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About Us

Message from the Executive Director

Flashback at LHAS – the message of strength, hope, perseverance and love to go on…..

It is the strength of our leadership that continues to grow our membership which in turn allows LHAS to expand its participation and support of community projects….it is the message of hope delivered to patients and their families when one more dollar is given ….to persevere when you think all is lost….. and it is the love and compassion for the cause that can make a difference in people’s lives.

In addition to major health and community projects, know that every dollar raised will help provide even simple services such as hair care for a patient whose hospital stay has reached twenty-eight days….. or medication for a 51 year old that had an aortic aneurysm that required emergency attention……even the support of the LHAS Café and Gift Shops which can provide a respite to the young mother who lost her job when she stayed at the hospital to care for a loved one.

In times of hardship or prosperity we need to focus not only on important issues but the people in our lives as well. We must not take one day for granted, for we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Day in and day out, within the workplace or home, we are carefully reminded of the fragility of structure, balance, and life. As we move forward let us make a conscious effort to look within ourselves to renew our compassion to make a difference, one person at a time, spreading hope and love….. because nice matters!

History

In 1898, Ladies Hospital Aid Society began its long history of community service when 17 women met to address the pressing needs of the sick and the poor living in their neighborhoods. These women also were concerned with the troubles facing the immigrant population, which suffered from indigence, homelessness and lack of adequate medical care. Referring to themselves as the Hebrew Ladies Hospital Aid Society, this group set membership dues at 10 cents a week and made arrangements with existing hospitals to pay ward rates for patients admitted under their auspices.

Ladies Hospital Aid Society continued to prosper and among its many accomplishments was the opening of the original Montefiore Hospital in 1908, and the construction of the current site in 1929. LHAS raised more than $5 million for Montefiore Hospital and initiated and funded the Follow-Me-Home Program and the LHAS Ambulatory Surgical Center. In 1990, Montefiore Hospital was sold to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

LHAS in turn expanded its mission and has remained responsive to changing health care needs of the entire Western Pennsylvania community. LHAS has implemented programs for the elderly and women’s health care, including the LHAS Arbor at Weinberg Village, LHAS Prevention and Early Detection Center at the Hillman Cancer Center, and the LHAS Women’s Heart Center. Fulfilling our commitment to education, LHAS has allocated thousands of dollars for college scholarship grants to future health care professionals and nursing students.

Most recently LHAS furthered its mission by major fund raising efforts to support the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Concussion Research with UPMC Department of Orthaeopedic Surgery, and the UPMC GI Department to benefit pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and other digestive diseases.