Women’s Right to Care Endowment to safeguard resources for women’s health services in the Rogue Valley
Imagine a world where every woman has access to health care, and no woman has to choose between putting food on the table and getting reliable, quality care in our community. An anonymous donor with deep ties to the Rogue Valley has made a meaningful investment in local women’s health. The new Women’s Right to Care Endowment, was recently established with ACHF, creating a permanent resource dedicated to expanding access to health care for women, particularly those who are uninsured, underinsured, or facing barriers to care.
National research verifies that women lead the majority of families’ health care and are often the primary health care decision-makers in their households. Ensuring they can access care and make informed decisions about their own health has a ripple effect reaching far beyond the individual.
The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, said:
“With experience working for civil rights, as well as in connecting people to appropriate resources, I was inspired to learn of a remarkable program which ACHF had chosen to support, one that assists those most in need, within the complicated contexts of their lives. I believe women’s health at every stage of life directly affects the health of families and communities, not just matters of reproductive choice. Our health care systems are strained, and women’s health has often been treated as an afterthought.
Women’s health is fundamentally linked to the resilience of our communities. The endowment begins an effort to establish women’s right to make informed, supported health care decisions here in the Rogue Valley, which is essential for the wellbeing of our families and communities. My hope is that it also sparks ongoing conversations centered on women’s health.”
The program ACHF recently supported, which caught the donor’s attention, places forensic nurses in hospital settings to support survivors of sexual and domestic abuse. These nurses are specially trained to gather evidence for potential legal proceedings and also connect survivors with employment and safe short- and long-term housing options.
These services fall under the umbrella of the Jackson County SART (Sexual Assault Response Team), which has been providing free medical care and advocacy for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse at local hospitals since 2004. SART serves women, many on fixed or low incomes, who might otherwise face insurmountable barriers to care.
“We couldn’t do this work without our partners,” says Ava DeRosier, Executive Director of SART. “Things are changing right now with access to support, and funding for some programs has been cut. The partnerships we have with local organizations like ACHF really make the difference.”
The founding donor hopes others will be moved to help the Women’s Right to Care Endowment grow by contributing to the endowment.
“We are honored to steward this gift on behalf of the donor and our community,” says ACHF Executive Director Stephanie Roland. “The Women’s Right to Care Endowment reflects what we know to be true: when women are healthy and empowered to make their own health care decisions, families and communities thrive.”
To contribute to the Women’s Right to Care Endowment or to learn more about establishing your own endowment at ACHF, please call Stephanie Roland at 541-482-0367 x2.
