Patient Assistance Fund Helps Most Vulnerable

Thanks to the generosity of a well-known family with a long history of supporting The Miriam, the hospital’s most vulnerable patients now have access to basic necessities and resources that can help enhance their quality of life, improve their health outcomes, and reduce their risk of re-admission.

The Carpionato Family Patient Assistance Fund, which was established with a gift of $100,000 from the family’s charitable trust, provides critical support to those in need and fills gaps between patient discharge and retaining community services, says Megan Mack, LICSW, Brown University Health’s Director of Clinical Social Work.

“Our most vulnerable patients are most often the ones experiencing social determinants of health—stable housing is a challenge, along with reliable income to purchase healthy food options or afford their medications, and limited access to transportation to get to their appointments,” Megan explains. “As a result, these are the patients we often see back in our emergency department. Their emergency department utilization could decrease with access to some of these basic things—or their health is far worse because these basic needs aren’t being met.”

Megan and her team are working swiftly to address this population’s immediate needs. Creating a giving closet stocked with essential clothing and footwear; filling string backpacks with hygiene products and reusable water bottles; setting up a food pantry; and purchasing bus passes or booking transportation for patients through an online rideshare platform are all initiatives already underway.

“The goal is to help keep our whole community healthy,” Megan adds, “and we absolutely would not have the capacity to do this work or to be creative and think outside the box without this fund. We are grateful to the Carpionato family for their ongoing support and for caring enough to make such an incredible gift.”

Honoring a Legacy

Alfred Carpionato was one of the region’s most influential real estate developers as well as a quiet philanthropist whose generosity knew no bounds. His wife, Sheryl, explains how the family’s latest gift to The Miriam pays tribute to his legacy and helps improve the lives of others in meaningful and tangible ways.

“My late husband, Alfred, and I have been longtime supporters of The Miriam Hospital. When the hospital came to me and said there was a critical need for patients facing consequences related to social determinants of health, I didn’t hesitate. I immediately set to work with my fellow board members to ensure The Carpionato Charitable Trust could make an impactful gift. In honor of Alfred, we established the Carpionato Family Patient Assistance Fund. This fund was put into action to provide patients medical appointment transportation and help patients facing food insecurity.

"Alfred and I have always admired the first-class patient care The Miriam Hospital gives to every one of their patients no matter their financial condition, pushing the benchmark on healthcare excellence and medical advancement. This gift will not only support The Miriam Hospital’s continuation of their award-winning level of care, but it will also contribute to the full potential of health and well-being for our communities here in Rhode Island.”

(pictured: Sheryl and Alfred Carpionato)