Compassionate care for the community

From its founding in 1906 as Athens' first hospital, St. Mary's has provided compassionate care to the people of Athens and Northeast Georgia. Today, St. Mary's is Northeast Georgia's only faith-based health care system, continuing a tradition of providing personalized care inspired by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and now sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

St. Mary's Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) organization that enhances the services of St. Mary's Health Care System and ensures that these services are available to everyone who needs them, regardless of ability to pay. St. Mary's provides more than $7 million a year in charity and uncompensated care. Your generous gift helps keep these vital services available to the whole community.

In addition, the Foundation works to strengthen St. Mary's ties to the community in support of the system's full range of facilities and services, including:

• St. Mary's Hospital, a large acute-care facility emphasizing neurosciences, orthopedics, women's and children's health, cardiac services, gastroenterology and services for seniors.
• Highland Hills retirement community
• St. Mary's Home Health Care/Hospice Services
• The Clute Barrow Nelson Children’s Center
• St. Mary's Outpatient Diagnostic, Rehab and Wellness Center

Foundation focus areas

The Foundation has established eight focus areas for fund-raising and building community support. They are:

• Alzheimer's/Dementia Facility

  : St. Mary's Highland Hills Village (HHV) is developing plans to construct a 31-bed Alzheimer's facility as an addition. The additional beds could be used as either Alzheimer's or assisted living beds in a manner that would respond to the changing needs of seniors.

• Clute Barrow Nelson Children’s Center:

  Providing age-appropriate, highly skilled and compassionate inpatient care for children who need to be admitted to the hospital. The center also brings to Athens some of the state's leading pediatric medical experts for consultations and ongoing care.

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

  Providing life-saving care for premature babies and other medically fragile newborns in a new, state-of-the-art facility.

• Hospice Indigent Care.

  Covering the costs of providing hospice care to terminally ill patients who have little or no health insurance. Hospice helps ease the pain, reduce the isolation and calm the fears of these patients and their families.

• Hospice House.

  St. Mary's is raising funds to build a special care facility for hospice patients whose medical needs cannot be met at home. The hospice house will provide a comfortable, family-friendly and medically sophisticated home where patients can be at peace in their final weeks of life. St. Mary's Auxiliary is sponsoring a "Walkway of Faith", a brick walkway to surround the Hospice House Chapel. To purchase a brick, please visit our Hospice House page and scroll to the form at the bottom of the page.

• Sister Antonette Education Fund.

  A scholarship program for nursing students that honors Sister M. Antonette, RN, who served St. Mary's and Northeast Georgia from 1966-2003 as Director of Nursing and Special Assistant to the President for Mission and Values.

• Care Alert.

  An emergency response system allowing subscribers to summon help with the push of a button.

• Women’s and Children’s Services.

  Providing everything from routine health screenings to life-saving surgeries.

• Building Fund.

  Helping support St. Mary's efforts to renovate and expand its facilities to keep pace with the health care needs of Athens and Northeast Georgia.

Donations can be accepted for these focus areas, for unrestricted use or for other purposes as specified by the donor.

Foundation Events

St. Mary's Foundation hosts an annual Gala each fall to raise funds and awareness of St. Mary's mission and services. This annual event offers an exciting evening of wonderful dining, superb music and dancing, a fabulous silent auction and much more. For details about the Gala, click here or contact the Foundation office at (706) 389-3926.

"The faith you place in the caregivers and administration at St. Mary's is gratefully received. Thank you for your support. Together we can make a difference and continue our fine tradition of health care excellence and compassionate care by bringing essential services closer to the families of Northeast Georgia ." - Crysty M. Odom, Foundation Director

Contact us:

St. Mary’s Foundation
1230 Baxter Street
Athens, GA 30606-3791
(706) 389-3926
Email: odom@stmarysathens.org

Please contact us for information about the Foundation or to make a donation!

St. Mary’s Foundation Board of Directors: 2012

Mr. H. C. “Buddy” Barfield, 2012 Strategic Planning/Major Gifts Co- Chair
Ms. Marguerite A. Burch, Auxiliary Representative
Ms. Cathie Chasman
Ms. Carol Cuff
Ms. Joy Davis, 2012 Special Events Committee Chair
Dr. Robert E. Dicks
Ms. Barbara M. Dooley
Dr. Alfred Greenberg
Mr. Hank Huckaby
Ms. Sandy A Jarrett
Ms. Nora Link, 2012 Strategic Planning/Major Gifts Co-Chair
Ms. June Martin
Mr. Rhodes McLanahan, 2012 Chair
Mr. Ed Perkins, Immediate Past Chair
Ms. Suzanne Stone
Mr. Seth Waltman, 2012 Vice Chair
Mr. Charles Worthy
Mr. Don McKenna, President
Mr. Marty Hutson, Treasurer
Ms. Crysty M. Odom, Secretary