San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awards $300,000 Capacity Building Grant to MCH Foundation
Mountains Community Hospital (MCH) Foundation has been awarded a $300,000 capacity-building grant by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. This grant will help strengthen the MCH Foundation so it can grow its fundraising capabilities and be even more of an asset to MCH as it embarks on a major construction project and strives to provide the highest quality healthcare possible to the residents and visitors of the Rim of the World Communities.
“I’m honored to receive this grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians because it means they believe in us and think that with proper investment, we have the potential to raise more money to help the hospital better meet the health needs of the community,” said Kim McGuire, Foundation Executive Director. “While our current fundraising success is an endorsement of the community’s support for the hospital, we are hitting the ceiling with what we can achieve due to our current structure and strategy. Their grant will help us grow our fundraising team and focus our efforts on fundraising activities with the greatest return on investment.”
In today’s healthcare landscape, hospital margins are shrinking, and Mountains Community Hospital has less and less money to reinvest in services, equipment, buildings, and personnel. These small margins mean that hospitals can keep their doors open but have less ability to grow and improve. Healthcare organizations and their CEOs are turning to philanthropy as a way to make improvements.
To meet the community’s health needs and the State’s 2030 seismic deadline, the hospital plans to build a new acute care wing and emergency department and expand our skilled nursing facility. MCH has secured a low-interest loan from USDA for $48,500,000. The project’s estimated cost is $70,000,000, so we will make up the difference through hospital savings and philanthropy.
“On behalf of the Foundation, we are more than grateful for this grant and the many years of support from the Tribe. Thank you for understanding how vital the hospital is to the community and for giving us the start-up money to grow our reach and achieve impact,” said Peter Venturini, Foundation Board President.
For more information about the grant or the impending construction, please contact Kim McGuire, Foundation Executive Director at kimberly.mcguire@mchcares.com.
About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally-recognized Indian tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland, California. San Manuel exercises its inherent sovereign right of self-governance and provides essential services for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services, and promoting social, economic and cultural development. As the Indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains and high deserts, the Serrano people of San Manuel have called this area home since time immemorial and are committed to remaining a productive partner in the San Bernardino region. For more information, visit http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov
About Mountains Community Hospital Foundation
The MCH Foundation’s mission is to secure healthcare for the mountain community by providing consistent financial support to Mountains Community Hospital. Many rural community hospitals are little more than first aid stations, and in this cost-cutting environment, many have had to end services altogether, forcing remote populations to face long drives when they need medical attention. However, thanks to gifts from community members and charitable foundations, Mountains Community Hospital is not only surviving, but thriving, and continuing to add services for the people who depend on it.
The Foundation has raised more than $7,400,000 over the past 10 years. The Foundation has funded much-needed equipment and improvements such as:
• Patient waiting and registration areas
• Surgical cameras
• Video laryngoscope for intubations
• Gait trainer for Physical Therapy
• 3D Mammography Machine
• Clorox UV Machine
• 80-slice CT Scanner for the Radiology Department
• Ultrasound Machine for the Radiology Department
• 12-seat activity van and truck for our Skilled Nursing Facility’s residents
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for our Skilled Nursing Facility
• Fully adjustable electric beds for our Skilled Nursing Facility and Medical/Surgical Nursing Unit
• Financial support for $6 million seismic strengthening project mandated by the state
