Donation Leads to Digital Inclusion for Loretto Employees

ker Family of Portland, Oregon, Loretto will launch a new technical training program to promote digital-inclusion with its employees.

With this half million-dollar donation, the organization will begin training its diverse staff on new electronic medical records (EMR) that will significantly streamline how frontline healthcare workers provide care, as well as provide them with transferrable skills that will enable them to be successful in a digital, knowledge-based economy.

Through collaborations with lead EMR vendors, and because of financial support from a New York state grant and the Mother Cabrini Foundation, Loretto had been planning for initiatives around digital literacy for its workforce throughout 2020.

Digital literacy, or the skill of being able to find, discern, analyze and use high quality data found on digital platforms, is a critical component of providing high quality, affordable health care.

Healthcare workers have faced roadblocks in growth around technology, though.

“Digitally-literate knowledge workers have higher wages and lower unemployment rates than service and blue-collar workers, who are seeing persistently higher unemployment rates and wage stagnation,” said Kimberly Townsend, president and CEO at Loretto.

For low income and rural populations, this disparity has a significant negative impact on the development of their regions and on their ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

Loretto is committed to providing the training and resources needed to allow each employee to fully participate in a digitally-driven, knowledge-based economy. But this training requires a significant financial investment. The Parker Family recognized the opportunity to effect change at both an organizational-level and personally for employees.

“In 2007, my parents became residents of the Loretto community,” said Kathy Parker. “During frequent visits with them, I became acquainted with dozens of employees, who work diligently and with compassion. Technical literacy has become imperative for all workplaces of today and tomorrow. My family is honored to help Loretto initiate the EMR employee training program, which will advance staff skills and allow them to enhance the service they provide.”

The Parker family, comprised of Mark and Kathy, along with their three children, dedicated this support in honor of John and Shirley Mills, Kathy’s parents. While Shirley still resides in Syracuse, this support helps to keep John’s memory alive and at the forefront of their family’s minds. John and Shirley spent their lives as humble, devoted community members of Central New York, known for their commitment to helping populations in need.

The family values philanthropic investments that generate outcomes, particularly for those who are most marginalized. Kathy still visits her hometown regularly to spend time with her mother.