Main Line Health receives $275,000 grant from The Wawa Foundation
Grant will fund new EMS ambulance serving Delaware County
Media, PA — For more than 40 years, Main Line Health EMS has been a trusted lifeline for the community, building a legacy of service that has saved countless lives and established itself as a regional leader in emergency care. The closure of Crozer Health last year significantly expanded the demand for emergency services across the area, requiring Main Line Health EMS to stretch its resources to cover a broader service region.
Today, The Wawa Foundation stepped forward to support Main Line Health EMS in addressing that need, announcing a $275,000 grant to the Riddle HealthCare Foundation to support the purchase of a new ambulance — an investment that will help ensure Main Line Health EMS can continue meeting the community's growing needs.
Main Line Health leaders expressed deep appreciation for their longtime community partner's generosity in helping meet the growing needs of Delaware County and strengthening the capabilities of Main Line Health EMS, based at the Riddle Hospital campus.
"Wawa has been an extraordinary partner of Riddle Hospital and our EMS in serving the needs of Delaware County for over six decades," said Riddle Hospital President Jim Paradis. "Whenever we have had an important project to improve our facilities, they've been there. We couldn't be any more fortunate."
"Wawa and The Wawa Foundation's longstanding partnership with Riddle Hospital is grounded in shared values of service, care and commitment to the community," said Liz Simeone, President, The Wawa Foundation. "We're proud to build stronger communities and serve those who serve here in our home of Delaware County."
Ambulance volumes have doubled in the year since Crozer Health closed. During its latest funding cycle, Wawa invited Riddle to apply for support, and the request for ambulance funding was enthusiastically approved. Shelly Buck, DNP, MBA, President of Ambulatory and Professional Services, Main Line Health, said a new ambulance will buttress its existing efforts to serve the region.
"We have increased emergency response support in the region through Main Line Health EMS, working closely with local agencies to provide coverage and ensure no community is left without critical, time-sensitive care," Buck said. "With The Wawa Foundation's timely support, we will be better equipped when patients need us most."
Wawa, founded in 1964, has supported Riddle Hospital — established a year earlier — throughout its history, including a 2017 ambulance donation and a $2.2 million contribution toward its recent $327 million campus modernization project.
Contacts
Larry Hanover
Communications Manager
Main Line Health
Office: 484.580.1186
HanoverL@mlhs.org
Monica Ricci
Wawa, Inc., Public Relations and Corporate Communications
Phone: 445.280.9635
Monica.Ricci@wawa.com
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.
About Riddle Hospital
Founded in 1963, Riddle Hospital is recognized among the top hospitals in the region for high-quality, patient-centered care. Located in Delaware County, the hospital provides comprehensive services, including orthopaedic, maternity, cardiovascular, cancer and stroke care, as well as emergency and outpatient services such as imaging, audiology and sleep studies. Riddle is known for providing advanced treatment options and innovative approaches, including cutting-edge technology for robotic surgery, cardiac care and cancer care. Neonatologists from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provide specialized newborn and neonatal intensive care in our level II neonatal intensive care unit.
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. with over 1,100 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and pizza, an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #22 of America’s Largest Private Companies.
About The Wawa Foundation
The Wawa Foundation is an extension of Wawa’s commitment to making the world a better place by fulfilling customers’ lives every day. The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities – and ultimately to help build happier, stronger communities. The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, regional and national grants and / or in-store fundraising, through donation boxes and point-of-purchase scan materials. Since 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated $200 million in grants to causes supporting health, hunger and everyday heroes.