Healthcare for Non-Profits
WNC Bridge Foundation is providing partnership support to Mercy Urgent Care to provide yearlong MercyMe healthcare memberships to 32 families in Western North Carolina. The recipients are primarily employees of non-profit organizations in the five counties where Mercy Urgent Care’s eight facilities are located. “Mercy Urgent Care launched MercyMe in 2022 to provide the lowest cost, highest access healthcare option possible for our patients,” said Mercy Urgent Care CEO Rachel Sossoman. “We’re pleased to partner with the WNC Bridge Foundation to build healthier communities across Western North Carolina.”
Recipients of the WNC Bridge sponsored MercyMe memberships were chosen based on their ties to area non-profits and the need for healthcare access. Some of the organizations represented include:
- My Daddy Taught Me That is a youth development program designed to support young men in Asheville through advocacy, education, and mentoring.
- Food Connection has provided more than 500,000 meals to people in need by rescuing and redistributing freshly prepared food that otherwise would have been thrown away.
- Sharing House connects with residents of Transylvania County to provide crisis assistance.
- Meals on Wheels of Brevard has been providing nutritious meals, friendly visits, and safety checks to homebound seniors in the region since 1978.
“When I received the call to participate in the MercyMe membership program, I was in disbelief that the program would be available to me."
Due to the size of its organization and budget, Food Connection is one of many non-profits that is unable to provide health insurance for employees. Executive Director Marisha MacMorran realizes this can hinder recruiting and retaining a diverse staff. Still, the organization continually works toward solutions to keep its team healthy and happy while serving the community.
“As a single mother with a modest salary, I have struggled for years to find the right healthcare plan that has both an affordable monthly premium and covers necessary medical services,” MacMorran said. “When I received the call to participate in the MercyMe membership program, I was in disbelief that the program would be available to me. With this membership, I had much less worry about the chance of my son getting hurt — as I know that I can go to Mercy if he gets injured or becomes sick.”
The MercyMe memberships sponsored by WNC Bridge Foundation will provide a family of up to six members with six in-person and virtual visits per year, annual wellness checks and flu shots, plus discounts on additional visits and services. “In conversations with non-profits, we often hear the challenges these hardworking organizations face; providing employee benefits is often a top concern,” said WNC Bridge Foundation CEO Scott Buchanan. “It made perfect sense for WNC Bridge to partner with Mercy Urgent Care to provide comprehensive healthcare packages for individuals who are doing so much good in their communities.”
