Funds and scholarships

Following a successful Campaign to raise funds to bring 3D Tomosynthesis to Marin County, Novato Community Hospital created a $50,000 Breast Health Scholarship Fund. This philanthropy funded program provides gap funding for women without the means to pay, women under the age of 40 with a positive diagnosis, and women who do not otherwise qualify for financial assistance for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment under California law.

Last year, Novato Community Hospital provided 5,372 mammograms, which resulted in a positive biopsy rate for 1,411 women (26%). The Scholarship Fund would allow uninsured and underinsured women to apply for financial aid to receive the crucial care they need.

Sustaining a stable and innovative system of care requires strong partnerships between all healthcare organizations throughout the region. The Community Partnership Fund allows PAMF to partner with worthy nonprofits in our communities and allocate needed funds to support health education events, innovations aimed at improving our healthcare delivery system and other activities that are consistent with PAMF’s mission.

In 2012, PAMF provided $25.3 million in services for the poor and underserved and $16.5 million in community support. Each year, our physicians and staff donate thousands of hours to community service, and we fund a spectrum of services that are needed but seldom profitable, such as medical research, care for the chronically ill and services for the poor and uninsured.

Throughout 2022, children made up 20% - 40% of all patients cared for in Novato Community Hospital’s Emergency Department.

This fund amplifies emergency care to school aged children in the community, providing training for emergency care teams to train and prepare for a broad range of life saving scenarios on the most advanced equipment thanks to community support.

Opened in 2012, Mills-Peninsula Medical Center is the county’s most seismically safe hospital, using advanced, paperless imaging and charting to improve safety and communication. To continue leading in technology, attract top medical professionals, and maintain top-tier clinical outcomes, we created the Medical Technology Fund to support investment in the latest advanced medical equipment.

In the midst of a nationwide nursing shortage, the NCH Nursing Education fund is intended to help us retain more bedside staff, increase professional growth and decrease staff burnout by providing support to staff nurses to update and/ or advance their skillset. More nursing education will also lead to better patient outcomes, increased professionalism within the nursing staff and an increase in job satisfaction.

In the midst of a nationwide nursing shortage, the NCH Nursing Education fund is intended to help us retain more bedside staff, increase professional growth and decrease staff burnout by providing support to staff nurses to update and/ or advance their skillset. More nursing education will also lead to better patient outcomes, increased professionalism within the nursing staff and an increase in job satisfaction.

With our aging population and rising chronic disease, the need for well-trained healthcare professionals has never been greater. The Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG) Pre-Med Scholarship Program supports local high school students pursuing careers as physicians, with more than 85 students benefiting to date.

The Shelly McGriff Endowed Nursing Scholarship Fund honors Shelly’s 38-year legacy of caring by supporting employees advancing their nursing education. As an endowed fund, it provides scholarships each year to promote nursing excellence for generations.

You can support a scholar for $30,000 or contribute any amount to help educate the next generation of healthcare providers.

The Shelly McGriff Endowed Nursing Scholarship Fund celebrates Shelly’s 38 year legacy of caring by supporting employees pursuing or advancing their nursing education. As an endowed fund, contributions are invested in perpetuity, promoting nursing excellence and leadership for generations to come. Scholarships in nursing will be distributed each year to support tuition and other educational expenses.

Shoshana Ungerleider, M.D., completed her residency at CPMC in 2013, where her passion for palliative care was sparked. Inspired by this experience, Shoshana and her father, Steven Ungerleider, Ph.D., founded the CPMC Resident Palliative Care Education Program in 2014. Learn more at shoshanaungerleider.com.

Your gift supports this innovative program, providing residents with essential palliative care training, communication skills for difficult conversations, and space to process the emotional challenges of end-of-life care.