LWCC Foundation grant supports Tulane healthcare heroes fighting COVID-19
The LWCC Foundation has awarded a $40,000 Louisiana Well Again grant to the Tulane Frontline Providers Fund: Green Wave Heroes to support childcare assistance for resident physicians working to care for patients fighting COVID-19.
The fund also has provided frontline workers with personal protective equipment, eat-in and take-home meals, and the Letters from the Porch concert series.
Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation recently established the foundation as its philanthropic arm. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization rapidly mobilized the effort into a grants program to help the state’s response and recovery.
“The LWCC Foundation’s mission is to help Louisiana thrive. COVID-19 has challenged our state and its workforce in unprecedented ways, especially frontline healthcare workers,” said John Hawie, LWCC Foundation board chair. “We are honored to help the Tulane University School of Medicine, through Louisiana Well Again, continue to fight this important battle by alleviating the burden imposed by the current lack of childcare.”
Dr. Kendra Harris, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the School of Medicine, leads the Frontline Providers Fund initiative.
“COVID-19 has placed unprecedented forms of stress on the healthcare system. The workforce had to grapple with a childcare crisis of epic proportions with schools and daycares shutting abruptly,” Harris said. “It is through the help of community partners, such as the LWCC Foundation, that we were able to rise and meet this challenge. And although we are through the first surge, we all must prepare for what the fall and winter hold.”
“Even as we continue to work to combat both COVID-19 and the day-to-day health issues of New Orleanians, we realized that we also must address the needs of our frontline providers,” said Dr. Lee Hamm, School of Medicine dean and senior vice president. “While we may not be able to alleviate the longer hours or more stressful working environment, we can do some things to help, like providing childcare. We are grateful to the LWCC Foundation for its assistance in making this possible.”
