Each year, the WakeMed Foundation’s Community Campaign offers an opportunity to support hospital programs and services. We sat down with Will Barfield, a local leader and Chair of the Community Campaign, to talk about why serving WakeMed and the community is important to him.
Talking to other people about supporting WakeMed is easy for me because I have personal stories of impact. In 2007, my oldest daughter had her appendix rupture and the infection was released into her body. She had emergency surgery in WakeMed Children’s Hospital, and they handled her flawlessly. It was a wonderful facility back then, and thanks to the money raised by the WakeMed Foundation, we’ve been able to fund ongoing improvements over the years.
Innovations at WakeMed in the areas of children’s care and the heart center and behavioral health are possible in large part due to the WakeMed Foundation and its contributions. That’s one of the multitude of reasons why I’ve served as the Community Campaign Chair for the past two years. And it has been a marvelous and incredibly rewarding experience.
Market-Interrupting Innovations
WakeMed is our only remaining local independent hospital system. I’m especially inspired by how much uninsured care WakeMed provides here in Wake County. They take the patients that others won’t. They will do the things and provide the care that others elect not to.
What’s more, there are new and innovative things to come. WakeMed has technology and facility expansions in the development phases that will be market-interrupting. And as a part of the WakeMed Foundation, I get to hear about these plans at the earliest stages and to help raise the money that brings them to fruition. It’s an amazing organization to support.
It’s also a necessary organization to support. We have so many new people moving to the Triangle every day, and there are a few key components to any area’s makeup when it comes to relocation attractiveness — one of them is having access to excellent medical care. WakeMed’s continued strength and success helps our area thrive, aiding regional economic development folks when it comes to attracting new businesses and to recruiting relocating families to the region.
2019 Community Impact
The numbers are in: In 2019 the Community Campaign raised $1,005,765, which contributed to the Foundation’s Annual Campaign fundraising total of $5,149,108.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect and to collaborate with amazing volunteers, incredible staff members, and philanthropic leaders in our community. Serving alongside them — you — has been tremendous. When you raise money together as a collective community team, it impacts your personal and professional networks in an immeasurably beneficial way. I have gotten back tenfold what I’ve given over the last two years.
About Will Barfield
Will Barfield is the President and CEO of Barfield Revenue Consulting (BRC), a company he cofounded in 2017 with his wife, Amy Barfield. Will has been involved with WakeMed on a volunteer and leadership level for several years, first with Friends of WakeMed and then with the WakeMed Foundation.
Since 2018, he has chaired the WakeMed Foundation Community Campaign, where he works closely with fellow volunteers, Foundation staff, and the community at large.
What is the Community Campaign?
Each year, the WakeMed Foundation Community Campaign offers an opportunity for the community — for you — to support hospital programs and services. Foundation board members and volunteers raise donations and sponsorships of every amount from existing and new donors.
One hundred percent of donated dollars go directly to fund programs and services to support patient care in all areas of the hospital.
Creating healing environments. Providing innovative programs. Investing in skilled and compassionate caregivers. Supporting the urgent needs of our patients and families. Donations make it all possible. Your gift truly helps save and transform lives. Make a gift now.
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