UAMS Tops Half a Million in Oct. 2 Day of Giving
| Over a 24-hour period beginning early Oct. 2 and ending in the wee hours of Oct. 3, the foundation for UAMS received more than $500,000 for the state’s only health sciences university in response to the second annual UAMS Day of Giving fundraising campaign.
Donations were still being counted when the total hit $518,000.
“Philanthropic support is critical to the UAMS mission, which includes everything from training tomorrow’s health care providers to making groundbreaking scientific discoveries to providing the highest quality medical care. In these and many other ways, we work to improve health for all Arkansans,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “It’s both validating and humbling to see that so many of you believe in supporting this mission, and we could not be more thankful for each donor. You are investing in a better future for our state.”
Patterson and his wife, Kristine, transport patients to clinics during the Day of Giving.
Patterson kicked off the day’s events by making its first official donation at 6 a.m., Oct. 2. He and his wife, Kristine B. Patterson, M.D., helped with many activities throughout the day, with one of the most popular events at the UAMS fountain taking selfies with the students.
The campaign, in its second year, surpassed its stated goal of $400,000 before 5 p.m., said Amanda May, director of annual giving.
Donors made gifts via phone or online at the campaign website, dayofgiving.uams.edu. UAMS leadership and volunteers staffed tables around campus to receive in-person donations from anyone wishing to give to support their area of interest, including employees passing by on a morning walk or during their lunch hour and families grateful to UAMS for the physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who provide patient care to their loved ones.
Donation stations dotted the campus as part of the Day of Giving. Some offered free slices of cake and other goodies, and campus leadership also assisted at Doc Java and at the information desks.
“The atmosphere across campus was electric,” May said. “Faculty, staff, students and patients were energized by this recognition and celebration of the important work involved in providing compassionate, quality health care, and by the simple act of taking some time out of the day to celebrate giving back.”
All money raised will support the various programs, colleges or institutes chosen by the donors, and the donors’ gift designations were spread across areas of patient care, education and research.
Social media was abuzz with photos and videos from patients, families, employees and supporters using the hashtag #UAMSDayofGiving. They shared stories about the difference UAMS made for them, and why supporting the institution helps those in need tomorrow.
UAMS Northwest Regional Campus kicked off the day with a “Thanks a Latte: Onyx Coffee Bar & Breakfast” event in the Epley Lobby of its building in Fayetteville, inviting community members to stop by for coffee and make a gift.
UAMS has more than 1 million patient visits each year. Those patients are seen by UAMS faculty at its main campus, regional campuses, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Baptist Health and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. UAMS graduates nearly 1,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals each year, the majority of whom stay in Arkansas to practice. It’s a difference felt across the state.
“The Day of Giving also raises awareness of the importance of UAMS to our state, as well as the fact that UAMS is a destination for philanthropy from our alumni, grateful patients and families, and others who are touched by the life-changing services UAMS provides,” said May.
UAMS relies in large part on its own revenue to support itself, but often that isn’t enough.
State appropriations are only about 6 percent of UAMS’ $1.5 billion annual budget. Patient care revenue makes up the lion’s share, or 75 percent. As state appropriations remain flat from year to year, and needs continue to grow, UAMS seeks additional philanthropic support.
“As the funding models in health care become more complicated and less secure, philanthropy is an important tool for institutions like UAMS to continue to ensure excellence,” said Brigitte Grant, interim vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement. “The individuals who gave during our Day of Giving clearly recognize that, and we thank them.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###