COVID-19: Update and appreciation from Jim Paradis

In the midst of these unprecedented challenges, I want to assure you that the leadership team continues intensive planning in close collaboration with local and state governments. We are relying on evidence-based models for our surge protocols, utilizing guidance from the Society of Critical Care Medicine. We consider many elements that could impact our ability to serve our community and protect our team, including equipment, operations, and staffing challenges.

We are overcoming many challenges as this situation evolves, and I want to recognize that your charitable gifts are at work enabling us to be as prepared as possible. Past philanthropic support of our facilities, equipment, and staff training helped to build a strong foundation and expert team to handle this crisis. I am proud of the Paoli Hospital team and humbled by the outpouring of support from our community. Our team has consistently demonstrated dedication, flexibility, compassion, and patience with leadership and with one another. It has been wonderful to see our community supporting the hospital’s effort with energy, creativity and a commitment to helping others in times of uncertainty.

With our terrific team backed by our extraordinary community, I am confident we will be able to handle this challenge with the professionalism, compassion and skill that our patients have learned to depend on.

As always, for the latest information on precautionary measures, testing, and suggestions to keep yourself and others safe, I encourage you to visit our COVID-19 responses and resources page.

Thank you, again. – Jim


How you can help

Many in our community have expressed interest in supporting the hospital and healthcare workers during this time. The most important thing our community can do at this time is to continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Recognizing that everyone is dealing with a unique set of circumstances, those who can support friends, neighbors, and loved ones should continue to do so in appropriate ways. Many are recognizing a heightened sense of compassion towards one another as the silver lining of these challenging times. This response will make our community even stronger as we work our way through this pandemic. There are a range of other ways to support the response effort:

  • PPE Donations — As there is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the country, we would greatly appreciate any donations. We are also now accepting homemade face masks.
  • Charitable Gifts — You can help the Main Line Health team on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic by making a gift. Main Line Health's Covid-19 Employee Emergency Fund will support our health care team with financial relief to cover personal expenses including childcare, housing, commuting costs and wellness needs.
  • Advance the Research — Several scientists at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) have pivoted their research toward battling the coronavirus. In particular, they are advancing studies to better diagnose, treat and prevent COVID-19 infection. A gift to the Main Line Health COVID-19 Research Fund will support these efforts. In addition, if you or someone you know tested positive for COVID-19, and are interested in learning more about the clinical research study, please contact Dr. Scott Dessain at the Lankenau Medical Center by phone (484-343-1799) or email: dessains@mlhs.org
  • Notes of thanks — if you’d like to send a note to the members of our team, please post it on social media and tag us at @mainlinehealth on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so we can share your message! If you have a grateful message or drawing you’d prefer to send via email share with us at drassj@mlhs.org

Community pays tribute to Paoli hospital team

Paoli Hospital staff is touched by every kind word, donation, and special tribute recognizing their hard work during this time. Last week, first responders gathered to salute our front line workers at change of shift. Throughout the month, meals and snacks have been donated to the hospital staff by area businesses and neighbors. Special tributes have also come in the form of chalk art on hospital walkways, thoughtful letters to our administrators, and donated flowers to staff. View some of these special moments here.


CARES Act – Impact on charitable giving

In light of the COVID crisis, there have been changes in the tax law as it relates to the stimulus package. As you may know, Congress passed a new law called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help individuals, families and businesses cope with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. Read more about the provisions in the CARES Act that impact donors to charitable organizations.

  • The law allows a special income tax charitable deduction up to $300 for those who claim the standard deduction and don’t itemize their 2020 income tax return. It appears that a married couple filing jointly may deduct up to $600 if each makes cash gifts of at least $300. This provision was inserted specifically to encourage charitable giving this year.
  • Donors who itemize their tax returns can generally deduct 60% of adjusted gross income (AGI) for charitable cash contributions. Any cash donations over that amount can be carried over for up to five years and deducted later. However, the CARES Act allows donors who itemize to deduct 100% of AGI for cash gifts to public charities, rather than the normal 60%, in 2020. This means that itemizers can deduct more of their charitable cash contributions this year. Gifts to donor advised funds don’t qualify. Donors should consult their tax advisers to determine whether the 100% election makes sense for them.
  • The CARES Act impacts owners of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) by providing a temporary waiver of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for 2020, allowing IRA owners age 72 and older to keep funds in their IRAs and other qualified retirement plans. Given the recent losses in investment markets, some people may wish to keep funds in their accounts this year. You may still make direct distributions to [ENTITY] and other charities from your IRA, just as before, if it makes financial sense for you to do so.
  • The new law, coupled with current financial uncertainty, has created an opportunity for those concerned about their income from investments. Please let me know if you would like to learn more about how you can transfer assets (cash, securities, real estate, etc.) into a secure income stream for yourself and/or others.

We hope this resource describing the latest changes in tax law related to charitable giving is helpful to you. You’re welcome to contact Meghan Sayer (sayerm@mlhs.org) with questions at any time. Thank you very much for caring about Paoli Hospital and the work that we do.


Gifts at work – Connecting isolated patients

Charitable gifts to Main Line Health supported the purchase of licensing agreements that allow iPhones to be used by inpatients to FaceTime their loved ones. Earlier this month, there were a husband and wife both in their 90’s and admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. They were on separate sides of the unit. Nurse Manager Jen Brockson explained, “We were able to give them each a device and my staff helped to set them up to FaceTime each other. They were both so relieved to be able to not only speak to each other but to see each other as well.”


Self care during COVID-19 with Chaplain Barbara Emery

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it – Helen Keller

"For me navigating a way through the challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic requires resiliency. I can be resilient when I tend to my own heart as much as I tend to those in my care. This self-care starts with acknowledging my humanness. I cannot accomplish everything I feel I need to. I cannot achieve everything I want to. But I do all that I can, and that is enough. And even more importantly I am enough. I am enough when tears flow. I am enough when I have moments of irritability or impatience. I am enough when I stop to rest and breathe. Acknowledging that I am enough helps me to give myself grace to be both hopeful and afraid, and grace to both extend myself to others and to pull back in solitude. By extending myself grace to be human, I can gather up enough courage, enough hope, enough resiliency to step into the storm with confidence that I will find my way through."

Stay informed by visiting our COVID-19 Response and Resources page. You can encourage our team by sharing your gratitude at drassj@mlhs.org.