RRH Development Foundation Employee Giving Campaign – Gratitude Changes Everything

Ridgecrest, CA - Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Development Foundation launched its “Culture of Gratitude” Employee Giving Campaign on June 12, 2015 to benefit Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. “This is a first for the employees of RRH and the initial response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Tamara Tilley, Executive Director of the RRH Development Foundation. “These employees passionately believe in the mission, vision and values of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital and it shows.”

The Development Foundation is calling its campaign “A Culture of Gratitude” for several reasons. There is a growing pool of evidence supporting the healing benefits of gratitude, such as an article from Harvard Medical School, “Expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel better. ”Gratitude,” it says, “is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives whether tangible or intangible.” In the book, Why is gratitude good? By Robert Emmons, Mr. Emmons wrote, “gratitude has been linked to an increased ability to cope with stress, a stronger immune function, quicker recovery from illness, lower blood pressure, increased feelings of connectedness that improve relationships and well-being, greater joy, optimism and increased generosity and compassion.”

“Across the country, non-profit hospitals are moving from a nice-to-have relationship with their hospital foundation to a more structured, must-have partnership. These are challenging times in healthcare as we see reimbursements declining, and having a successful fundraising partner is now a critical component for the non-profit community hospital,” reported Tamara. “The RRH Development Foundation believes that everyone has a reason to be thankful for a local community hospital like Ridgecrest Regional. We hoped we would find grateful employees who would help us inspire the community to join in supporting Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. I believe we found them.”

An amazing 120 RRH employees made a gift or pledge to the RRH Development Foundation and the campaign will continue through July 31, 2015. These gifts represent a financial commitment to give back to their employer and their community. When asked to help start a building fund for a new and greatly needed Emergency Department, most of the employees designated their gift for the greatest good of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. “Now that’s gratitude,” added Tamara.

For more information about RRH Development Foundation or our Grateful Patient Program, contact Tamara Tilley at (760) 499-3955 or by email at tamara.tilley@rrh.org