IOWA CITY — Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our country’s healthcare system has been hit with nursing shortages and burnout, jeopardizing patient care and experience. If you or a family member has spent time in the hospital, you understand nurses’ crucial role in patient care and experience. Due to COVID precautions, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital has had to eliminate volunteers, and nurses now must administer treatment while distracting and playing with the children.
In the most recent staff engagement survey, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital staff reported that 33% feel they have an unreasonable amount of job stress, over half struggle to free their mind from work when they leave, and 44% lose sleep over work issues. Northwestern Mutual Eastern Iowa aims to change all of that. In 2021, the firm took $35,000 and created the Northwestern Mutual Eastern Iowa Pediatric Oncology Nursing Support Fund. The primary objective of that fund is to enhance the care and experience families have at The Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center by investing in the nursing staff who serves that floor. The fund provides holistic long-term support to the nursing staff by investing in initiatives to improve morale, enhance the culture, help the hospital recruit and retain great nurses, and address the nursing shortage.
In an effort to support and sustain the fund, the firm is hosting a Kentucky Derby watch party fundraiser at Kinnick Stadium in the Mediacom Outdoor Club Level on May 6 from 2:30 – 6:30 pm. The event will be complete with Kentucky Derby-inspired food and drinks, bourbon tasting hosted by Cedar Ridge, live Blue Grass Music from The Anderegg Family Band, a silent auction, fundraiser horse race betting, and speakers who know the importance of investing in our nurses. Derby attire and hats are encouraged!
“We are proud to support a mission that continually makes progress on saving the lives of children with cancer while providing the highest levels of comfort and compassion,” shares Kalvin Grabau Keele, Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual Eastern Iowa. “To be able to come alongside the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and create a tailwind for the heroes (nurses and doctors) of the hospital is very fulfilling and one our entire firm is committed to.”
You can purchase your tickets today on Eventbrite! Ticket price includes admission, entertainment, live music, food, and bourbon tasting. If you or your business is interested in doing more to support this fundraiser or would like to be sponsor, please reach out to committee chair, Crystal Walter at [email protected].
Enjoy an afternoon at Kinnick and help make a difference for the nurses doing such impactful work and for the families at the hospital that need their support.
About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what’s most important. With more than $558 billion of total assets being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, nearly $35 billion in revenues, and $2.2 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 97 on the 2022 FORTUNE 500.
Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with “Advisor” in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.
Kentucky Derby Watch Party at Kinnick Stadium to raise funds for the nurses at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
April 26, 2023