Owatonna Hospital announces lead gift for Expanding the Dream capital campaign
Federated pledge spurs community hospital project
OWATONNA, Minn. 01/28/2008--Dorothy Erdmann, Owatonna Hospital president, announced today that Federated Insurance Companies along with Federated’s Chairman, President – CEO Al Annexstad and his wife, Cathy, have pledged $1.295 million to the Owatonna Hospital Expanding the Dream capital campaign.
The $3 million Expanding the Dream campaign is a community venture launched in 2007 to fund special features of the new hospital, which were identified as important during community forums and an online survey. These special features include the Owatonna Commons, an Indoor Walking Path, a Community Resource Center, a Professional Education Center, a Center for Health and Wellness and a Reflection Center. These Special Project Features are being funded exclusively through philanthropic donations.
“This lead gift from Federated and the Annexstads is the largest in the hospital’s 106-year history,” Erdmann said, “and represents over 40 percent of the Expanding the Dream campaign goal.” This gift will fully fund three of the special projects: the Owatonna Commons, the Indoor Walking Path and the Community Resource Center.
The Owatonna Commons lobby will be the welcoming entry point to the hospital. It will feature comfortable chairs and open spaces in a warm, neighborly atmosphere capturing the natural surroundings of southern Minnesota’s prairie lands. The lobby will be staffed during normal working hours with greeters to increase security and assistance to visitors.
The Indoor Walking Path will be a place where patients, family members and community residents can walk year round in an atmosphere that promotes health and wellness education. The walking path will begin in the lobby and continue through the public access areas on the first floor. Strategically posted along the path will be communications that will promote health and wellness.
The Community Resource Center will provide patients and their families on-site access to important medical information that can promote greater awareness of health issues. The center will include a library, conference room, Cyber-Café, comfortable chairs and a stone fireplace.
The Professional Education Center will involve collaboration with area colleges and universities to provide education and training for hospital staff as well as the next generation of health care professionals. It will include a hands-on simulation lab and videoconference equipment and conference room.
The Center for Health and Wellness will provide at-risk and recovering patients with access to exercise equipment and a rehabilitative therapy pool. In addition, it will include an integrative medicine area providing proven alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, massage and music therapy.
Finally, the Reflection Center will provide a quiet, peaceful place where patients and their family members can gather. It will feature art glass and relaxing music in a calming atmosphere. The center will welcome everyone in the community regardless of their religious and spiritual beliefs.
“We make these gifts on behalf of our Federated employees and their families as part of our continuing commitment to the Owatonna community as the home of our national headquarters,” Annexstad said. “The Commons, indoor walking path and Community Resource center represent major enhancements to the facility that we hope will provide a truly healing environment for our hospital’s patients and their families.”
Federated Insurance and their leaders have long been committed to improving the health and wellness of the Owatonna community through their business and philanthropic efforts. In the past, Federated’s generosity has been felt in several community projects, including the Buxton Walking Trail, Brooktree Golf Course, the Owatonna Country Club, the soccer field complex, and most recently, the effort to construct a community swimming pool.
One hundred percent of the donations to the Expanding the Dream campaign will be used to fund the Special Project Features. Allina Hospitals and Clinics is fully responsible for the funding the construction of the replacement hospital, which is expected to open upon its completion in late 2009. The total value of the new not-for-profit hospital construction project is $51.6 million. Twenty acres of land was donated by the Owatonna Clinic-Mayo Health System several years ago and was recently valued at $2.6 million.
The new Owatonna Hospital will be built from the ground up with the needs of patients and family members at the forefront in planning, design and architecture. The two-story, 38-bed hospital will contain more than 131,000 square feet and include private patient rooms; expanded surgery suites, Emergency Department; inpatient unit, Sleep Lab, Birth Center and Mental Health Unit; diagnostic imaging; rehabilitation services; ample parking as well as the special project feature enhancements. The new Owatonna hospital will be connected to the newly expanded Owatonna Clinic’s current 26th Street location.
“This generous gift for the Owatonna Hospital will have a lasting impact on the lives of countless patients and community members who will benefit from the exceptional clinical care and community resources available,” said Erdmann. “We are deeply grateful to Federated and the Annexstads for their financial support, their presence and leadership in our community, and their input into this effort. Their gift will serve as the inspirational foundation to help us complete the funding for these valued enhancements to our new hospital.”
In addition to Federated and Annexstads lead gift, several businesses and individuals have pledged financial support totaling $1 million. They include: Jerry and Carol Deetz; Kennard and Jean Kaplan; Owatonna Foundation; Owatonna area physicians; Riverland Community College; Viracon; Wenger Foundation; Owatonna Hospital Board of Trustees; and Expanding the Dream campaign leaders. The combined $2.3 million gifts move the Expanding the Dream campaign into the next phase, which is the public campaign. During this phase, campaign leaders will be meeting with individuals to raise the final funds needed to complete the special project features.
About Owatonna Hospital
The new Owatonna Hospital will be connected to the current Owatonna Clinic-Mayo Health System 26th Street location, off Interstate 35, creating a health care campus. The facility will be designed to create an environment for providing high quality, safe, patient-centered care for residents in the region.
Owatonna Hospital and Allina Hospitals & Clinics are taking a leadership role to promote healthy eating and physical activity through their heart healthy living and obesity initiatives with an emphasis on childhood obesity. Over the next five years, Allina and Owatonna Hospital will be working with community organizations to improve nutrition and increase physical activity to decrease obesity and improve heart health.
About Federated Insurance Companies
With total assets approaching $5 billion, Owatonna-based Federated Insurance Companies is one of the nation’s largest and most financially secure multiple line mutual insurance companies. Since the company’s founding in Minnesota in1904 Federated has grown to earn an enviable reputation as a premier provider of insurance and risk management services for family businesses in the industries it serves. Today, Federated is exclusively recommended to their members as the insurer of choice by over 400 state, regional, and national affinity groups that represent Federated’s markets. With over 1,600 local employees, Federated is one of Owatonna’s largest employers.
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Related Links
Expanding the Dream capital campaign
New Owatonna Hospital
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