Stautberg said the late Wilbur Cohen, then chair of the board of directors at Middletown Regional Hospital, once said he hoped the foundation could reach assets of $1 million. That’s when some of the foundation funds were generated through small contributions, and bake and rummage sales, Stautberg said.
He said the foundation is “thriving,” thanks to four decades of support from thousands of donors and volunteers. Foundation endowments and investments stand at more than $33 million and the hospital has invested nearly $28 million to make the community healthier, Stautberg said.
While the foundation has supported numerous hospital improvements and made major medical equipment purchases, its funds are also being used to address a concern for local communities, he said.
The foundation recently started an initiative to address the lack of affordable housing in the area in hopes of stabilizing the housing market. When the foundation receives a donation of a house — instead of immediately placing the property on the market and collecting those funds — the house is rented at a reasonable rate in hopes of assisting a family that’s facing financial difficulties, he said.
There are five such houses in Middletown and two in Monroe, Stautberg said.
Through the Advancing Care for a Healthier Community capital campaign from 2005 to 2008, the community contributed more than $5.1 million to create the Heart Center at Atrium Medical Center and fund a walking trail and other enhancements at the Middletown campus, Stautberg said.
The foundation also has helped establish the Wilbur & Mary Jean Cohen Women’s Center, an outpatient dialysis center, a diabetes wellness center, and the Miriam G. Knoll Heart Failure Center. Other gifts have helped the hospital expand care at Atrium Maternal Health Clinic, the region’s only Level III Trauma Center, and Atrium’s cancer center, including the addition of a nutrition clinic and counseling.
For the last 26 years, it has financially assisted the Help Endure a Loss (HEAL) program that provides grief support for those who experience the devastating loss of a child. The program costs about $100,000 annually.
Besides making improvements inside and outside the walls of the hospital, the foundation is looking skyward toward CareFlight, Premier Health’s flying intensive care unit. Premier has three medical helicopters, one at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Darke County Airport, and Warren County Airport.
The health system is looking to replace one helicopter at an estimated cost of $13.5 million, he said.
Kevin Harlan, Atrium Medical Center president, said the foundation has “channeled the generosity of thousands of donors into services and technologies that ensure our neighbors can receive the advanced care they need, close to home, for 40 years.”
Stautberg called the foundation “one of the pillars” of the region.
“The healthier the community, the more stable the community,” he said.
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