KDMC receives grant for new call system
Published 5:13 pm Friday, August 28, 2020
- Photo submitted KDMC Foundation President Melissa Leggett and Director Jeff Richardson present KDMC CEO Alvin Hoover with a check for $250,000 toward the purchase of the hospital’s new Nurse Call System. This new system gives their patients faster access to their nurses throughout every department of the hospital.
King’s Daughter’s Medical Center, with the support of the KDMC Foundation, is excited to announce the installation and implementation of their new, state of the art Hill-Rom nurse call system. This is a major investment that KDMC has been considering for several years, and 2020 was the year they finally planned to make it a reality.
“This is a major investment,” says KDMC CEO Alvin Hoover. “We are putting nearly one million dollars into this system that will improve each patient’s care and experience.” With COVID 19, came the reality that KDMC would have to postpone elective procedures, wellness visits, and other non-emergent services, as well as an unforeseen financial burden.
“Jeff Richardson and I met to discuss the Foundation’s role in this,” said Hoover. The KDMC Foundation is the fundraising wing of the organization that focuses on major projects for the hospital and clinics. “They had already given us $125,000 the year before to go toward a capital project that was in the planning stages. When the pandemic hit, we decided that the nurse call system was the best focus for those dollars.”
Richardson was excited to help. “I approached the Foundation board officers and it was a unanimous vote to move forward with this.” Shortly after, the Foundation wrote an additional check for $125,000 to the hospital.
“This puts us 25% of the way there,” said Richardson. “Now the work starts to raise funds for the rest. This is where we need help from our community.”
The Foundation has already had to cancel its annual golf tournament which is a major source of funds for the year. But Richardson is confident that donors will do all they can to pay for this system. “We’ve reached every goal we’ve had for the last 3 years. I expect us to get this done.”
“It means a lot for the Foundation and community to step up and support projects like the endoscopy suites, the Willing Hearts Memorial Garden, the security system for our women’s unit, and now the Nurse Call System.
Richardson said no gift is too small and certainly, no gift is too large. To donate to this cause, go to kdmc.org/give or send your donation to KDMC Foundation, PO Box 3285, Brookhaven, MS 39603.
Richardson summed it up like this. “This project will be fully funded by the Foundation at some point soon. We look forward to the day when we can say this is done. Then we’ll move on to the next project that our community needs to make healthcare even better.”