Caregiver Heroes Teammate Emergency Care Fund

For an application to be reviewed the qualifying catastrophic event needs to have happened within 6 months of the application being submitted. This fund is not intended for ongoing challenges in managing finances, short term illness, decrease in income due to job loss, or separation from spouse.  

Who is eligible to apply? 

• Recipients of the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund must be current full-time, part time or PRN teammates in the Greater Charlotte, Floyd, Navicent, and Wake Forest Baptist markets.   
• PRN teammates must meet minimum hours-worked requirements for their department. 
• Atrium Health teammates currently receiving short-term disability benefits or paid time off are eligible to apply. 
• Teammates currently receiving long-term disability benefits, or teammates in contract, subcontract, or temporary status are not eligible to apply for the fund.
• Teammates may receive assistance for a catastrophic event beyond your control hardship assistance as outlined below) including a member of the household who consistently has contributed to the financial security of the family – may include spouse, life partner, grandparent, working child or dependent – as well as an individual outside of the household who consistently has contributed material financial support to the household, such as an ex-spouse or co-parent. 
  • When we mention outside of household, we are referring to ex-spouse, parent of child who does not live-in household, etc.  
  • The application should capture who this person is and why they have been contributing. 
  • Abandonment by family member or roommate cannot be a qualifying event.

All applications must fall into the catastrophic event outlined below:

What expenses are eligible as part of the Atrium Health Emergency Care Fund? 
 
Eligible Expenses (when tied to a qualifying event as described above) 

• Housing, mortgage or rent
• Evacuation costs  
• Payment of basic bills (such as utilities) 
• Food/clothing  
• Household items 
• Dependent care 
• Funeral and burial expenses for immediate family member (spouse, child, stepchild, and with rare exceptions and at the discretion of the Board, where documentation can establish Teammate’s financial responsibility, other family members). 

Ineligible Expenses 

• Medical expenses
• Transportation (such as travel to and from medical treatments)
• Psychological counseling
• Lost wages/Legal fees 
• Electronics and non-essential appliances/furnishings 
• Non-essential household utilities (e.g., cable/satellite television, etc.) 
• Items covered by insurance, insurance co-pays, premium or deductibles 
• Credit card debt or pay day loans 
• Private school or higher education tuition 
• Expenses associated with divorce or child custody settlements 
• Routine car maintenance or repairs

We ask that you use all eligible benefits before applying to receive assistance from the Teammate Emergency Care Fund.

• Have you used your current PTO balance?
• Have you been advanced up to 24 hours of PTO?
• Have you used the child support options for childcare?
• Have you applied for or received unemployment benefits?

What is the Emergency Care Fund?
The Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund has been established to provide Atrium Health teammates with financial assistance when they have suffered a hardship caused by catastrophic events beyond their control. The fund assists teammates in meeting basic needs when all other resources have been used. This fund has been set up to only address catastrophic events. 

We understand and recognize there are many circumstances that put a financial strain on people. This fund is designed for only those catastrophic events listed below. The fund is not intended for ongoing challenges in managing finances, short-term illness, decrease in income due to job loss, or separation from spouse. This fund assists teammates in meeting basic needs when all other resources have been used during a catastrophic event.

What is considered a catastrophic event?

• Fire
• Natural disaster
• Accident
• Other unforeseen serious crises (such as being the victim of a crime, sudden severe illness, or death in the immediate family) that affect the teammate’s ability to obtain basic needs

Who is eligible to apply?

• Recipients of the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund must be current full-time, part time or PRN teammates.
• PRN teammates must meet minimum hours-worked requirements for their department.
• Atrium Health teammates currently receiving short-term disability benefits or paid time off are eligible to apply.
• Teammates currently receiving long-term disability benefits, or teammates in contract, subcontract, or temporary status are not eligible to apply for the fund.
• Teammates may receive assistance for a catastrophic event (beyond your control) including a member of the household who consistently has contributed to the financial security of the family – may include spouse, life partner, grandparent, working child or dependent – as well as an individual outside of the household who consistently has contributed material financial support to the household, such as an ex-spouse or co-parent. 
  • When we mention outside of household, we are referring to ex-spouse, parent of child who does not live-in household, etc.  
  • The application should capture who this person is and why they have been contributing. 
  • Abandonment by family member or roommate cannot be a qualifying event.

Who has the responsibility of oversight of the fund?
Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund is a program of Atrium Health Employee Assistance, Inc., a separate nonprofit governed by a board of directors comprised of current and retired Atrium Health Teammates. Approval/non-approval of requests for disbursement amounts will be determined by the Board of Atrium Health Employee Assistance, Inc.

What is the review process for applications?
The Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Fund Care Board reviews all applications and decides to approve or deny applications based on eligibility and information submitted in the application. The Board of Atrium Health Employee Assistance, Inc. has the responsibility of ensuring that the funds are used appropriately and in the most effective manner possible. All applications will be reviewed by the board each week. Please allow at least 10 business days for review. 

What is the application process and required documentation?
In order to apply for assistance, documentation of catastrophic circumstances and a signed attestation of exhaustion of resources will be required. The decision for assistance will be based on the documented crisis and need. All applications will be thoroughly reviewed for eligibility. All documentation must be provided for the board to review. Missing documentation will result in delay in processing your application. 

What expenses are eligible as part of the Atrium Health Emergency Care Fund?
Eligible Expenses (when tied to a qualifying event as described above)

• Housing, mortgage or rent 
• Evacuation costs
• Payment of basic bills (such as utilities)
• Food/clothing
• Household items
• Dependent care
• Funeral and burial expenses for immediate family member (spouse, child, stepchild, and with rare exceptions and at the discretion of the Board, where documentation can establish Teammate’s financial responsibility, other family members).

Ineligible Expenses

• Medical expenses
• Transportation (such as travel to and from medical treatments)
• Psychological
• Lost wages/Legal fees
• Electronics and non-essential appliances/furnishings
• Non-essential household utilities (e.g., cable/satellite television, etc.)
• Items covered by insurance, insurance co-pays, premium or deductibles
• Credit card debt or pay day loans
• Private school or higher education tuition
• Expenses associated with divorce or child custody settlements
• Routine car maintenance or repairs 

Is the application process confidential?
Due to the sensitive nature of the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund, applicant and recipient information will be kept in the strictest confidence. Applicants may opt to sign a release to allow information to be used for program promotion purposes.

Are there any limitations on disbursements from the fund?
Recipients may receive only one disbursement from the fund per catastrophic event. The maximum amount awarded per catastrophic event is up to $4,000. No more than $7,000 will be awarded per lifetime to any Atrium Health teammate.

How is the program funded?
The Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund program is funded through a combination of contributions from Atrium Health, gift donations from donors and the Advocate Health Giving Campaign including teammate contributions. The Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund will be available to support teammates as long as monies remain in the Fund.