Campaign for PHF & PRMC Surpasses $2 Million

Author: DeWayne Bryan, 12/01/04

The “Simply the Best” Capital Campaign surpassed the $2 million mark in November. The Pratt Health Foundation (PHF) and Pratt Regional Medical Center (PRMC) launched the campaign to secure $2.6 million to purchase radiology equipment, surgical equipment and medical care systems for PRMC.

The Campaign will celebrate its one-year anniversary in February, 2005. The Campaign Leadership Committee is pushing to complete the active campaign by the end of the 2005 calendar year. While donors will still be paying on pledges after that point in time, the Foundation will continue to seek charitable gifts. The Committee says the funds generated by this campaign are needed soon to complete the technical medical equipment purchases in a timely manner.

“We are very pleased that we’ve reached the $2 million benchmark,” said PHF Board Chair, Bekki Pribil. “We launched the campaign in 2003 because of decreasing medical reimbursement rates from insurance, state and federal government programs. In the past ten years, reimbursement rates have fallen by more than 50 percent and the cost of equipment has continued to increase. During that same time period, PRMC has more than doubled the number of community services it provides.”

According to Campaign Co-Chair Sue Schrepel, the campaign became a priority when PRMC’s radiology vendor terminated the service on their single-slice CT machine in 2003. The vendor gave notice that they could no longer guarantee that replacement parts would be available when needed. According to Schrepel, without that piece of radiology equipment, medical care in Pratt and the region would be severely hampered.

The reorganization of the PRMC Emergency Department was also a focus of the campaign. The number of families needing emergency medical assistance has doubled in the last 12 years. An expansion of the space was needed to provide greater patient confidentiality as well as medical treatment.

Knowing the importance of these services and the continual reductions in insurance and government reimbursements, the PHF and PRMC Boards launched the “Simply the Best” Capital Campaign. It was publicly launched in February of 2004 to secure current charitable donations over five-years and planned charitable donations through estate gifts.

The campaign has resulted in the purchase of a new 16-slice CT machine. Since the new equipment went on line in March of 2004, more than 1,700 patients have benefited from the new CT machine. This represents a 24% increase in the number of patients served.

The re-organization of the PRMC Emergency Department has also begun. Memorial contributions in honor of the late Conard Gilham have encouraged the recent relocation of the Admission offices. In the near future additional treatment areas will be developed and equipped.

Most campaign donors are making 5-year pledges to maximize the size of their donations. The pledges enable PRMC to continue to offer quality medical care with state-of-the-art equipment. Many lives have been affected by the use of the new CT scanner. Other donors have made plans in their estate and have shared those plans with the Foundation.

Pratt Regional Medical Center’s ability to research the equipment market and partner with groups has saved dollars for the community, hospital and foundation. In October, the United Radiology Group of Salina purchased and installed new CR digital equipment at PRMC. This partnership provided a savings of more than $100,000. Similar savings are anticipated in other areas as the campaign moves forward.

“The Campaign is providing systems and equipment we need to provide the best medical care possible for our patients,” states PRMC President and CEO, Susan Page. “The hospital must depend on the community, just as the community depends on the hospital.” Anyone seeking to make a year-end gift and/or pledge may do so by calling DeWayne Bryan at (620) 672-6411.

* * * * * * *

The Pratt Health Foundation Mission . . .

“ . . . to promote and fund charitable, educational and scientific purposes
deemed to be in the public interest for the provision of health care.”