Mitchell Balk, left, and Marc C. Krantz in the Allen Medical Library
A Mission in Four-Part Harmony
Welcome to The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation’s first electronic and video annual report! We have chosen this format so that the work of the Foundation is accessible to the entire Greater Cleveland community, including Mt. Sinai donors, partners, grantseekers, civic leaders and friends.
In this initial web-based presentation, we focus on our grantmaking impact on health and well-being of the Cleveland Jewish Community. Mt. Sinai Hospital was founded to be a place where Jewish doctors could both receive training and admit their patients, regardless of race, nationality or religion, for superior medical care. Although the walls of the Hospital have long been torn down, the Foundation remains as its living legacy. As a result, the Foundation will forever strive to improve the health status of Mt. Sinai’s founding constituency. Yet if we were to toil only in that field we would not fulfill the Foundation’s mission as successor to the Hospital and steward of hundreds of donor funds. Like Mt. Sinai Hospital, ours is a mission in four parts:
Improving the Health of the Jewish Community
Our founding constituency to whom we belong.
Improving the Health of the Urban Community
Serving and being impactful where the need is greatest.
Academic Medicine and Bioscience
Continuing Mt. Sinai’s leadership role in this area and safeguarding the charitable intent of many Mt. Sinai donors.
Health Policy
Working alongside government to ensure a strong safety net for children, the elderly and the poor, and implement the requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act.
Since 1997, Mt. Sinai has provided more than $32 million to the Jewish Community of Cleveland, with $22 million awarded to the Jewish Federation to address health needs. To provide a health safety net for our Jewish Community, the Foundation historically makes its single largest grant to the annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. This grant has particular meaning because during its long life Mt. Sinai Hospital was a recipient of grants from the Federation. Now, as the living embodiment of the Hospital, the Foundation is in the position to be able to contribute significantly back to its community. 2010 Campaign grants totaled $1,775,000, making Mt. Sinai one of the Federation’s largest contributors. In addition, Mt. Sinai made a $5.0 million grant for health-related projects of the Centennial Initiative for Jewish Cleveland. Grants to the Jewish Federation alone comprised $2.275 million of the Foundation’s $6.5 million 2010 grantmaking budget.
The Foundation has also made recent grants for health services for Holocaust survivors served by Jewish Family Service Association (JFSA), basic needs provided by Hebrew Shelter Home (now part of JFSA), and transportation for Jewish seniors and others through the creation of the Senior Transportation Connection of Cuyahoga County (RideSTC.org). Other recent grantees include Menorah Park to launch an assistive technology resource center, Montefiore to initiate a community-based palliative care program, Bikur Cholim for its hospital hospitality program, Bellefaire for a pilot community living project for young adults with autism spectrum disorders, SEGULA for children with special needs, the Mandel JCC for capacity-building, Siegal College for its Mt. Sinai Jewish medical ethics forums, and Council Gardens for matching funds required to access $1.6 million in federal stimulus dollars.
We encourage you to view the video presentation that demonstrates the Foundation’s commitment to serve the health needs of both the Jewish and general communities of Cleveland. Some 2,000 years ago, our sage Hillel said:
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
If not now, when?
– Pirkei Avot, 1:14 Sayings of the Fathers
The Foundation is proud to continue this sacred mission formulated so eloquently by Hillel and demonstrated every day at Mt. Sinai Hospital. We welcome your support as we work to improve the health of our entire community.
Sincerely,
Marc C. Krantz
Chair, Board of Directors
Mitchell Balk
President
