How F.W. Webb Supports Boston Children’s Hospital in Helping Patients, Their Families, and Veterans

November 14, 2024

Since 2021, F.W. Webb has been a proud supporter of several key initiatives at Boston Children's Hospital. With its initial donation, the company established the F.W. Webb Extraordinary Needs Fund for Military and Veteran Families. Since its inception, the fund has covered critical non-medical needs for patients and their families.

In addition, F.W. Webb's contribution supports Hiring Our Heroes, Edge4Vets, and the Boston Children's Hospital Military Fellowship, programs that assist veterans as they embark on civilian careers.

Meeting Non-Medical Needs of Patients and Families

When all other means of addressing non-medical needs are exhausted, Pamela Chamorro MSW, LICSW, and her team at Boston Children's turn to the F.W. Webb Extraordinary Needs Fund for Military and Veteran Families. Although it is considered a fund of last resort, its resources are spent immediately.

"We try to do what we can," Chamorro says, "but there is never enough. There is so much need."

As Director of the Social Work Department at Boston Children's, Chamorro oversees disbursements from the Extraordinary Needs Fund, and every dollar donated goes directly to patients or their families. F.W. Webb's named fund is part of the overarching Extraordinary Needs Fund. While military and veteran families are prioritized for the company's contribution, funding may also be given to other patients in need.

Chamorro says her team of 320 social workers helps about 1,200 patients every year. They work with community partners to identify funding sources for non-medical support, and if no suitable sources are found, they utilize the Extraordinary Needs Fund. Disbursements follow rigorous guidelines requiring documented patient needs.

According to Chamorro, her team determines needs based on a social assessment of the patient. Guided by the philosophy that comprehensive care supports recovery, their approach weighs psychosocial circumstances surrounding patients. The team considers the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors affecting patients and their families.

One especially important area of need is housing. While families navigate the often-difficult task of arranging care for their children, housing instability can become a concurrent hardship. Thankfully, the Extraordinary Needs Fund can help establish a level of housing security. "Our job is to provide stability," Chamorro says. "We can support families experiencing housing instability."

To assist patients experiencing housing challenges, funds might be used for mortgage, rental, or utility payments.

Families can also receive parking vouchers or transportation assistance, which is arranged through a service similar to Lyft or Uber. Chamorro’s team can provide gift cards to pay for items such as clothing and meal vouchers for food expenses. Car seats are another pressing need; the Boston Children’s Injury Prevention Team trains families on car seat installations.

"It's important we establish a foothold and present a pathway forward," she says. "When patients and families have access to adequate resources, coping with injury or illness is much easier."

She adds that it is crucially important to address "the psychosocial presentation of what is happening with a particular patient, which is outside the medical scope, in theory. But if we look at the whole child, and look at the research, we know that psychosocial presentation affects health care."

"There is no question that we will meet the medical needs of what's affecting these families," she continues. The challenge arises in determining the best utilization of funds to address non-medical needs. Effectively stabilizing the psychosocial factors surrounding a patient's condition has a profound and lasting impact.

Chamorro says that when non-medical needs are met, her team can help "significantly decrease the medical presentations of children in this hospital."

F.W. Webb's Scope of Support

In addition to the Extraordinary Needs Fund for Military and Veteran Families, F.W. Webb's donation funds programs for veterans transitioning to civilian careers.

The Workforce Development Department at Boston Children's manages this donation, which initially went to the Hiring Our Heroes program. The hospital has since added two more initiatives: Edge4Vets and the Boston Children’s Hospital Military Fellowship.

Helping Veterans Transition to Civilian Careers

After serving our country, veterans return to civilian life with valuable skills and experiences that enrich the lives of those around them and strengthen the communities they serve.

However, the transition to a civilian career can be challenging. Boston Children's Workforce Development team, supported by F.W. Webb's contributions, helps ease this challenge through programs such as Hiring Our Heroes.

"These donations form the foundation for our everyday work," says Florette Louissaint, the Manager of Community Strategies at Boston Children's. "With this funding, we facilitate programs that greatly benefit veterans taking their first steps into civilian careers."

Louissaint and Kathy Lind, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Boston Children's, are firsthand beneficiaries of the initiatives, as several of their colleagues have joined them through Hiring Our Heroes.

Boston Children's is an employer partner with Hiring Our Heroes, a national program overseen by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree and remain on active duty during their final 180 days of service. After applying to the 12-week program, candidates set up interviews with companies in their chosen geographic area. Once they have started their fellowships, participants can discuss job offers with potential employers at any time.

Louissaint says Hiring Our Heroes participants have served in higher ranks and possess extensive past experience, while many also hold advanced degrees.

Participants often seek leadership roles, including director of operations and IT, security, human resources, and investment positions.

To further support veterans, Boston Children's also collaborates with Edge4Vets. It offers workshops that help veterans translate their military skills into civilian careers. At Boston Children's, participants are mentored by veterans already employed at the hospital. Edge4Vets also connects participants with human resources contacts at host companies.

After participants complete the program, Edge4Vets offers job search support, including resume creation assistance and interview preparation.

Hiring Our Heroes and Edge4Vets have proved so successful that the Workforce Development team established the Boston Children's Military Fellowship.

"We look forward to sharing the opportunities the Military Fellowship program will create for veterans in our community, allowing them to receive the support they need to start successful post-military careers," Louissaint says.

Modeled after Hiring Our Heroes, the Military Fellowship is an eight-week initiative open to all experience levels and ranks. The first cohort of four fellows started this fall, and another cohort will follow in the spring.

Veterans seeking entry or mid-level roles can apply for the fellowship. Fellows are paid for working 24 to 32 hours a week and receive a variety of benefits, ranging from access to Boston Children’s employee support links to MBTA passes.

Additionally, a recently hired recruiter serves as a dedicated liaison to the hiring process, giving fellows seamless access to job openings and other opportunities.

The Workforce Development team also coordinates with the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative, a resource for local veterans. The Collaborative includes the Military Fellowship as part of its support network for veterans in the Boston area.

Building Awareness and Reaching Veterans

Most veterans discover the programs through Boston Children’s community partners and local workshops, though Hiring Our Heroes draws candidates from across the country.

Still, the workforce development team wants to build awareness about these initiatives. They are determined to share vital resources to help veterans flourish as they begin new phases of their lives.

Providing this support is essential because veterans bring immense value to organizations and communities. They are ready to lead, ready to excel, and ready to serve again.

F.W. Webb's Ongoing Commitment

This year, F.W. Webb continues its commitment to these significant causes by proudly extending its contribution to these initiatives. In doing so, F.W. Webb hopes to provide peace of mind to patients and families while also creating the framework for veterans to share their valuable skills and experiences with civilian organizations.