SIX KEY SPEAKERS presented updates on the state of the hospital at Memorial Healthcare’s 95th Annual Founders Luncheon. Pictured here are (from left) Tony Young, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Dr. Joseph Bustamante DO, Chief of Staff; Barb Nagengast, President of the Memorial Foundation Board of Directors; Jim Slingerland, Chairman of the MHC Development Corporation; Brian Long, President and CEO of Memorial Healthcare; and Aaron Maike, Vice Chair of the Memorial Healthcare Board of Trustees. (Independent Photo/Jessica Hickey)
by Jessica Hickey, staff writer
Memorial Healthcare held its annual Founders Luncheon Thursday, May 26 in the hospital auditorium. Emcee Aaron Maike, Vice Chair of the Memorial Healthcare Board of Trustees, introduced a theme that would recur throughout the afternoon: while there are many exciting changes taking place at Memorial this year, the mission of the hospital is the same as it was in 1921—“to promote health and provide quality, compassionate health care to the community through a commitment to excellence, teamwork, and innovation.”
Representatives from the Board of Trustees, the medical staff, Memorial Healthcare Foundation, and MHC Development Corporation spoke about the state of service delivery and upcoming projects at the hospital and related facilities such as The Commons. The speakers emphasized Memorial’s continued focus on developing strategic partnerships and improving their performance in key areas such as patient satisfaction, safety, and provider engagement. A video highlighting the “Going to a Higher Level” campaign was shown by Barb Nagengast, President of the Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. The campaign aims to raise $1.2 million to renovate and upgrade the Emergency Department, including the addition of a stroke and trauma room, an after-hours pediatric clinic, and the transition of all shared treatment areas to private patient rooms.
Memorial President and CEO Brian Long then introduced the newest members of the Board of Trustees, including Dr. Ron Bishop, Dr. Michael Kramer, Jim Civille, Greg Bontrager, and Frank Fear. Long also addressed the importance of collaborative relationships with partnering agencies as well as Memorial’s own employees. He said, “Our most valuable assets cannot be found on a balance sheet; they are the men and women who deliver care and fulfill the promise of our mission each and every day.” The event concluded with a question and answer session led by Brian Long.
