Caregiver Heroes and Teammate Emergency Care Fund

2. COVID-19 Hardship Assistance

If this is a request for COVID-19 hardship assistance funds, please read this section first.

This assistance is for teammates who are adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for the following reasons:

• Teammates who were not at work when they were exposed to the virus, have been quarantined and are not eligible for worker’s compensation for losses resulting from the exposure.
• Teammates who are not able to come to work because they are taking care of a sick family member as the primary caregiver due to the pandemic.
• Teammates who are not able to come to work because their children’s childcare center or children’s school is closed due to the pandemic.
• Teammates who have had their hours reduced due to closures or other circumstance related to the pandemic.

Individuals who have suffered a financial hardship caused by a catastrophic event listed above, and who have used all other resources, may complete the application and submit it to Human Resources.

Other Things to Consider

• Have you used your current PTO balance?
• Have you been advanced up to 80 hours of PTO?
• Have you used the child support options for childcare?
• Have you applied for or received unemployment benefits?
• Other Information you would need to share with the committee?

Teammates who are adversely affected by COVID-19 in a manner that is not specifically listed above may still be eligible for assistance.

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

Before You Apply

Step 1: Read the How To Apply document. Review the How to Complete the Teammate Emergency Care Fund Application Job Aid.

Step 2: Gather required documents. Before you start the application, have this documentation ready:

1.  Provide a detailed description of your specific hardship situation.  Documentation of catastrophic circumstances:

• COVID-19 examples:
  • you or your significant other has been affected by COVID-19
  • reduced work hours
  • missed days due to illness or childcare issues 

• Other hardships examples include house fire, serious illness, flood, etc 

2.  Copies of current bank statements (ALL pages) from checking and savings account

3.  Documentation which supports your need for emergency assistance (examples: repair estimates, bills or mortgage statements requiring payment, etc.)

Step 3 : Once you have the documents listed in Step 2 ready, click the red button to begin the Teammate Emergency Care Fund Application.

Teammate Emergency Care Fund Application

Attention. If you need assistance attaching documents to your application, email teammatecarefund@atriumhealth.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 and assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.

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.
• Atrium Health teammates at the time of the catastrophic event and have at least 90 days of continuous employment. 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.

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., upon the recommendation of the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund Review Committee.

What is the review process for applications?
The Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Fund Care Review Committee reviews all applications and decides whether to recommend that the Board of Atrium Health Employee Assistance, Inc. approve or deny applications based on eligibility and information submitted in the application. Initially, the Committee consists of Pinnacle Award honorees and a nonvoting Human Resources Administrator. 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 committee each week.

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.

Alternative resources you should consider:

• Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is designed to provide confidential assistance to individuals and families experiencing financial issues, stress, emotional, alcohol and drug problems, legal issues and difficulties with children. For more information, call the EAP office at (704) 355-5021 or 1-800-384-1097 or you can visit the Employee Assistance Program website for more information. All contacts are private and confidential. The purpose of the EAP is to help teammates and family members confront and overcome problems/issues. We believe that healthy, teammates are the foundation of a productive, thriving organization.   
• Community Resource Hub —  From food pantries to clothes for work, Atrium Health's Community Resource Hub provides instant access to comprehensive, localized program listings for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food, job training and more. It makes it easy for Atrium providers and staff to find programs for those we care for in our communities.
• Atrium Health has developed a strong partnership with an innovative non-profit called Common Wealth Charlotte (CWC). CWC provides workshops and in-depth, one-on-one financial coaching sessions for Atrium Health teammates, at no cost to you. The main contact at CWC is Alisha Jeter, Senior Financial Advisor at ajeter@commonwealthcharlotte.org. Please send Alisha an email with your Atrium Health contact information and she will follow up promptly.        
• Atrium Health PTO Donation —This is a program where Atrium Health PTO hours may be donated to teammates who have a medical emergency involving the teammate or any member of their immediate family including spouse, parent or dependent child. You must work through your leader to use this program. Your leader will be able to access the PTO donation form located under HR Forms on PeopleConnect.
• Use your Health Savings Account (HSA) funds — For information on benefits, please contact Atrium Health HR Service Center at 704-631-1500 or by emailing HRServiceCenter@atriumhealth.org.
• Medical Bill Assistance —If you have outstanding medical bills and or deductibles, you will want to use the following resources first:
  • AccessOne —This program is available to all Atrium Health teammates to provide patient friendly extended payment plan options for you and your family.
    • AccessOne provides convenient payment options for any Atrium Health medical expenses you owe. It is accepted by all Atrium Health hospitals and outpatient facilities. This includes urgent care centers, specialty & primary care physician offices and pharmacy services. There are a number of benefits to AccessOne’s program:
      • 0% interest payment plan available depending on your balance, or
      • Low interest payment plan – prime rate + 6%
      • Everyone is accepted; easy to enroll
      • No credit reporting
      • No hidden fees
      • Easy payment methods: online, phone, check, auto pay
      • Combined statements that include other medical bills and family members
    • To learn more about this program, you can go to https://www.myaccessone.com/chs or call AccessOne’s Patient Advocate Center at 888-458-6272.  

What expenses are eligible as part of the Atrium Health Emergency Care Fund?
Eligible Expenses

• Housing, mortgage or rent
• Home repairs
• Evacuation costs
• Transportation (such as travel to and from medical treatments)
• Payment of basic bills (such as utilities)
• Food/clothing
• Psychological counseling
• Medical expenses
• Household items
• Dependent care
• Funeral, travel, and burial expenses except as excluded below

Ineligible Expenses

• Lost wages/Legal fees
• Electronics and non-essential appliances/furnishings
• Non-essential household utilities (e.g., internet, cable/satellite television, telephone, 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
• Funeral, travel, and burial expenses upon death of teammate’s relative outside of immediate family member. Immediate family is defined as parent, spouse, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild or guardian, current mother-in-law, current father-in-law, brother, sister, current brother-in-law, current sister-in-law, current foster child, current son-in-law, current daughter-in-law, and great grandparent. Any of the above step relationships would also qualify.

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 $2,500. No more than $5,000 will be awarded per lifetime to any Atrium Health teammate. For COVID-19, the maximum amount of assistance is $1,000 if the Teammate is personally affected to the virus and $500 if the Teammate’s spouse/significant other is personally affected.

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

How do I make a donation?
Anyone may make a donation to the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund here.

Donations may not be earmarked for a particular recipient. Donations are made to Atrium Health Employees Assistance, Inc., which has applied for 501(c)(3) status.

How do I apply?
Teammates may apply to the Atrium Health Teammate Emergency Care Fund here.