The program provides four school districts with certified athletic trainers
RICHLAND, WASH. (March 25, 2024) ‒ Gesa, a community-focused credit union, is teaming up with the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation to support high school athletic training programs in honor of National Athletic Training Month this March. Pullman Regional Hospital's Regional High School Athletic Training program extends its services to the Colton, WA; Garfield-Palouse, WA; Potlatch, ID; and Pullman, WA school districts, providing full-service athletic training care at each school and benefitting more than 750 student athletes.
As part of the partnership, the credit union is donating a total of $150,000 to the Foundation over a three-year period.
“We are grateful to our friends at Gesa for their generous support of our Regional High School Athletic Training Program,” said Linda Infranco, Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation Executive Director. “Together, we are committed to keeping our kids healthy and safe, and this gift demonstrates the impact that business leaders are making to improve premier healthcare in the regions they serve. Thank you, Gesa! We are excited to work alongside you in the months and years ahead.”
"Providing full-service athletic training care to our schools and young athletes is a group effort," said Matt Forge, Pullman Regional Hospital CEO. "We are so grateful to Gesa for partnering with Pullman Regional, our athletic trainers, orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, dentists, optometrists and ENT specialists to keep kids safely playing sports."
In addition to providing schools with full-time certified athletic trainers, the program also offers student athletes with access to on-call orthopedic surgeons, concussion baseline testing, injury assessment, prevention care, and treatment and rehabilitation services, all at no cost to them or their families. Since its inception in 2019, the hospital's program has provided students with care valued at $1.39 million.
“We have such strong ties to the greater Pullman community, especially when it comes to supporting athletics and giving back,” said Amber Merrill, Community Relations Manager at Gesa Credit Union. “It is so important for student athletes to have access to qualified health care services so that they can remain healthy and safe while they play sports. We’re grateful that this type of program exists for the community, thanks to our wonderful partners in the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation, and we’re thrilled that our support for the program will help benefit more students in the years to come.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to making a positive impact in the communities it serves, Gesa will also support several other Pullman Regional Hospital and Foundation events, such as its Annual Gala, 5th Quarter Rally, and Golf Classic and Luncheon, as well as Nurses' and Hospital Weeks in May. The credit union will also give a matching donation of up to $2,500 to the Foundation to further support the Regional High School Athletic Training Program.
For more information about Gesa Credit Union’s community involvement, visit https://www.gesa.com/gesa-in-the-community/. To learn more about the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation, visit https://www.pullmanregional.org/foundation.
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About Gesa Credit Union
Gesa Credit Union is one of Washington’s largest credit unions with over $5.5 billion in assets and is 285,000 members strong. Gesa is a full-service financial institution that offers a complete array of consumer, mortgage, and business products and services. Headquartered in Richland, Washington, Gesa operates 28 branches, including three loan centers, two full-service student-operated campus branches at Washington State University, and 12 student-operated high school branches across Washington state. The Gesa Community Foundation, established in 2022, further supports Gesa’s ongoing commitment to local communities and charitable giving, which includes support for schools, Local Heroes groups and community organizations through its Affinity Debit Card Program, as well as through its annual youth scholarships, and free financial and educational resources available to members and the general public. For more information, visit gesa.com.
About the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation
As a non-profit, the Foundation supports Pullman Regional Hospital’s annual priority projects, as well as long-term programs including the Family Medicine Residency Program, a partnership with WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and the Regional High School Athletic Training Program, a partnership with local high schools. Led by Executive Director, Linda Infranco, the Foundation board is governed by volunteers, committed to continuing the hospital’s excellence in care and service and accepts various gift types, including cash, 5-year pledges, endowments and planned gifts.
