Caitlin Whyte (Host): Gratitude has the power to connect
people, inspire generosity, and shape the future of our care.
In this episode, we're joined by Emily Sullivan, vice President of Operations at
the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation to explore the origins of the Grateful Patient
Program and why gratitude plays such a vital role in healthcare philanthropy.
Emily shares how the program was built, why grateful patient's are at the
heart of meaningful giving, and how expressions of thanks help strengthen
relationships, fuel, generosity, and ultimately support the care
we provide across our communities.
This is Emily Sullivan in her own words.
Emily Sullivan: My name is Emily Sullivan and I'm the Vice President of Operations
for the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation.
I had a very interesting career trajectory, I think.
So I was a music industry and recording technology major at
York College of Pennsylvania.
very quickly started to realize I had an affinity for the business
side of things, ended up declaring a business minor And that kind of,
defined my career path moving forward.
So.
I took a couple sales roles right out of college And we always joke that no
one sets out into the world with the intention of, working in development.
So, It was very much happen circumstance.
I had moved out of the area for a while.
I lived in the DC area.
For a few years, really wanted to come home, and I knew that
at the time, pinnacle Health was very much a household name.
So when I was job searching to get back to the area, I happened to
look for job postings on Pinnacle Health's website and found the
position of annual giving officer.
So I applied, ended up interviewing, accepting the role and.
The rest is history.
I've been here for, just over 10 years at this point.
I've held a number of titles, over the course of the past 10
years, one of which was Manager of the Grateful Patient Program.
So it's been, a really fun ride.
I always say that no two workdays are the same, and I just feel
incredibly grateful to be part of this team and getting to do this work.
So when I started, our grateful patient program was very passive.
It was basically, a link on a website where you could fill
out a grateful patient web form.
It was very simple, And we also had a direct mail component, so
we were sending out weekly letters that encouraged patient's to, show
gratitude, thank their caregivers.
So we didn't see a ton of success with it.
Felt the need to revamp the program to make it a bit more, active,
a bit more proactive, rather.
So in 2018, we started working with a, firm called the Global Group.
And their entire, their bread and butter is building these really
successful, grateful patient programs.
So the crux of the work that they do is having foundation staff.
Partner with, clinical staff to basically make introductions and
referrals where appropriate, and help identify gratitude in their patient's.
So it's really a very collaborative effort to reach those patient's who are.
Feeling that, over the moon, gratitude, who really want to be,
vocal about the experience that they had with UPMC in central PPAR.
connect them with the foundation And we get to, learn about their experience.
We get to know them as people and get to deepen those relationships.
So, it.
2018 was when we really decided to, double down and make our grateful
patient program a robust one.
And I think the initial challenge was getting a sense of.
What was the perception of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, within the system
and was there that spirit of philanthropy and was there trust in the foundation And
we had to do a lot of work to, educate.
UPMC, central PPAR staff about what the foundation does, the work that
we do, why we exist, and really do that groundwork to better establish
ourselves, grow trust with clinical staff so that they felt comfortable
introducing us to their patient's.
So that was probably the greatest hurdle that we faced initially.
When we have the opportunity to.
Meet with grateful patient's and hear their stories and, get to know them
and to develop these relationships.
Oftentimes they do become supporters of the foundation.
They want to show their gratitude for the care that they've received
for the providers who have cared for them by giving back to support
the work of the foundation.
So that has been.
A really significant part of growing the grateful patient program is that
philanthropic support that can come from that grateful patient relationship.
I think that, our friend Ted Lemi, is the one That is most top of mind,
and he, the way he phrases it is that he walked in as a patient and
now he walks through the doors of UPMC lits, to help other patient's.
And, He started his grateful patient journey many years ago.
and it evolved to the point where he became involved with the
UPMC Lititz Board of Directors.
He's now part of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation Board of Directors, and
because of the patient experience he had, he really has deep roots
throughout the entire system, which has been a really special thing.
he is helping to advance.
Our mission just across the board, which is incredible.
we've been very grateful to have built that relationship with him.
So there was a patient who.
I was introduced to by Dr.
Kit Lu, And this was in the very, very early days of the, newly
revamped grateful patient program.
And so she was an oncology patient.
We met for coffee and just had a lovely conversation, and she would just had this
effusive gratitude for the care that Dr.
Lou.
Provided her and she said many times throughout that conversation that she
felt so strongly about how grateful she was that she was in the financial
position to, be able to pay for her care.
She never struggled financially to pay for her oncology treatments, so.
She turned around and ended up making a significant contribution to the Alexander
Memorial Fund, which, provides support for onco oncology patient's in need.
And she continued to do so annually, up until the time of her passing.
And that's just another fantastic example of, the deep connections that
we're able to form with patient's through the grateful patient program.
She was a really, really special woman and she passed away just a
few years ago, but she was one of my very first, like we met at Panera.
It was a pretty casual setting and she was just so grateful for Dr.
Liu.
had this concern for other's who didn't have as easy of a time,
able to afford their treatment.
And she just wanted to do even in like what she considered what she was.
Doing to be like a small thing to support other's who couldn't afford their care.
And, but it was significant.
You know, what she was giving back was significant and it was a very
special, interaction with her.
I think all of these grateful patient stories, first and foremost, it just makes
me incredibly proud to be part of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, be part of UPMC
and central PPAR to get to work alongside these providers, these clinicians who are.
Delivering this life-changing, life-saving care every single day.
To the point that people want to shout from the rooftops how
thankful they are for them.
It is just really moving and these are people who, their lives were completely
transformed by some of these interactions.
And then getting to.
Turn around and share these stories and these words of gratitude.
It's just really, it's special and it's a strong source of, motivation
for me, so it's really very meaningful.
a potential grateful patient can get in touch with us and.
And share their grateful patient, story, their grateful patient
experience in, a number of ways.
And really it just depends on what is most comfortable for them.
They can reach out to us directly in the foundation office.
they can connect with their clinician who can then connect them directly to us.
They can also fill out, our online grateful patient web form.
And it can be as simple or as detailed as they would like it to be.
And it's just, very basic contact information they can share.
A few words of thanks, which we're happy to pass along to their caregiver that
they want to recognize, or we can sit down and have a lengthy conversation.
We can do a full on grateful patient testimonial.
with filming the whole nine yards.
It's really what whatever is most comfortable to the
patient that we're working.
think a lot of the providers that we work with.
Kind of feel like, oh, you know, like I'm, just doing my job.
This is just part of the gig.
I don't think it's very often that it comes full circle for them to the
extent that, they're able to actually hear or see, exactly how grateful.
Someone is for their work and to be able to facilitate that moment of,
sharing that gratitude back to them, I think they just don't get to hear it
often enough, and I think it's really special that we get to be a part of that.
And I think that That is a strong motivator for them as well.
A lot of the times we see.
Those true moments of gratitude happen within the.
Hospital environment, which makes a lot of sense.
I think that's where a lot of those very intense healthcare moments tend to happen.
that said, I think that there is a lot of gratitude that also happens
in our outpatient facilities, even within primary care.
You know, a lot of people have been with their primary care
doctors for many, many years, and you do build those relationships.
There is some longevity there.
So I would love to see.
what opportunity exists there?
see how we can expand upon that, and yeah, see where we can take it in the future.
I think one thing that we don't talk about enough is the gratitude that we feel.
The foundation for the patient's that are willing to be open and vulnerable
with us, with their experiences, with their stories, because we're asking
them to share these deeply personal.
Moments with us, and they do, they, they do, they share these incredible
stories and they trust us to, share that gratitude back in a way That is,
sensitive and appropriate and respectful of the experience that they've had.
And I think that that.
Shows so much trust and I'm just incredibly grateful for all the
patient's who have put that trust in us.
And I think that's just a very special thing that they've,
allowed us to do for them.
Caitlin Whyte (Host): Emily's story highlights how gratitude
is more than a thank you.
It is a powerful connection between patient's, caregivers, And the
communities they serve through the grateful patient program.
Those expressions of thanks help inspire generosity, deep in
relationships and support compassionate care across central Pennsylvania.
We hope you'll like and share this episode and help other's
discover these real stories told by the people behind the work.
And if listening to this conversation inspires you to share your own
gratitude for the care you, or a loved one received throughout UPMC
in central Pennsylvania, you can do so online@upmcpinnaclefoundation.org
by filling out our grateful patient form.
Thank you for listening to In Their Words.
Until next time, thank you for being part of the story.