BMH Kicks Off Community Engagement Portion of “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” Capital Campaign
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announced the start of the community engagement portion of its Emergency Department capital campaign today. The hospital is seeking to raise $3.5 million to renovate and expand the 31-year-old facility.
Co-chaired by Art Greenbaum and Martha O’Connor, a committee of community leaders has spent the past year working to solicit charitable support from the hospital board, the campaign committee and key supporters, as well as from BMH leadership, physicians and employees. Now that over $3 million has been committed they are asking the community to join them in supporting the facility that impacts every life in the greater Brattleboro area.
The campaign is entitled “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” because nearly three out of every four patients admitted to hospital first come through the Emergency Department. Built in 1982, the original facility was designed to accommodate 6,000 visits per year. Last year alone, more than 14,000 patients accessed care through the ED.
To illustrate community support for the project, photographs of front doors belonging to individuals and businesses making contributions will be displayed online at bmhed.org and facebook.com/bmhvt. For every contribution BMH receives to The Doorway to Exceptional Care campaign, another image of a front door will be added to the galleries. It is a message of coming together in support of a vital community resource.
“Whether it’s been my kids, my grandkids or aging friends and relatives, the BMH Emergency Department has always been there for every generation of my family,” said Martha O’Connor.
Plans for the new Emergency Department expand the footprint by approximately 1,500 square feet, adding new exam rooms to better accommodate patients. When completed individuals accessing care from the new ED will benefit from reduced wait times, increased privacy, and more functional exam rooms.
“I remember when the Emergency Department was built. Thirty years is a long time ago and medicine has changed dramatically,” said Art Greenbaum. “The new facility will ensure that BMH can continue to provide high quality care for future generations.”
A special YouTube video featuring BMH employees will accompany traditional radio and print advertising for the campaign. In the video, the employees dance and sing their way through the ED encouraging the community to “Join Us. Give Now.” To see the video and learn more about the Emergency Department project go to www.bmhed.org. Gifts can be made securely at the site or by mailing a check to BMH Office of Development, 17 Belmont Avenue, Brattleboro, VT, 05301. For more information call the Office of Development at 802-257-8314.