As the Chairperson of the Chester River Health Foundation Board, I am writing to publicly address a question that arose at Shore Regional Health’s community “Listening Session” at Kent County High School. I was present at the meeting and was proud of the passion for our local hospital shown by the community.
Our Foundation is the non profit organization which raises funds to enhance healthcare services for the people who live in or visit the communities served by UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown and UM Shore Nursing & Rehabilitation at Chestertown.
The question regarding the Foundation that requires a response was: what happened to the $4.5 million from the sale of two farms bequeathed to the Foundation?
First, there is only one farm that was left to and owned by the Foundation. In 2007, the Foundation received an incredibly generous donation of farmland, known as the Workman Farm in Lynch. The property was sold in March 2016 for approximately $2.5 million and the proceeds will be put to work to benefit the patients served by our hospital, as requested by the Workman Family. I want to emphasize that these funds will only be used to enhance services at our hospital.
Secondly, the Foundation did not inherit any farm property belonging to Mr. T. Allan Stradley.
No hospital ever has all of the capital funds it needs. Therefore, donations are the lifeline to our ability to purchase new and replacement medical equipment, fund projects (such as the soon-to-open, completely renovated, six-bed Critical Care Unit in the hospital) and provide scholarships for employees. One hundred percent (100%) of the funds donated to us stay right here in our community and are used for the purpose for which they were donated. In fact, in Fiscal Year 2016, the Foundation will disburse more than $1 million for local projects that would not have been possible without the community’s support.
Moving forward, there will always be healthcare provided in our community. I encourge everyone, especially those who have spoken so loudly about the importance of keeping health care services in our community, to continue to support the availability of state-of-the-art equipment in modern, efficient facilities, through regular and generous charitable donations to the Chester River Health Foundation and by using our hospital and the health system’s services.
William B. Noll
Chair
Chester River Health Foundation Board
Louis Howeth Sr. says
I noted with interest the response by Mr.Nowell.relating to the sale of the farm donated to Chester River Hospital. It is my understanding that
foundation Monies are set aside to be used for the purposes the donor intended. Chester River Hospital was apparently the institution that was
to benefited. Rumor on my part that the former patient and donor was pleased with their care and wanted to contribute t0 the future well being of the local hospital. Foundation funds are always seperated, I am sure that these funds were handled in this manner. It must be noted however
that there is not any longer a ChesterRiver Hospital. It is now Shore Regional Health Two Hospitals are now one. What does that do to the
Donors intent. We also need to consider that once the monies are used for the so called local hospital money then leaves the isolated foundation
fund and becomes a part of operational budget. The h ope would be that the money would do something to improve services or save money.
If the purchase saves money, then there would be more money in profit section of the profit and loss statement. If this would not be the case
then it would most likely increase the volume of business which would also be reflected in the profit of the profit and loss statement.
Early in the merger I was told that since the Hospital is owned by the University of Maryland along with many other hospitals that any
profits can be moved to any hospital that the University of Maryland would like to receive the money. This needs to be checked out.