“There is a clear need for behavioral health services, and we wanted to support that need.”
The Neporents Support Victim First Care and Olivia’s Fund
Lisa and Mark Neporent generously support several areas at Vail Health, but they have decided to focus primarily on Vail Health’s Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (EVBH). They feel programs like Victim First Care, which offers care for survivors of assault, and Olivia’s Fund, which provides financial assistance for behavioral health services, are vital to the community.
“When we moved here full-time, we wanted to do something philanthropic and get involved in the community,” says Mark.
Adds Lisa, “I knew there was a shortage of support for mental health programs, but I didn’t understand its depth. The behavioral health stigma is beginning to diminish, and hopefully, people are starting to ask for help.”
Inspired by Positive Experiences
Since moving to the Vail Valley permanently, the Neporents’ experiences at Vail Health have been extremely positive.
“Last time I was at Vail Health, four or five different specialists performed every test under the sun, and there was a lot of follow up,” Mark explains. “It was impressive, and it just made me feel good.”
After learning that Bright Future Foundation, Colorado Mountain Medical, EVBH, local law enforcement, and Vail Health were working together to launch Victim First Care, Lisa and Mark decided to become one of the program’s first benefactors. Since the couple’s goal is to help facilitate the global reach for behavioral health, they feel that having these programs and the Vail Health Edwards Community Health Campus in Eagle County are crucial because patients can be near their family, friends, and support systems.
“It’s important to approach the person in crisis, as well as the family,” says Lisa. “There is a clear need for behavioral health services, and we wanted to support that need.”
Support for Everyone
Contributing to Olivia’s Fund was vital to the Neporents because the program provides six free counseling sessions to anyone who lives or works in Eagle County and demonstrates a basic financial need regardless of insurance or immigration status.
Lisa notes, “When some people think of behavioral health, they don’t always rush to help out like they do when someone is diagnosed with cancer, but Vail Health is doing a good job of adding services to support these people.”
“When we moved here full-time, we wanted to do something philanthropic and get involved in the community.”Mark Neporent