Happy New Year from Gilchrist
Happy New Year from Gilchrist: Together, Our Story Goes On
A message from Gilchrist President Catherine Hamel:
To all of Gilchrist’s friends, supporters, patients and families, Happy New Year.
2021 was a lesson in the power of community. In the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, Gilchrist and our community united like never before to help those in need. I am deeply inspired by the many individuals, foundations, community organizations and businesses that rallied together with us during the pandemic to strengthen Gilchrist’s care and support for seriously ill patients and families. On behalf of Gilchrist and the families we serve, we are incredibly grateful that during a time of great need, our caring supporters chose to put others first.
Together with you, we are writing a new chapter in Gilchrist’s history. Our story is one of hope and perseverance. This past year, when some saw only insurmountable challenges, Gilchrist saw new opportunities to help. We innovated new ways of caring, such as telemedicine and the creation of a COVID hospice unit. Our compassionate staff became a lifeline for families of loved ones in nursing homes when they couldn’t be together. And thanks to our community of supporters, we purchased a continuous supply of personal protective equipment to help ensure the health and safety of our patients, families and staff.
Ours is a story of hearts and minds coming together to create a more positive, meaningful experience for people at every age and every stage of serious illness. With the support of our community, Gilchrist has helped thousands of individuals “live well” and experience the tender, compassionate care that everyone deserves at the end of life.
In 2021
This past year, Gilchrist’s expert medical care and supportive services for elders in our community have helped hundreds of vulnerable seniors age in place and maintain their quality of life. Of course, serious illness can strike at any age. So, as we ushered both young and old through their end-of-life journeys, our Gilchrist teams lifted hearts, calmed fears and helped families create cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Through it all, our counseling teams served a crucial role, helping people cope with the overwhelming grief of death and dying. The pandemic continues to rage on and we continue to put one foot in front of the other, stand united, and remain committed to pressing forward.
As we begin our new year, we are poised to expand our work in Baltimore City with the opening of our state-of-the-art inpatient hospice center at Stadium Place. We remain committed to serving terminally ill children and adults as well as the city’s underserved and homeless, who otherwise would have nowhere to turn to for care. This project was made possible through the incredible philanthropic partnership by our community, the State of Maryland and investment by Harbor Bank and Capital One.
Additionally, because many of our vital services are not fully funded by insurance, we rely on charitable contributions. We are tremendously grateful to all of our supporters for ensuring Gilchrist can continue our legacy of serving everyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay.
Together with you, our story goes on.
To learn more about Gilchrist, visit gilchristcares.org. To support our work, visit gilchristcares.org/give.