Sisters and nurses, ever-present at the heart of Mercy.
Donor Impact On
A Lasting Legacy
One blustery, cold November day in 1874, six Sisters of Mercy came to Baltimore City Hospital, where they were charged with overseeing a small infirmary that would eventually grow to become Mercy Health Services.
Today, there are fewer members of the Sisters of Mercy to embody our living mission—yet still, the dedication to provide tender and personal care to the poor and underserved endures. Building upon the unique good will engendered by our upcoming 150th anniversary, we have launched The Sisters of Mercy Endowed Legacy Fund. Support from this endowment will ensure our excellent medical care and abundant charitable services carry on for another 150 years.
Sisters Fran Demarco, Helen Amos, and Karen McNally inspire the future of Mercy.
Sr. Ruth Handren and Sr. Helen Amos—two of Mercy’s distinguished leaders.
Dr. Maine and Sisters of Mercy at the President’s Reception.
Sisters Fran Demarco, Helen Amos, and Karen McNally inspire the future of Mercy.
Sr. Ruth Handren and Sr. Helen Amos—two of Mercy’s distinguished leaders.
As a community hospital focused on quality services for all, endowed funds will help us invest in cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art clinical spaces so we can offer the very best health care possible. Endowment gifts can support fellowships, scholarships, research projects, and medical conferences. It can also allow Mercy to retain award-winning doctors and nurses and world-renowned specialists embedded throughout our health system.
Tracey Veihmeyer, Director of Development at Stella Maris, expands on how endowment can aid in workforce development: “Stella Maris serves elders and people in need of rehabilitation, long-term care, and inpatient or home hospice care. One of the ways we can offer outstanding services is by providing in-house training and certification for Geriatric Nursing Assistants. I am excited that the Legacy Fund honoring the Sisters of Mercy could help educate future caregivers about evolving best practices.”
Indeed, endowment is a stabilizing reserve of funding that broadens and deepens the services for everyone who depends on Mercy or Stella Maris for care.
– Marilynn Duker, Co-Chair of Brightview Senior Living and Vice Chair of the Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees
Kevin Pearson, Executive Vice President of M&T Bank, shares, “I donated to The Sisters of Mercy Endowed Legacy Fund because I know a struggling community is strengthened when people from all walks of life can access health care in a dignified way. My Legacy Fund gift can support endeavors such as comprehensive prenatal care and accredited CenteringPregnancy classes offered at Mercy’s Mead Maternal Health and Preventive Care Center. The work being done at the Mead Center is part of Mercy’s extensive efforts to address racial disparities in health, in keeping with its mission of compassionate care. I like the idea that the investment I make now will help Mercy make a difference in the future.”
It also allows our institution to address patients’ most pressing barriers to quality health care. As a Catholic health care system with a special commitment to the poor and vulnerable, each year Mercy provides at least $22 million in charitable care for the disadvantaged.
“Having a strong endowment ensures that Mercy can continue to reach marginalized people,” says Rick Berndt of the Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees. “When the Sisters of Mercy came to this country, they came to serve the poor and needy. This is still their focus today. Endowment provides ongoing resources for exactly this purpose. I hope my donation inspires others to join me in supporting the Sisters’ mission far into the future through gifts to The Sisters of Mercy Endowed Legacy Fund.”
Patients’ needs tend to evolve—whether it is an elderly patient who can’t afford assisted living facility entrance fees; a low-income patient who could heal faster if provided free prescriptions, medical supplies, or nutritious food; or a cancer patient who needs safe rides to and from their chemotherapy sessions. The donors who gave to The Sisters of Mercy Endowed Legacy Fund in Fiscal Year 2023 ensured that Mercy had the resources and flexibility to guarantee that the work and mission of the original six Sisters of Mercy is perpetuated under lay leadership.