Banner Health’s WISH affinity group makes annual investments

02/01/2022


Each year, WISH members pool
their gifts and raise additional funds,
then decide together how best to invest
in Banner Health programs important to
women and their families.

Members of the giving circle known as WISH (Women Investing in Science & Health), in partnership with Banner Health, recently awarded $350,000 to several deserving Banner Health programs and services in areas of health care important to women and their families -- $100,000 more than WISH awarded the previous year. The funds distributed represent the total raised through WISH member contributions and fundraising efforts in 2021.

Members came together in December to hear seven-minute “fast pitch” presentations by Banner representatives passionate about their particular programs needing philanthropic support. Members then decided together on how best to distribute the funds.

WISH members voted to allocate funding to the following recipients and programs:

Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) for programming and research that supports Alzheimer’s and care giving:

  • The Comprehensive Dementia Prevention Community (CDPC) – In response to adult children of a person living with dementia, who often fear meeting the same fate, this endeavor to implement a pilot group for the CDPC will assess and intervene on modifiable risk factors for future dementia risk, including physical inactivity/obesity, hypertension, depression, social isolation, insulin resistance/diabetes, poor diet, hearing loss, poor sleep, smoking, and excessive alcohol use. Awarded $96,000
  • Early Stage Engagement – For persons with early-stage dementia, with changes in instrumental activities of daily living, striking a balance between safety and independence often can result in the loss of purpose. This effort to engage individuals at the early stage offers an opportunity to tell their story, expressing themselves in familiar and unexpected ways. Insights gleaned can decrease stigma, inform supportive tools, provide insight into lived experience and create a sense of community to reduce isolation. Awarded $78,500
  • The BAI Family & Community Services, Clinic & Research teams plan to collaborate to place a laser focus on improving services to underserved populations, including Hispanic, Black, Native American and Asian communities in a culturally sensitive way to better meet the needs of families living with Alzheimer’s/related dementias. The goal of this project is to make medical care, non-medical care and research opportunities more accessible for these unique groups to offer hope and help. Awarded $75,500

General health related to promoting advances in women’s health:

  • Pharmacogenetic Outpatient Testing and Psychiatric Disorders - Patient responses to psychiatric medication are greatly influenced by inherited common variations among genes, which are identified with pharmacogenetic testing. This program seeks to advance pharmacogenetic testing in psychiatric outpatients in clinical and research settings. Awarded $100,000

Each year, WISH members pool their gifts and raise additional funds, then decide together how best to invest in Banner Health programs important to women and their families.

Make your $1,000 gift and become a member at give.bannerhealth.com/WISH. Or, for information, call 602-747-4490.