Providing Family Support at Ronald McDonald House New York

Ronald McDonald House Charities is renowned for being a “home-away-from-home” for the families of sick children while undergoing medical treatment, and often the most difficult journey of their lives. For families who live far from a specialist medical center, the cost of accommodation, travel, and daily living expenses during their child’s treatment can be a significant burden. In New York City in particular, Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) helps alleviate these anxieties by providing accommodations and other support close to various hospitals, at no cost.

The RBC Foundation USA is proud to support RMH-NY’s Digital Acceleration of its Health Equity Program, an initiative focused on enhancing mental wellbeing and restoring a sense of normalcy for families with children in treatment for a medically complex illness in New York City.

Digitizing the Health Equity program

What can often be overlooked in the treatment of physical illness is the emotional impact of the experience on the young patient and their family. Outside of the medical appointments, the patient and family must also cope with the anxiety that comes when they leave behind their home, jobs and school.

Health Equity programming across RMH-NY focuses on enhancing the mental wellbeing of families, by creating a space for informal check-in time with caregivers and families. During these interactions, Ronald McDonald House staff are able to see how families are doing and inquire if their needs are being met. The program ensures that children and caregivers alike have what they need to stay strong, healthy, and hopeful through incredibly challenging times.

The Digital Acceleration of this program will elevate RMH-NY’s service delivery by allowing the centralization of data, secure storage of information and analysis of information, which will allow RMH-NY to deepen its impact and efficiency.

A special partnership

Support for the Health Equity Program complements the RBC Foundation USA’s ongoing work with Ronald McDonald House New York. The partnership between the two organizations goes back over a decade, when RBC Capital Markets became a supporter of the annual “Skate with the Greats” ice hockey fundraiser. Ten years later, RBC is one of the largest corporate supporters of Ronald McDonald House globally.

In addition, since 2010, RBC employees have raised more than $2.6 million dollars through personal donations.

President and CEO, Dr. Ruth C. Browne, notes that “For many years, RBC Capital Markets has played a critical role in supporting our mission and the families staying at Ronald McDonald House New York. Our mission is all about helping families focus on what matters most: staying together as their child receives treatment for a serious pediatric illness. Thank you to RBC Capital Markets for the investment in our RMH families around the globe and across the boroughs served by RMH-NY.  The Chair of our Board, Bobby Grubert makes that possible in our Board room and helps to make that possible with many employees who are volunteering on the frontlines for our families.”

Bobby Grubert, Head of Digital Solutions and Client Insights at RBC Capital Markets, and Chairman of the Board of RMH-NY, observes: “The relationship that RBC shares with Ronald McDonald House is so special because it unites colleagues in North America, Europe and Asia in the pursuit of one of the firm’s guiding principles: to help communities prosper. There is meaningful engagement at so many levels.”