Catholic Health East and BayCare Health System Pledge $200,000 to Rebuild Hospital in Port-Au-Prince

Additional Grants and Donations Total Approximately $50,000

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. and CLEARWATER, Fla., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic Health East and BayCare Health System are each donating $100,000 to support Global Health Ministry's relief efforts in Haiti. Global Health Ministry, a supportive health corporation of Catholic Health East, will use the funds to help rebuild the Hospital St. Francis de Sales in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which was decimated after the earthquake.

"CHE leaders fully support Global Health Ministry's mission to provide health care to the poor and underserved communities in the developing world," said Robert V. Stanek, president and chief executive officer, Catholic Health East. "Rebuilding the Hospital St. Francis de Sales is crucial to the short- and long-term health and well-being of the Haitian people. And we are committed to providing all the support we can to make this happen."

BayCare, which has a Joint Operating Agreement with CHE, has a long history of teaming with Global Health Ministry to provide mission services to Peru, Jamaica and Haiti, among others.  BayCare is making this donation in the name of its more than 18,000 employees.

"After the earthquake in Haiti, we received a resounding response from our team members who stepped up to give their time, talent and money," said Stephen R. Mason, CEO and president of BayCare Health System. "It was this overwhelming response that inspired our organization to help re-build the Hospital St. Francis de Sales on behalf of all our team members. We look forward to partnering with Catholic Health East and the team at St. Francis de Sales to restore the hospital as soon as possible."

Additionally, Stella Maris Insurance Company, Ltd., also a supportive health corporation of CHE, pledged another $10,000, bringing the System's total contribution to $210,000. Global Health Ministry has also received grants from a number of foundations across Catholic Health East, including the Allegany Franciscan Ministries Foundation, Palm Harbor, Fla.; McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Catholic Health, Buffalo, N.Y.; as well as from religious congregations who are Sponsors of CHE.

Global Health Ministry (GHM) is an independent 501(c)3 organization sponsored by Hope Ministries and serves as a supportive health corporation of Catholic Health East. Since 1989, Global Health Ministry has sent teams of health care professionals to Latin America and the Caribbean to help people with little or no access to professional health care. GHM programs help transform selected, under-privileged communities into healthier, more self-sufficient places to live by collaborating with local and international organizations.

BayCare Health System is the largest community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area, providing expert medical care for a patient's lifetime.  Composed of hospitals and numerous affiliated services, the system connects patients to a complete range of services throughout the Tampa Bay area.  Together, BayCare organizations seek to advance the health of their patients and their communities.  

Member hospitals are Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Women's, St. Joseph's Hospital North and South Florida Baptist.  On the web: www.baycare.org.

Catholic Health East (CHE) is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, which is co-sponsored by nine religious congregations, and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. The System's health ministries are located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida and include: 34 acute care hospitals (including Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine), four long-term acute care hospitals, 25 freestanding and hospital-based long-term care facilities, 14 assisted-living facilities, four continuing care retirement communities, eight behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 32 home health/hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health agencies. Catholic Health East facilities employ more than 54,000 full-time employees.

SOURCE BayCare Health System