Fund will provide immediate support for employees who experience financial challenges during COVID-19 crisis
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — As Minnesotans face the challenges of COVID-19, the role of front-line caregivers has never been more crucial. To keep our health care workers in their roles doing what they do best, the St. Francis and Saints Foundation teams are joining together to support the needs of caregivers at this important time by creating the Caring for Caregivers Fund.
Community members interested in supporting St. Francis employees are invited to make a donation to the fund here, which will help cover mortgage or rent expenses, car payments, child care and utility expenses, and other financial hardships that may arise as team members give their full attention to caring for those who are seriously ill.
This new fund is an element of Allina Health’s Caring for Caregivers program. Other ways that Allina Health is caring for its St. Francis employees are:
- COVID leave (two weeks’ pay, waived short-term disability waiting period) for any employee prohibited from working due to non-work related exposure (travel, family member who is ill, etc.);
- Two weeks’ pay for any staff sent home due to canceled elective procedures who are not floated to another part of Allina Health or reskilled
- Bright Horizons back-up childcare opened to all employees and reimbursed; YMCA childcare also reimbursed; and
- Shipt grocery delivery benefit expanded to all employees.
The public also has been invited to show how they care for caregivers by sewing masks, making donations of needed personal protective equipment and writing notes of encouragement.
About St. Francis Regional Medical Center
St. Francis Regional Medical Center is owned by Allina Health, HealthPartners Park Nicollet and Essentia Health. This unique structure combines the caring and compassion of a community hospital with the advanced medical technology, specialties and expertise of industry-leading health systems. St. Francis provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency care services on a collaborative medical campus with more than 30 affiliated clinics and 450 providers in the community.
About the Saints Foundation
Saints Foundation unites the unique strengths of St. Francis and St. Gertrude's Health & Rehabilitation Center to provide meaningful opportunities to advance the future of health care. From the first breath of a baby at St. Francis Family Birth Place to the last breath of an elderly patient at St. Gertrude’s End-of-Life Hospice Suite, donations through Saints Foundation make a difference.