Sets fundraising goal of $2 million by July
Staff writer
The St. Luke Foundation kicked off a public fundraiser April 21 when it announced it had $510,944 in pledges toward remodeling St. Luke Hospital of Marion.
Fundraisers unveiled a 3-foot-tall syringe representation to visualize the fundraising goal. The syringe was filled halfway with green liquid; the goal is set at $2 million.
The foundation also received a gift of $25,000 Tuesday to bring the total to $535,944.
The foundation has sold $6 million dollars worth of bonds, varying in length, from one year to 30 years. The combined interest rate for the bonds is 5.75 percent.
Physician Don Hodson, of Marion Family Physicians, was part of the ceremonies at the foundation building, saying that he was excited about the hospital remodel.
“Who doesn’t like a shiny new building?” he said. “It will bring new doctors to Marion, new specialists.”
Professional fundraiser Frank Albert said the foundation has until the end of July to meet its initial goal of $1.25 million or its challenge goal of $2 million. Fundraisers started collecting for the project this past fall, but they have only just started soliciting money from the public. Of the $510,944 pledged, $350,000 has come from St. Luke employees. Hospital employees pledged $108,000, the St. Luke Auxiliary gave $125,000, and the rest of the $350 was raised from hospital affiliated boards and employees.
“The staff makes this hospital absolutely fantastic,” Albert said.
The funding is going toward a $6.5 million dollar renovation and remodeling project for the hospital. The plan is to add 10,000 square feet to improve outpatient facilities in the hospital. Most of the renovations are necessary because of the age of the hospital. When the hospital was built in the 1950s, inpatient care was the preferred method of treatment.
“If you had appendicitis, you were in the hospital for a week,” Albert said. “Now, you’ll be home by supper.”
The area for physical therapy — the hospital’s most used service — will be expanded, including the addition of a hydrotherapy pool. All the hospital facilities will be updated and brought up to the current infection control code.
“We’ve been grandfathered in for infection control,” St. Luke Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Armstrong said. “We need twice as much space in the operating room.”
Other planned renovations aim to make the hospital more accessible. According to Albert, the hospital only has one wheelchair accessible bathroom. The hospital entrance, hallways, and bathrooms will all be expanded to accommodate more wheelchair bound patients.
Infrastructure in the hospital will also be replaced. The plumbing, electricity, heating, and cooling systems will all be replaced.
Armstrong expects that when the project starts it should take 18 months.
“We’re excited,” Armstrong said.
A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for May 3 with a time to be determined.