Giving Priorities

Cancer treatment is so important, but being unable to fund things like transportation, child care, household bills, and medical costs not covered by insurance can make getting treatment almost impossible. The costs associated with treatment can create financial and emotional stress that is overwhelming. Many patients aren’t able to cover basic needs like food and shelter, and they don’t know where to turn.

The Armington Family decided to do something about that by establishing a fund for patients who are struggling financially. Mary Armington, the family matriarch, led the effort. She was compelled to help cancer patients who may be unable to work while they undergo treatment and who struggle to pay for items not covered by their insurance. The Arm-in-Arm Fund reaches beyond traditional caregiving by helping patients cover gas, utility, medication, transportation and other expenses during a financially challenging time.

“Cancer touches nearly every family,” says Mary’s son, Dr. Bill Armington. “The Arm-in-Arm Fund is a practical way people can help those in our community in the midst of their cancer battle by providing funds for important items such as power bills and medication.”

Some examples of cancer patients who have benefited from the Arm-in-Arm Fund include:

• A patient who needed to stay close to the CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative for monitoring while receiving radiation treatment. The Arm-in-Arm Fund paid for their lodging during that period.
• A patient who required dental clearance before receiving cancer treatment. The Arm-in-Arm Fund paid for dental exams.
• A patient whose refrigerator broke. The Arm-in-Arm Fund bought them a refrigerator so they could have nutritious food on hand while undergoing chemotherapy.

The Arm-in-Arm Fund is managed by the CMH Foundation Board of Directors, and the Armington family remains contributors and supporters of the good works the fund has been responsible for.

Your gift can ensure that the Arm-in-Arm Fund is able to continue providing for the basic needs of cancer patients today and tomorrow. Together, we can build the Arm-in-Arm Fund so it is strong enough to shelter our friends and neighbors fighting cancer in times of economic growth and distress.

CMH collaborated with the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute to develop the CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative, which expanded CMH's existing chemotherapy treatment services by bringing much-needed radiation therapy services to the North Coast in 2017. The key benefits to this project are access to advanced care through superior oncologists and equipment.

Prior to this collaboration, cancer patients had to travel at least an hour to receive radiation treatment. Since radiation therapy is generally administered for five consecutive days and can continue for eight weeks, this grueling regime of travel and treatment was very difficult for patients, not to mention their families. Because of this, some patients chose to opt out of radiation treatment — a life-threatening choice.

Through the CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative, a state-of-the-art, 18,000-square-foot facility, patients can now receive chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Give the gift of hope

But this is only the beginning. As part of our campaign to ensure the future of health, we will shape the future of oncology care. The endowment fund will provide access to highly trained oncologists, state-of-the-art equipment and implementation of continuing breakthroughs in treatment. Through your partnership in ensuring the future viability of cancer care, we will make a difference.

In addition, the Arm-in-Arm Fund is a specific fund administered by the CMH Foundation to provide financial help to cancer patients who are struggling with daily living expenses. Learn more about the Arm-in-Arm Fund further down on this page.

Physicians, nurses, volunteers and staff members do their best each day to demonstrate the spirit of caring that defines the mission of Columbia Memorial Hospital.

We know that every patient receives the highest level of compassionate care possible. But maybe there was an extra kindness or touch that brought even more comfort to you or your family. It could have been a lifesaving procedure or a visit from a volunteer that seemed to make all the difference.

The opportunity to say "thank you" to those who make a difference and are there when you need them the most is possible through the Circle of Care Program at Columbia Memorial Hospital.

Your gift will do so much for so many because it works with us to save lives and meet the ever-changing health care needs of a growing community.

Your contribution may be designated to a specific clinical area, department, service or program. Undesignated gifts support the Friendship Fund, a resource for employees experiencing a financial crisis.

Make a gift. Make a difference.

Your gift to the CMH Foundation is an outstanding way to encourage and share the special care provided. It is also an investment in the health and wellness of our entire community.

Say 'thank you' with your charitable gift

Make a tax-deductible donation in honor of a physician, nurse, volunteer or staff member who made a difference in your visit or stay. Perhaps someone took time to do a bit extra or was especially kind or helpful.

They will receive your message and a note informing them of your generous recognition and a custom lapel pin to wear proudly. We will also send a duplicate pin to you!

The Columbia Memorial Hospital Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day and every day of the year. It serves residents of Clatsop County (Oregon) and Pacific County (Washington), as well as visitors to our region.

The care provided in the CMH Emergency Department is patient-centered and offers high-level medical excellence, in part due to our special relationship with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Physicians practicing in the CMH Emergency Department are board-certified in emergency medicine and have access to advanced diagnostic technology including onsite MRI, CT and x-ray services, as well as a full-service 24-hour laboratory.

Advancing care through telemedicine

CMH is a member of the OHSU Telemedicine Network and utilizes this vital, lifesaving service to provide physicians in the Emergency Department with a direct, live connection to an OHSU specialist. Through the OHSU Telemedicine Network, CMH is able to provide advanced care and consultation for stroke, pediatric and neonatal patients.

Give the gift of a caring and convenient environment

The new and expanded Emergency Department at CMH means shorter wait times and a quiet atmosphere. It is being designed to offer patient privacy, safety and fast access to CMH's emergency-trained team.

From specialized rooms and services to advanced emergency care, the new Emergency Department will enhance and streamline patient care. The new Emergency Department is being built with a patient-centered design. From private rooms to easier access to the emergency specialists, this facility will ensure that a patient's needs are met and exceeded.

Columbia Memorial Hospital has provided health care for more than 135 years. The region's flagship hospital, CMH has earned the highest credentials in medicine and earned distinction among the nation's top rural medical providers. We have achieved this as a private hospital that has provided access to patients of all incomes and backgrounds.

As funding for rural hospitals declines, this achievement is at risk. To answer that challenge, we must not simply sustain the status quo of support for CMH — we must elevate it to new heights.

We will accomplish this through superb stewardship and the strategic use of resources. Donors may support CMH, helping build capacity and achieve aspirations, with gifts to our endowment.

Our work cannot wait; we have the strength to do it, and the future of CMH may very well ride on the outcome of our campaigns. Help us transform. Help us rise. Help us soar. We know it will not be easy.

We are prepared to do what is hard and achieve what is great — today and tomorrow.

Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a group of committed citizens can change the world."

Gifts to support the Greatest Impact Fund are critical in allowing CMH to respond quickly by directing funds to areas patients need the most at any given time.

Not-for-profit medical providers like CMH rely on philanthropy to support health services and programs that meet immediate human needs. Offering the best care to patients is our promise to the thousands of individuals who entrust us every year with their lives. Your support of this fund makes it possible.

Lower Columbia Hospice is an outreach program of Columbia Memorial Hospital serving Clatsop County, and it is the only program of its kind serving the community since 1981. Our mission is to provide compassionate in-home care to terminally ill patients with an emphasis on symptom management, while also helping both patients and their families experience the best possible quality of life.

Hospice patients and their families benefit from:

• Quality medical care coordinated with the patient's primary care provider.
• Peace of mind from having support whenever it is needed.
• Quality of life.

Give the gift of peace

You can help bring loving, end-of-life care to Lower Columbia Hospice patients — many of whom are unable to pay for the assistance they need. Currently, there is an annual funding gap created by the expense of caring for patients versus the ability of families with limited resources to cover the costs of hospice care.

Your gift closes a significant portion of that gap so that hospice can continue to offer compassionate, hands-on care to those in need and their families. It helps provide:

• Charity care and under-reimbursed care.
• Medications, therapies and comfort items not covered by insurance.
• Education programs for volunteers and family members.
• Specialized medical equipment.
• Bereavement services and spiritual care.

Our Hospice Advisory Committee

The mission of the Hospice Advisory Committee is "Providing a supportive and charitable connection for our Hospice community. We are better together."