April 9, 2020 Update

Dear Friend of Boulder Community Health,

As I reflect on BCH’s preparation over the last four-plus weeks, an Abraham Lincoln quote comes to mind — "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

I think it’s safe to say that the first four hours are behind BCH and we have used them wisely to add capacity, infrastructure, and resources to prepare for the potential surge of patients from the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to hope for the best and plan for the worst, and remain steadfast in our commitment to provide the best care for our community no matter what comes our way in the days, weeks and months to come.

As we stated at the beginning of this journey, 100% of what we raise through the COVID-19 Response Fund will support BCH in achieving the following two priorities:

Support our most critical asset at BCH, our people.
Remove any barriers to providing the best treatment for COVID–19.

Recognizing that BCH is your community health system, I wanted to provide you with a bit of additional insight of where the Foundation is putting your donations to work as the situation continues to evolve:

SUPPORT OUR MOST CRITIAL ASSET AT BCH, OUR PEOPLE

Launch Employee Assistance Fund

Assist BCH Staff who are facing unanticipated financial challenges caused by the pandemic, including child care, short-term housing support, bill payment, etc.

Extend sick
pay benefits

Provide an expansion of COVID-19 sick-pay benefits, which allows all staff to access COVID pay prior to using paid time off or extended illness bank benefits.

Reduce risk
of exposure

Augment personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies (surgical masks, N95 masks, gloves, gowns, disinfectant, etc.) to further protect staff against the transmission of COVID-19.

“Our frontline staff, physicians and nurses are working tirelessly in this rapidly changing environment, taking on personal risk, emotional strain and many are facing financial concerns. Despite this, we continue to see the courage, compassion, and willingness to help out in a crisis that defines BCH medical staff and employees. We are all in this together and we are facing this pandemic head-on. I have never been prouder to be a part of the BCH team.”

Rob Vissers MD, President & CEO, BCH

REMOVE ANY BARRIERS TO PROVIDING THE BEST TREATMENT FOR COVID-19

Augment testing

Support our ability to provide testing through investment in lab supplies, expansion to new lab resources, and exploring opportunities to introduce antibody testing.

Expand our reach

Support ambulatory patients through expanding our telehealth capabilities and building out ‘hospital-at-home” program.

Expand critical access beds, including ability to expand total BCH hospital beds from 174 to 214.

Flex our teams

Cross-training of our physicians and nurses that may be needed as volume increases.

“Our dedicated teams are working 24/7 to expand access to community based testing, to jump-start video visits and telehealth, to develop and implement an innovative “hospital-at-home” program, and to offer the best diagnostics and therapeutics available. Your support helps us implement these solutions rapidly and using the best tools available.”

Ben Keidan, MD, Chief Medical Officer, BCH

BCH is facing unprecedented daily financial losses due to the temporary shuttering of elective surgeries and scaling back operations at the majority of our physician clinics. This is not insignificant in light of the razor thin margins BCH has operated within over the last few years while investing in new services designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community. Despite this financial strain, BCH continues to invest in preparing for the surge in patients that the pandemic will bring. You have our commitment that we will continue to put 100% of your donations to the COVID-19 Response Fund to work in support of the stated priorities.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at gbesser@bch.org with any questions. In the meantime, on behalf of over 2,700 staff and physicians hard at work at BCH, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all you have done for your community health system. We are forever grateful.

With deep respect and gratitude,

Grant Besser
BCH Foundation, President

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Boulder Community Health (BCH) does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, or on the basis of disability or age in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by BCH directly or through a contract or any other entity with which BCH arranges to carry out its programs and activities.

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