David's Story: St. Mary's Adult Day Health Center As the primary financial provider for his family, the after-effects of David's stroke were far-reaching. His recovery and rehabilitation were a primary concern, of course, but how could his wife take on the role of primary care giver and primary breadwinner? That's when they discovered St. Mary's Adult Day Health Center—a supervised daytime care facility that's unique in the Madison area. David enjoys spending his days there, where the engaging and dedicated staff keeps him physically and intellectually stimulated every day. He's even reacquainted himself with the joys of reading and writing—and is working on a book he just may publish a few years down the road. St. Mary's Adult Day Health Center is able to offer David substantial financial assistance on David's care, so he and his family are able to focus on living rather than worrying about how they'll stay afloat. The whole family considers the Center a real lifesaver. Watch a video.
		Rene's Story: Neighborhood Asthma Clinic Retired pastor and psychotherapist Rene understands a bit about the human family. Sometimes, its members need help. This time, he is on the receiving end, getting free medication from the Dean & St. Mary's Neighborhood Asthma Clinic. A lifelong asthmatic, his condition worsened when he took up smoking as a response to stress. "The meds put me in remission, and the staff made it possible for me to quit smoking – something my 9-year-old grandson was worried about. To me, it's obvious Dean & St. Mary's care about people, and not just money."
		Maryann's Story: "Helping Hearts" Program When it comes to safety, Principal Maryann treats her students as she would her own son. In fact, it was her son's brush with heart trouble – unveiled while playing basketball – that led her to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED) for Blessed Sacrament School in Madison. Through the "Helping Hearts" program of the Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center, her private school received matching funds to purchase devices that deliver potentially life-saving electric shocks to hearts not beating effectively. Though trained, she hopes she never has to use it.
		Janeth's Story: ABC for Health Uninsured when she gave birth to her son, Janeth knew she would be facing decisions between the health of her child and what she can afford. Enter the joint program of St. Mary's Hospital and Advocacy and Benefits Counseling for Health (ABC for Health). Together, they identify coverage options for 300 families with children under 19 years old and for pregnant women. For Janeth, that was the help she needed to start her baby's new life on the right foot.
		Kate's Story: Parish Nurse Program More than once, Kate has intervened in everyday, ordinary ways that turn out to be, for some, life-changing and others, life-saving. Take, for example, the woman she found disheveled, confused and incoherent inside central Madison's subsidized Triangle community. Kate, a St. Mary's parish nurse, helped get ambulance support for the woman, who stopped breathing en route to the ER and was revived. Kate's nearly-daily presence and holistic approach to health makes her a friend Triangle residents know and can count on. Through the interventions of parish nurses at sites around Dane County, community members save hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary health care expenses.
		Bryan's Story: Financial Assistance Program For the un- or under-insured, the stack of bills that follows a serious illness may seem insurmountable. Ask Bryan, who fell ill in the summer of 2006, requiring costly medical care. The next February, he lost his son in a snowmobile accident; in the spring of 2007, his brother passed away unexpectedly. St. Mary's stepped in to forgive $25,000 of their debt. "We had enough grief in the last few months to last us a lifetime," he says. "The stress level gets to be almost too much when trying to figure out how to pay all the medical bills. There are not enough words to thank you for your generosity. You were a godsend."
		Joanne's Story: Parish Nurse Program When Joanne's husband Ron became ill, they both knew they'd benefit from the help St. Mary's Parish Nurse Peggy could give them in managing his complicated symptoms and medications. What they didn't expect was the emotional strength they gained from the relationship. Peggy had a way of sensing when and how to gather the family—from as far away as Maine and Vermont—so they could spend quality time together while Ron was still up to it. Both Joanne and her children tenderly recall the grief counseling sessions they'd share, where laughter and tears were often combined. And when Joanne started experiencing painful symptoms of her own, it was Peggy who helped her identify the cause and get timely treatment. For Joanne's family, a helping hand has transformed into a lasting friendship.
		Peggy's Story: Parish Nurse Program "I'm a Parish Nurse, which means I help people get access to health care and health resources they may not find on their own. Sometimes it means giving a check-up to someone who can't make it to the doctor's office. Or can't afford it. I do home visits and organize group gatherings to help people learn to cope with things like grieving or living with a chronic illness. Every day I put my spirituality into practice and get to interact with truly wonderful people, helping them get more out of life. I can't imagine a better way to use my nursing skills."
		Jim's Story: St. Mary's Adult Day Health Center "As the director of the Center, I see lives transformed every day. Most people aren't sure what to expect when they arrive, and may be working through a lot of internal issues because due to an illness or accident, for example, they can no longer be on their own during the day. But they're soon at ease because relationships just seem to bloom here—between staff and client, and amongst the clients themselves. We try to help each person grow their strengths as they learn to cope with their challenges. Along the way, we get to witness moments of joy and success that are, to me, priceless."
		Mary's Story: St. Mary's GoldenCare Dealing with life after a stroke is never easy. But for Mary, it was more than physical—it quickly turned into a financial nightmare as well. Having moved to Wisconsin after her retirement, her insurance company refused to cover thousands of dollars in vital treatments, saying they were outside her network plan. Mary didn't know where to turn—unable to write, drive, or even hold the telephone, she couldn't defend herself from the mounting paperwork. That's when she contacted St. Mary's GoldenCare, a free membership organization that offers expert health information, social activities and health care claims assistance to anyone 60 or older. Her advisor, Julie, was able to sort through the shoebox full of bills and notices and make sense of it all. She helped arrange for discounts, financial assistance, and payment plans that allowed Mary to get back on track. And to Mary's relief and amazement, the help was all free, compliments of St. Mary's.
		Julie's Story: St. Mary's GoldenCare "Health care paperwork can be very complicated. As a St. Mary's GoldenCare Advisor, I help people over 60 figure out what's a bill, what's not and which notices they need to pay. When necessary, I even help them negotiate discounts or find other financial assistance. GoldenCare members often come to me, apologizing for literally bringing me boxes full of receipts and bills. But to me, it's an absolute gift – I see how much relief I'm able to give them. What they don't realize is how inspiring they are to me! I love what I do."
		Carl's Story: St. Mary's Financial Assistance Program "I work in the Financial Assistance Program at St. Mary's Hospital, helping people struggling to pay their bills. Sometimes it's a short-term situation, like an unexpected rejection from an insurance company. And sometimes it goes way beyond. One woman not only was living far below the poverty line, she hadn't been able to leave her home to get food or bandages for her amputated leg. I was able to connect her with agencies that could get her transportation, food, prescriptions. Giving that kind of help feels great. And knowing that the need grows with every year, it's even more rewarding to know our ability to help has grown each year as well."
		LeRoy's Story: St. Mary's Renal Center For those diagnosed with kidney problems, the longer you can avoid the need for dialysis, the better. But that requires a lot of education and coaching, which isn't always covered by Medicare or Medicaid. St. Mary's Renal Center has covered that gap for LeRoy. The staff there monitors his blood to help him overcome things like iron deficiencies (he's also anemic). They help him understand how what he eats and how much he exercises can help him protect the health of his kidneys. It's been over a year now, and LeRoy is very enthusiastic about the progress he's making, with help from Janet and the rest of the Renal Center staff.
		Janet's Story: St. Mary's Renal Center Chronic kidney disease affects over 19 million Americans each year. It often occurs in conjunction with other chronic illnesses, like diabetes and high blood pressure, making it a complicated condition to manage. The St. Mary's Renal Center is where people with kidney failure go to have dialysis. Within the Center is the St. Mary's Renal Clinic. This clinic was created to educate people on the many things, big and small, they can do to maintain their kidney health and stay off dialysis. As an RN at the Center, "I'm constantly amazed and impressed by the strength and coping skills our clients demonstrate. You can't take a vacation from kidney disease—it's there every day. I think our services provide a very gentle approach and a supportive atmosphere that helps them stay strong and healthy longer."
		Relayia's Story: Dean & St. Mary's Neighborhood Asthma Clinic Coping with the death of a parent is enough to keep anyone from sleeping. But for Relayia, chronic, painful coughing and difficulty breathing was also plaguing her nights. An acquaintance, who suspected asthma could be the cause, recommended she go to the Dean & St. Mary's Neighborhood Asthma Clinic. Relayia had her doubts at first, wondering if a community doctor would have the time to devote to helping her. But she was quickly impressed with the professionalism and empathy they showed her. Not only was her asthma finally diagnosed, the Clinic staff were able to provide her with the very costly medications at no charge. This kept her out of the emergency room and allowed her to get back to living a healthier, happier life.
		Lynne's Story: Dean & St. Mary's Neighborhood Asthma Clinic "When you find out that up to a third of the people with mild to moderate asthma die from the condition every year—and that so many people go either undiagnosed or untreated because they can't afford it—you can easily understand how we stay so busy at the Dean & St. Mary's Neighborhood Asthma Clinic. By arranging donations from pharmaceutical companies, we are able to provide people a way to manage their symptoms. But we also help them manage the asthma triggers that exist all around us, every day. As a Nurse Practitioner at the Clinic, I love the opportunity to share information that can really change someone's life. It makes me feel like I really chose the right profession!"
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