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Members of Institutional Advancement gathered at Freeway Medical Tower to reach out to donors by phone and through personalized, handwritten thank-you notes.
Image by Bryan Clifton
Gratitude on Display for Donors, Colleagues on Thank UAMS Day
| Thank UAMS Day is a day of gratitude for the people, places and programs of UAMS. At this year’s Nov. 10 event, gratitude was on full display as members of the Institutional Advancement division recognized the efforts of staff, the investment of donors and their shared contributions to the UAMS mission.
UAMS team members took selfies with signs to form messages thanking donors.Bryan Clifton
As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, Team UAMS also continues to show up every day, rolling up its collective sleeves to advance the mission of better health and health care for all Arkansans. That kind of effort is what inspires donors across Arkansas, the region and other parts of the world to invest in UAMS.
“I’m so proud and extremely grateful for each one of our dedicated, hardworking and talented staff,” said UAMS Chancellor and UAMS Health CEO Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA in a pre-recorded video released on the morning of the event. “You continue to rise to the challenge every day, to ensure the best care for our patients, the best education for our students and the continuation of exceptional lifesaving research.”
“I regularly hear from donors who tell me how much UAMS means to them,” he said. “They tell me about the life-saving care they, or a family member, received at UAMS. They talk about how much our mission of improving the health and well-being of every Arkansan means to them.”
Institutional Advancement’s Osmonetta Beard shows off the cover of one of the thank-you cards.Bryan Clifton
Team UAMS at locations across the state were all smiles as they held up placards saying thank-you to both their teams and to the donors that help fund their program areas. In all, 22 areas across UAMS created a total of 198 staff gratitude photos showing their appreciation.
A social media engagement program included areas across the institution as staff shared photos on multiple platforms thanking donors for their support, garnering close to 700 likes, shares and comments. A donor appreciation email was also sent, reaching 29,000 supporters, and more than 5,000 donors received copies of a fiscal year impact report showing the difference philanthropy makes at UAMS.
“We are especially grateful to all our generous donors everywhere who invest in our mission,” said John Erck, vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement. “When you contribute to research, education and patient care, you make an immeasurable impact. Without you, UAMS would not be the health care leader that it is today.”
Members of Institutional Advancement gathered around a table to write more than 1,500 thank-you notes to donors, such as one shown here by Rachel Burton.Bryan Clifton
In an all-day “Thank-A-Thon” held at Freeway Medical Tower, team members in Institutional Advancement wore bright yellow stickers that read “Grateful,” staffed phone lines and dialed up donors to thank them for their support. They also took time to craft handwritten notes on a variety of Thank UAMS Day notecards. By day’s end, the teams had sent more than 1,500 personalized notes to donors.
Last year, UAMS raised $32 million in private funds for research, education and clinical care thanks to 3,748 donors making 5,517 total gifts, Erck said.
“This philanthropy is vital to our continued success,” said Patterson.
Building on the success of the second annual Thank UAMS Day, next year’s program will take place in November of 2022.