Dignity Health GRIC Grant Application

City of Chandler — Regular Meeting (2021-09-23)

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Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

For Office Use Only:
Data Entry
Receipt
Evaluation
Review  Approval - Amount $  Denial

Cover Sheet
Municipality Information
1. Date of Application: 3/1/2021 (NOTE: Click field or use up/down arrow keys to move among fields)
2. Name of City, Town or County: Chandler, Arizona
3. Mayor (City or Town) or Board of Supervisor’s Chairman (County): Mayor Kevin Hartke
4. Mailing Address: Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona Ave.
5. City: Chandler
State: Arizona
Zip Code: 85225
6. Acknowledgement of Submission by Authorized Municipality Representative:
Typed Name/Title: Matthew Burdick, Communications and Public Affairs Director
Email Address: matt.burdick@chandleraz.gov
Signature:
Applicant Information
7. Department/Organization Name: Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley
8. Select Organization Type: 501c3 Non-Profit  If Non-profit please attach IRS Determination Letter
9. Application Contact Person: Laurel Vetsch Title: Grants Manager
10. Phone Number: 480-728-3130
11. Mailing Address: 1727 W. Frye Road, Suite 230
12. City: Chandler
State: Arizona
Zip Code: 85224
13. Email Address: laurel.vetsch@dignityhealth.org
Website Address: www.supportdignityhealtheastvalley.org
Project Information
14. Project Name: Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Life Support Pumps
15. Purpose of Grant: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, ways of preventing, treating, and surviving the disease
continue to be improved. One of the most exciting life-saving options for the most vulnerable patients is the use of an
ECMO pump. Funds from this grant would enable Dignity Health to purchase one pump for the East Valley.
16. Priority Funding Area
Healthcare
17. Annual amount requested
$119,000
18. Number of years that funding is requested
One year
19. Total amount requested (annual amount x
number of years)
$119,000
20. Has your organization received past
funding from GRIC? If yes, list each year and
amount
2019 - $500,000 Dignity Rising Tower D
2016 - $49,655 Chandler Children’s Dental Clinic
2011 - $171,280 Breast Health Program
2008 - $1 million Chandler Regional Tower C
21. Geographic area served
The City of Chandler and the entire East Valley will benefit from
life-saving equipment.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

Narrative
Please structure your proposal to provide the following information in the order indicated. Provide the narrative in
paragraph form in the text field provided. Please be thorough but strive for brevity.
1. Briefly describe your organization’s history, mission and goals.
Mission. As CommonSpirit Health, our mission is to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving
the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all. Our
vision is a healthier future for all, inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by our humanity.

Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley’s strategic mission is to raise financial support to advance health care in the East
Valley through funding capital expansion projects; investing in new medical technologies; improving patient services and
medical education; enhancing research at our hospitals; and providing crucial community programs. The generosity of
the communities we serve helps ensure excellence in patient care, medical education, and research.

History. Chandler Regional Medical Center is at the heart of the health and well-being of our community. In 1961,
Chandler Regional Hospital opened with only 40 beds, 25 employees and 91volunteers, and laid the foundation for the
full-service, acute-care hospital it has become. In 1999, Chandler Regional joined the Catholic Healthcare West system of
hospitals. In 2007 we changed our name to reflect our growth, becoming Chandler Regional Medical Center. In 2012
Catholic Healthcare West became Dignity Health. The new name, and the governance structure that came along with it,
reflects who we are and what we stand for. The value of dignity is a big part of our culture, and we hope it is apparent in
all we do that we recognize the inherent dignity of each person. Chandler Regional currently is a 338-bed, non-profit
facility with more than 2,500 employees, and almost 1,000 doctors on staff representing all major specialties. Later this
year, a new patient tower (“Tower D”) will open, expanding our outpatient services, operating rooms, cardiac
rehabilitation, and telemetry units. We will have a total of 429 available beds and add more than 200 employees.

CommonSpirit Health was formed by the alignment of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). Founded by
women religious, both health systems have a long, proud legacy of serving all people in need, especially those who’ve
been made vulnerable by poverty, age, and other hardships. CommonSpirit Health is continuing these legacies by
actively advocating for positive social change. With more than 700 care sites across the U.S. – from clinics and hospitals
to home-based care and virtual care services – CommonSpirit Health is accessible to nearly one out of every four U.S.
residents.

Goals. Chandler Regional strives to continually improve patient care and community well-being by adhering to the
following National Patient Safety Goals established by The Joint Commission. Those goals include:

•
Improve the accuracy of patient identification
•
Improving the safety of medications
•
Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls
•
Encourage patients' active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy
•
Reduce the risk of health care associated infections
•
Improve communication among caregivers
•
Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care
•
Identify safety risks inherent in the patient population to identify the suicidal patient
•
Improve recognition and response to changes in a patient's condition

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

We are proud to be more than just healthcare providers. Each member of our team is an ambassador of Dignity Health,
promoting healing and wholeness throughout our community. By demonstrating dignity and respect in every interaction
we have with a patient, a family member, a doctor and each other, we are given the opportunity to positively influence
people's lives each and every day.

2. To determine eligibility for this grant, if the applying organization is non-municipal or a non-profit 501c, please
describe your relationship with Arizona municipalities including past and present support, whether through
partnerships, collaborations, in-kind contributions, grants, tax-based funding or other. Describe the supporting
municipality’s role in this project. If the applying organization is a municipality or a municipal sub-division please
enter the text “Not applicable” and go to item 3.
Dignity Health has a long history of collaboration with the City of Chandler for services and initiatives that improve the
health of Chandler residents. The Chandler Children’s Dental Clinic was established in 2008 in collaboration with the
Chandler Unified School District. Since that time, the City of Chandler has been an outstanding supporter of the clinic
through its annual grant process. The City of Chandler also provides grant funding for Dignity Health’s vision and hearing
screenings for low-income children. Chandler Regional Medical Center and the City of Chandler worked closely together
during the construction of Chandler Regional’s last tower expansion project and are working closely together again in
the current construction project. The City of Chandler always encourages our pursuit of funding for other needs at
Chandler Regional that benefit the East Valley community.

3. Describe the proposed project and your plan to implement.
The Dignity Health Foundation East Valley wishes to express our gratitude to the Gila River Indian Community for its
previous financial support of Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Tower D expansion and the Dignity Rising Campaign.
Many other opportunities remain to support continuing emergent health care needs of our community.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, ways of preventing, treating, and surviving the disease continue to be improved.
One of the most exciting life-saving options for the most vulnerable patients is the use of an ECMO pump. The Extra-
Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-support pump that essentially serves as an artificial lung, allowing
patients’ lungs to rest and heal. Blood is pumped outside of the body to the heart-lung machine that removes carbon
dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back to tissues in the body. ECMO is not a treatment for COVID-19, but it saves
lives when other life-support measures have failed. By enabling blood to “bypass” the heart and lungs, it can help
temporarily provide tissues with enough oxygen when patients’ lungs are compromised.

ECMO has many uses beyond the pandemic. It can be instrumental in saving lives when suffering from serious heart
conditions such as heart attack, heart muscle disease, inflammation of the heart muscle, hypothermia, sepsis and shock.
Pulmonary conditions it can be used for include pneumonia, respiratory failure, trauma, pulmonary artery blockage, and
acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

As the pandemic rages on, our community desperately needs ECMO pumps to
adequately treat the growing numbers of patients hospitalized for COVID-19.
When the pandemic finally abates, ECMO pumps will be vital to Chandler
Regional Medical Center’s cardiovascular, thoracic, and trauma service lines.

Chandler Regional Medical Center has no ECMO pumps. Currently, patients
requiring ECMO are being transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown
Phoenix. The volume of transfers for this service are steadily increasing and
St. Joseph’s Hospital is not able to accommodate all who need the service. A
solution is needed to treat fragile patients close to home.

Three ECMO pumps are required (two pumps serving patients and one back-
up unit. Each CARDIOHELP™ machine with discounts and Warranty costs
$115,000. We are requesting Gila River Indian Community donate funds for
one ECMO pump.

Ryan Parker, a young Chandler resident, suffered an extreme case of COVID-
19 this past summer and almost died. He says, “Being a resident of Chandler, I
naturally went to Chandler Regional’s ER when I got sick. I got so sick that I
nearly passed away, and had to be transferred to St. Joseph’s by ambulance to
receive life-saving care, specifically ECMO, as it wasn’t available at Chandler Regional. My family lives in Chandler and
Tucson, so they had to travel quite far every day in order to visit me. To have ECMO available at Chandler Regional
would have been a huge blessing ot my family and me, but I’m fortunate to have survived. ECMO is truly life -saving
technology, and I’m so thankful it saved mine.”

4. Describe how the proposed project satisfies one or more of the priority funding areas identified by the Gila River
Indian Community.
The purchase of an ECMO pump for Chandler Regional Medical Center addresses Gila River Indian Community’s priority
funding area of health care by providing “direct patient care, health education, and other programs that may assist in
improving the overall health of participants and local communities.”

Funds from Gila River Indian Community will help to establish an ECMO program at Chandler Regional Medical Center,
advancing CRMC’s ability to treat the most fragile COVID-19 patients, as well as expanding cardiovascular, thoracic, and
trauma services into the future.
5. Identify the needs/problems to be addressed, target population and number of people to be served by the
project.
Maricopa County has had nearly 487,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Since the start of the pandemic,
34,172 individuals have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and 2,147 of those have been severe cases that have been
admitted to Intensive Care Units. Nearly 8,000 deaths in Maricopa County have resulted from the pandemic. Daily,
Chandler Regional discharges approximately 20-30 patients recovering from COVID.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

During the early months of the COVID-19 public health emergency, Dignity Health’s East Valley hospitals (like many
others across the country) were asked to halt elective surgeries and other traditional revenue-generating activities, to
prepare for and accommodate surges of patients impacted by COVID-19. This activity, combined with significant
unplanned and unbudgeted expenses directly related to the pandemic (facility modifications, PPE & medical equipment
purchases, etc.) was of great detriment to Dignity Health’s operating budgets. Additionally, when elective procedures
were approved to resume to a small degree in May of 2020, many members of the community were fearful and hesitant
to schedule elective procedures or even visit the hospital in emergency situations, due to fear that the hospitals were
unsafe.

Dignity Health East Valley was fortunate enough to receive financial relief through the CARES Act on two occasions – in
April and July of 2020. This funding, while critically-important, only covered a small portion of the revenue missed due
to the suspension of elective procedures and the unbudgeted expenses being incurred due to the public health
emergency. As a safety net provider, without this small amount of federal aid, our ability to sustain care for those most
at risk would have been threatened. While some services have resumed, the added cost of safety measures, surge staff,
new equipment, and providing many services in different ways (telehealth, etc.) remains costly. We find ourselves
relying on help from the community to fund the many unique services that are required throughout this pandemic.

ECMO therapy is best indicated for younger patients for whom all other therapies have failed. It gives one last chance
for patients who are succumbing to the disease. It is difficult to say how many patients one pump will save. Patients can
be on the pump for a few days up to many weeks. It provides the greatest gift of all to patients who are dying of COVID –
the time they need to heal.

6. Define the project as a new or continuing program. Has GRIC previously funded this project?
ECMO life-support therapy has been used in the past for ailments causing heart or lung failure in the ICU. It has now
been shown extremely effective in saving the lives of critical COVID-19 patients for whom ventilators and other care
failed to support their lungs. A recent study of 1,035 patients who faced an extremely high risk of death and for whom
ventilators were failing, showed that when placed on ECMO, their actual death rate was reduced to less than 40% (The
Lancet. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32008-0).

Proposed outcomes for our project include:
1. Provide life-support for critically ill COVID-19 patients, lowering the death rate from this disease.
2. Prevent East Valley patients from having to be transported far from home for life-saving care.
3. Provide ECMO training course to staff enabling them to administer the therapy.

Extra-Corporeal Life Support Organization president Dr. Matthew Paden says, “When we talk about all of the therapies
that we have that are actually proven for COVID-19, the list is really quite small. It’s really nice to have another therapy
that can salvage another half of those patients and be able to get them to survive.”
7. Provide a brief timeline including start and finish dates. Indicate if the timeline is flexible.
We must provide life-saving treatment to COVID-19 patients now while we continue to be in the trenches of this
pandemic. Therefore, our plan is to purchase three ECMO pumps, have them delivered and installed, and train staff to

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

operate the pumps now. The associated expense is not included in our budget, however, so we will raise funds for them
while they are being purchased and after purchase. This will help to offset their cost so that other hospital operations
are not affected by diverting budgeted funds.

8. Identify other organizations, partners or funders participating in the project and their roles.
We are requesting funds from GRIC for one pump, but ultimately we need three pumps so that two patients can receive
treatment at a time (there must always be one pump in reserve should a pump ever require maintenance). We are
seeking the involvement of additional funders to supply all the pumps and training, including Kemper and Ethel Marley
Foundation, Del E. Webb Foundation and others. We also intend to approach grateful patients, as well as our critical
care specialist partners (independent groups of ICU physicians, Emergency Room physicians, Thoracic surgeons, etc.) to
request their philanthropic support.

9. Would you be able to implement the proposed plan if your organization received partial funding for this project?
As stated above, Dignity Health is committing to the ECMO program by purchasing pumps now. We hope to have those
costs reimbursed through philanthropic support. Any amount of funds donated to offset the cost is greatly appreciated.

10. Describe your plan for project financial sustainability beyond the grant period. If this is a program/project
previously funded by the Gila River Indian Community describe efforts made towards the previously described
sustainability plan.
Once funding is obtained to offset the cost of the ECMO pumps, warranties, and staff training, they will be able to be
used indefinitely with minimal incremental cost. Dignity Health will accommodate the cost of staffing and operating the
ECMO technology.

11. Describe your plan to document progress and results.
Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley will adhere to all Gila River reporting requirements. We will provide full interim
and final reports outlining the purchase and use of the pump, photos of the pump, and patient stories. If funding is
received, we will recognize GRIC as a partner in providing the ECMO pump. Dignity Health will place Gila River Indian
Community’s logo on the pump. Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley will announce the partnership in our quarterly
e-newsletter which is distributed to more than 8,000 donors and hospital staff. We will also announce it on Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter. Permanent recognition in an area of the hospital where the ECMO pumps are used to provide
care to patients can also be discussed if such recognition is of interest.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

12. Indicate any application to and/or awards made by a tribe other than the Gila River Indian Community for state
shared revenues for this and any other project for the past five (5) years. If this information is included in a
separate attachment, please indicate that here.
We have not received awards from any other tribe for this particular project. We did recently receive an award from the
Ak-Chin Indian Community for our Dignity Rising capital campaign in support of Tower D construction. We are currently
exploring funding opportunities for our Children’s Dental Clinics from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

Project Budget
Budget Period: November 2021 – October 2022
For each budget item listed here please provide a narrative description on the following Project Budget Detail page.

Proposed Budget Expense
(list each budget item)
Amount
requested from
GRIC
Amount
requested or
secured from
other sources
In Kind
contributions
Total Budget
1. ECMO Pumps (3)
$104,000
$208,000
$0
$312,000
2. ISTAT Devices (3)
$0
$100,000
$0
$100,000
3. Start-up Costs
$0
$48,000
$0
$48,000
4. Extended Warranty (3)
$15,000
$30,000
$0
$45,000
5. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
6. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
7. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
8. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
9. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
10. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
11. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
12. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
13. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
14. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
15. Click here to enter text.
$0
$0
$0
$0
Total Budget
$119,000
$386,000
$0
$505,000

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2021

Project Budget Detail
Please provide a narrative description for each of the project budget items listed on the previous page. Include the
dollar figure and how it was derived.
1. Chandler Regional Medical Center needs 3 pumps for its ECMO program so that two patients can be receiving
treatment and there must always be a backup unit, should there be technical malfunctions in one of the patient pumps.
2. ISTAT Devices are monitoring/lab equipment that accompany each ECMO pump.
3. Start-up costs include coordination, education, orientation, and certification of skills.
4. Extended warranties are needed in the event there is a problem with one of the machines, they can be replaced
quickly and efficiently.
5. Click here to enter text.
6. Click here to enter text.
7. Click here to enter text.
8. Click here to enter text.
9. Click here to enter text.
10. Click here to enter text.
11. Click here to enter text.
12. Click here to enter text.
13. Click here to enter text.
14. Click here to enter text.
15. Click here to enter text.
Other explanation: Click here to enter text.
To ensure a complete application and proper submission please refer to the Grant Application Instructions.