True acts of compassion often transcend time to bring hope to those who need it most. Inspired by her faith, the late Sylvia Fallon worked as a volunteer for more than 40 years at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
“We thought that supporting the things that were important to her was the best way to memorialize her,” says her son, Steve Fallon, who has led donation initiatives for the family since Sylvia’s passing in 2016.
Most recently, a discussion with development staff and Mike Garrido, Emory Saint Joseph’s vice president of mission integration, inspired the family to make a $500,000 contribution to the hospital. The gift helps sustain the hospital’s outreach program under a new name: the Sylvia Fallon Faith Community Nursing Program.
The outreach program, originally established in 2016, is the first in the country to offer formal training for nurses to volunteer with vulnerable patients in the community who may have chronic health conditions, limited access to resources and support, and cultural or language barriers. More than 500 nurses have been trained to offer health and wellness services post-discharge based on the patient’s specific needs.
“The Fallons’ philanthropy comes straight from the heart and is foundational to Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. They have used their generosity to address the enormous need for human connection seen at the hospital every day,” says Garrido.
Attention to spiritual health makes the Sylvia Fallon Faith Community Nursing Program unique. By pairing nurses with patients of similar spiritual backgrounds, patients get additional support from a trusted provider who can offer comfort and care.
Rebecca Heitkam, RN, who directs the program, says it contributes to significant decreases in readmission rates for its patients. Her August 2019 article in Nursing Management examining the program’s early results showed a 79% reduction in hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge among patients categorized as “high utilizers,” and a 53.9% decrease in length of their hospital stays.
Previous gifts from the Fallon family have funded renovations to the hospital’s chapel, a favorite place Sylvia visited for daily Mass. The upgraded audiovisual equipment in the chapel now allows Mass to be streamed directly into patients’ rooms. The Fallons also commissioned a stained-glass window for the chapel. Designed and built by local artists, the colorful glass infuses peace and light into the space.
A Londoner by birth, Sylvia was known for her devotion to the Catholic faith, her generosity and her love for English tea. She combined all these things as a volunteer, bringing a traditional English tea cart to patients’ rooms at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. Her cart, complete with a polished silver tea set, homemade baked goods, freshly cut flower arrangements and white lace doilies, was a source of joy for patients and family members.
What the people at Emory Saint Joseph’s remember most about Sylvia was her ability to turn a simple cup of tea into a deep, personal connection. She received the Mother Catherine McAuley Award for her compassionate service in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, who founded the hospital in 1880.
“She had so much compassion, and it showed through in everything she did. I don't think many people knew this, but she would take the altar linens home and wash them. She also cared for plants and flowers in the chapel. Her generosity inspired me to find more ways to help,” says Barbara Furbish, a longtime friend and co-volunteer.
Heitkam says the outreach program at Emory embodies the compassion and generosity of spirit that Sylvia brought to the people she met.
“She always brought extra cookies for the patients receiving chemo treatment. Tea and cookies were small gestures, but they had a great impact. Not every patient and nurse knew her name, but they knew her warmth and kindness. She would sit, hold their hands and listen.”
Go online for more information on making a gift to Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital or email Elisabeth Nark at enark@emory.edu.