Get Involved with McLeod Angels

- Announce… We announce to the women in the community about our organization.

N - Network… We network with each other to help grow our membership.

G - Grant Funds… We grant funds for medical needs and services to patients and family members.

E - Enrich and Educate… We enrich our understanding of medical and social issues.

L - Life Issues… We discuss life issues geared toward our audience.

S - Socialization… We meet with friends to socialize over a wonderful meal and meaningful message.

Since 1986, McLeod Health Foundation has worked endlessly to provide specialized healthcare services for those most in need. From children struggling to survive serious illnesses to cancer patients looking for hope, the Foundation helps generate philanthropic support to perpetuate medical excellence at McLeod Health.

While there are many opportunities to become involved, one group of women that has been making a positive difference for patients is the McLeod Angels. The purpose of the McLeod Angels is to provide healthcare-related educational opportunities for women to develop their knowledge of the importance of philanthropy in healthcare to our region. Beverly Hazelwood, Chair, explains, “We started the Angels with a mission as an organization to be an extension of the McLeod Foundation. We wanted to give the women in our community that were inclined to support McLeod Health the opportunity to help us with our mission of generating funds for the Foundation.”

For an annual membership fee of only $100, women can join in creating opportunities for those in need when it matters most. The dues received create a fund to invest in projects that build and strengthen Foundation-supported programs through the power of joint philanthropy. “The projects the Angels support go beyond the scope of the capital funding that the hospital has,” explains Beverly. “Once the advisory committee narrows down the grant submissions, the remaining grants are presented to the group to be voted on.”

The more than 135 members meet four times a year to network and receive healthcare-related education. Since it was established in 2009, the McLeod Angels have funded 55 projects by granting more than $209,000. Areas of giving have included:

• The Forensic Nurse Examiner Program. This program serves victims of sexual assault by providing expert trauma care, collection of forensic evidence, appropriate referrals to post-assault after-care, as well as court testimony during trials of cases prosecuted. The Pee Dee Region was the last in the state to incorporate a forensic nurse examiner program.

• The AccuVein® Vein Visualization System. The near-infrared technology enables healthcare professionals to visualize the superficial vasculature in order to identify veins for optimal peripheral venous access or avoid veins during aesthetic procedures. AccuVein is a simple, safe solution that increases vein assessment proficiency, helps avoid patient IV complications, and addresses clinical and operational priorities.

• Mammogram Scholarships for women of disparity in the region who cannot afford the cost of an annual screening mammogram.

• Sponsorships for 25 families who are unable to pay to stay at the Guest House at McLeod, a home away from home for families of patients who live outside of the Florence area.

• The HOPE Fund (Helping Oncology Patients Everyday), a program which provides services for patients undergoing cancer treatment such as transportation, medications, nutrition, and educational resources.

Become a McLeod Angel

McLeod Angels membership is open to all women. Each meeting has two components: Enriching medical understanding and participating in life issues such as gardening, skincare, and fashion. By joining the team of Angels, members are extending a helping hand to fund valuable grants that serve the community in many ways.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the McLeod Angels or one of the other groups, visit www.McLeodFoundation.org and click on the Get Involved tab.

Other Ways to Get Involved with the McLeod Health Foundation

McLeod Fellows:

McLeod Fellows is a chance for community leaders to get a behindthe-scenes look at medicine and to explore the complex issues driving healthcare today while demonstrating the continuing need for philanthropy. Throughout the program, participants have one-of-a-kind experiences and gain insight into medical and technological advances through access to areas of McLeod Health not commonly available to the public.

McLeod Men:

McLeod Men is an association of men organized through the McLeod Health Foundation. The purpose of McLeod Men is to provide healthcarerelated educational opportunities for men to develop their knowledge of the importance of philanthropy in healthcare for our region. Membership dues create a fund to invest in projects that build and strengthen Foundation-supported programs through the power of joint philanthropy. The membership dues for the McLeod Men are a minimum of $100 annually.

The Circle of Excellence:

The Circle of Excellence is a young giving society organized through the McLeod Health Foundation. It is comprised of individuals and couples 45 and under, who contribute $500 or more annually to support the work of the McLeod Foundation. The funds contributed by the members are held in the Circle of Excellence Fund, which is used to support programs and services of McLeod Health. Each year, members review a list of high-priority needs at McLeod Health and vote on how to award the funds.