FAQ

The Ardent Cares Foundation is designed to help team members who have suffered an emergency hardship for reasons beyond their control due to a natural disaster, funeral or medical emergency that puts a strain on finances.

Employees and others outside the company can make tax-deductible contributions. Team members can donate PTO if they have been employed by Ardent Health Services for at least one year at the date of donation and are not a CEO, COO, CMO, CFO, CNO or other officer.

Click here to visit our How to Give page.

Team members are limited to no more than one-half of his/her accrued PTO hours, and the PTO balance may not be less than 40 PTO hours after donation.

The donated PTO hours will be converted monetarily to the fund.

Ardent Cares Foundation is managed by an unrelated third-party, Tulsa Community Foundation. The Tulsa Community Foundation is accredited by The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® and has 501(C)(3) status. You can learn more about Tulsa Community Foundation here: https://tulsacf.org/about-tcf/tcf-by-the-numbers/

Team members must be full-time or part-time employees of Ardent Health Services or its healthcare systems at the time of the event and complete an application to be reviewed by the Foundation Committee. Applications can be found here. Applications for assistance are confidential and are reviewed by the Tulsa Community Foundation to ensure that a qualifying emergency exists and all supporting documentation required by IRS regulations and established standards are met.

Home Catastrophe/Natural Disasters – Up to $2,500

Assistance after a natural or localized disaster (hurricane, fire, flood, tornado, mudslide, etc.) has destroyed the team member's personal residence, rendered it unlivable, or is otherwise in need of costly repairs. Funds are not available for costs covered by insurance.

Medical Emergency – Up to $1,500

For team members who have encountered financial hardships due to medical emergencies in the household (injury, hospitalization, loss of income during medical emergency, etc.)

Funeral or Emergency Travel for Immediate Family – Up to $1,500

Assistance for those who have incurred the loss of an immediate family member, if the team member is financially responsible for funeral arrangements and no other resources exist. For team members who must travel to visit or care for a terminally ill immediate family member or escort a critically ill immediate family member to an out-of-state medical facility.

• Loss of household income because of a cutback in hours or overtime, or because of the loss of a job.
• Credit card bills, vehicle purchases or home foreclosures.
• Expenses incurred due to lack of homeowners or medical insurance.
• Ongoing financial strain that results in your not having enough income to cover your regular monthly bills. The Foundation’s grants aren’t available to resolve ongoing general financial distress.
• Wage garnishments.
• Other similar results of financial hardship.

The Tulsa Community Foundation review committee determines award amounts within preset guidelines per emergency type. Grants are primarily paid directly to vendors, such as hospitals or mortgage lenders.

One grant per team member and his/her family per calendar year, two grants per team member and his/her family per lifetime at the company.

Immediate family includes spouse, sibling, children, step-children, grandchildren, parents, step-parents, grandparents, mother/father-in-law, son/daughter-in-law or qualified domestic partner as defined by Ardent health benefits (you do not have to be enrolled in Ardent benefits to qualify).

Eligibility for Domestic Partners to Receive Ardent Cares Foundation Support

Eligibility for support from the Ardent Cares Foundation for same or opposite-sex domestic partners mirrors the eligibility criteria outlined in Ardent’s Affidavit of Domestic Partnership, which is required receive Ardent healthcare benefits.

Those applying for Ardent Cares Foundation support for illness, funeral or emergency travel related to a circumstance impacting their domestic partner are NOT REQUIRED to sign an Ardent Affidavit of Domestic Partnership and DO NOT need to be enrolled in Ardent benefits to receive support from the foundation. Applicants WILL BE required to provide documentation to show financial interdependency.

Eligibility:

• You have been living in a committed and exclusive relationship for at least 12 months, have continually resided in the same primary residence and intend to continue to reside together permanently;
• You are jointly responsible for each other’s basic living expenses during the domestic partnership;
• Are both 18 years of age or older;
• Neither of you is married (either legally or by common law) to anyone else, a domestic partner of anyone else, or legally separated from anyone else;
• You do not have a blood relationship that would bar marriage under the laws of the state in which you reside (or if applicable, were married), and you have otherwise satisfied all other marriage requirements imposed by such state;
• You are not in this relationship solely for purposes of obtaining benefits; and
• You have provided the documentation requested below supporting your domestic partnership

Required Documentation:

You and your domestic partner must provide verification of financial interdependency by submitting two documents from the list below; the documents must be dated at least 12 months before the date listed on the Domestic Partnership Affidavit.

• Mortgage or deed showing joint ownership of the permanent residence
• Lease showing joint tenancy for the permanent residence signed and dated
• Utility bill in both partners name
• Joint proof of ownership of a motor vehicle
• Joint bank account statement
• Joint credit card statement
• Designation of your partner as the primary beneficiary for life insurance or retirement benefits
• Designation of your partner as a primary beneficiary under your will