Sentara Commits $6 Million to RMH Foundation for Community Healthcare Needs | News

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Sentara Commits $6 Million to RMH Foundation for Community Healthcare Needs

2:50 AM

Contact: Debra Thompson
Director, RMH Corporate Communications
540-564-5886

As part of the merger agreement between RMH Healthcare and Sentara Healthcare, Sentara has committed $6 million to the RMH Foundation to impact the health of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community.

Through the RMH Foundation, Sentara will make two initial contributions of $500,000 each (from the $6 million endowment) to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic and the Harrisonburg Community Health Center. The contributions will be made within 14 days after the merger closing, which is expected to occur in February 2011.

“Sentara has a longstanding commitment to their mission to improve the health of the communities they serve. This commitment is now extended to our community as we become a part of the Sentara family of not-for-profit community hospitals,” said Jim Krauss, RMH president and CEO.

Krauss noted that the Free Clinic and the Community Health Center were selected for the initial contributions because they are vital elements of the community’s healthcare safety net. “Our community has a long tradition of working together to take care of each other and meet identified needs,” he said. “Especially in challenging times like these, we are stronger because of having a robust free clinic and a federally funded community health center to help meet critical health needs. RMH has been a strong supporter of these organizations and we see them as important partners in improving the health of the community.”

Free Clinic Executive Director Keith Gnagey noted that RMH has been an ardent supporter of the Free Clinic since its inception, providing almost $700,000 of in-kind services annually.

“We are very grateful for this generous gift,” Gnagey said. “The number of chronically ill uninsured residents in the community continues to grow, as do the needs for our services. These funds will help sustain the free clinic model and enhance our ability to meet the needs of the community. These gifts indicate Sentara’s commitment to support community organizations providing services needed in the community.”

Harrisonburg Community Health Center Director Christopher Nye noted that the funding will help the center meet the increased patient demand that has spurred the upcoming expansion of the center.

“We are pleasantly surprised by this news,” said Nye. “This donation will be a huge help as we are in the process of growing to meet the needs of the community. RMH has once again stepped up to help us, in partnership with Sentara.”

The Foundation will invest the remaining $5 million of the endowment and allocate the proceeds to support RMH and other needs in the community that support RMH’s mission to improve health and promote well-being. No additional grants will be made for three years. Krauss noted that the Foundation will continue to rely on the generosity of the community to support equipment and program needs for the hospital. All monies within the RMH Foundation will stay in the local community.

“We are grateful for the support of our community for ongoing hospital needs, and we are very appreciative of Sentara’s generous donation to the RMH Foundation to meet critical community healthcare needs,” Krauss added. “This is great news for our community and a powerful first step as we prepare for a long-term partnership with Sentara.”