San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awards MCH Foundation with $100,000 to help build a new central registration area
December 3, 2021 – The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has awarded Mountains Community Hospital Foundation a $100,000 grant to renovate the hospital’s main public entrance and create a central registration and waiting area for patients.
“We are so grateful to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for this important gift,” said Charlie Harrison, CEO of Mountains Community Hospital. “Right now, everyone that comes for non-emergent services, such as blood work, mammograms, etc., must register in a space adjacent to the Emergency Room waiting area, potentially exposing themselves to sick patients. This project will not only improve safety, but it will enhance the patient experience by creating a comfortable waiting room and privacy for registration.”
The renovation includes:
- New central registration and waiting area
- Relocation of important services such as insurance eligibility
- Gift shop relocation
“Our partnership with Mountains Community Hospital Foundation is one we cherish as it provides vital healthcare resources to the mountain community,” said a spokesperson for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “Patient safety and quality care is something everyone deserves, we are elated that the donation will help ensure patient safety and allow the foundation to continue to provide care for those who depend on it.”
The Bloye Family is another major donor to this project, having donated $400,000 towards the construction of the new areas. MCH is in the process of selecting a contractor and hopes to begin construction in early 2022.
“Over the past nine years, the San Manuel Band of Missions Indians have donated close to $300,000, enabling us to purchase equipment for departments such as Radiology, Surgery, and Skilled Nursing,” said Kim McGuire, Foundation Director. “We are so grateful to the Tribe for their continued support and we could not do what we do without them.”
For more information about the project, please contact Kim McGuire, Director of Community Development at kimberly.mcguire@mchcares.com.
About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The people served by Mountains Community Hospital live in the ancestral lands of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians are one of several clans of the Serrano Indians. Spanish missionaries named the native people Serrano, meaning “highlander” or “mountaineer” in Spanish, however, the Indians call themselves the Yuhaaviatam, or “People of the Pines.” Their history in the area began 2,500 years ago. In 1891, the United States established the San Manuel Reservation which took its name to honor Chief Santos Manuel. The Tribe donates millions of dollars every year to organizations that support the residents of San Bernardino County and surrounding areas, as well as to Native American causes nationwide. For more information please visit the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians website: https://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 provided more than $6,000,000 in patient care support over the past 10 years. The Foundation has funded much-needed equipment and projects such as:
- Surgical cameras
- Video laryngoscope for intubations
- Gait trainer for Physical Therapy
- 3D Mammography Machine
- Clorox UV Machine
- Toshiba Aquilion Prime 80-slice CT Scanner for the Radiology Department
- Toshiba Aplio 300 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
