Five Questions With: Michael G. Fantom

Michael G. Fantom has led Ronald McDonald House of Providence since September 2005. He has worked in the nonprofit field in administration and mission-based youth development for more than 20 years, and lives in Duxbury, Mass. The Ronald McDonald House of Providence is a temporary home for families with hospitalized children that is located next to Women & Infants’, Bradley, Hasbro Children’s and Rhode Island hospitals.

PBN: As the leader of Ronald McDonald House for nearly a decade, what is the most significant type of growth you have seen in the nonprofit?
FANTOM:
First, let me emphasize how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to work for this organization for the last several years. Our staff and our dedicated coalition of volunteers and supporters are simply phenomenal, and – because of their unmatched commitment to our cause and to the families we serve – our organization has shown consistent growth and we have been able to serve more and more families each year.
In my tenure, the most significant types of growth have been in our community engagement. We are constantly making an effort to connect with our neighbors and raise awareness about the work we do at the Ronald McDonald House. Those efforts have resulted in more volunteers, and – of course – more families receiving our services.

PBN: How will the “Always Room at the House” expansion project that broke ground this month help the Providence community?
FANTOM
: Quite simply, the expansion will help the Providence community – and beyond – because it will allow us to serve more families who need help.
Last year, we provided much-needed services to 335 families – many based in Rhode Island, but others from Massachusetts, across the country and around the world. This expansion will add 10 bedrooms to the house and allow us provide the same services to more than 130 additional families every year.
In addition to the 10 new bedrooms, the “Always Room at the House” project will include the construction of day-use program space, which will give families more options and free up space in our bedrooms.

PBN: What is the timetable for completion? How will you bridge the gap between the $5 million needed and the $3 million raised?
FANTOM
: Thanks to an outpouring of support from local businesses, corporations and individual donors, we hope to finish fundraising by the end of the year and complete construction by next spring.
Throughout the fundraising process, we have been absolutely floored by the kindness and compassion of the people of Rhode Island. I wish I had the space here to thank everyone by name.

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PBN: Of the hospitals you work with, the statistics on your website list Women & Infants at 61 percent. What does that indicate about intervention?
FANTOM:
We’re proud to have great relationships with not only Women & Infants Hospital, but with each of Rhode Island’s outstanding medical centers – particularly Hasbro Children’s Hospital here in Providence. Thanks to our staff’s hard work and compassion, our organization has managed to build a positive reputation among the medical community.
The 61 percent statistic is a testament to how many patients the hospital treats and the hospital’s streamlined triaging process. The 61-percent figure represents the bulk of our total occupancy. Families treated at Women & Infants – particularly those treated in the NICU ward – are assigned to a social worker and provided with the same information. That means more and more people each year are made aware of our organization’s services.
Our goal is to serve as many families as we possibly can each and every year, and we’re thankful to have the confidence of the local hospitals.

PBN: Nearly 60 percent of your patients are newborns but 14 percent are 15 and older. Which age groups have seen the most growth in use of your facility?
FANTOM:
Due to the scope of services we provide and the demand that exists, we will probably always serve more families with newborns than any other age group. However, we have seen a spike in the amount of families with teenagers seeking support in our facility.
That spike could be explained by the growth of our relationship with Lifespan and Lifespan partners. Medical professionals are doing more and more research and offering more and more therapies and services to young patients.
As I mentioned, our goal is to serve as many families – regardless of demographic – as we can. So, as local hospitals evolve and treat more patients, we at the Ronald McDonald House strive to [develop] services to support more families.

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