The Mortgage Bankers Associations’ (MBA) Open Doors Foundation has announced a new partnership with a children’s hospital in Tulsa, Okla., the first in that state. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis is the thirteenth to partner with the foundation. The alliance was facilitated by MBA member Steven Plaisance, president, mortgage banking at Gateway First Bank.
“As chairman of the foundation’s board of directors, it’s a special honor to welcome a thirteenth children’s hospital partner to our network,” Debra Still, president and CEO of Pulte Financial Services, said in a release. “Helping families at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis extends our reach both geographically and demographically. We appreciate the charitable support and generosity of MBA members in Oklahoma and all across the country in helping us continue to expand our home and rental grant program.”
Saint Francis is the only children’s hospital in eastern Oklahoma. It has 162 in-patient beds, and more than 63,500 annual outpatients visits. Approximately 13 percent of its patients identify as Native American/Native Alaskan descent, allowing Open Doors to potentially serve an underserved population.
“The majority of the families we see at Saint Francis are either on Medicaid or must self-pay for hospital treatment,” Kristi Baker, Saint Francis Health System executive director, women’s and children’s services, said. “Support from the MBA Opens Doors Foundation will help alleviate a family’s stress when managing significant medical expenses, while also trying to keep their home secure. We are deeply appreciative of the opportunity to join their hospital network and for helping our patient families access this very important program.”
Open Doors has helped nearly 6,800 families with critically ill or injured children stay in their homes while their child receives treatment. Since 2012, the foundation has distributed more than $9.7 million in housing assistance to families in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
“Bringing Saint Francis into our network means that we are well positioned to help even more families during these challenging times,” Deborah Dubois, president of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, said. “The pandemic has been hard on families, but there has been a silver-lining. Support from the real estate finance industry for our Home Grant Program has been not just consistent, but tremendously heartwarming.”