The Lee Memorial Foundation is looking for money to update significant portions of Borgess-Lee’s infrastructure and equipment, and it needs the community’s support to get there.
Last week, the fundraising portion of the hospital launched its two-year long capital campaign, looking for community donations to help them raise $1 million for additional construction and state-of-the-art equipment for the building. The foundation is seeking to raise $500,000 over the next 24 months via donations and fundraisers, with the hospital’s parent company, Borgess Health, matching the money collected with their own $500,000.
“Medical care is changing dramatically,” said Mayor Don Lyons, who is serving as the chair of the campaign. “If Dowagiac is going to compete and continue getting top notch physicians, we are going to need to upgrade our equipment.”
Among these new pieces of technology the hospital is looking to acquire are updated beds for patients, which cost an average of $10,000, Lyons said. In addition, they are looking to purchase tools for their surgeons.
The hospital also is looking for funding to pay for renovations to the interior of the building, including the outpatient entrance and the registration area. These projects, in addition to keeping the facility ahead of the medical curve, will reflect the changing nature of modern patent needs.
“The hospital was originally built for 70 beds,” Lyons said. “Now, the total available are 25. The hospital doesn’t keep patients for extended periods of time like they used to. It’s more about outpatient surgery now, about getting them in and getting them out and on their way.”
Lyons has been a major supporter of the hospital over the last decade, helping the foundation raise money necessary for critical updates to their facilities. Over the last seven years, the hospital has received funding for the $3 million Lyons Health Center and another $3.5 million for updates to hospital’s emergency room.
“This last million is the last piece in a big puzzle,” Lyons said.
These investments are already paying off for the residents of Dowagiac, Lyons said. “The proof is the pudding,” he said. “We are already attracting good quality physicians to the community, who are just as good as the ones we had in the past. And the ones we’ve had were very good.”
Lyons presented the idea of the campaign to the foundation earlier this year, while vacationing with his wife. He also gained the support of Borgess Health as well, who pledged to match whatever donations the foundation received.
In addition to private donations, money raised from the foundation’s various fundraisers will also be matched during the two-year campaign, Lyons said.
“Currently, things are going very well,” Lyons said. “I don’t see any problem with us reaching our goal.”
People interested in donating to the campaign can do so by contacting the Lee Memorial Foundation at 269-783-3026.