Family Caregivers Center of Mercy honored by American Hospital Association

The Family Caregivers Center of Mercy is one of four programs in the nation recognized by the American Hospital Association (AHA) as a winner of its Hospital Awards for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE).  

The AHA HAVE Awards Program is in its 35^th year and highlights the extraordinary efforts of volunteers and volunteer programs, as well as the value and positive influence their contributions have on the patients, hospitals, health systems, staff and communities they serve.

The Family Caregivers Center of Mercy was the winner in the community service category.  Other program categories include community outreach and/or collaboration, fundraising, and in-service hospital volunteer programs.

“We are pleased to be recognized by the AHA for our community service program initiatives,” said Kathy Good, director of the Family Caregivers Center of Mercy. “We have a dedicated volunteer force of more than 110 committed individuals who’ve allowed us to serve 860 caregivers since our start in 2015. The need for the service we provide is great, and growing, and we look forward to continuing to serve our community in the coming years.”           

Award recipients were honored at the annual HAVE Awards breakfast on Sept. 30 in Chicago.

A celebration will be held in Cedar Rapids in late October to recognize the volunteers, donors, caregivers and care receivers.

The 2018 HAVE recipients and finalists are:

Community Service

Winner

• Family Caregivers Center of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Finalists

• Integris Grove Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary-Souper Bowl Saturday, Integris Grove Hospital, Integris Health, Oklahoma City
• Moore County: They Immunize Kids Early (MCTIKE), First Health of the Carolina, Inc., Pinehurst, N.C.
• Morris Hospital Patient Transportation Program, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers, Morris, Ill.
• Munroe Auxiliary Healthy Home, Munroe Regional Medical Center, Ocala, Fla.

Community Outreach/Collaboration

Winner

• HSHS St. Joseph Community Garden, HSHS St. Joseph Hospital, Chippewa, Wis.

Fundraising

Winner

• Tackle Kids Cancer, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, N.J.

In-Service  

Winner

• Trauma Survivors Network, The MetroHealth System, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio