Ascension Illinois Foundation Fiscal Year 2023 Donor Impact Report

Thank you

for your compassion and generosity Scan the QR code to view a thank-you message from Ascension Illinois Ministry Market Executive Polly Davenport, D.Sc., RN, FACHE

Fiscal Year 2023 Donor Impact Report

IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 —

Ascension Illinois Foundation raised $23 million in charitable donations and grant awards, and helped countless people in our communities.

With your support, we provided specialized treatment for people with mental illnesses, behavioral health and substance use disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

• 148,900+ behavioral health group practice visits.

• 8,200+ admissions to inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and residential treatment programs for behavioral health and chemical dependency.

• 8,200+ students, parents and educators received therapy, crisis stabilization, community referrals or education from our counselors based in 20 local schools.

• 3,400+ people with serious mental illness received community-based mental health services from our teams in Arlington Heights and Proviso Township.

• 3,400+ children, adults, families and professionals received services, support and training for autism spectrum and developmental disorders.

• 98% of autism resource center services were provided at no cost to families thanks to Foundation support.

A lasting legacy The Ascension Illinois Foundation received more than $1.2 million in planned gifts in fiscal year 2023 from people who want to have a lasting impact through philanthropy.

Julie Gaskin has been a lifelong Ascension Resurrection patient and received cancer treatment there.

“I am thankful that I survived because of the care I received.”

Julie, a 33-year cancer survivor, said she learned the value of giving back from her parents and upbringing.

In gratitude, she will make a generous estate gift to benefit women’s health and cancer care at Ascension Resurrection. She said she wants her gift to “be put to good use to better serve women and save lives.”

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Ascension Illinois Foundation

Scan the QR code to hear thank-you messages from some of the people whose lives you changed:

In addition to the impact of philanthropy, Ascension Illinois directed $218 million in resources to community benefit: • Traditional charity care • Unpaid costs associated with public programs • Care for the poor • Care for the broader community

Thanks to your partnership, we gave people across the lifespan compassionate, highquality clinical care, from advanced cancer treatment to women and children’s care to faith-based hospice services.

• For the thousands of people who received cancer care from Ascension Illinois hospitals, navigation support was part of their experience, including help scheduling appointments, finding transportation, securing medication and more.

• 550+ rides were provided to and from cancer treatment appointments.

• 500+ people benefited from support groups, meditation, yoga, art and music therapy, wigs and prostheses.

Fiscal Year 2023 Donor Impact Report

• 240 women and babies from low-income households received newborn home visits.

• 157 patients, while pregnant or after giving birth, received intensive outpatient treatment for perinatal mood disorders.

Of those patients, 27 of them, or 17%, were uninsured or underinsured and received Foundation support.

• 2,300+ people received hospice care from Ascension Illinois Rainbow Hospice and Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice.

• 481 days of hospice services were provided free of charge thanks to Foundation funding.

• 8,800+ individuals served by child life therapists.

• 320 patients visited by Link, the facility dog.

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IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 —

Ascension Illinois continued its leadership in addressing the behavioral health needs of people in our communities.

Ascension Alexian Brothers Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders Resource Center

“It’s for the children of our future.”

— Yani, grateful mother

It’s more peaceful at Yailem’s house now. His homework gets done.

His room gets cleaned. Tantrums and fights are rare.

“We’re avoiding a lot of angry situations that normally would happen,” said his mom, Yani.

In caregiver training at the Ascension Alexian Brothers Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders Resource Center, Yani learned to shift how she parents her son, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 8. Now she tries to start every interaction by seeking to understand his needs. She said it’s transformed their family.

“I don’t think there’s enough gratitude for that,” she said.

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Ascension Illinois Foundation

Ascension Illinois Behavioral Health

“I’ve never felt so welcome to be in a program.”

— Colleen, grateful patient

Drugs led Colleen down a dark path. Treatment gave her a new sense of hope.

“I’m really blessed to have been part of this, and I wouldn’t have the chance to do it without the Foundation,” she said. “I really appreciate them so much.”

At the Ascension Illinois Foglia Family Foundation Residential Treatment Center, Colleen learned skills to tolerate distress, understand shame, and accept herself, her disease and her past. “I have 30 days sober today,” Colleen said. “First time in 20 years. I’m really proud of it.”

Ascension Illinois Center for Mental Health

“I’m thankful to have a roof over my head.”

— Jerry, grateful patient

Clean clothes, a place to go every day and a place to sleep every night. These basic, but essential, needs are finally being met in Jerry’s life.

More than three years ago, Jerry moved into the Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA), a housing program run by Ascension Illinois Center for Mental Fiscal Year 2023 Donor Impact Report

Health – Proviso Township for adults with serious mental illness. Every day he talks with a therapist and participates in group activities that help “check on how my mind is working,” he said.

Jerry said he’s doing better than before because he has a purpose now: a place to go, something to do and people who help him take care of himself.

“I’ve been to so many programs,” he said.

“This is the best one of all of them. Thank you.”

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IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 —

Ascension Illinois provided compassionate care to people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Ascension Illinois Cancer Institute

“Don’t lose faith.”

— Pongtong, grateful patient and parent

The call from Ascension Saint Alexius shocked Pongtong. Her son’s liver was failing.

The surgical team needed to operate immediately.

Her youngest son had died years earlier from alcohol abuse. Now, her oldest son was dying from the same disease.

“It’s overwhelming,” she said. “I’m 77 years old.

I have cancer. I know he’d been drinking a whole lot.

He never told me he had liver failure.”

For four days, Pongtong sat with her son in the hospital, talked to him, read to him and told him she loved him. Then, the decision was made to take him off life support. Between her cancer treatment, her son’s hospital bills, car repairs and their rents, Pongtong had no more money and no living family in this country who could help her.

“But I have faith in God,” she said. “I know he would come through, and he did.”

Her oncology social worker for the Cancer Institute at Ascension Alexian Brothers and Ascension Saint Alexius had called weekly to check in with Pongtong since her cancer diagnosis. Pongtong confided that she didn’t know how she was going to pay her bills.

A few weeks later, she learned that she would receive financial assistance.

“I am a lucky person,” Pongtong said. “Thank you so much.”

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225+ Ascension Illinois associates and community members, like Pongtong, received financial assistance for unforeseen emergencies since January 2022.

Ascension Illinois Foundation

Ascension Saint Alexius Women & Children’s Hospital

“Thank you for bringing Link to the hospital.”

— Joey, grateful patient

Five-year-old Joey was in pain. His parents brought him to the emergency room at Ascension Saint Alexius and learned his appendix had ruptured. He needed emergency surgery.

“I was lying in my bed for four days,” Joey said.

“And then the doggy came.”

The visit from the facility dog, Link, was just the boost Joey needed to get up and moving. He walked Link down the hall to the fish tank and the playroom.

“It really lifted his spirits,” said his mom, Nicole.

“It helped with that confidence to get to recovery.”

Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice

“I can’t thank them enough for what they did for me and my family.”

— Pauline, grateful daughter

For the first two months of her stay there, Genevieve’s care team at Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice Residence would take her outside to the garden or to the chapel.

They checked on her and the family every hour.

During her last week, when all she wanted was ice cream, that’s what they brought her.

“My mom had dementia. She couldn’t remember their names,” Pauline said. “But she knew they were wonderful. She knew they were caring. She joked around with them and laughed with them.”

When Genevieve passed away, the entire team went to the chapel with the family to pray.

“They took what was the hardest time of our lives and made it just a little bit easier on all of us,” Pauline said. “We were blessed to have this place available to us.”

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Thank you for the support you have given this year, in years past and in years to come!

Celebrating 10 years of care at the Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice Residence The Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice Residence opened in 2013 thanks to the leadership and generosity of Dom Mangone, former Alexian Brothers Foundation Board Chair and long-time Foundation friend. Many of the staff have continued to work there since it opened. For them, the work is a calling, and that comes through to patients and families. “The care, compassion and love that my mother received at the hospice residence were beyond amazing,” said Foundation Board Member David Dopp. “When she passed away, even the staff were teary-eyed and providing us comfort.”

“The staff there are even more beautiful than the majestic facility. Everyone involved at the hospice confirms their commitment to serving others.”

— Foundation Board Member David Dopp

If you would like to remove your name from future fundraising mailings from the Ascension Illinois Foundation, please email AscensionIllinoisFoundation@ascension.org, call 224-273-4101 or write: Ascension Illinois Foundation, 1000 Remington Blvd., Suite 100, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. © Ascension 2023. All rights reserved