Our Funds

Passavant’s rich history began when opening its doors in the hills of Pittsburgh in 1849. Relocating to the North Hills in 1964, Passavant fulfilled the community’s need for a local hospital and continues to provide quality health care. Passavant Hospital Foundation has served the hospital for over 40 years and continues to support UPMC Passavant’s excellence in health care and advance the health of all in our community through:

  • Funding direct support for our most vulnerable patients and those of limited financial means
  • Providing facilities, technology and equipment at our hospital to support excellence in patient care
  • Sponsoring free workshops and seminars for all in the community, to promote personal well-being
  • Offering support groups for families affected by a loved one’s addiction
  • Forming community partnerships for greater impact on health concerns that affect us all

Passavant Hospital Foundation supports UPMC Passavant Hospital and the UPMC Passavant Community by the Foundation’s generous donors who help support the following:

Patient Assistance Fund 

The Patient Assistance Fund helps those with expenses associated with medications, equipment, groceries and other resources. Since 2014 by Passavant Hospital Foundation, has provided totaling more than $45,168 to help 211 financially challenged patients. One of the first beneficiaries of the Patient Assistance Fund was a 62-year-old patient who had been hospitalized four times in one year due to cardiac issues. While his condition could easily have been controlled through medication management, he could not afford the medicine because he did not have health insurance coverage through his employer. As a result, he was repeatedly hospitalized with the same cardiac issues. The Patient Assistance Fund was able to break this cycle and cover costs for the medications he needed to stay well.

Jennifer Hall, MSN, RN, CCM, ACM-RN, Director of Care Management stated “The patient needs of this community are real and often underestimated. With the help of Passavant Hospital Foundation’s Patient Assistance Fund, we’re able to assist our patients with what they need to ease the transition from hospital to home in a very positive way.”

Read below how Passavant Hospital Foundation provided a grant to UPMC Passavant Rehabilitation Services for the Purchase of a Bioness Interactive Therapy System.

Cancer Care Fund

Launched in 2014, Passavant Hospital Foundation’s Cancer Care Fund helps financially struggling oncology patients pay for basic needs, such as shelter, food, or transportation. To date, more than $87,950 has been distributed to 246 oncology patients through this fund.

Elizabeth Shumaker, MSN, RN, Senior Director of Clinical Operations of UPMC Wound Heal­ing Services at UPMC Passavant commented, “When a patient has to decide whether to pay for medication or pay their electric bill because they can’t afford to pay for both, it’s nice to know we can help. Patients are so grateful for the Cancer Care Fund.”

Read below how Passavant Hospital Foundation helped an oncology patient celebrate her wedding shower after being postponed.

Nursing Development Fund

Since 2014, the Foundation’s Nursing Education/Development Fund has provided nearly $63,976 to help 281 UPMC Passavant nurses offset the costs of earning certification in their medical specialty areas as well as covering expenses for attending important conferences.

“Studies show that hospitals with a high percentage of certified nurses have a higher overall quality of care and patient satisfaction – and that has certainly been the case at UPMC Passavant,” said Margaret Hayden, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Cultural Excellence.

Cancer Care Fund helped patient meet financial challenges.


At the age of 76, Carol began to feel the jaws of a financial vise tightening all around her. She’d seen diagnosed with cancer eight years prior, and when the cancer medications wore her down, she was forced to retire. Her husband had been on Social Security for the past 16 years due to his illness with multiple sclerosis (MS), so funds were scarce.

Then things got even worse. “I had a heart attack, and the medications caused a bleeding ulcer,” Carol said. “On top of that, we were notified that the copay for my husband’s MS medications were increasing significantly. At home, we were in need of a new refrigerator and stove, as well as a new roof and furnace. Then our hot water heater blew up! It was just one thing after another. How much could one person possibly take?”

Carol feared the worst.

With expenses rapidly increasing and funds continuing to run dangerously low, she wondered what would happen when the money ran out. “I kept thinking I could lose the house, my car. Then what? Would my husband and I have to stop treatment?” One day, Carol was sharing her story while receiving treatment at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Passavant when someone on staff overheard her. That person then went directly to Passavant Hospital Foundation to get Carol help for her seemingly dire situation. “Our Cancer Care Fund was created for people just like Carol, who find themselves in situations just like this one,” said Passavant Hospital Foundation President Anthony R. Savannah.

Click Here to Read More of Carol's Story on Page 6 of the Foundation's 2022 Annual Report.

Passavant Hospital Foundation Assists CRNAs with Tuition Costs 

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) play an integral role in health care, providing anesthetics to patients in every practice setting and for every type of surgery or procedure. Their training includes doctorate-level programs that can cost more than $100,000. To help attract the most qualified and skilled CRNAs to the UPMC Passavant team, Passavant Hospital Foundation has provided a CRNA Tuition Award of $120,000 — or $30,000 each — to four recent CRNA graduates and new hires at UPMC Passavant. The money is given as a partial tuition loan forgiveness. In return, award recipients have committed to serve at UPMC Passavant for at least the next three years. “We’re advancing health and wellness throughout our community, so it’s important that we have the best CRNAs available, and we’re happy to provide this assistance to get the best recruits,” said Anthony R. Savannah, president of Passavant Hospital Foundation.

 Click Here to Read More about How Passavant Hospital Foundation Invests in the Future of Quality Health Care