The mission of Craig Hospital thrives because of uncommonly dedicated staff, volunteers and donors. Craig Hospital Foundation directs gifts from our community to general hospital activities and other specific needs at a donor’s request. Many of Craig’s programs rely on the hundreds of individuals, families, corporations and foundations that have supported our mission over the years.
The following is a list of programs and services at Craig Hospital that are dependent on your gifts.
Today, thousands of patients are leading better lives because of the medical care, rehabilitation services and research of Craig Hospital. General support gifts support programs in greatest need. These contributions provide the hospital with the most flexibility in addressing the particular needs of the institution each year.
Over half of the patients that come to Craig annually need help to get them through their crisis. These funds help patients with minimal income or inadequate insurance to purchase adaptive equipment, remodel homes for accessibility, train caregivers and much more. Gifts can support general patient assistance or a more specific patient need. Some of the specific patient assistance funds include:
These funds ensure that 100% of Craig’s inpatients return to their community with the basic adaptive equipment required to lead the most independent life possible following a catastrophic injury.
These funds support the needs of patients between the ages of 16-21 as well as help children of our patients while their parents focus on rehabilitation and adapting to a new life.
Each year Craig Hospital supports 45-60 of its graduates in their pursuit of higher education. Contributions to this fund provide financial assistance with tuition and books for college education. Graduates interested in applying to receive these funds may download the application and submit it between January 1 and May 31. For additional information contact Terry Chase at 303-789-8211 or email tmchase@craighospital.org. Awards are given each year in August for the upcoming school year.
Craig Hospital has pioneered numerous rehabilitation concepts central to the success of its graduates. The hospital needs community support to pay for innovative programs that may not be covered by insurance companies, but address the whole person in all aspects of life and ultimately lead to higher levels of health and independence over a lifetime. A few of the programs that depend on community support include:
A keystone of rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation motivates patients to make the most out of rehabilitation so that they can enjoy life again and ultimately return to their lives. Staff with a broad range of expertise in adaptive sports, horticulture, cooking, crafts and more, work one-on-one with patients and organize outings and activities for inpatients, families and sometimes outpatients.
When patients get hurt, whole families get hurt. A 47-unit Outpatient and Family Housing Facility on-campus provides housing to families of first-time inpatients who are from outside of metro Denver and also provides convenient housing for patients returning for re-evaluations. The housing program is important to family involvement in patients' rehabilitation.
Patients and families need new knowledge, skills and confidence to go forth following a catastrophic injury. Patient & Family Education integrates a teaching philosophy into Craig’s therapy and health services so that patients and family members learn about the physical, psychological and social aspects of their injury. We know from past experience that a well informed patient is much more likely to maintain health over time.
Alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture or aromatherapy can help greatly with pain management, increasing the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The Research Department, through a grant from the National Institute of Health, is studying whether these medical approaches can help Craig patients by reducing pain, sleeplessness or the use of medications. Contributions to this program fund the delivery of these services to patients who have medical approval.
Since the mid-1970’s, Craig has been on the frontier of scientific research related to improving the lives of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. The research department is currently conducting a wide variety of ongoing studies involving the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Additionally, Craig is collaborating with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden on Stem Cell research. The Hospital also conducts clinical trials of new medications to improve patient outcomes
Looking to the future, the only way to ensure that people who suffer catastrophic injuries can always achieve maximum independence is to supplement declining health insurance benefits with philanthropic support, especially endowment funding. Started in 2004, these funds are growing and can be permanently restricted to a special purpose or given to support general needs of the future. Some specific-purpose funds have already been established including:
This fund provides an opportunity for the “graduates of yesterday” to help the “graduates of tomorrow.” The fund will remain invested in perpetuity, with 5 percent of its value allocated annually to support patient assistance initiatives.
Started by a graduate and his family, this fund provides funding for Peer Support programs and activities. Named for the “pink shirts” worn by this patient and his peers during their rehabilitation, annual returns on this fund ensure that new patients can always connect with Craig graduates who have successfully returned to their lives.
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