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Collaboration to bring Happy Wheels cart, smiles to Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Hospital 

1/17/2022
 

MADISONVILLE, KY – Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Foundation is partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley and local McDonald’s franchises to enhance hospitality for hospital patients and their loved ones.Pictured, from left: Christy Littrell, VP of Nursing; Katye Dame, Philanthropy Coordinator; Austin Elliott, Director of Philanthropy; Ursula Dugger, Executive Assistant; Lorie Oglesby, VP of HR and Education; Robert Ramey, President BHDM; Chris McEnaney, owner of local MCDonald's; Wade Williams, Executive Director; Theresa Floyd-Maas, Executive Director of RMH Charities of the Ohio Valley; Barb Abell- Development Manager with RMH Charities of the Ohio Valley

The collaboration centers on the addition of a Happy Wheels cart to the Madisonville hospital intent on delivering a smile to patients and their families. Each cart will be equipped with beverages, snacks and small toys and puzzle books. The Hospitality a la Carte program is free of charge.

“We are so excited to be bringing this to Madisonville,” said Director of Philanthropy Austin Elliott. “We are always focused on finding ways to improve the patient experience. We are able to do this free of charge and our hope is that these small tokens can meet basic needs and help to provide a simple reminder that our hospital and our staff support each patient and their family, especially during difficult times.” 

Local McDonald’s owners Chris and Emily McEnaney will provide cups and coffee free of charge. 

“This was a natural fit for us,” said Chris McEnaney. “The Ronald McDonald House charity has always meant very much to me. My family and I have worked with them a lot in the past and now we are able to take something that will always have a big place in our hearts and bring it into our own community to benefit our friends, our family and our neighbors.”

“We are very excited to see this come to fruition and begin to be offered to those undergoing challenging times or those welcoming new lives into the world,” added McEnaney.

This will be the first Kentucky location for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley Happy Wheels cart. The charity has helped to establish this program in five Indiana hospitals and will now be entering the Bluegrass area. 

“This all came about when we began looking for creative ways to partner with local businesses and existing charities to continue impacting our community,” said Elliott. “We felt that this was a good fit for our hospital. Whether we provide a cup of coffee to a family member who is standing vigil beside a loved one’s hospital bed or a new mom who is working through exhaustion following labor and delivery–we hope to let every person that walks through our doors know that we care.”


Pictured in photo, from left: Christy Littrell, VP of Nursing; Katye Dame, Philanthropy Coordinator; Austin Elliott, Director of Philanthropy; Ursula Dugger, Executive Assistant; Lorie Oglesby, VP of HR and Education; Robert Ramey, President BHDM; Chris McEnaney, owner of local MCDonald's; Wade Williams, Executive Director; Theresa Floyd-Maas, Executive Director of RMH Charities of the Ohio Valley; Barb Abell- Development Manager with RMH Charities of the Ohio Valley
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