2024 Holiday Donation

SunStone is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season by selecting a worthy charitable organization to donate in our team and client’s name. The recommendations came from various members of our team, and all are worthy of donations.

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The winner for a $7,500 donation is the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), as recommended by Elaine Shaner:
 
Elaine – “I would like to recommend we donate to CHOP, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. My middle daughter, Natalie - age 9, was diagnosed with Progressive Sensorineural Hearing loss shortly after turning 2.  We knew CHOP was where she needed to be for her care.  She had surgery for Cochlear Implants at 2 ½ years old and it has been a world of difference!!   More recently, Natalie has been diagnosed with gene mutations that require lab work every 3 months, among being followed by CHOP’s Hematology/Oncology Dept.  Without CHOP and the specialized care that is given to every child, from all walks of this world, we wouldn’t have the security in knowing our child is getting the best possible care.  Having worked in a hospital that offered pediatric services and then experiencing a hospital built for pediatrics, there really is a difference.  As a parent, you never want your child to need such specialized healthcare but the comfort a parent feels from the moment you enter the building, is beyond explanation.  I feel this donation would be a  “Thank You” for all that CHOP does and has to offer.”

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We will also be making a $250 donation to the following charities, in your name:

American Cancer Society, as recommended by Teresa Zotos

"I would suggest the American Cancer Society because so many people are affected by this disease including me and my family. The risk for breast cancer in women is about 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. That is a high percentage. Approximately 40.5 % of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime.  It affects so many families. I am a breast cancer survivor and thankful every day."

American Kidney Fund (AKF), as recommended by Tony Berkebile

"I am looking forward to another memorable upcoming holiday season and one of my favorite aspects of it is that SunStone is so generous and kind with the Holiday Giving Donation. I think this is a wonderful contribution every year and I look forward to participating in it!  This year, the organization I am choosing is The American Kidney Fund. The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights on all fronts for all Americans living with kidney disease. Thanks to their compassionate community, they can be there for patients wherever they are in their illness. No other organization has a more comprehensive approach or makes a greater direct impact on patients' lives. They work to ensure that every kidney patient has access to health care, and every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. This organization holds a special place in my heart because my grandfather and best friend passed away this fall in October due a lifelong battle with kidney disease. In honor of my Pap, SunStone and all of our clients, I think the American Kidney Fund would be the great organization to donate to during the holiday season."

Humane Society, as recommended by Bob Marcavage

"I would like to submit the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area. Last year we adopted a dog after the passing of our two dogs in 2023. We weren’t going to adopt another dog for a while but when we went to see Willow and the rest was history.  In a world where the bond between humans and animals is cherished, the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area (HSHA) stands as a beacon of hope and compassion. This remarkable organization is dedicated to providing shelter, care, and love to countless animals in need. By donating to HSHA, we are not only supporting a noble cause but also making a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable animals.  The HSHA operates with a mission to build a better community for both people and pets. They offer a safe haven for animals who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected, ensuring they receive the medical attention, nourishment, and affection they deserve. Each year, HSHA helps thousands of animals find their forever homes, giving them a second chance at life and happiness.  Our donation to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area will directly impact the lives of these animals. It will provide essential resources such as food, medical care, and shelter. Moreover, it will support vital programs like spay/neuter services, adoption events, and educational outreach, which are crucial in promoting responsible pet ownership and reducing the number of homeless animals.  Our donation to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area is more than just a financial contribution; it is an act of kindness that resonates throughout the community. Together, we can ensure that every animal receives the care and love they deserve. Please consider making a donation today and be a hero for animals in need."

K-9’s for Warriors, as recommended by Rheanna Rehmeyer

"My father was in the Army for 38 years and only retired because the Army decided he was too old and made him retire. He spent two years in Taiwan during the Vietnam era and still carries a lot of guilt because he was not sent to Vietnam. Meanwhile, he lost many friends because they were sent to Vietnam. A trip to the Vietnam War Memorial is always heart wrenching. He still serves in the color guard at the American Legion and participates in veterans’ funerals as a way to give back to his friends.  My oldest friend and her husband were both in the Army. Her husband did several tours in Iraq and was wounded and has lost use of his legs. He was a sergeant and witnessed many of his soldiers be severely injured or killed due to improvised explosive devices. As a result, he suffered from severe PTSD and eventually had to go to intensive inpatient treatment to deal with it. Prior to his treatment, one of the things they attempted to do was to get a service dog to help him with the PTSD. They spent over $20,000 in an effort to be matched with a service dog for him, only to find out they were being scammed. Apparently this is a very common scam perpetrated on veterans.  While I think some of the other veterans’ causes are just as worthy, my heart is with K-9’s for Warriors. Suicide has touched my family, and I know how much it affected all of us. I have a friend whose son was a Marine and served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and committed suicide several years after returning to civilian life, leaving behind a wife and small son. Most of my dogs, and my best dogs, have been rescues. I have adopted from both no-kill shelters and kill shelters, and both break my heart. I want to take all the homeless dogs home with me. Even if they have a “home” at a no-kill shelter, it’s nothing like them being able to have their own home and family.  K-9s for Warriors helps both veterans and shelter dogs, which are the two causes most dear to my heart. My recommendation is that our donation goes to them. I have seen the healing that merely petting a dog can bring and so many veterans need that healing so they can keep going. It can be the smallest thing that changes someone’s life, and I believe that a wagging tail and slobbery kiss is one of the best things to do so.  Thank you for this opportunity to make our recommendations. It is one more reason that I am so grateful for my job here at SunStone."

LegUp Farm, as recommended by Rebecca Dougherty

"I would like to pitch LegUp Farm for a donation. They work with disabled children and they have a veteran’s program now too. The Equine Therapy program is one of a kind and run by a former coworker of mine, Jessica Warns, who is an amazing human being. Not only are they helping children and vets but they often rescue horses and ponies from kill pens at auction and give them a new lease on life as therapy animals. Horses are expensive therapy animals, but as the quote attributed to Winston Churchill goes “the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man”. I can absolutely concur! This is my recommendation for this year’s donation and I think it’s wonderful that SunStone donates to so many worthy organizations! Thank you for the consideration of LegUp as possible donation."
 
The Pappaus House, as recommended by Amy Henry

"Those charities on your list are all good charities but I think I'd like to tell you about a non-profit organization called the Pappus House. It's an eight-bed facility that houses hospice patients from any hospice agency and it offers all the comforts of home. Families are encouraged to spend the night with their loved one towards the end of their life, and they can visit day or night. The home offers not only personal care, nutrition, security, but also, they offer companionship and compassion towards the residents there. It's a beautiful place with spacious rooms and they accept residents from all walks of life regardless of their income status. They even have a resident cat named Aslan who is an excellent greeter. I used to work there. I loved taking care of the residents, and speaking to the volunteers who helped with cleaning the facility and making meals, or maintaining the gardens.  I first heard about the Pappus House when I was a hospice aide. I would travel there to care for my hospice patients. The executive director is Amy Janskey and she has a heart of gold! She truly cares for all the residents, volunteers and staff."
 
Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, as recommended by Georgia Rackley

"Everything we love, we will lose. Grief is a universal experience, yet many grieve alone. It’s something that is meant to be a shared experience.  The Pathways Center for Grief & Loss in Lancaster County helps to meet the individual needs of anyone in their service area region who is coping with the serious illness or loss of a loved one. From support groups, individual counseling, online support, children’s support groups and more, they welcome the opportunity to support anyone. The Center is often contacted by local businesses, schools and health care organizations to provide seminars and programs on grief and loss. Its counselors who are trained in crisis and sudden loss, have been called upon to assist with the aftermath of traumatic events in the community.  Having attended their support groups, I can attest to the professionalism of the staff who facilitated the groups and the quality of the didactic content offered each session. The Center was a beacon of light in the darkest of my nights."

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Consistent with our annual tradition, SunStone has made these donations with all your names as a way of thanking you for your business, your friendship, and support of our collective ongoing success.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and for you and your families to have a healthy and prosperous New Year!
 
Warm regards,
 
Greg St.Clair, and all your friends at SunStone

2023 Holiday Donation

In keeping with our annual tradition, SunStone continues to believe the best way to celebrate the holiday season is giving to those in need.
 
This year we again asked our team to recommend charities they believe are the worthiest, so that we can celebrate our blessings by donating in your name.

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This year’s top donation of $7,500 is to the Veteran's Outreach/Disabled Veteran's Charity Trust, as recommended by Alicia McGlaughlin:
 
Alicia - "I have chosen Veteran’s Outreach this year as I am a Veteran myself. I have found that those you meet while serving quickly become family and the bonds envelope an authenticity like no other. I find that being a service member comes with many stressors that are not often talked about due to the bias of seeming weak. The outreach program provides Veterans with resources that contribute to aiding Veterans and abetting their future success. Whether it be housing, resume building, tips for job interviews, job search,  home repairs, mental health, medical, grants, emergency assistance, legal aid, or food pantries any source of funding goes a long way with the program. I feel one way to show our appreciation for integrity and service before self-character is to support veterans not only when they are “Heroes” but also when they take the cape off. 
 
Go Air Force! 
Hoorah!"

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We will also be making a $500 donation to the following charities, in your name:

Ben's Bell, as recommended by Susan Curry
 
Susan - "My recommendation for a charitable organization is Ben’s Bell. I have provided the below link for how Ben’s Bells was created by Ben’s mom Jeanette Mare. Below is the story and picture of Ben. Jeanette lectures on the Act of Kindness all over the world and in Tucson, AZ. The ceramic bell wind chimes are made by hand here in Tucson and hung on trees as far as South Africa for the finder to keep. It is such a wonderful non-profit organization that I volunteer making the ceramic bells! The Be Kind murals below are in all the Tucson Schools outside of their campus’s!
 
In 2002, Jeannette Maré’s life changed forever when her son, Ben, died suddenly just before his third birthday. In the months following his death, Jeannette and her friends and family began making ceramic wind chimes – the first Ben’s Bells – in her backyard studio. Being surrounded by supportive people and working with clay toward a common goal was therapeutic for her family and their healing.

During this time, Jeannette learned how a small act of kindness could make such a difference in a person’s life, no matter their background. She wanted to find a way to teach others about the impact of intentional acts of kindness, and so the idea for the Bell came to life. Jeannette and her friends made four hundred Bells and randomly distributed them in the Tucson community on the first anniversary of Ben’s death. Through these Bells, she had found a way to pay forward the kindnesses that had been shown to her.
This started a powerful ripple effect. People who found the Bells shared their own stories of grief and healing and hope. The local newspaper printed the story on the front page. School groups and businesses and individuals started calling to see how they could get involved and soon, thousands of Tucsonans were helping to craft Ben’s Bells.

Since 2003, Ben’s Bells has been operating as a nonprofit, growing kindness education programs, and continuing to distribute thousands of Bells every year. Today Bells are found all over the world and our free kindness education programming has reached over 1.6 million students."

Haven of Hope, as recommended by Cathy Archuleta

Cathy - "Homelessness abounds across our country. It’s undoubtedly complex. The increase in the “unhoused” is palpable. Literally, it has changed the landscape of cities across the country with children and families living in tents on the street. Though the solution is likely multifactorial and just as complex as the problem, the compulsion to help in some way is overwhelming. We have grown accustomed to keeping gift cards and food in our cars to assist anyone we encounter.
 
Haven of Hope provides food, shelter, clothing, counseling, rehabilitation, and hygienic services to the homeless. Meeting basic and emergent needs, they address health concerns, teach stress management and marketable job skills. The cornerstone of their program is low barrier access which they believe facilitates effective crisis response. Accordingly, no proof of income or housing status is required to receive services. Monthly they service over 7,000 meals and provide showers, laundry services, clothing in addition to skills training. Most recently, they’ve launched a 4-Step program called “Fresh Tracks” to equip individuals with the knowledge and skill to attain sustainable employment while also addressing the physical and spiritual characteristics of contributing to their life status. Completely privately funded, they rely on individual donors and foundations."

American Cancer Society, as recommended by Teresa Zotos

Teresa - "I would like to suggest The American Cancer Society.  I am a cancer survivor. I had breast cancer in 2016. I have lost a lot of family members to cancer. It is such a terrible disease."

3.21 For Life, as recommended by Dani Wyld

Dani - "For this year’s donation I would like to suggest 3.21 for Life.

World Down syndrome day is March 21st each year.  A group of  folks in the Hummelstown/Hershey area who have personal connections to individuals with Down syndrome used the significance of this date to name their organization 3.21 for Life. Their goal is to not only raise awareness and opportunities for these individuals, but to also help fund local nonprofit organizations for camps, therapeutic and educational programs.  They believe everyone, regardless of abilities, CAN.  They can work, they can play, they can get involved and be a shining member of their community.   Through their fundraising efforts they have donated to many  local Down syndrome causes (just to name a few):

• Jack’s Basket  - Mission is to ensure every new and expectant parent is provided resources and avenues of support within the community.

• Tops Soccer – A soccer program for children with special needs ages 5 – 21 years old. 

• Love 2 Bee Fit – Zumba and cardio drumming with a goal to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where people of all ages and abilities can improve the mental and physical health. 

• Aaron’s Acres – Provides children and young adults with disabilities social and recreational programs to nurture social and communication skills. 

• Lower Dauphin Best Buddies and Hershey Highschool Trojan Buddies – Global volunteer movement at the local high school level which creates 1:1 friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

Community Music School of Allentown, as recommended by Georgia Rackley

Georgia - "In the context of multiple difficult events transpiring in our world this holiday season, music remains the universal and common language that helps us transcend divisions. In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”
 
With an upbeat tone, I recommend our holiday donation to benefit the Community Music School of Allentown, PA.
 
A little over 40 years ago, my piano teacher during my high school years along with four other music teachers realized their dream to start a music school for anyone who ever wanted to play an instrument or have voice lessons but did not have the means to do so. In 1982, with my mother as the Founding Board Member, the Community Music School in Allentown, PA was born serving 38 students. Since then, the school has provided over 25,000 children, teens, adults and seniors instruments and private lessons in piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and voice so that they can realize their dreams and enjoy the lifelong benefits of music. The mission of Community Music School is to 'successfully provide the inspiration and opportunity for anyone in our diverse community to achieve excellence in music education and appreciate the transformative power of music.'"

Central PA Food Bank, as recommended by Bob Marcavage

Bob - "My submission is the Central PA Food Bank (CPFB). According to the Central PA Food Bank website… food insecurity rates in 2023 have spiked again. The CPFB and its partner agencies have seen a large rise in demand for charitable food assistance amidst cumulatively high inflation and the expiration of most pandemic supports like the expanded Child Tax Credit and SNAP emergency allotments. This increase is likely a leading indicator that there has been a recent rise in food insecurity and is corroborated by both recent U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Surveys and the CPFB’s own internal operations metrics; in FY2023, CPFB is moving only slightly less food to its neighbors in need than it was in FY2021 at the beginning of the pandemic.
 
Specifically …
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a nonprofit organization committed to ending hunger in 27 counties across central Pennsylvania. By working with more than 1,100 local agencies and programs, we serve more than 202,500 people in need each month through our two Healthy Food Hubs, located in Harrisburg and Williamsport.
 
Mission Statement:  fighting hunger, improving lives, strengthening communities.
 
Bold Goal:
By 2025, our collaborative network will provide access to enough nutritious food for everyone struggling with hunger in each of the 27 counties we serve, and we will convene and nurture partnerships to make progress toward ending hunger.
 
Addressing food insecurity is important because it can help improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. By ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious food, we can help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Additionally, reducing food insecurity can help reduce healthcare costs and improve overall quality of life."

Breast Cancer Research Foundation, as recommended by Tony Berkebile

Tony - "This year I would like to recommend the Breast Cancer Research Foundation as our 2023 charitable donation. This one hit personal to me this year as one of our close friends was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized to her brain. 
After countless surgeries, office visits, lab work, and scans as of today, 12-11-2023, she is in remission andcancer free! 
She still has a long road ahead, but the future is looking brighter each day for her and her beautiful family. Her name is Sabrina Mezyk, mother of 2 amazing kids (Mario and Rosie) and married to her husband, Nick. They live here in Westmont and my kids participate in many activities with them. 
This past summer, my family and I decided to organize a golf outing for them, and we raised over 15 thousand dollars that all went directly to the family for medical and travel expenses.

The mission for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research. Breast cancer knows no age, gender, or race. It is the leading cause of cancer death in the world’s poorest countries and the second leading cause of cancer death in American women. No more loved ones should be lost to breast cancer and the only way to achieve this goal is through research.

In honor of Sabrina and everyone else battling breast cancer, this would be a great charity to donate to.”

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Consistent with our annual tradition, SunStone has made these donations with all your names as a way of saying thank you for your business, your friendship and support of our ongoing collective success.
 
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and for you and your families to have a healthy and prosperous New Year!
 
Warm regards,
 
Greg St.Clair, and all your friends at SunStone

2022 Holiday Donation

In keeping with our annual tradition, SunStone believes the best way to celebrate the holiday season is giving to those in need.
 
This year we again asked our team to recommend charities they believe are the most worthy, so that we can celebrate our blessings by donating in your name. 

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This year’s top donation of $6,000 is to the Direct Relief Fund, as recommended by Laura Ehrlich:
 
Laura - "In the past few years, our world has been hit especially hard with multiple disasters including diseases such as COVID, poverty and disasters, leading to suffering of many. These events adversely affect people’s health and well-being regardless of color, economics, nationality, or politics. We all know someone directly affected by these disasters, who may or may not have the resources or available infrastructure to deal with the emergency. 
 
Direct Relief, founded in 1948, aids people and communities in need, without government funding or regard to politics, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, or any other classification. An organization with a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes, Direct Relief has been intimately involved in recovery from such disasters as the California wildfires by providing N-95 masks and respiratory medications. Their COVID response included providing emergency medical resources (vaccines, antibody therapies, PPE, medical grade oxygen and other critical items) to medial facilities across the world. Direct Relief prepares for hurricanes prior to the hurricane season and is ready to respond with needed medical relief in the gulf coast and Caribbean, should a hurricane hit. In addition, they provide health care relief for earthquakes, tornadoes, and Ukraine. Their service area is global with a focus in the US.
 
A current disaster in the US is opioid overdose from the misuse and addiction to opioids including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Direct Relief has been distributing naloxone, a lifesaving drug that reverses overdose, to organizations across the US. While this drug saves lives during a crisis, Direct Relief has also provided funding to expand behavioral health services for those most at risk including Community Health Centers, free and charitable clinics, The Harm Coalition, National Association for Recovery Residence (NARR)/VOICES project, public health departments, and direct donations to schools, colleges and universities, libraries, and YMCA’s with Narcan. Their fund supports education, outreach, treatment, and mental health services for those with substance abuse disorders.
We all know people who have been affected by every one of these disasters. Therefore, it is exceedingly important to donate to a well-regarded organization that has a longstanding history for providing assistance where it is needed."

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We will also be making a $2,000 donation to the following charity, in your name:

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), as recommended by Bob Marcavage
 
Bob - "This is a national organization which has a local presence in our community. Their mission is to recruit, train, educate, and supervise dedicated volunteers to become agents of change for the abused and neglected youths of Dauphin County. A CASA volunteer is a trained citizen (21 years or older) who is appointed by a Judge to represent the best interest of a child in court. CASA volunteers advocate for children who were once abused and/or neglected and are now placed into the foster care system through the Dependency Court.
 
This organization provides a service to our community which has a great impact on children lives that are in need and are unable to receive this type of support.  
 
The CASA website states… Studies show that if a child has a CASA volunteer, they are more likely to receive needed services, involving medical treatment, mental health therapy, and educational support. Children with an appointed CASA are also less likely to languish in long-term care."

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Listed below are the other great organizations our team recommended, and SunStone will be donating $250 in your name:
 
Fisher House Foundation, as recommended by Tony Berkebile
 
Tony - "The Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. These homes are located at military and VA medical centers across the world. Since its inception in 1990, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an estimated $547 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation during the difficult time of having a loved one in the hospital. 
 
Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses, and children of fallen and disabled veterans.
 
Here are some of the incredible statistics that stuck out to me in my research about how this foundation impacts the lives of our military and veteran families: 

• Families served: 27,000 just in calendar year 2021 alone

• Daily capacity: 1,300 families

• Families served: More than 430,000 since inception in 1990

• Number of lodging days offered: 11.5 million +

• 15,000 students have received $27,000,000 in scholarship awards

• Over 70,000 airline tickets provided by Hero Miles to service members and their families, worth nearly $105 million

The fact that this organization affects our military and veteran families in so many ways is the main reason why I am selecting the Fisher House Foundation this year. There’s a special place in my heart, and I feel in all our hearts, for the brave men and women that fight for our freedom, and what better way to give back and say THANKS to them!"
 
Gleaners Food, Hunger Doesn't Take a Break for the Holidays - Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, as recommended by Marion Salwin
 
Marion - "Gleaners Food Bank is very near and dear to my heart.  I have personally donated my time and financially to Gleaners over the past several years.  Since 1977, Gleaners Community Food Bank has relied on corporate and personal donations to help feed individuals in southeastern Michigan.  Gleaners works with 500 partners—schools, churches, community organizations, hospitals, and other non-profit agencies—to identify hungry individuals and families and get them the assistance they need.  Also, Gleaners works with schools to distribute weekend backpacks filled with nutritious food for children who rely on free or reduced-fee school meals during the week. To help people with mobility issues Gleaners Mobile Pantries go directly into the community to serve senior citizens and those with physical disabilities. One of Gleaners newest projects, Making Investments in the Lives of Kids (M.I.L.K.), delivers fresh milk—the hardest item to get into the hands of low-income families—directly to homes and area agencies for pick up.
 
Gleaners provides food to more than 600 partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and other agencies across the region, and supplements efforts of those partners by offering direct service drive-up grocery and food box distributions. In its fiscal year 2021, Gleaners distributed a record-breaking 71.4 million pounds of food to neighbors in need. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 94 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs!"
 
The J Foundation, as recommended by Brian Malley
 
Brian - "Jaime was a good friend of mine along with many others in the Philadelphia area.  He started the foundation to initially pay the funeral costs for young children when families did not have money to pay for it.   It has since grown into much more then funeral costs.   Purchasing much needed supplies that can be provided to children when they are in the hospital for long periods of time.  iPads, game systems, counseling services, mortgage payments etc.... and so much more."
 
K9s For Warriors - Service Dogs for Disabled Veterans , as recommended by Candice Shaffer
 
Candice - "I think this is a worthy cause due to them taking shelter dogs and training them to be service dogs for veterans that are experiencing service-connected trauma. This helps reduce veteran suicide and takes dogs out of shelters and into homes. This is offered to the veteran at no cost to them.  This was founded in 2011,by a mother who was trying to help her son handle his PTSD when he returned home. I truly believe dogs can help people in dark times."
 
Maranatha Ministry, as recommended by Tammy Reed
 
Tammy - "They help those in the community who are in need with physical and spiritual needs. They have a local food pantry and a Cold Weather Shelter for the homeless during the winter. I volunteered at the shelter for a short time last winter. This year they are giving out Christmas gifts for the children in the community. Craig Newcomer, the CEO, is a very kindhearted person and enjoys serving the community."
 
Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, as recommended by Georgia Rackley
 
Georgia - "Death and its accompanying grief are a universal experience. And yet, it is one of the most difficult things to talk about because of the associated pain and even stigma depending on how our loved one died. Grief is not a problem to be fixed but to be honored, carried, and incorporated into one’s life. 
 
This year I would like to nominate the Pathways Center for Grief and Loss. Following an untimely and tragic loss of my own, I found that my broken heart was an open heart and I sought out every resource possible. An on-line search led me to this Center, fand I participated in several of their topic related grief support groups; then on-line because of COVID. The Center also offers individual grief counseling and has an outstanding library of everything grief and loss related. Every service is free and is available to anyone even if they have not used the services of their affiliate Hospice and Community Care organization. 
 
I cannot say enough about the professionalism of the staff who are highly trained in the experience of death, grief and trauma. Most notable is their approach to death; one of utmost respect and acknowledgment of the sacredness of the grief journey. I would like SunStone’s donation to be in honor of the staff of this Center so they can continue their vital work.
 
We have trauma centers for broken bodies and hopefully someday we can have more centers like this one where the healing of emotional trauma and broken souls can begin."
 
Penn State Hershey Children’s Miracle Network, 
as recommended by Joli Fitzgibbons  
 
Joli - "This year I’d like to recommend we donate to the Penn State Hershey Children’s Miracle Network in honor of Malaya Gohn. Malaya was my niece’s little girl (my grandniece) born in 2017 with a rare genetic disorder called Megacystis Micro-colon Intestinal Hypo-peristalsis Syndrome (MMIHS). Malaya passed away last September at the age of four. Penn State Health through the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) provided invaluable support throughout Malaya’s short life to Malaya, her big brother, and my niece Amanda, and her husband Brin. They were tremendous. Attached is a quick synopsis regarding Malaya.  Donations to CMN support pediatric research, family-centered programs, and equipment for sick and injured children."
 
The Shalom House, as recommended by Cathy Archuleta  
 
Cathy - "The Shalom House, assists women and children with housing, income stabilization and/or employment and provides counseling services as well. Their wholistic program addresses family, finance, social, spiritual, physical, and mental health with goals personally designed for each woman and child.

I wrestled with the nomination but the idea of giving to a local group seemed very appropriate given the needs are overwhelming in every direction. The stability of the family is foundational to raising children in this very uncertain world."

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SunStone has made these donations with all of your names as a way of saying thank you for your business, your friendship and support of our ongoing collective success.
 
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and for you and your families to have a healthy and prosperous New Year!
 
Warm regards,
 
Greg St.Clair, and all your friends at SunStone

20th Anniversary

Today we celebrate our wonderful journey of 20 years.  We thank our incredible team for all your dedication and hard work to make SunStone the client-focused success we are today.  We have been blessed to work with some of the absolute best hospitals and health systems in the world, and to all of you we thank you for your loyal support and the opportunities you have provided us.

To all our staff, clients, friends, and strategic partners thank you for being on this journey with us!  We look forward to our collective ongoing success over the next 20 years!

With great appreciation,

Greg St. Clair

Brian Barbera

Vonda Moon

Tim Mosco

John Denniston

2021 Holiday Donation

SunStone believes the best way to celebrate the holiday season is giving to those in need.

We continue the tradition of asking our team to recommend charities they believe are the most worthy, so that we can celebrate our blessings by donating in your name.

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This year’s top donation of $5,000 is to the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania (VOPA), as recommended by Danielle Wyld:

Dani - "This past Veterans Day our Revenue Integrity team volunteered at a VOPA event to assist with their goal of creating a tiny home community in Harrisburg for homeless veterans. I was touched by this organization’s commitment to their cause as well as the community support for such a worthy project. The following is a bit of background on VOPA and their tiny home project:

Currently there are 37,085 homeless veterans in the United States with 857 of those homeless in Pennsylvania. Fifty-one percent (51%) of those homeless vets have disabilities. VOPA’s mission is to combat homelessness among veterans by providing support and services needed to promote life filled with strength and purpose, while recreating the stable support network last offered to them before they left the service. VOPA hopes to build a 15-unit village of tiny homes on a five-acre vacant lot in South Harrisburg near the Capital Area Green Belt Trail along the Susquehanna river on grounds donated by civic leader, Peggy Grove.

The tiny community would provide basic necessities – sleeping area, half bath, desk and small sitting space – and would be combined with a larger staffed community center with meeting spaces, kitchen/dining area, laundry, private showers and other amenities. The combination of both public and private spaces for the homeless vets will provide activities to offer the chance to re-enter group and community settings while also providing personal space for private counseling and therapy as needed. The location also provides close access to regular bus runs into downtown Harrisburg. Once in the program, each veteran will be permitted to stay in the complex rent-free for as long as necessary to facilitate the transition to permanent housing with the only requirements being compliance with basic community rules and advancement in progress toward individual goals. VOPA is seeking to raise $3.5 million to complete an access road necessary to provide public utilities, clear the grounds for redevelopment and complete the proposed community center."

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We will also be making $1,500 donations to the following charities, in your name:

Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund, as recommended by Trina Roberts.

Trina - "Governor Beshear established this relief fund to assist those impacted by the tornados and the severe weather system on December 11, 2021. These funds will go directly toward funeral expenses for families first and the remainder will be used for rebuilding. An unbelievable path of destruction was carved across western Kentucky in the overnight hours of Saturday, December 11, 2021, killing dozens of people, leveling much of Mayfield, destroying Dawson Springs and damaging buildings in Bowling Springs and other towns. Thousands of people are without homes and thousands more are without power, lacking water or gas. These devastated communities are just beginning to grapple with what they have lost. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the communities and aid workers there to support them."

Prevent Child Abuse America, as recommended by Tony Berkebile.

Tony – "I always enjoy this time of year for many reasons, especially gathering with family and watching my girls enjoy every minute of it! I also enjoy this aspect of the holidays and the challenge of selecting an organization for us to donate to, as I know there are far too many out there not as blessed as we are. Giving back in my eyes is the reason for the season!

Prevent Child Abuse America is the nation’s oldest and largest organization committed to preventing child abuse and neglect before it happens. ​This organization promotes programs and resources informed by science that enable kids, families, and entire communities to thrive—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. This organization started back in 1972 when founder, Donna J. Stone had a vision that no child ever gets abused or neglected. Four years later, the first state chapter was formed in Kansas and the first nationwide public service campaign was launched, “Take time out. Don’t take it out on your child.

Through the years, the organization has taken off and has celebrated several breakthroughs such as: the startup of Healthy Families America, receiving grants from the CDC to support Because Kids Count, and the launching of the Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign.

As a parent of two (and soon to be three this summer) it breaks my heart knowing there are children across the world suffering from physical and mental abuse. This organization strives day in and day out to prevent that! This is something I hold near and dear to my heart and I feel this would be a fantastic organization for us to donate to this year."

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Some other great organizations to donate:

Listed below are the other great organizations our team recommended, and SunStone will be donating $250 in your name.
 
My Stuff Bags Foundation, as recommended by Nena Zeiders.
 
Nena – "My Stuff Bags has provided bags to more than 630,000 children in 49 states since it began in 1998. The goal is to have a bag for every child removed from his or her home. They are children from all races, religions, and economic backgrounds. Their ages range from newborns to teens. The common thread is that they’ve all been hurt by the people who should have provided them love and safety, but instead have caused fear, hurt, and pain. There are over 300,000 abused, abandoned, and neglected children across America that have been removed from dangerous home environments each year. They often arrive at: foster homes, crisis centers, homeless shelters, and residential care facilities with few, if any, personal belongings. They are afraid, disoriented, and in need of comfort.
 
My Stuff Bag is full of things they need to help them settle in their new environments, such as: clothes, toys, toiletries, stuffed animals, and a security blanket. The Foundation seeks to give these children comfort and hope by providing them a My Stuff Bag."
 
International Service Center, as recommended by Georgia Rackley.
 
Georgia – "This is my most favorite SunStone activity and such a generous concept for the holidays!
 
This past summer, it was heart wrenching to watch the chaotic evacuation of Afghan citizens coinciding with the 20 year end of American troop involvement in war. I could not help but to feel our family’s personal connection to Afghanistan. I wanted to help somehow. My son Nick deployed twice to Afghanistan and this summer he and his wife welcomed their first born, a son, “Justin Jeremy” named in memory of two service members who served with my son but were killed in action in the mountains of Afghanistan; 2nd LT Justin Sisson and SGT Jeremy Summers. Our family will be forever linked to Afghanistan.

I recommend that SunStone make a donation to a Harrisburg group that is helping Afghan refugees. The International Service Center (ISC) has already welcomed one refugee family of 10 and is slated to receive more families. The ISC’s Executive Director is a Vietnamese refugee.  Like many similar groups, the ISC is in need of material and financial donations to help these Afghan refugees begin an entirely new life after their traumatic departure from Afghanistan. Make checks payable to:

International Service Center
21 South River Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101

Please add a note “Afghan Refugees” on the check"
 
 
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, as recommended by Candice Shaffer.
 
Candice – "The mission of AFA is to provide support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and fund research for a better treatment and a cure. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The AFA has a National Memory Screening Program which provides, free, confidential memory screenings at sites across the country. This program started as a single day in November and has grown into a year-round service that has screened more than 5 million people to date. Alzheimer’s Foundation works with professional caregivers and dementia-care settings to provide them with training and continuing education to elevate the level of care they provide on a daily basis. 
 
I feel strongly about this cause because it runs in my family and I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s and feel like a donation could go a long way to helping with finding a cure or better treatment."
 
YMCA of Harrisburg, as recommended by Bob Marcavage.
 
Bob –"Donating to an organization in the local community, where SSC is headquartered would be a way of making a difference directly in the community during a time when local help is very much needed. One of the ways that the YMCA is able to make a difference in the community is by using part of their gym membership fees that it collects to support their community programs. Gym membership has dropped dramatically during this past year due to Covid restrictions. Another factor has been the lack of employees physically going into offices located in the Harrisburg area thus contributing to the decrease in membership. The YMCA is able to provide valuable programs to keep our community strong and connected that are needed now more than ever.
 
From the YMCA Harrisburg website:

“During this pandemic, we’ve been busier than ever working to meet critical needs like sustaining our 86-room dormitory for at-risk men, meals for hungry kids, life-giving blood drives, and outreach to seniors. It’s incredible what we’ve done so far, when we all leverage our skills and resources, but there is still so much work to be done for our communities to fully recover.
 
A donation to the Y is a special kind of gift. A gift that is felt immediately in our community. When you give to the YMCA, your gift ensures the wellness and education of children, the support of your neighbors, and the health of older adults. Your gift allows the Y to do more for those who need it most For a better us.™”
 
Juvenile Arthritis, as recommended by Jodie Blatt.
 
Jodie – "Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the joints causing inflammation, pain and reduced mobility. This disease affects more than 300,000 children and young people every year but is not commonly known. This area of ANRF helps fund grants for research of this disease in an effort to find a cure and help these children. 
 
Research for JIA and finding a cure is a cause that is very close to my heart.  In 2019, when my daughter was just 5 years old, she had started to complain about pain in her knee. We saw that her knee had become very swollen and after another few weeks, she was limping and couldn’t put full weight on that leg, when she woke up in the morning her knee was stiff and she could not get full mobility in it.  We saw several doctors, had x-rays and ultrasounds of her knee done and still had no answer. Shortly after her 6th birthday, about 2 months after she had begun complaining of the pain, she was placed in a wheelchair because she could no longer walk on her leg.  
 
We saw a new specialist (a rheumatologist) about a month later and finally had a diagnosis of JIA. At this point, the arthritis was affecting more joints than just her one knee. Signs of arthritis and limited mobility were found in both her wrists, one of her elbows, both of her ankles and even in some of her fingers and toes. At this point her knee that she had originally started complaining about was locked and she had almost no mobility in it. She underwent a procedure shortly after this, where they injected a very heavy dose of steroids and medication directly in her knee and tried to withdraw as much fluid as possible.  Thankfully, this helped and she was able to start walking with the assistance of hand crutches within a few weeks. She was then put on a medication that she has to have injected on a weekly basis, and the combination of the JIA and this medication now makes her immuno-compromised.  
 
It took some time until she was comfortable walking regularly on her own, but she still could only handle being on her leg for short periods of time. It took over a year before I saw her run and play without any complaint or hesitation. Now over 2 years later, she complains about some stiffness every once in awhile and she’s not too fond of those injections every week, but she can run, dance, play, anything she wants. 
 
Unfortunately, not all young kids who are affected with JIA respond as well as she did.  She has been lucky that the medicine they first started her on has worked and is still working. There is always a chance of a flare-up in any of her joints, even ones that were not affected before. 
 
Thank you for reading about my daughter’s story and for considering this organization this year."
 
Sam Mizrahi Memorial Fund, as recommended by Cathy Archuleta.
 
Cathy – "Near and dear to my family is the Sam Mizrahi Memorial Fund. In 2006 my nephew, at the very young age of 16, was killed in an automobile accident. In his memory, my brother and sister-in-law established a scholarship fund to benefit graduating seniors from Northern High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, which was the high school Sam attended and would have graduated from. Additionally, the fund provides support to the Harrisburg Diabetic Youth Camp and Camp Setebaid (“diabetes” spelled backward). A Type 1 diabetic diagnosed at a very young age, my nephew benefited greatly from time spent during the summers at Camp Setebaid. There he developed a strong peer support group through his childhood and into his teenage years.
 
The ability to gift young people with scholarships to offset rising tuition costs and to provide support to Camp Setebaid has brought much joy to my brother and sister-in-law who have been able to help Northern seniors each year in the memory of their son. Held annually, a 5K race had been a significant revenue source for the Memorial Fund but COVID has impacted the hosting and scheduling. As we’re all becoming increasingly aware, the impact of COVID is far-reaching."
 
The Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund, as recommended by Courtney Simmons.
 
Salvation Army, as recommended by Kevin Brennan.

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SunStone has made these donations with all your names as a way of saying thank you for your business, your friendship and contribution to our ongoing success.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and hope you and your families have a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Warm regards,

Greg St. Clair, and all your friends at SunStone

2020 Holiday Donation

This year, we continue our tradition of celebrating our blessings by donating in your name to deserving organizations, as recommended by our team. We recognize that 2020 has had its challenges and believe the best way to celebrate the holiday season is give to those in need. 

A common theme for the recommendations this year is to organizations helping those most affected by the pandemic - feeding the hungry and suicide prevention.

This year we are donating $5,000 to: The Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund, as recommended by Tony Berkebile.

Tony – “With the unprecedented times here in 2020, I believe it is even more important to be thankful for all of the many blessings that we have. This year, and every year, I feel it is so very important to be grateful for who is around our tree, and not what is underneath it.

So many have been affected in such saddening ways by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some are still nowhere near the light at the end of the tunnel.  Unfortunately, many have lost loved ones that will not around this holiday season. A high percentage of those loved ones lost were the vulnerable senior citizens that are at the highest risk of COVID-19.  I think it is fantastic that we are still able to continue with donating to charitable organizations this year, and I feel it would be great to donate to these most vulnerable seniors.  Millions of grandmothers, grandfathers, paps, grams will be setting the table for only one this holiday season, and most of them are unsure where that meal is going to come from. They are more isolated and more alone than ever right now because they cannot be with their families, friends, neighbors and loved ones. This just breaks my heart. 

This fund will ensure that our local communities have what they need to continue to deliver a vital lifeline to our most at-risk Americans. The Local Meals on Wheels Programs are on the front lines every day, focused on doing all they can to keep our older Americans safe, and very well fed. However, nearly all Meals on Wheels programs are experiencing financial hardships and strain, while maintaining critical services to hundreds of thousands of our seniors since March. Most recent research reveals that these programs are serving an average of 77% more meals and 47% more seniors since March 1st.  This is requiring a sustained need for more meals and transportation to provide the services our seniors need. 

All donated funds will help replenish food supplies, provide additional transportation and personnel costs, enable tech-based efforts to check in on isolated seniors and support timely science-based information needs to ensure safe care for all.

Even during “normal times” so many seniors have a difficult time getting to the grocery store, yet alone being able to afford the bill at the end. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this even more trying on our seniors.  The Meals on Wheels Program aides them with this disheartening issue.  Personally, my grandfather and grandmother both use the Meals on Wheels Program, and it is an organization I hold near and dear to my heart. Even though I know I will not be able to be with my grandparents in person this holiday season, it gives me a sense of comfort and happiness knowing they are well fed and well taken care of.”

We will also be making a $3,000 donation to Prevent Suicide PA, as recommended by Bob Marcavage.

Bob – “Since the suicide rate has been up across the country due to the lockdowns and limited social interaction, I would like to submit a charity that addresses this need in Pennsylvania. 

Their Mission is “To support those who are affected by suicide, provide education, awareness, and understanding by collaborating with the community to prevent suicide, and reduce the stigma associated with suicide.” Their Vision is “To have a Commonwealth where every life is valued, that everyone has the support necessary to get help when needed, and that hope and healing abounds in every person.”  

Some other great organizations to donate:

Listed below are the other great organizations our team recommended to donate this year.  SunStone will be donating $250 to each of these organizations in your name.

American Cancer Society, as recommended by Candice Shaffer – “I recommend this, due to how many lives cancer takes every year. I have lost several people in my life to cancer.  The American Cancer Society provides lifesaving research and helps patients with the support they need during a difficult time in their lives.”

Central PA Food Bank, as recommended by Georgia Rackley – “The number of hungry Americans nearly tripled between 2019 and August of this year, according to an analysis of data from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  As many as 1 in 4 children could be food insecure by the end of 2020.”

Feeding America, as recommended by Frank Tokic – “Food security is a national issue.   The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, working to connect people with food and end hunger. Donors, staff, and volunteers all play an important role in our efforts to end hunger in the United States.”

The America’s 911 Foundation, as recommended by Kristie Oleksa – “The organization that I am submitting to you is very near and dear to my heart as my family has participated in this for the past 10+ years.  The purpose of this foundation to never forget September 11, 2001…but it is so much more! The America’s 911 Foundation provides scholarships for children of Active First Responders (EMS, FIRE, POLICE) who each day place their lives on the line for us.  The foundation has also helped many other Emergency Organizations with funds, materials, equipment, and volunteers when needed.

YoungLives of York City, as recommended by Trina Roberts – “Young Lives of York City was created to reach teen moms by entering their world, modeling the unconditional love of Christ, and encouraging them to become the women and mothers God created them to be.”
 

SunStone has made these donations with all your names as a way of saying thank you for your business, your friendship and contribution to our ongoing success. 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and hope you and your families have a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Warm regards,

Greg St.Clair, and all your friends at SunStone

PennLive - East Pennsboro hires John Denniston as head football coach

Updated Mar 13, 2020; Posted Mar 13, 2020

By Eric F. Epler | eepler@pennlive.com

John Denniston figured the timing was right to become a head football coach at the varsity level.

The Mechanicsburg native will begin in that capacity at a most unusual time in scholastic sports.

Denniston gained board approval last week to lead the football program at East Pennsboro Area High School, ending a near four-month search to replace veteran Todd Stuter.

East Pennsboro opened the position in November following a tumultuous 3-7 campaign, Stuter’s 22nd as head coach.

Denniston, who played under George Yeager at Trinity and later at Duquesne University, met with returning team members last week.

“We’ve got a very good group of kids, very diligent, and we’ve been able to implement a weight training program,” Denniston said.

“They already had something in place, but to be in the weight room with them it’s been great. The community has been very accepting and I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”

Denniston said he’s well aware that preparations for the rapidly approaching 2020 season could be altered sharply in the days ahead.

Pa. high schools are beginning to alter class schedules, or move to online classes only, under the threat of the novel coronavirus.

On Thursday, PIAA officials suspended the boys and girls basketball tournaments, as well as the Class 2A swimming championship meet, for at least two weeks.

The start of the PIAA spring sports season could be delayed, or canceled, as well.

“It seems to be changing day by day,” Denniston said. “As of today, we are full steam ahead. If changes are made, we’ll look at our best option to continue.”

Denniston comes to the Panthers after a long stint directing the Central Dauphin Rams Youth Football program.

The health care consultant, who has worked for Rite Aid Corporation and York International, initially got “more and more involved” with the former Linglestown Colts franchise when the middle of his three sons started playing.

Now, the midget program effectively operates as a middle school program for Central Dauphin, exactly the goal for Denniston and Rams’ head coach Glen McNamee.

“It’s a program that’s been pretty successful, but it was a real priority for Coach Mac, to closely link the programs,” Denniston said.

“That’s really been the fruits of the last 20 years. I’ve really been spoiled by how many terrific coaches I’ve worked with.”

Hopefully, Denniston and other area coaches will get to properly evaluate their players as soon as possible. Only then will East Pennsboro’s new leader select and tighten his schemes.

“Yes, we’ll let the talent dictate what we do. Things like ball control will be very important,” said Denniston.

“I think there is a very good crop of returning players. I think we’re got a pretty good playbook and it’s pretty broad. We’ve got some size coming back and we’ve got some experience.”

Denniston also has some continuity built in as longtime assistant coaches Joe Shermeyer (DC), Tom Couch (OL), Teddy Matter (DL), Steve Morgan and JV coach Greg Campbell are set to return.

HFM - From the Chair - May 2019

Reflections on a Year of Imagining a Better Tomorrow

“Imagination is everything. It’s a preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Kevin F. Brennan

FHFMA, CPA

CHAir, HFMA

A year ago, I challenged all of us to Imagine Tomorrow and to pursue opportunities to achieve the Triple Aim with hope, optimism and an innovative American spirit. I pledged to govern with humility and give back to HFMA with all my heart, soul and time. As with other lessons learned through HFMA over the years, I received more than I gave. I never imagined how rewarding serving as HFMA Chair would be, and as I approach the end of my term, I want to share some parting words of encouragement.

At a time of so much negative rhetoric in our public discourse, reflect on the miracles occurring in healthcare every day. I heard exemplary stories all year long as I visited HFMA Chapters across the country. Scientific advances have made the impossible of yesterday routine today. New technologies are making a real difference in our lives. We are living longer and replacing despair with hope. There is so much to be proud of.

Remember the story of the Golconda Diamond Mine. Poor Al Hafed pursued a fruitless search for diamond riches elsewhere, failing to discover the largest mine beneath his own abandoned property. The lesson is simple. Opportunities for innovation are closer than you think — perhaps as close as your own backyard. Pursue them!

The Triple Aim goals are worthy of your time and attention. We know we can, and must do better to promote improved population health, ensure patients receive the highest-quality care every time and make the cost of care more affordable. Our patients and communities are counting on us. The finance professional is ideally suited to help. The changes necessary to respond to this more complex, challenging environment begin with each one of us, and HFMA can help. Adopt and promote best practices, and inspire your team to learn, experiment and volunteer. No organization is better prepared to meet our needs than HFMA.

As my year winds down, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my family, my 40,000- plus HFMA colleagues, my fellow Board members, Chapter and Regional leaders, staff and all who have helped me along the way. Your support and hospitality have been greatly appreciated, but most of all, the friendships developed will never be forgotten. You are the HFMA secret sauce! This journey has truly produced the best days of my life. May you reach your true potential and discover the role you can play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story. Imagine Tomorrow!

HFM - From the Chair - April 2019

Imagining Tomorrow Involves Risk

“You must lose a fly to catch a trout.” –George Herbert

Kevin F. Brennan

FHFMA, CPA

CHAIR, HFMA

As someone who loves fishing, I am well acquainted with the truth behind that quote. It also resonates for me as a healthcare finance professional.

Whenever I have the opportunity to share my “Imagine Tomorrow” theme with HFMA colleagues and others, I acknowledge that imagining a better tomorrow certainly involves some risks and even a willingness to fail. Taking on risk, however, can be the first step toward realizing our vision for what the future could be.

The same holds true for us as healthcare finance leaders managing enterprise risk for our organizations. If we want to reduce costs, provide better health outcomes, and improve patient satisfaction, we must simultaneously seize opportunities and manage risks. It’s a tall order, and this issue of hfm provides a look into how some of our colleagues are approaching that challenge.

My Geisinger teams and I did our fair share of managing risk during the 23 years I served as the health system’s CFO. One particularly memorable example was initiating sponsorship of a Medicare Advantage HMO plan in the 90s. We leveraged our experience with commercial lines but accelerated our innovations in management of chronic conditions. Regulatory risks remained. Not everything worked as planned, but we had lots of success and outperformed our Medicare fee-forservice results.

If you’re looking for cutting-edge information and inspiration to address risk-management challenges, you’ll want to attend HFMA’s Annual Conference June 23-26 in Orlando. This year’s program includes a variety of educational sessions designed to provide attendees with information and tools to successfully assess and manage risk. Examples include a three-hour workshop on building a blueprint to support risk-based contracts and breakout sessions on topics such as driving optimal performance in a risk-based world, ensuring cybersecurity, and becoming risk-ready with ACOs. There’s also a case study on “Positioning Physician Leaders to Promote Patient Safety and Mitigate Risk.”

For more information on these programs and others addressing the issue of enterprise risk, please visit the Annual Conference 2019 website at annual.hfma.org. This year’s event has been designed to inspire attendees to boldly act by providing the tools needed to lead change and deliver on the promise of transformation. I hope to see you there.

Meanwhile, keep imagining that better tomorrow. Just like fishing, the rewards far outweigh the inherent risks.

HFM - From the Chair - March 2019

The Value of Financial Analytics

Kevin F. Brennan

FHFMA,CPA

CHAIR, HFMA

When it comes to imagining a better tomorrow in our industry, financial analytics are essential. They can move us from where we are to where we need to be.

Analytics don’t simply help us better understand current and past performance. They also can predict future performance. In short, financial analytics can lead us toward smarter decisions.

Over the course of my career as a health system CFO—including my time at Geisinger in Danville, Pa.—my teams and I regularly turned to the insights provided by data analysis to address challenges and improve performance. One such situation was in conducting sophisticated balance sheet analytics, incorporating historic and forecasted information, while testing the impacts of a variety of scenarios and stress tests. This effort helped Geisinger preserve balance sheet strengths by minimizing risks and investing appropriately. It also helped maintain a AA bond rating for more than 20 years.

HFMA understands the value of analytics for today’s healthcare finance professional. In response, the Association launched the Financial Analytics Leadership Council this past summer in partnership with Kaufman Hall. Composed of the heads of decision support, chief analytics officers, and operational finance executives, the Council meets at least quarterly to address its charge: to drive change in the healthcare industry’s approach to financial decision support. To learn more about the Council, check out the article on page 24 of this issue of hfm.

As the Council works to lead change in this area, HFMA also will provide educational programs and resources for finance professionals looking to harness and use data today. The 2019 Revenue Cycle Conference occurring this month will tackle the topic. Speakers will address how to leverage predictive analytics to anticipate issues negatively impacting the revenue cycle and how to tap into the power of data to make community health efforts more effective.

Then, in June, at the 2019 HFMA Annual Conference in Orlando, attendees will have the opportunity to spend an entire day in a cohort focused on business intelligence, data management, and return on analytics. Stand-alone sessions also will address similar topics.

HFMA also offers on-demand webinars for healthcare finance professionals looking to up their data analytics game without leaving the office. Check out current offerings, including “How Analytics Is Transforming Healthcare Financial Management,” at www.hfma.org.

There’s no doubt that analytics are increasingly important in managing financial performance today. They’re also key to imagining how things could be better tomorrow. HFMA can help you meet the challenge on both fronts.

HFM - Reconciling Charges and Pricing through Charge Description Master Design - November 2018

Providers should restructure pricing schedules to bring charges into better alignment with the actual cost of services, developing a long-term pricing model that is attractive to both patients and employers.

In its 2014 report Price Transparency in Health Care, the HFMA Price Transparency Task Force set out to determine the industry’s consensus on the distinctions among charge, cost, and price, and to recommend a way forward in building “price transparency frameworks for different groups of care purchasers.” ‘a’ These groups include patients, providers, employers, and referring clinicians. The growing disparity between hospital charges and what patients end up paying is eroding consumer confidence while at the same time challenging finance leaders to cope.

In recent years, and especially since the report’s release, many hospitals have expressed a desire to dramatically reduce their charges—some by as much as 70 to 80 percent. Some have an interest in reducing charges for targeted patient services (e.g., outpatient imaging, surgery, and therapy), while others are attracted by the idea of lowering charges across the entire hospital. Although many hospital finance leaders would like to be able to implement such a policy, they have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure it would not negatively affect net patient revenue.

There are, of course, many good reasons for hospitals to want to lower charges. Hospitals now realize that a dramatic reduction in charges may be necessary to remain competitive, especially with respect to freestanding outpatient services. Hospitals also have been accused of being complicit in driving up the cost of health care by setting unreasonably high charges.

Further, in its recently issued 2019 final rule for the inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discusses its continuing effort to improve the transparency of hospital charges. CMS requires, effective Jan. 1, 2019, that hospitals make available a list of their current standard charge via the internet in a machine-readable format. Although the final rule leaves unanswered many questions and is not necessarily directly affected by a hospital’s overall charge level, CMS’s increasing focus on hospital charges underscores the need for hospitals to look for ways to reduce their patient charges.

Anyone who works in the healthcare industry knows this is a complicated issue with many contributing factors. However, a hospital that voluntarily reduces its charges dramatically would be considered to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Historical Perspective: Factors Driving the Need for Change

Hospital charges and the hospital charge description master (CDM), along with their roles in healthcare financing, have evolved significantly over the past several decades. In the pre-Medicare era, insurance and patient payments for healthcare services were based primarily on charges. During that time, most physician and other outpatient services were a fee-for-service cash business. Insurance coverage focused primarily on inpatient care and catastrophic coverage, with payment rates also based primarily on charges.

Upon the inception of Medicare, hospital payment for the 65+ age cohort involved interim Medicare payments based on a percentage of charges, but with a year-end settlement based on reimbursable costs determined by the Medicare Cost Report. Charges were used in the Medicare Cost Report as a component of cost-to-charge ratios to determine total reimbursable costs and ultimately Medicare’s share of those reimbursable costs.

After the 1983 implementation of the Medicare PPS, fixed DRG inpatient payments initially—and, later, fixed outpatient PPS payment rates—became the dominant payment mechanisms, and the gradual movement away from cost-based payment was initiated. However, charges continue to be used in developing cost-to-charge ratios and remain a significant factor in determining inpatient DRG outlier payments.

In theory, when Medicare payment was cost based, hospitals generally received the full cost of delivering patient care. Although Medicare PPS payment rates initially were determined based on those full costs, over the three decades since, the inflation update factors have not kept pace with medical cost inflation.

Medicare high utilization rates—along with cost increases due to the proliferation of expensive technology, information systems, and clinician shortages—have long produced Medicare budget constraints that have continually required adjustments. As a result, limiting hospital and physician Medicare payment rates has been the political fix of choice.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) recently reported that, in 2015, hospitals nationally incurred Medicare margins averaging –7.1 percent. ‘b’ MedPAC also estimated 2015 combined losses from Medicare and Medicaid payers to be almost $58 billion.

Conversely, MedPAC reported that 2015 total hospital all-payer margins averaged 6.8 percent, the highest in 30 years. This level means the commercial sector was contributing about 14 percentage points to hospital margins in 2015 through payment rates that significantly exceeded governmental rates.

The Medicare PPS also has had a major impact in influencing Medicaid plans and commercial payers to adopt similar fixed payment methodologies. Large commercial payers and managed care plans now almost exclusively use DRG, per diem, outpatient fixed payment, or capitation payment methodologies (although many of these agreements continue to include outlier or stop-loss provisions as well as provisions regarding the lesser of charge or agreed-upon fixed payment). Consequently, the use of charges or a percentage- of-charges as a basis for setting payment amounts has been left to patients who are uninsured, out of network, or enrolled in small payer plans.

A study published in the April 2017 issue of Health Affairs examines both California and national hospital charges from 2002 through 2014 and concludes that “high list prices causally increased payments from the uninsured.” ‘c’ This scenario continues to be problematic and may be a greater issue going forward if the ranks of the uninsured begin to rise again. It also has influenced state legislation, such as the California Hospital Fair Pricing Act and rate regulation in both Maryland and West Virginia.

The Health Affairs study also concludes that “list prices varied predominantly across hospitals and within markets, were well predicted by observable hospital characteristics, and were positively related to prices actually paid by patients and their insurers.” It appears, therefore, that although most commercial payers now use fixed payment methods, the negotiated rates have been influenced by the hospitals’ charges.

In theory, hospitals and insurers also may have employed unique price negotiation strategies that, over time, have resulted in wide variations in charges and fixed negotiated rates for specific services. One consistent trend, however, has been hospitals’ reliance on revenue from ancillary services—particularly outpatient services, which tend to have a more favorable payer mix. This trend has led the insurer Anthem to institute a policy, over hospitals’ objections, that precludes coverage for most advanced imaging performed in hospitals on an outpatient basis. ‘d’

These pricing strategies were acceptable in an era of low-deductible/coinsurance health plans, when patients were shielded from high out-of pocket payments. However, with the advent of much higher deductible and maximum out-of pocket plans, hospitals and insurers that lack a strategy to redesign their pricing structures now run the risk of losing considerable market share. In effect, with the high deductible/co-insurance plans currently offered, outpatient services are now to a large extent uninsured and sensitive to price.

Hospitals and insurers have worked within a fee-for-service “system” that really hasn’t changed much in more than 30 years. Given the new realities of the healthcare insurance market, they both should have a mutual incentive to find common ground and develop the next generation pricing methodology.

Kevin Brennan, the current Chair of HFMA’s Board of Directors, has characterized this matter as “one of the most intractable issues facing healthcare financial leaders today.” Brennan also notes that redesigning the pricing model will not be easy, but it can be accomplished. “I think it is doable if we can identify and reduce the cross subsidies within the current system,” Brennan says. “The key will be to identify those services that have been historically under priced and are currently being subsidized by other profitable services. To eliminate the cross subsidies in the system, the market will need to acknowledge that pricing will need to increase for those types of services.”

The hope is that a new methodology could be developed that would provide the runway to a “soft landing” for the existing players in the healthcare market. Otherwise, market disruptors will have ample opportunity to take advantage of an outdated healthcare fee-for-service system.

Reducing Charges in a Financially Responsible Way

Such a strategy can be successfully implemented, but it requires the support of the highest levels of the hospital—that is, from senior management and the board of trustees—and their counterparts at the insurance companies, as well as coordination with governmental payers.

The next generation charge/pricing redesign process should present a value proposition to both hospitals and insurers that includes the following:

>>A long-term pricing model that is attractive to both patients and employers

>>Reduced hospital reliance on ancillary service and procedural profit margins

>>Affordable outpatient services for patients

>>Better alignment between prices and the cost of services

If properly designed and implemented, the new pricing approach would reduce future bad debts and provide better balance and diversification in service line margins. Preliminary, this process should include the following steps.

Conduct an inventory of insurance plan codes. Each insurance plan code should be reviewed to identify those patient classifications and insurance contracts for which payments are affected by charges. Some will be straightforward (e.g., percentage of charge contracts), but others will be more complicated (e.g., outlier payments, stop-loss payments, and lesser of payment or charge provisions).

Build a database of historical patient utilization. This database—consisting of CDM line-item historical utilization and detail on inpatient and outpatient claim-level historical utilization—can be used to model potential changes. Although using historical utilization is probably the best way to estimate the potential future impact of changes in charges, it is important to remember that this is an estimate and that future patient utilization will not mirror historical utilization.

Review current relationships between charges and associated standard costs. This review should encompass both inpatient and outpatient services based on the roll up of charges by service type. Model potential changes in payments. Potential payment changes should be modeled through a series of “what-if” analyses that consider, for example, the estimated impact on payments from each payer if the hospital were to reduce its charges by X percent or Y percent. The purpose of such modeling is to enable the hospital to focus its efforts and continually assess the feasibility of its strategy.

Prioritize and approach payers. Senior management should initially approach payers, as well as board of trustee members, to obtain buy-in on the strategy, both in concept and regarding its potential value for all stakeholders (the insurer, the hospital, the public) were it to be pursued cooperatively.

Continue to conduct negotiations and perform modeling. These actions should be ongoing, to track and assess the estimated impact of various negotiating proposals.

Monitor actual payments. After the contract with revised payment mechanisms is implemented, actual impact of the revised payment mechanism should be monitored, including the comparison of actual payments to anticipated payments using actual patient utilization.

Negotiate a potential year-end settlement. Because transitioning from a payment methodology that is affected by charges to a fully fixed-payment mechanism poses inherent challenges, assumptions about factors such as volume and intensity will be required. Therefore, negotiating a year-end settlement during the initial period(s) of the contract may be advisable to ensure that neither party is unintentionally hurt or advantaged.

Implementation of a next-generation pricing strategy should parallel an information systems installation. It should be designed and piloted in a test environment, running parallel with the existing system for a certain period.

A Practical Methodology-Related Matter

In addition to the forgoing points, a crucial issue remains as to how a hospital can identify the actual revised CDM charges. A hospital’s approach to revising charges in its CDM with the goal of drastically reducing them depends, to a large extent, on the methodology the hospital had used to identify its current CDM charges. If a hospital’s existing CDM charge methodology is thoughtful and meets some of the value proposition described here, then it is reasonable to expect that the hospital will be able to dramatically reduce its overall charge level by implementing an across-the-board percentage reduction.

Generally, a CDM charge methodology can be defined as meeting the value proposition when it is structured with a systematic methodology that identifies each individual CDM line item based on a formula that considers a series of supportable benchmarks, including cost, market, and payment schedules. However, because these benchmarks tend to be inaccurate and are subject to significant variations, it is best for a hospital to use multiple benchmark sources as a means to “smooth over” individual benchmark anomalies.

If a hospital has established this type of charge methodology throughout its CDM, then it reasonable to expect that it could reduce its current CDM charges by an identified percentage applied across the board without disrupting the logic of the current methodology. However, if the hospital has not yet implemented a CDM charge methodology that meets this value proposition, now would be an opportune time to do so.

Many hospitals started to use more value-based methodologies for identifying CDM line item charges in response to heightened scrutiny on hospital CDM charges, which began to rise in the past decade. Previously, most hospitals would have not been able to articulate their CDM charge methodology, and they likely would have focused more on the anticipated impact each CDM line item charge change would have on the realization of net patient revenue. Although this approach made practical financial sense, it created CDM line item charges that had little or no relationship to the cost of delivering the service.

In short, the test of whether a hospital can reasonably make a simple across-the-board reduction to dramatically reduce its overall charge level is whether, for each charge identified under its current methodology, the hospital always will have a ready and simple answer to the question, “How was this specific CDM line item charge identified?” If the answers to this question are not so simple, a hospital has yet to develop a rational and defensible CDM charge methodology, and it should undertake a process to do so. A

Prospect for Forward-Thinking Leaders

The most challenging aspect of this strategy will be convincing all parties to cooperate. To ease the transition for all parties, each side should focus on “win-win” methodologies that clearly benefit all stakeholders, including healthcare providers, insurers, and their respective patients/members.

We acknowledge that provider-insurer negotiations have not historically been handled in this way. However, with the advent of new low-cost health plans and recent relaxed rules regarding association health plans, the benefits that would accrue to all participants are too critical to ignore. Hospital leaders who are willing to tackle this problem stand to be perceived as forward thinking.

Moreover, if properly implemented, a redesigned CDM and related pricing methodology likely would provide a long-term strategic benefit rather than reduced revenue to those participating. What other business strategy in today’s health care market can result in win-win benefits to all?

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a. HFMA Health Transparency Task Force, Price Transparency in Health Care, 2014.

b. Dickson, V., “Slumping Medicare Margins Put Hospitals on Precarious Cliff,” Modern Healthcare, Nov. 25, 2017.

c. Batty, M., and Ippolito, B., “Mystery of the Chargemaster: Examining the Role of Hospital List Prices in What Patients Actually Pay,” Health Affairs, April 2017.

d. Bannow, T., “Hospitals Cry Foul and Sue Anthem over New Policies,” Modern Healthcare, April 21, 2018.

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About the authors:

Leonard Brauner, CPA, is senior principal with SunStone Consulting, New York, N.Y., and a member of HFMA’s New York Metropolitan Chapter (leonardbrauner@sunstoneconsulting.com).

Scott Glasrud is president of SAG Enterprises LLC, Overland Park, Kan., and a member of HFMA’s Heart of America Chapter (sglasrud@sag.enterprises).