment, infrastructure & supplies
The number of those diagnosed as positive for COVID-19 continues to grow across the communities we serve. Specialized technology, increased inventory of personal protective equipment for caregivers, screening and testing supplies, enhancements to our current facilities, and the establishment of safe alternative care sites are all examples of where we’re already making investments to prepare for the days, weeks and even months ahead. This essential work has begun, and we need community support to carry it forward.
Supplemental staffing & support for care team members
As our communities’ needs continue to grow and change, Bozeman Health and its care sites will require additional trained, technical staff and we have already extended the hours of those working long shifts in Bozeman, Belgrade and Big Sky. We will also need to recruit and train new staff to support priorities such as behavioral health and our call center, essential to providing potential patients with the support and information they most need. Care team members, meeting the needs of patients during this emergency, will benefit from specialized training, support and services to ensure their individual resilience and well-being.
Compassionate patient care funds
Building on the effectiveness of our existing Charity Care and Patient Care Fund programs, those local patients diagnosed as positive and under treatment for COVID-19 may require targeted financial support to help them and their families address related economic stresses. Patient Financial Assistance and “Mini-grants” for those patients who may see significant hospital bills, reduced incomes or increased living expenses can help to cover housing costs, utility bills, transportation costs and more.
This initial list of possibilities is far from all-inclusive, but it does represent already identified needs or those we believe have a likelihood of emerging in the coming days and weeks. These needs and our requests of supporters like you will evolve as well. Thank you, in advance, for your patience and your generous spirit.