BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has begun the community engagement portion of its emergency department capital campaign. The hospital is raising $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, and BMH leadership, physicians, and employees.
With more than $3 million committed, they now ask the community to join in supporting this facility that's so important to everyone in the greater Brattleboro area.
The campaign is entitled “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” because nearly three out of every four patients admitted to the hospital first come through the emergency department, officials said in a press statement.
Built in 1982, the 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 at www.bmhed.org and www.facebook.com/bmhvt .
For every contribution BMH receives in the campaign another image of a front door will be added to the galleries.
“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 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 BMH's Emergency Department project, visit www.bmhed.org. You can make gifts at the site securely, or mail a check to BMH Office of Development, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301.