Patient First‘s commitment to the community goes beyond providing convenient, cost-effective health care. Patient First also supports numerous organizations that make a positive impact in our local neighborhoods and across the mid-Atlantic.
See what Patient First is doing in the community.
Did you know May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month? Patient First was one of the presenting sponsors for the 2nd annual Asian Festival.
Organized by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association to highlight Asian heritage through food, arts, crafts, education and performances, this one-day, outdoor family event spread out across Main Street in Historic Old Town Fairfax City. Patient First staff enjoyed interacting and engaging with many of the estimated 18,000 attendees.
The entire event was a great success, and Patient First looks forward to supporting the Asian Festival next year.
On May 1st, more than 500 families gathered to support and raise funds for HopeCam at the 22nd Annual HopeCam 5k.
HopeCam is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity with the mission of using voice and video technology to help children with cancer overcome the burden of social isolation. By virtually connecting these children with their friends and families over a video conferencing application, HopeCam decreases the loneliness and anxiety they experience during this frightening time.
At the 5k event, children who are currently battling cancer offered their testimony about how HopeCam provides them hope, and allows them to connect with their teachers and classmates. Patient First staff enjoyed engaging with the families and seeing the children smile. This fun event included alpacas, Disney characters, rock climbing exhibit and face painting station.
Patient First is a proud supporter of HopeCam.
On April 30, more than 1,400 YMCA locations across all 50 states – plus D.C. and Puerto Rico— hosted events featuring fun games and activities to keep kids moving and learning. We joined the Gloucester County YMCA in Woodbury, New Jersey as a sponsor for their celebration.
For 30 years, Healthy Kids Day has celebrated kids’ mental and physical health, while teaching healthy habits for kids and families, encouraging active play, and inspiring a lifetime love of physical activity. This year was no exception. The mission of the YMCA is to strengthen the community through youth development and healthy-living programs, and Healthy Kids Day having been celebrated for 30 years only enhances those goals. We get to meet some of the nicest people at community events just like this, and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.
On Saturday, May 30th, the PTA at Mountain View Elementary school, near our Gainesville center held its inaugural Spring Festival, and Patient First was a proud participant in the event!
More than 500 families gathered to take part in the fun and games, which included activities like the Patient First sponsored Moon Bounce, a rock climbing wall, and a variety of games. There was also a chance for kids to get hands-on experiences with horses, and a petting zoo. A DJ fed the ears, keeping the party atmosphere alive, while food trucks fed participants' stomachs.
The only thing shining brighter than the sun and clear skies were the smiles on the faces of the kids who turned out for this fantastic event. Patient First is proud to have been able to help kick off what everyone hopes will become a yearly event!
Tuckahoe Elementary School kicked off the season with their annual Spring Fling. Patient First hosted the Kooky Clinic, which was a big hit for the students. Several kids lined up at the Patient First tent to receive bandages, wraps, slings and fake blood to make their imitation injuries look real. And just like any other day, a few of our awesome team members from the Colonial Heights center jumped right in to take care of them.
Other fun stations set up for the kids included a petting zoo, axe throwing, bounce houses, cake walks, a trolley train, as well as food, music, and so much more. The PTA did an awesome job of putting the event together to make it a memorable moment for the kids. And to top it all off, the weather was perfect! What an awesome day for the Tuckahoe community! We had a blast and look forward to seeing you all next year.
Patient First promotes active, healthy lifestyles and one of the many ways we demonstrate this is through our youth sponsorships each year. When sports moms and dads along with their families and friends are out enjoying Little League games throughout the area, they’ll frequently see a Patient First banner on the ballpark fence, or even our name on player jerseys.
As a sponsor, it is especially great to be invited out to meet and interact with the ball players and their friends and families on a game day. We got to do just that during “Opening Day” activities for the West Deptford, New Jersey Little League near our Woodbury center. As was to be anticipated, there was lots of excitement, commotion and activity among the young ball players, and their families and friends, and it was great fun to be a part of all the energy.
Folks were so appreciative of our sponsorship, and were excited to say “thank you,” and we were so happy to be there. During the 2022 season we have more than 25 sponsorships in place.
Spring has sprung, and there was plenty of evidence that people were ready to emerge from not just the winter, but the pandemic as well, at this year's Towson Town Spring Festival! Encompassing five square blocks in the heart of Towson, this two day event is one of the largest outdoor events of the year for the community, as it made its return for the first time since 2019. An estimated 90,000 people lined the streets to take in the sights, sounds, and services of the community.
The staff of the Patient First center in Towson came out to participate in the Festival, handing out promotional items, and interacting with both former patients, and a few who were unfamiliar with our services. Plenty of those who stopped by our table took the time to say thank you for the care and efficiency with which our doctors, nurses and support staff helped them through their emergencies.
Some storm clouds might have washed out the last 90 minutes of the second day for the festival, but it didn't dampen the experience of anyone who took part in the fun of this weekend event!
The Harford County Department of Community Services held its 3rd biennial Family Resource Festival on Saturday, April 9th. About 1,000 people ranging in age from 86 years to 8 months flocked to the APG Federal Credit Union at Harford County Community College to learn about a host of services and programs serving the Harford County area.
In addition to the information and materials available to parents, there were also Tae-Kwon Do exhibitions and appearances by characters like Mario, Bluey, and even Darth Vader and his Imperial Guard to keep the kids entertained.
Patient First was a proud sponsor of the event, and our staff had many great interactions with attendees, all very familiar with our brand and quality of care. One person even recounted how the staff at the Bel Air center saved his eye, after getting a screwdriver lodged in it following a workplace accident!
Each year, Patient First provides a monetary gift to schools near our centers. In Lower Bucks County Pennsylvania near our Feasterville center, Holland Elementary school used their gift to purchase adaptive physical education equipment. The new equipment is now enabling children with autism and a variety of other special needs to participate fully in gym activities. The school provided a “demonstration day” and invited us out to show us how our gift was put to such good use. They even invited Miss Pennsylvania Meghan Sinisi along to check things out. Meghan is an advocate for children with Autism and the founder of her own 501c3 organization, “From a New Perspective” which provides assistance to families and individuals on the autism spectrum by identifying resources and promoting autism appreciation through educational efforts. We discovered something quite incredible at the school during our visit. They have adopted a “reverse inclusion” model there, where typically developing students are paired with students with special needs to make new friendships, learn compassion, empathy, acceptance and appreciation for diversity. According to Miss Pennsylvania, “this school’s awareness and culture should be a positive example to every school in Pennsylvania and beyond!” We really enjoyed spending time with School Principal Joe MacClay and his incredibly dedicated team of professionals who showed us around, demonstrated equipment and provided opportunities to interact with students directly.
National Volunteer Appreciation week comes just once a year, and this provides us with a perfect opportunity to recognize and thank Patient first staff who join us at community events. Throughout the year many step away from roles in their center or office to represent Patient First at a variety of events and activities in the community. Organizers work tirelessly to put together events, and when Patient First staff participates in those events, we help to put “unity” in community. Come out see us when we’re at a location near you!