Area Business and Individuals Pledge $15,000 to Support GRMC Campaign

Grinnell businesses ASI Signage Innovations, Family Dentistry, and Poweshiek Mutual Insurance Association have each made gifts of $15,000 to the Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign for Grinnell Regional Medical Center. Additional gifts of $15,000 have also been received from Ron and Sally Lang of Grinnell and an anonymous donor.

“We are grateful for individuals and business partners for their ongoing support of GRMC,” says Debby Pohlson, co-chair of the GRMC Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign. “It takes all of us working together to affect change. We appreciate their investment in the overall health of our entire area.”

According to the Iowa Hospital Association, Iowa’s 118 community hospitals are a strong force in any local economy, having as much as a $4.1 billion impact on the state’s economy overall. In Poweshiek County, it is estimated that GRMC and its 440 employees have a $32 million impact on the local economy.

“There’s no question that the hospital is an anchor of the community,” says Tom Latimer, president and CEO of ASI Signage Innovations. “It plays a very large role in economic development.”

Tom and Dianne Latimer, owners of ASI Signage Innovations have been ardent supporters of GRMC for many years. Tom has served as a co-chair of a previous capital campaign, Building on Excellence.  Dianne served as chair of the GRMC Board of Directors in 1999 and also on the GRMC Foundation Board.

“Grinnell has created a great medical community,” says Dianne Latimer. “Our family, our employees, and our friends have all relied on GRMC through the years. It needs our financial support to continue to remain strong.”

ASI Signage Innovations employs 100 individuals in Chicago, Des Moines, Iowa City, Denver, Omaha, and here at their headquarters in Grinnell. The company manufactures a wide range of signs and graphics for institutions of higher education, healthcare facilities, and financial institutions.

Ron and Sally Lang of Grinnell have been active supporters of GRMC for many years. Ron is a farmer and entrepreneur and Sally is a retired marketing executive with Deere and Company. Sally is currently the chair of the GRMC Foundation and serves as a special events volunteer.

“We know that a strong medical center is vital to our local economy,” says Sally Lang. “We support GRMC because it’s good for our community and because our own family has received extraordinary care when we’ve needed it. The hospital is important to us in so many ways.”

Poweshiek Mutual Insurance Association has been in business and serving Grinnell and the surrounding area for almost 140 years.

“Providing excellent service to our policyholder members is our primary focus, just like Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s primary focus is providing excellent health care to the residents of Grinnell and the surrounding area,” says Mary S. Stepanek, president, Poweshiek Mutual Insurance Association.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center serves portions of several east central Iowa counties and their communities. Approximately 19,000 households in the area rely on GRMC for their medical care.

“Insurance is a partnership between the company and the policyholder and we realize the value and importance of that partnership, not only in our business, but in all walks of life,” Stepanek says. “Our support, through a financial donation to the GMRC Moving at the Speed of Life campaign is one more way that we can partner with the community and people we serve.”

Poweshiek Mutual Insurance Association and ASI Signage Innovations designated their $15,000 donations toward the GRMC Auxiliary Chemotherapy and Infusion Suite.

“What’s good for our hospital is good for Grinnell,” says David Smith, DDS of Family Dentistry.

Family Dentistry, with associated clinics in Montezuma, Sully, and Victor has provided dental care and been a member of the Grinnell community for more than 50 years.  “As a part of the healthcare team for our community and the surrounding area, my partners David Cunningham, DDS, Chris Roudabush, DDS, Matthew Miller, DDS, and Jeff Millet, DDS join me in supporting the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign for GRMC,” Smith says.

“The financial support we have received keeps the campaign moving forward,” says Denise Lamphier, GRMC director of communications and development. “As funds have been donated, we have used them to begin and finish a number of projects. It has been exciting for donors to see their generosity in action. We want to turn our attention now to the renovation of the emergency department and to building our endowment for Grinnell Regional Mental Health. GRMC is very grateful for the support of area businesses, industry, organizations, and individuals who are investing in this effort to improve the medical center for our entire area.”

Lamphier also reports that the $150,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge grant from Grinnell State Bank for all new gifts to the campaign is going very well and will continue until all $150,000 is matched. This is in addition to a specific challenge from an anonymous donor to match all new gifts to refurbish the exterior of Postels Community Health Park. This challenge will match all gifts to the Postels exterior fund up to $25,000.

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

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