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On the Frontlines of COVID-19 – How Dance Marathon Can Help Local Children’s Hospitals

For the Kids. That has been the Dance Marathon rallying cry for many years, but what does it really mean? For the Kids means that as a movement, we are determined to ensure every kid gets the care they need. For the Kids means that we will work tirelessly – dance until our feet fall asleep, fundraise between classes and during midterms, and push harder than the year before – because Kids Can’t Wait, they need care now. During these unprecedented times, our rallying cry remains as strong as ever to protect our collective future.

Children’s hospitals are on the frontlines of the pandemic

COVID-19 has placed an unprecedented stress on the United States’ health system. The strain on hospitals is well documented, and this is also true of local children’s hospitals urgently responding to the pandemic by treating adult patients, opening drive-thru testing sites, taking extreme measures to ensure their buildings and equipment are kept clean, conducting vital research to prevent the spread of the virus and upgrading technology to move many appointments to a safe, virtual setting. They are on the frontline of this crisis, while also continuing to provide the high-quality, life-saving care that children need every day—but they can’t do it alone.

The cost of the above measures has affected every aspect of treatment and services offered by children’s hospitals, as employees, funds, facilities and other resources are reallocated to meet emergency needs and to conduct research to generate a viable vaccine. And as more families lose insurance coverage due to job loss, children’s hospitals are seeing increased costs in providing uncompensated care to tens of thousands of children and families dealing with economic strife and government programs unable to fully cover the cost of caring for kids. Philanthropy is crucial to ensuring our children’s hospitals can continue to provide their services in both the short- and long-term. If there was ever a time when our local children’s hospitals needed our Dance Marathon movement, it’s now.

In the midst of COVID-19, our hospitals are innovating and finding radical solutions:

  • Research. Children’s hospitals and their systems are actively working on developing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines including Boston Children’s HospitalTexas Children’s Hospital, and Seattle Children’s among many others.
  • COVID-19 Testing. Children’s hospitals are on the frontlines of testing in their communities. Many larger children’s hospitals and/or their health systems have constructed and are opening drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites.
  • Patient Services. Each year, tens of millions of children require specialized, expensive health care. Within the current crisis, many larger children’s hospitals are treating adult patients, and increasing the age range of patients served.
  • Telehealth and Technology Services will allow hospitals to provide care virtually and add technology upgrades to provide care under social distance recommendations.

How we can help

The ripple effects of COVID-19 will affect every aspect of treatment and services offered by children’s hospitals. When we fund children’s hospitals, we transform how we meet the most urgent needs, saving more lives and protecting our collective future.  The reality is: Kids Can’t Wait for a cure, for the curve to flatten or for an economic boost. They need children’s hospitals now more than ever.

Unprecedented times call for an unprecedented response. By funding children’s hospitals, we can transform how we meet the urgent needs brought on by the pandemic, while also maintaining an exceptional standard of care and preventing and preparing for health challenges to come. When we change kids’ health, we change the future—for all of us.

Dance Marathon is a movement full of creative solutions, groundbreaking ideas, and unwavering commitment to the cause. This is our time, as students all over the country, to step up For the Kids.

  • Be Mindful. Everyone is impacted differently by the pandemic and some may not be in the position to support while others want to help now more than ever. Share why children’s hospitals need support and offer a variety of opportunities for your community to get involved including 1) spreading the word on social media, 2) joining your committee to organize on your campus, 3) donating (offer a variety of giving levels), and 4) fundraising. Presenting these options give the greatest number of people in your community the opportunity to make an impact for local kids.
  • Be Bold. Together, let’s explore audacious solutions to the potential barriers to our upcoming programs. Check our these tips and tricks for hosting virtual retreats with more resources to follow in the coming week.

Resources

You can download and use CMN Hospitals and Dance Marathon graphics in your campaigns and on your social channels.