ER Campaign Update: Administrators & Board Members Lead the Way

Munson Healthcare administrators and board members have been among the first people to reach for their checkbooks to support a new Emergency Department. Every administrator in the system has contributed to the campaign, helping that group exceed its campaign goal of $130,000.

The 76 individuals who make up the boards of Munson Medical Center, Munson Healthcare, Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital, Leelanau Memorial Health Center, the Regional Foundation, and North Flight, have also been early contributors and are half way to their group goal of just over $1 million.

"Of all the campaigns we have done over the years, this one has shown the most leadership from board members," said Jay Zrimec, President of Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation. "We wanted the campaign to proceed in this order so that we could show the community that the administrators, board members, and physicians are leading the way with the first dollars in."

Munson's Emergency Room physicians — who experience first hand the inadequacies of the current ER — have pledged $100,000 for the project. Anesthesiologists have also pledged $100,000 toward the project. Munson physicians as a group have a campaign goal of $1 million.

Munson employees were given a "stretch" goal of $120,000 to be raised over two years. Their collective gifts pledged during the employee portion of the 2004 Centurion Drive totaled $85,061, putting employees well in sight of their goal. "What makes this impressive is that the employee figure does not include pledges from physicians or administrators," Zrimec said. "These are our front-line employees and they are showing great support for this project."

Major Gifts Are Pledged
Community leaders Bill Anderson and Tom McIntyre are pleased with the level of community support they have found.

"We've had people come forward who have given impetus to the campaign," Bill Anderson said. "Everyone has stepped up. They've said, 'We see this is a very important project and we want to help'."

It began last November with Robert M. Young of Traverse City. He was inspired to make a sizeable contribution after hearing about the critical need for a new ER at the Annual Meeting of Munson Healthcare's Corporate Membership. His leadership gift was the first to begin the campaign.

On Christmas Eve, Helen Rollert-Riordan of Traverse City with her sons, David and John, committed a $500,000 gift to the campaign, in honor of her late husband, Edward.

Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation Board member Ross Biederman got together with his family, wife Brenda, mother Anne, and brother Paul, and developed a plan to donate $360,000 to the campaign, bringing the Biederman family and Biederman Foundation's total giving to Munson Medical Center to the $1 million mark.

By spring, the Rollert family stepped forward with another major gift. The family owns a piece of waterfront property on Long Lake, and decided to sell the land and donate the proceeds to the ER campaign. That property is appraised at $750,000. "Our family has a strong desire for the new ER to be completed and in use so that my mother can see the results of her earlier gift," said David Rollert. "My parents loved Traverse City and a new ER will touch the lives of everyone in this community and the region."

For more information or to donate to the ER Campaign, call the Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation at (231) 935-6482.