The Annual Fund: Putting Your Philanthropy to Work Today

Starting with Mrs. M. Day Kimball’s $5,000 donation in 1894, community support has been a long-standing tradition at Day Kimball Healthcare and continues to be a major force behind the growth of the hospital, its programs and services, and the outstanding facility that it is today.

Since then, year after year, annual gifts have helped Day Kimball Healthcare respond to the changing demands within the health care system – demands which have become increasing challenging within an ever-changing political and economic landscape that has been exacerbated by ongoing state budget difficulties and reductions in federal support for hospitals. The reality of healthcare today is that revenue from services, especially for non-profit hospitals, barely covers operational expenses and minimal capital improvements.

For any community hospital to maintain up to date equipment and facilities, private donations on an annual basis are an absolute necessity. This in turn helps attract talented healthcare providers and ensures local access – right here in northeastern Connecticut, to the finest healthcare where and when it is needed most. Annual funds meet the immediate, highest priority needs of the hospital and by definition, are unrestricted, current use funds that provide the hospital maximum flexibility for responding quickly to new opportunities and to meet unexpected needs.

Unrestricted gifts to the hospital are considered in the area of greatest need and do not fund the day-to-day operational costs of our hospital, like administrative salaries, incentives and severances. Donor dollars go right to the hospital’s highest priority needs – from replacement or upgrades in advanced patient care equipment, new services, programs and facilities, to recruiting the best clinical staff. The rapid changes in technology also require us to continually upgrade our equipment and facilities to be able to provide the very best in quality healthcare services for patients in the community.

With the assistance of annual funds in 2016, DKH was able to improve the Brousseau Surgical Suite within the Hale Medical Pavilion with upgraded climate control systems and surgical lighting; add a state of the art patient monitoring system to provide all-inclusive monitoring at the patient’s bedside and in transit; and purchase a stereotactic biopsy unit to provide faster on-site radiology services, a new PillCam recorder and monitor for minimally invasive endoscopic procedures, and a Tissue Tek Vacuum Infiltration Processor for same-day diagnosis of tissue samples in our laboratory.

If you’ve given to Day Kimball in the past, these enhancements are just a few examples among many of the positive return on your investment. If you haven’t given, rest assured that your gift is important and is one way to truly make a difference at your community hospital.

Aligned with organizational goals which are focused on support for areas where the community needs services close to home, funds from our recently launched 2017 Annual Appeal will be used to support vital upgrades that will help us meet the growing demand for our surgical services, and enable us to provide the most technologically advanced and highest quality diagnostic testing across all areas of care. Contributions toward our $1.5 million goal will be used to upgrade our radiology rooms and portable x-ray equipment to direct digital technology; add new birthing beds in our maternity department; purchase a new operating table, eye microscope, ORA eye system, and laparoscopic surgical scopes for our operating rooms; and add two new ultrasound machines and a new EKG machine.

As your independent community hospital, DKH provides the community with much more than emergency and acute services – we provide a continuum of healthcare services to address the needs of residents of all ages. As such, our annual appeal also emphasizes support for our in-home services of HomeCare, HomeMakers, Hospice & Palliative Care, and Pastoral Care, all of which rely on private support to ensure that these critical services are provided in totality.

 For example, in addition to nursing, therapy, home health aides, and drugs and equipment related to terminal diagnosis which are reimbursable through insurance, hospice offers many other services that are not reimbursed, such as bereavement and spiritual care, companion and home maker’s services; social workers; and integrative services for comfort care such as massage therapy, reflexology, and therapeutic touch. Annual gifts help to make these services possible, along with patient education, training for staff and volunteers, or simple home and life comfort improvements for patients such as an air conditioner.

While unrestricted gifts to the hospital enable us the most flexibility in serving the immediate needs of our health care system, donors are always given an opportunity to direct their annual gifts toward a specific program, project or area of need. Regardless of how you choose to support DKH, there is no faster or easier way to make an impact in the areas of the hospital that are important to you than through an annual gift. Gifts to DKH may be made in the form of cash, stocks or bonds, through direct mail, or by making a credit card donation over the phone or on-line, and our development staff are always available to help in the process either by phone or in person.

It is all too easy to take for granted, the access to services that DKH provides to each and every one of us in our time of need. Annual giving, in any amount, is a way for us all to not only show support for our community hospital, but an opportunity to contribute toward the health and strength of our community. And when you contribute, you are not only a donor, but part of our DKH family with a shared commitment on improving health and wellness. A contribution today is a direct investment in your health and that of your loved ones and will help to ensure that local residents of all ages enjoy convenient, local access to the highest quality healthcare.