Patient First in the Community

A beautiful, crisp, clear Sunday morning in downtown Baltimore provided the perfect backdrop for an event steeped in love, caring and support in the form of the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Shuffle.

While this was the 13th year that this 5k run/walk/stroll has been held at the site of the Ronald McDonald House (just three miles from our Bayview center), this was the first year that Patient First has been a part of it. Nevertheless, we could not have been made to feel more welcome, with friendly greetings and check-ins by the RMH staff, and a prime location for our table and tent in the middle of the event's Celebration Village.

With its mission of providing housing-- sometimes for months at a time-- for out of town families while their children undergo life-saving treatments at area hospitals, this nationwide event could not be a more worthwhile cause for us to champion, and we received countless thanks from not just the organizers, but the families and supporters of the recipients of this invaluable service.

This year marked the first time in its history that the event sold out, with 3,000 people participating in the Shuffle itself, not to mention the people that came out to cheer on and support the participants. So many of those who stopped by our table had been patients of ours, and self-proclaimed frequent fliers from as near as Bayview and Glen Burnie, to as far as Waldorf and Downington, PA. We had so many wonderful conversations with people who were incredibly appreciative of our services, the clean condition of our centers, and the professionalism of our staff.

With this year's record setting turnout, the money raised to support this charity hit an all-time high as well-- nearly half a million dollars! Our staff felt honored to be a part of this celebratory day, and we certainly look forward to keeping this event on our schedule for years to come!

This past Saturday brought the return of sunnier skies, warmer temperatures, and Easter activities, signaling Spring is in the air, and here to stay. Egg-cited guests of all ages came by the thousands to enjoy the annual Dominion Energy Family Easter Event at Maymont Park. This event, which has grown by leaps and bounds from year-to-year, was spread out between the Carriage House Lawn to the Robins Nature Center, to Maymont Farm. With over 100 acres to eggs-plore, guests could be seen enjoying fun activities and hands-on crafts throughout the park. They also enjoyed tempting treats from local food vendors as they listened to live entertainment supplied on three different stages. Younger guests were able to win prize-filled eggs in a Golden Egg Hunt, solving riddles along the way to find the locations of where the golden eggs were hidden.

Patient First was posted in the middle of all the action, where families and friends gathered by our tent prior to seeing a certain VIP-- the Easter Bunny! We offered blood pressure screenings throughout the event and handed out promotional items and other material regarding our centers. Overall, the day was a hopping success!

Hats off to the Lehigh Valley's IronPigs ball club for organizing and hosting "Operation Send A Vet" on Opening Day, March 29, 2024. For the third consecutive year, Patient First was able to participate in this amazing "thank you" event by hosting 100 veterans and their families at the ball game. Several other local organizations joined in and collectively more than 1,300 veterans enjoyed a night out at the ball game. The frosting on the cake was an IronPigs win on this special night. We take pride in events and activities that help male and female veterans whether active duty or retired, in the Reserves or in the National Guard. It was heartwarming for us to meet so many vets during our evening at the ballpark. Even though Mother Nature wasn't very kind to us and delivered a bitterly cold evening, we all had a great time being on site again for this amazing event. What was extra special for us was meeting so many veterans personally. Many came by for a complimentary blood pressure check which we offered, or for some of our great give-away items. Others just stopped by to say "thank you" for the part we played in bringing them to the ballpark.

This event was designed to say "thanks for your service" to our military personnel, and it did just that. It was a home run for Patient First, and for all others who participated to make the experience so special. One of our event support staff even got a kick out of tossing out a "first pitch" at the game.

 Although Coca-Cola Park where the IronPigs play is in Allentown, home games there attract people from all over the Lehigh Valley including Bethlehem and Easton where we also have Patient First locations in additional to Allentown. Many folks travel in to enjoy ball games there from all over the region.

We are already looking forward to an opportunity to return to Coca-Cola Park and join our IronPigs friends for other opportunities in the future.

Following a week of forecasted rain, wind, and cooler temperatures, two-legged and four-legged friends were finally able to gather on Sunday, March 24th for the Richmond SPCA 22^nd Annual Dog Jog, 5K and Block Party. The event, which was originally scheduled to take place all day Saturday, split into a two-day event following heavy rains Saturday morning. Patient First took part in the block party portion of the event. The block party, which was free to attend, kicked off with live music by local cover band, Sold Separately, and featured more than 50 local vendors and artisans, food trucks, a kids’ fun zone, and even a pets’ fun zone allowing for fun activities for everyone to enjoy. Patient First offered free blood pressure screenings and handed out promotional material with information about our services and locations.

Funds raised from the event will benefit the more than 18,000 animals served by the Richmond SPCA this year, including approximately 4,000 homeless dogs and cats that the organization shelters and rehabilitates before adoption. The nonprofit also delivers crucial programs to pets and the people who love them, including low-cost veterinary care, a free behavior helpline, training classes and humane education for children.

While we're on the cusp of the return of the Boys of Summer at Prince George's Stadium, the weekend's weather wasn't exactly summer-like for the return of the Bowie Baysox Family Fun Fest.

The event, which is a family-friendly day at the ballpark, and a warm up to the Baysox 2024 season is one in which we've participated for a number of years, as part of our long partnership with the Orioles' minor league affiliate.

Our table was positioned at the center of the concourse, directly in front of the First Aid station, which we staff for every Baysox home game. We saw a lot of welcoming familiar faces from the Baysox staff, as well as the fans and season ticket holders who come out to support this event.

Unfortunately, the weather was not as supportive, with a cold, steady rain and chilling winds lasting through most of the day. A few hundred die hard fans did turn out, however-- all of whom were familiar with our centers, and complimentary of our services. Most of those who stopped by had been patients of our Bowie, Glen Burnie, and Pasadena centers.

It's always great to be a part of this event, in anticipation of warm weather and the return of baseball. Here's hoping for better weather next year to bring in even more crowds!

It was an "All things Irish" weekend in Allentown during St. Patrick's weekend. We kicked things off by participating in the annual Irish Cultural Community Day on Saturday, and wrapped things up by strutting our stuff in the St. Patrick's Day parade through Allentown's West End on Sunday. We have enjoyed a long-time relationship with organizers of both events, and it was great to be back again this year.

Both events are provided to the community at no cost each year, which surely helps attract large attendance. That, combined with Mother Nature's kindness in delivering two great weekend weather days this year helped turn the events into blockbusters.

This year's Parade was extra fun. It featured us, of course, along with 10 pipe bands, eight divisions, and more than 2,000 marchers from organizations, schools, companies and community groups from through the greater Lehigh Valley area and beyond.

Event organizers are outstanding, and always make sure participants and crowds alike have a lot of fun to enjoy the Irish cultural heritages being celebrated. Putting things together is literally a year-round labor of love from a group of highly engaged and dedicated volunteers-- many who have been involved with these events for years. We were so happy to be invited to return, and we already look forward to our return in 2025!

Crowds were lined six deep, with numbers in the thousands celebrating all things Irish, as the town of York welcomed the return of the York St. Patrick's Day Parade!

This year, the weather wasn't quite as frigid, but March's occasional blustery winds were still a reminder that Spring hasn't quite arrived yet. Fortunately, the folks at Union Lutheran Church near our staging area provided us with shelter and snacks as we waited for step-off time.

The crowds were enthusiastically cheering our staff as we made our way down the mile-long, six block parade route. Our staff lined the streets, handing out hand sanitizer and yo-yo's in little pots of gold to the crowd, adding to the festive atmosphere.

This is the second year post-pandemic that we've participated in the parade, and we look forward to to leading the way again next year!

McIntosh Elementary School, located in Newport News, VA, hosted its inaugural Rhythm and Wellness Concert, Bookfair, and Fitness Night on February 29th. Led by the incredible talents of the school's second and third graders, students and their families sang, read, danced, drummed, stretched and learned as they embraced the beat, ignited their fitness journey, and delved into the world of literature all in one unforgettable night. Around every corner of the school was an activity to participate in. Patient First, who was positioned in the front of the school, offered parents, teachers and administrators free blood pressure screenings, many of whom took advantage of the opportunity. 

The school itself is a bilingual school. Approximately, 15% of their student population is Hispanic. Each activity for the evening was offered in both English and Spanish. Many of the families who attended the event were not aware of Patient First, despite our Denbigh center being approximately 1 mile from the school. This gave us a great opportunity to talk to these families about the services we offer for both the children and their parents, alike. Many were appreciative of the promotional items and brochures we had on hand at the event, and planned to come into the center next time they were in need of medical care!

We look forward to our continued partnership with McIntosh Elementary School and Newport News Public Schools as a whole!

This past March 1st-3rd, Patient First partnered with the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) for our first Pet Adoption partnership weekend. Based on the success of a similar campaign we sponsored in Richmond last year, we wanted to see how the program would be received in the Baltimore area. And what a success it was! 

Over the course of the three days, Patient First covered the adoption fees for every animal adopted in the facility. On every kennel that housed an adoptable pet, a sign crediting Patient First as the benefactor for the adoption was posted. We also set up a table at the entrance to the adoption center, where our staff was able to interact with every family that came in, as well as hand out our materials and promotional items.

Most of the people who spoke with us had been patients at our Glen Burnie center, which is less than nine miles away, or our Perry Hall and Bayview centers, which are 17 and eight miles away, respectively. One family came from as far as the Towson area, where our center is 21 miles away. Every one of the families we spoke with were extremely pleased with the care we provided them at our centers, and very grateful for what we were doing with BARCS, and for them.

Now that the weekend is complete, BARCS officials report that all 26 of the cats that they had been caring for had been claimed, and that over 70 of the 141 dogs they had been sheltering had been adopted! The weekend was indeed a testament to the fact that pet ownership provides health benefits to both the animal, but their owner, as well!

Thursday, February 15th marked our second year demonstrating the crucial importance of proper handwashing techniques at Algonkian Elementary School's Invention Expo and STEAM Fair. Our Patient First nurses kicked off their demonstration by applying a special germ solution to students' hands, which lit up under a black light. After the initial display, students washed their hands as they normally would, and a second pass of the black light revealed lingering germs. Our nurses demonstrated proper handwashing techniques, and the students ran to wash their hands again until no germs remained. The students' excitement was palpable, as they asked insightful questions about germ spread and illnesses. While kids immersed themselves in the project, parents expressed their appreciation for Patient First, with some mentioning visits to the Sterling location. Teachers from various locations, like Gainesville, stopped by our table commending our center. The principal also took a moment to say hello, extending a warm welcome and inviting us to participate in next year's STEAM Fair. We're thrilled with the positive impact of our demonstration, and look forward to returning next year.