San Fernando Kiwanis Club Pledges $25,000 to New NICU

San Fernando Valley, California, Sun
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Members of the San Fernando chapter of the Kiwanis Club donned hard hats and toured the construction site of the new four-story patient care wing at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. Tom Ross, president of the local San Fernando chapter said the tour was very interesting.

The Kiwanis have pledged $25,000 toward the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit that is part of the hospital's expansion scheduled to open in 2010.

“The Kiwanis International and Kiwanis club themselves are focused on giving to projects and facilities that focus on children, therefore the neonatal care unit is a perfect fit and [the hospital] is our neighbor in our community, so we really wanted to participate,” said Ross.

The donation is considerable considering the modest size of the San Fernando chapter, with 45 members. The Kiwanis Club first started in the city of San Fernando in the 1920's.

The new construction at Holy Cross is being funded privately, by Providence Health & Services and with significant support from the community. Holy Cross Medical Center is a not- for - profit hospital.

Construction is due to resume soon on the $181 million project after the Los Angeles City Council, in response to a court ruling, reaffirmed its approval in March for the new wing.

The Kiwanis Club donation to the Providence Holy Cross Medical Center expansion will help fund the first Neo-Natal ICU to serve the northern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley. The expansion, now under construction, also will include observation beds for Emergency room patients, additional ICU beds and a chapel among other services.

Brian Thorne, Executive Director of the Providence Holy Cross Foundation said the foundations primary goal is to help raise funds for the hospital for equipment, services, programs and Holy Cross in particular is in a very challenging environment so that there is charity care that we provide.”

Thorne is new to Holy Cross, hired less than three months ago, previously worked for other nonprofit organizations, including the Blind Center Learning Center in Orange County and multiple YMCA's.

He has many years working for non-profit organizations but acknowledged that this economic climate is “touching everything.”

“You don't have to go very far to see other medical facilities impacted and going through reorganization or closing down so Providence Holy Cross is one of the few places that is expanding and adding beds,” Thorne said.

“The Providence system believes in its mission so strongly that it's made a commitment to make sure that these 136 beds get complete so the foundation side is to help complete that mission and to provide the necessary funds to make sure that the project is completed.”

The fundraising goal for the expansion is $15 million.

Thorne said any contribution is important, believes getting information out and bringing service clubs like the Kiwanis Club helps the hospital to send information back out to the community.

“The amount [they contributed] is significant and the fact that they toured the site and will be able to share that with their friends and family is important,” said Thorne.

“It's challenging [during this economic climate] and we are focusing on knowing our donors and sharing our vision with others and when they are in position to give back, we hope we will be considered.”