Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services
, or MIHCS, joins 150 other local non-profits to share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The organization was selected from 630 applicants during a competitive review process and will receive $225,000 over three years.
MIHCS is a member of Covenant Health and one of New England’s largest non-profit post-acute care providers offering comprehensive senior housing, rehabilitation and skilled nursing care services in Lawrence, Mass.
“Mary Immaculate is a leading provider of memory care services in the greater Lawrence area and is currently home to residents between 55 and 105 years old,” says Gerard Foley, JD, MPH, President/CEO, Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services. “This Cummings Foundation grant will support staffing and programming within a planned for and much-needed expansion of the memory care unit. It will bolster our ability to effectively care for this population and enhance both the resident and family member experience.”
More specifically, the funds will be allocated to hiring an additional Activities Director, who will be responsible for introducing innovative patient-centered programming for the new ‘step down’ unit, dedicated to later-stage memory care patients. This specialty care unit will double patient capacity for memory care within the Mary Immaculate’s Nursing and Restorative Center, or MINRC, a welcome solution to many families seeking specialized care. Memory care patients showing further cognitive decline will continue to receive advanced and individualized care without any disruption to their environment with the new step-down unit. Similarly, family members can be reassured that a continuum of compassionate care is available for their loved one. The Cummings Foundation grant will ensure the well-being of some of the city’s most vulnerable, directly helping the many fragile elders that call MINRC home.
“In 2021, 69% of our residents, or 160 people, were Lawrence residents. The remaining 31% of our residents come from towns across the Central Merrimack Valley,” said Del Downing, Executive Director, MINRC. “As the local population ages and the need for memory care support services increases, this grant will help ensure we are well-prepared with the appropriate capacity to serve those most in need.”
Giving Back
Through its initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial property. “The way the local non-profit sector perseveres, steps up and pivots to meet the shifting community needs is most impressive,” said Cummings Foundation Executive Director, Joyce Vyriotes. “We are incredibly grateful for these tireless efforts to support communities and increase equitable access to opportunities.”
Cummings Foundation has now awarded $480 million to greater Boston non-profits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 1,500 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.