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Programs

Foundation support makes it possible to offer programs that change and improve the lives of people in our community every day. Below is a summary of each with more details about how generous donors make an impact for their friends and neighbors.

Camp Bluebird: North Alabama’s Only Adult Cancer Camp

Camp Bluebird is a three-day, two-night camp for adult cancer survivors and is held each fall at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama. Thanks to support from the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation, Telephone Pioneers of America, and Pepsi of Decatur, campers retreat to a beautiful natural environment to experience:

  • A time for listening and learning

  • A time for sharing and caring
  • Discussion of lifestyle adjustments in coping with cancer
  • Learning how to give and receive family support
  • Education about medically related concerns and treatment side effects
  • Nutritional information
  • Creative outlets through the use of arts and crafts

Why Bluebird?

One of the special activities at each camp is building birdhouses. The significance of the bluebird houses is derived from the Telephone Pioneers’ project of preserving bluebirds in the Southeast, and hence the name, “Camp Bluebird.”

For more information, please call (256) 973-2184 or email Melanie Odom.

Lifeline: 24-hour Emergency Response System

Lifeline, a 24-hour emergency response system, helps individuals live independently by providing emergency help at the touch of a button. Lifeline subscribers have a base unit installed in their home and can access help by pushing a button that is worn on the wrist or around their neck. When subscribers press their Lifeline button, the unit automatically dials into the Response Center. Lifeline calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Subscribers to Lifeline pay an initial set-up fee of $40 and a $32-$40 monthly monitoring fee.

For more information about Lifeline, please call (256) 973-2184.

Employee Scholarships

Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation is pleased to be able to provide an opportunity to help Decatur Morgan employees further their education through tuition assistance.

To be eligible for a scholarship, the employee must be in a full-time position at the hospital for at least one year. Exceptions in the application deadline and the length of employment may be made if the hospital can demonstrate a pressing need for the degree being sought. Scholarship recipients are required to maintain full-time employment at Decatur Morgan for a minimum of two years after graduation. Scholarship applications require a recommendation from your supervisor and approval from Human Resources.

To be eligible for a scholarship, employees must meet the following requirements:

  • Be employed full-time at Decatur Morgan for at least one year
  • Have a positive personnel file (be in good standing) for the past year
  • Be recommended by their supervisor

For more information, please call (256) 973-2506.

Free Mammography Program

Through our Power of Pink annual event and other efforts, Decatur Morgan Foundation helps offset costs for free and reduced-cost mammograms for qualifying women at the Decatur Morgan Breast Health Center.

Chaplaincy Program

The DMH chaplaincy service provides support and spiritual care to patients and their families as well as the hospital staff. We believe that faith gives a foundation from which people can find a sense of peace and hope during a time of discouragement and strength in the midst of a crisis. Our spiritual care services are ecumenical and interfaith – respectful of religious and spiritual preferences. A chaplain is available and on-call in the hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week upon request.

Service Dog

Our canine assistance program will help patients, families, and staff cope with the anxiety and stress that sometimes occurs in the hospital setting. Our facility dog is currently in training. Training begins at birth and takes 18 months to complete. Our service dog will be here in the fall of 2024. Service dogs are specially trained to work in the hospital setting and are fully prepared for all they will encounter during their daily work. Our service dog will be a full-time employee of the hospital – complete with an ID badge and an office. They will work in the hospital alongside their handler and will have naps, walks, a lunch break, and snuggle time throughout the day. When appropriate, our service dog can be present during procedures and also can provide comfort during bereavement.