By Samantha Cart
When someone is in the thick of serious illness, the definition of health care expands even further, and sectors of this industry that often go unnoticed become increasingly important to the successful care of vulnerable patients and their families—particularly those who must travel to receive necessary treatment. In West Virginia, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and Rosenbaum Family House (RFH) are tending to the invisible needs of medical travelers.
Ronald McDonald House Charities
While many recognize RMHC by name, few know the depth of services it provides to communities on a global scale.
“Through two core programs, Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room, plus hundreds of local initiatives, we work toward the same mission: to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families and promote healing when children need health care,” says Executive Director Brooke Hylbert Field.
Ronald McDonald House Global supports more than 250 independently operated chapters in over 60 countries and regions. The Mountain State is home to three RMHC groups located in Southern West Virginia, Huntington and Morgantown.
Programs and offerings may differ based on each organization’s size, patient population and region, but families seeking care in West Virginia can always count on a supportive place to stay. Services and amenities offered are powered by the generosity of individual volunteers, religious and civic organizations, hospital employees and businesses, among others.
“We offer programming such as movie nights, crafts, self-care and kid-focused activities to ensure families have moments of connection and normalcy during what may be the most difficult time in their lives,” Hylbert Field says.
Located inside CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, the RMHC Family Room is designed to give families a non-clinical, comfortable and quiet place to rest, recharge and regroup without leaving the hospital where their child is being treated.
“Together, our Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room ensure families can stay close to their child, feel supported every step of the way and never have to face their child’s medical journey alone,” Hylbert Field says.
These services not only provide a soft place to land during a difficult time but also help reduce the emotional
and financial burdens families face when traveling for their child’s medical care.
“A recent study in the medical journal Children found that nearly 50% of caregivers report depression symptoms and more than two-thirds report anxiety symptoms during their child’s hospital stay,” Hylbert Field says. “Ronald McDonald House allows families to focus on what matters most: caring for their child. We help alleviate the burden of having a hospitalized child by providing meals, amenities like laundry facilities and a playroom, essential items and, most importantly, lodging at no cost.”
Through RMHC, a family’s eligibility is never determined by their financial situation or insurance status.
“Financial or insurance-related concerns should never stand in the way of having a safe, supportive place to stay,” Hylbert Field says. “Families traveling to Charleston for their child’s care are always welcome whether they have private insurance, Medicaid or no insurance at all.”
Looking ahead, Hylbert Field and her team are ambitious to serve more families.
“Pediatric health care is a rapidly changing landscape where we see families traveling further, staying longer and returning more frequently,” she says. “Our vision is a world where every family has what they need to ensure the best health outcomes for their children.”
Rosenbaum Family House
According to Dana Schutte, director of the RFH, too often the role of caregiver is overlooked in the pursuit of positive medical outcomes. The RFH recognizes and caters to the physical and emotional needs of caregivers as well as patients.
“At RFH, we provide lodging, meals and other support services to families and adult patients who come from a distance to receive medical treatment at WVU Medicine,” Schutte says.
RFH’s goal is to provide a space for families to recharge away from the medical environment, which is made possible
through programming such as volunteer-organized bingo and craft nights as well as a variety of books and puzzles to choose from. Along with lodging, RFH provides free access to laundry facilities and supplies, while meals and entertainment are provided by volunteers. Essential hygiene supplies, emergency clothing and toiletries are on-hand for guests who find themselves in Morgantown unexpectedly.
“Perhaps the most impactful aspect of RFH is the environment that nurtures fellowship among the guests,” says Schutte. “As is human nature, adversity can bring people together. Guests often form lifelong friendships while staying at RFH. Finding comfort among others going through similar struggles is something that can’t be manufactured.”
In 2023, RFH welcomed 2,186 families from across the U.S., bringing the total number of families served to nearly 32,000 at the time. There are almost always more people in need than the RFH can support. With 40 rooms often occupied, the waitlist usually averages approximately 30 families. RFH uses a referral system with local hotels that do their best to honor a discounted rate.
“At RFH, we keep close tabs on families who will have extended stays and strive to get them a room at RFH as quickly as possible,” Schutte explains. “Those most in need tend to be cancer patients, transplant patients and at-risk pregnancies, for proximity reasons. While the average length of stay at RFH is six days, it’s not unusual to have guests here for many months.”
Like RMHC, RFH’s services are made possible through the generosity of donors and past guests, and no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay. Contributions can be made to the organization’s Care and Comfort Fund to help pay for the stay of those with strained financial resources, and the WVU Cancer Center also maintains a fund to offset the cost of ancillary services such as RFH for patients and their caregivers.
“To have the opportunity to serve such selfless, extraordinary people is an honor,” Schutte says. “We truly see the best of West Virginia come through our doors.”
