Donors Establish Endowment Fund for Mental Health

Donors Establish Endowment Fund for Mental Health

Two recent gifts totaling more than $64,000 to the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation have established an endowed fund for Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center. This endowment was established for the purpose of providing quality mental health services and to help cover the costs of unreimbursed mental healthcare.

 In November 2013, Bruce and Martha Voyles created the Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center Endowment Fund with a gift of more than $10,000. In the time since the couple created the fund, an anonymous donor added a gift of $50,000 to the fund as well.

            “We were very pleased when GRMC opened a mental health center so that the people of our region of Iowa would get high quality care,” Bruce Voyles says. “When we toured the new center, the need for an income stream that they could rely on to help people who had no means to pay for services was mentioned. We had already used the GPCF to make a donation to the hospital’s general endowment, so starting a new endowment for the mental center seemed the obvious thing to do. Then we were overjoyed and grateful that someone else added $50,000 to the fund!”

The Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation helps individuals, families, and businesses support charitable community organizations and projects important to them.

“We are here to help donors financially support what they are passionate about,” says Delphina Baumann of Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation. “In turn, we collaborate with organizations like GRMC to match donors to community needs. We serve both donors and our community nonprofits. Together, we work to benefit our entire area.”

 The Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center opened in April 2013 after the Poweshiek County Mental Health Center made the difficult decision to close its doors February 2013. GRMC responded quickly and created clinic space, hired staff, and recruited Laura VanCleve, DO, psychiatrist, as the clinic’s medical director.

“Providing mental health services for area residents most certainly fits with the overall mission of GRMC,” says Amy Morrow, director of the mental health center. “Many of the patients left without access to mental health services with the closing of the Poweshiek County Mental Health Center were those without health insurance or those who relied on Medicaid. Typically, these individuals have a very difficult time accessing mental healthcare because they do not have the ability to pay for services. ”

 “GRMC wants to ensure that the mental health center is here for years to come to meet community needs,” says Denise Lamphier, GRMC director of communications and development. “This endowed fund will provide GRMC with income to help offset expenses to provide mental health care. We are very grateful for these gifts and appreciative of the wonderful people who have made this possible.”

Since the clinic opened in April 2013, more than 1,200 patient visits have been completed. More than 35 individuals qualify for financial assistance with prescriptions. Clinic staff have worked with pharmaceutical companies to provide more than $46,000 in prescription medication to patients in need.

Gifts to the Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center Endowment Fund at GPCF are part of the medical center’s Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign. In addition to building an endowment for mental health, the campaign also seeks to raise funds for:

§  Extensive renovations to the emergency department to modernize it.

§  The creation of an urgent care 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.

§  Replace equipment for obstetrics and radiology departments, patient rooms, and nutrition services.

For more information about making a gift to the mental health center endowment and the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign, please contact Lamphier at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us.