News & Events | Union Hospital Foundation

06/10/2009

Union Hospital's Professional Office Building was the setting as Norman L. Lowery, Vice Chairman and CEO of First Financial Bank, announced that First Financial Bank has made a gift pledge of $50,000 a year for five years to Union Hospital Foundation's Distinctive Past...Exceptional Future Capital Campaign. The $250,000 gift from First Financial Bank has helped the Union Hospital Foundation to reach and exceed their capital campaign goal of $8,000,000.

Lowery made the following announcement to those in attendance, "If you have turned on your television or picked up a newspaper over the last year, you have seen banks of all sizes and descriptions characterizing themselves as "community banks" in an attempt to distance themselves from the documented ills of Wall Street. These banks have taken this community-oriented life form as they struggle to reengineer themselves and re-earn the trust and loyalty of their customers and the communities they serve. Being a part of and serving communities is not something new for First Financial Bank and its employees. For us, it's not a current fad or craze. It's woven into the fabric of our organization. It has been an essential part of the way we have done business for the past 175 years. It is that spirit and commitment that brings us here today. From time to time, there are projects or events that are so special and so meaningful you know they will alter the course of a community. We believe the new Union Hospital facility, which will be open to all people, no matter what their economic status, will have such an impact. The Board of Directors of First Financial Bank believes this once-in-a-lifetime facility deserves our special commitment. For that reason, I am pleased to announce on behalf of the Board of Directors and employees of First Financial Bank that we are providing a financial gift to the Union Hospital Foundation of $250,000.00, which will allow the Foundation to exceed its fundraising goal for this facility. The First family is extremely happy to put you "over the top".

I want to thank David Doerr and Union Hospital for their willingness to take on this project and build a facility our community can take pride in and which will provide the foundation for excellence in health care in the Wabash Valley for years to come. I would also like to congratulate Jim Bertoli and the Union Hospital Foundation on successfully completing its capital campaign during extreme economic conditions.
Finally, I would like to thank our Board of Directors for this commitment and their willingness to allow First Financial Bank and its employees to be a meaningful part of the communities we serve. I would like to extend a special recognition to the Chairman of our Board and President of First Financial Corporation, Don Smith, and to our Directors Tom Dinkel, Curt Brighton, Tony George and Ron Rich who are present here today."

David Doerr, President & CEO of Union Hospital responded to the gift from First Financial Bank by stating, "Our vision is to be rated among the best Hospitals in the nation. I'm very pleased that First Financial Bank shares our vision and extremely grateful for their support".

Jerry Einstandig, the Capital Campaign Chair, responded to the gift by saying, "The vision statement of First Financial Bank contains the following paragraph: We will maintain our long tradition of being an involved community partner, supporting programs and projects that contribute to the growth, vitality and quality of life in the communities we serve. We will encourage our employees to give their time, talents and leadership to local civic and charitable efforts and activities. When the mission of the Union Hospital Foundation is augmented by the vision of the First Financial family the culmination is a state-of-the-art facility positioned to become one of the "Best in Class" in the nation."

Einstandig recognized the many people that were instrumental in the success of the capital campaign which included the following individuals:

Frances Westrup - Honorary Chair
David Doerr - Union Hospital & Union Hospital Foundation President
Ann Smith - Employee Campaign, Chair
Dr. Robert Meissel - Medical Staff Co-Chair
Dr. Jim Cristee - Medical Staff Co-Chair
Susan Cross - Service League Campaign
Anita Davis - Service League Campaign
Ann Welch - Service League Campaign
Cindy Martin - Boards of Directors Campaign
John Lukens - Boards of Directors Campaign
Greg Gibson - Boards of Directors Campaign
Norma Shaw - Retirees Campaign & Nursing Alumni Campaign
Marilyn Harney - Nursing Alumni Campaign
Bonnie Conatser - Nursing Alumni Campaign

Cindy Martin, Chair of Union Hospital Foundation's Board of Directors, commented on the announcement by stating, "The journey of this Distinctive Past…Exceptional Future Capital Campaign has fortified my faith in the community of the Wabash Valley and their ability to rise to the occasion and truly make Terre Haute a place "where dreams CAN come true"! The Foundation is sincerely grateful to First Financial for making the pledge that allows us to reach goal and challenge others help us to continue on to set new heights for the endeavor of this campaign. We have truly been blessed by the magnitude of individuals, businesses, and foundations that have stepped forward to make our goal obtainable in such stressful economic times. To each and every one of them we are eternally grateful."

With the generous gift from First Financial Bank, the current amount raised for Union Hospital Foundation's Distinctive Past...Exceptional Future Capital Campaign is now $8,081,803. The capital campaign will continue as the Foundation is still having talks with a number of prospective donors. "We have a number of unfinished shell spaces in the future Union Hospital East that we can complete with the additional funds raised over the $8,000,000. It would also help us increase the amount of renovated space in Union Hospital West." Union Hospital East is scheduled to be open in January of 2010, with renovations to the existing Union Hospital West starting soon thereafter. The capital campaign currently has 1,135 donors which includes employees of the hospital, physicians, retirees, nursing alumni, boards of directors and members of the community.

The mission of the Union Hospital Foundation is to support advances in medical care that benefit the patients served by Union Hospital and initiatives that promote the health and wellness for those residents who live in the Wabash Valley. The Foundation fulfills this mission by raising charitable gifts and grants, providing effective stewardship for gifts received and by awarding grants to Union Hospital and to select other organizations through which improvements in medical care and community health are realized. The Union Hospital Foundation receives charitable support from individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations who share the Foundation's vision for a healthy, vital community.

For further information, please contact Jim Bertoli, Executive Director of Union Hospital Foundation at 812.238.7534 or via e-mail at jbertoli@uhhg.org.