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Imagine yourself facing a personal or family health crisis, with
all the stress and emotional and financial turmoil that comes along
with it. Now imagine facing that
crisis in an unfamiliar place, far away from your home, your friends,
and your community. This is the
situation experienced by over 40,000 inpatients and their families who
travel to Winston-Salem
for medical care each year.
The number of patients making long trips for advanced
technology and treatment at major medical centers is increasing. In over 150 cities across the
country, Hospital Hospitality Houses are filling an important role for
these patients and their caregivers.
Hospitality Houses offer comfortable, affordable lodging in a
caring and supportive environment.
The motto of Hospital Hospitality Houses is “Homes that Help and
Heal”.
The Josh and
Marie Reynolds Hospital Guest House in Winston-Salem
plans to have at least 24 guest bedrooms with private baths
in Phase I of the project. All
of the bedrooms and all of the common areas will be handicapped
accessible. The facility will be
built in a convenient location near both hospitals and will provide
much support through a difficult time in guests’ lives. The most important offering will be
the caring community created in the House. There will be community rooms,
kitchens, and dining areas where guests can gather to cook and eat and
have opportunities to interact with others in similar situations. This creates a camaraderie and
support network that is very helpful and meaningful to people in times
of medical crisis.
Guests will be either adult outpatients receiving
prolonged medical treatment and their family/caregiver or
families/caregivers of adult inpatients. Guests must be referred by our two Medical
Centers or
Hospice & Palliative CareCenter.
Service criteria for guests, in addition to being treated at a Winston-Salem
hospital or caring for a patient here, are that they must reside
outside Forsyth
County and be
able to take care of themselves in this non-medical setting.
Winston-Salem
has two major tertiary care medical centers, Forsyth
Medical Center (FMC), and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
(WFUBMC), with a total number of beds approaching 2,000. Winston-Salem
is fortunate to have a wonderful Ronald McDonald House to
serve pediatric families, but there is no Hospital Hospitality House to
offer lodging and support to the many adult patients and their families
who would benefit from such a facility.
Hospitality Houses are the epitome of compassionate care and
family-centered care.
Hospitality Houses are becoming an integral part of healthcare
and a way that community volunteers and donors can join the hospitals
in impacting patient and family care by providing a safe, comfortable
and welcoming Guest House.
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