Aspinwall resident Bob McCarthy’s relationship with UPMC St. Margaret began in 1968, long before the hospital was situated on its Freeport Road campus so close to his home.
While playing high school football at Shady Side Academy, McCarthy took a hard hit that left him with a concussion. He was tended to at the then-Lawrenceville-based hospital, not imagining that he would become a lifelong advocate and future board member of the UPMC St. Margaret Foundation.
“The hospital has been a good neighbor of mine,” said McCarthy, 73, who works in the construction industry.
On July 8, McCarthy’s support led to the renaming of hospital Room 417 in his honor. The room overlooks the hospital’s emergency helipad and offers patients and their families a distraction by watching the helicopters land and take off.
The room was chosen because it is situated on the inpatient rehabilitation unit, partially as a nod to McCarthy’s friend, Dr. James Bradley, head team orthopedic surgeon of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McCarthy became familiar with Bradley and the orthopedic services at the hospital after two ruptured Achilles tendons and two rotator cuff operations.
Outside the room is a plaque with the outline of a R44 II helicopter, a nod to McCarthy’s passion as a private helicopter pilot.
Ironically, McCarthy moved to Aspinwall in 1986, the same year as the foundation originated.
When former foundation President Art Scully asked McCarthy to join the board in 1989, he happily obliged.
“The hospital and the foundation have done so much good for so many,” McCarthy said.
From his home on Lexington Avenue, McCarthy often sees hospital staff, dressed in scrubs and stethoscopes draped around their necks, walking around town on their breaks.
It’s a reminder, he said, to continue advocating for the foundation, which supports wellness initiatives at the hospital and serves patients in need.
The foundation, which operates independently of the hospital system, supports wellness initiatives that serve patients in need.
All donations to the foundation remain local, said Sophie Christensen, manager of partnership giving and office systems.
In December, the nonprofit announced more than $957,000 in grants to be doled out this year to help people in need.
Among the programs funded include a free medical shuttle that takes residents of any age on nonemergency medical rides to and from UPMC St. Margaret hospital, UPMC primary care doctors’ offices and other UPMC diagnostic centers in Arnold, Brackenridge, East Deer, Lower Burrell, Harrison, New Kensington, West Deer and Tarentum.
Money also supports free rides for senior citizens between Etna and Tarentum, including stops in Millvale, Oakmont and Verona.
The foundation also pays for two other shuttles, one in the Aspinwall area and one for hospital patients returning to nursing facilities. The shuttles provide a total of more than 12,000 rides each year.
Other programs paid for by the foundation include an inpatient rehab activity room, free food pantry, health fair screenings and more.
McCarthy continues to serve as an emeritus board member of the foundation, and he encourages everyone to support the cause.
“They fill a great need,” he said.