GRMC Launches Comprehensive Campaign

Grinnell Regional Medical Center is launching a comprehensive campaign to raise between $5 million and $8 million by the year 2017, when the medical center will celebrate its 50^th anniversary of service.

The campaign, entitled “Moving at the Speed of Life,” will enhance services, facilities, and technology at GRMC to meet the healthcare needs of the community today and in the future while also supporting annual needs of the medical center.

The campaign will raise funds for seven important projects, including:

§  Extensive renovations to the emergency department to modernize it.

§  The creation of an after-hours walk-in clinic.

§  The creation of a new chemotherapy and infusion department.

§  The purchase of a state-of-the-art daVinci^® surgical robotic system and new CT scanner.

§  Renovations to Postels Community Health Park to accommodate GRMC’s growing wellness program.

§  An endowment for the new Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center.

The campaign is being called a comprehensive campaign because it focuses on three types of giving that help underwrite three areas of programming at the medical center. In addition to the large projects listed above, the campaign also seeks annual support for the ongoing expenses of the medical center and also asks donors to support the long-term needs of the medical center by considering a planned gift, such as a bequest or estate gift.

 “Many of us in the community don’t fully appreciate that GRMC is a nonprofit hospital,” says Dan Agnew, a member of the GRMC board of directors and campaign committee co-chair. “As such, we are best able to serve the greater Grinnell community structured this way. But that means when upgrades are necessary, we are dependent on our community to make them a reality. We are blessed to have a hospital of the highest caliber. This campaign will make certain that GRMC will stay that way for future generations.”

The Projects

Emergency Room & Walk-In Clinic: “The ER renovation is a project that has been talked about for a very long time,” says Debby Pohlson, a past chair of the GRMC board of directors who currently sits on the GRMC Foundation Board and campaign committee co-chair. “In the previous capital campaign we raised $450,000 toward the emergency department, but this was not enough to complete the renovation. Our goal now is to raise the additional funding needed and move this important upgrade forward.”

 “This is a much-needed renovation and upgrade of our emergency department,” says John Bambara, MD, GRMC director of emergency services. “The new design will expand our space and increase treatment capacity, flexibility, and patient privacy.”

Additionally, an after-hours walk-in clinic is being developed for the first floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building. Patients would use this for conditions that require medical attention but not emergency care.

Computed Tomography Scanner:  A CT scanner uses x-rays to image the body’s internal organs. Radiologists use this technology to diagnose acute strokes as well as abnormalities in the body such as abscesses, kidney stones, and cancer. It can also detect spinal fractures and determine the amount of damage to bone and soft tissue in trauma patients. GRMC’s current 16-slice scanner was purchased in 2004. Today, scanners can provide upwards of 64 slices for greater detail, faster scan times for patients, and increased capability for interpretation by the radiologist.

Postels Community Health Park: Beginning this year, the goal of having all wellness and fitness services under one roof will become a reality.

The Postels building currently houses acupuncture, chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, outpatient physical therapy, and is home to GRMC’s fitness classes such as Spinning^®, yoga, Pilates, and Bootcamp. Renovations to the space will accommodate the move of the Paul W. Ahrens Wellness and Fitness Center to the facility. The space will include a new entrance to the building on Commercial Street, an indoor walking path, a dedicated Spinning^® room, individual weight training and cardio equipment, lighting, showers, and changing facilities. Improvements are also needed to the exterior of the building.

Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center: Funding raised toward an endowment for the new Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center will ensure that mental health services are available in the area for years to come. An endowment will help cover the annual operating costs of the new service at GRMC.

 “Our goal with this clinic is to make sure that services for people with mental health needs are integrated with primary care. This service allows people to receive the counseling and medical management they need right here, close to home,” says Suzanne Cooner, GRMC vice-president of operations and executive director of the clinic.

Chemotherapy and Infusion Services: GRMC is creating a new chemotherapy area on the first floor of the medical center. This new location will be easily accessible for patients from the main entrance, admissions, and the lab. Features of the new chemotherapy department include greater patient comforts, state-of-the-art design, and a unique art installation by Lee Emma Running, associate professor of art at Grinnell College. 

daVinci Surgical System: The daVinci system is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand a surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery. In January 2013, GRMC had the opportunity to begin leasing a daVinci. GRMC would like to purchase the system, which is less expensive than leasing over the long term.

“The daVinci is already making a difference in the lives of our patients,” says Nick Kuiper, DO, a general surgeon with Surgical Associates of Grinnell and a member of the GRMC board of directors. “Since we began using the robot to assist us with surgeries, we have seen wonderful patient outcomes, including shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.”

The Process

The Moving at the Speed of Life fund-raising campaign is in the very early stages, and funding is being pursued from various private and public sources.

“GRMC’s financial situation has had its ups and downs over the past five years due primarily to the poor Medicare payment system,” says Denise Lamphier, director of communications and development for GRMC. “We continue to rely heavily on financial donations for projects such as these. All of us at GRMC are honored to have such extraordinary community support. It is certainly one of the many things that makes us one of the best community hospitals in the country.”

“The ultimate goal for this campaign is to raise $5 million to $8 million over the next three to five years for projects totaling about $8 million. When the medical center celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2017 we will be able to celebrate a half century of forward thinking to benefit the health and wellbeing of the people in the greater Poweshiek County area. Seeing all these projects completed over that time span will reaffirm our commitment to innovative and quality patient care for the next 50 years,” Lamphier says. 

For more information about Moving at the Speed of Life: A Comprehensive Campaign for GRMC, please contact Lamphier at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us, or contact a volunteer on the steering committee.