January 14, 2010 - By Ruthann Richter
An image from the devastation caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
More than 1,000 people at Stanford University have contributed some $118,000 for Haiti relief through a growing challenge grant program initiated at the medical center, officials reported on Jan. 22.
The initial challenge grant of $25,000—initiated last week by the School of Medicine, the Department of Medicine and Stanford Hospital & Clinics—now has grown to $112,000. The university's senior leadership has donated personal funds to the match effort. Additionally, several departments at the medical school are participating in the match effort, including the departments of anesthesia, neurology and neurological sciences, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, surgery and urology.
The donated funds will support the operations of Hopital Albert Schweitzer, which is near Port-au-Prince and withstood the Jan. 12 quake. The hospital, one of the few after the quake with a functioning operating room, is serving as a major treatment center for mass casualties, and continues to be overwhelmed by the flow of patients with problems requiring urgent attention.
Between the match funds of $112,000 and the contributions of the university community, the total raised at Stanford now stands at nearly $230,000.
“It’s an incredible response,” said Ralph Greco, MD, a professor of surgery who has been taking residents to the Haitian hospital for the last 20 years. “The amazing thing to me is the donations from faculty, students and staff have exceeded the match. It’s really great to see this outpouring of giving.”
Among other things, he said the funds will help replenish needed supplies, such as antibiotics and pain-killers. “This will be very valuable for them to have this (contribution),” he said.
“I and others at Stanford have worked at that hospital since the 1980s and trust that the money will be well-spent,” said Michele Barry, MD, the medical school’s senior associate dean for global health.
Other Organizations to Support
A number of agencies are also offering vital assistance to quake victims in Haiti. To support their efforts, please visit them online:
- American Red Cross
- Mercy Corps
- UNICEF
- Salvation Army
- Doctors without Borders
- Americares
- Catholic Relief Services
- Food for Poor
How to give to the challenge grant
Medical center faculty, students and staff interested in donating to the HAS challenge grant can pay by credit card at http://www.hashaiti.org/C1a_w1.html. Please follow these steps:
Submit gift amount and credit card information through online form.
Click on Make This A Tribute Gift button, which appears AFTER your transaction is processed.
On Tribute Gift page:
Indicate that your donation is a matching gift.
Enter your Stanford affiliation as the Matching Organization: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University Department of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics or Stanford University.
You will receive an email confirmation for your gift amount only; Stanford's matching funds will not be reflected on your receipt.
Those who wish to make their donations with checks or money orders should send them to the following address. Please make checks payable to Hopital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) and indicate your Stanford affiliation on the memo line.
Hopital Albert Schweitzer
P.O. Box 81046
Pittsburgh, PA, 15217
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Ruthann RichterRuthann Richter is the director of media relations for the medical school's Office of Communication & Public Affairs.
About Stanford Medicine
Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.
