Green Bay, Wis. – HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital publicly announced today Join the Fight, a multi-million dollar and dual-phase community fundraising campaign to allow for significant upgrades to its facilities and services on the HSHS St. Vincent Hospital campus, located at 835 S. Van Buren St. in Green Bay.
“Our experts stand ready to fight the illnesses and injuries that bring children from Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula through our doors each and every day,” said Therese Pandl, President and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) – Eastern Wisconsin Division. “Today, we are asking our communities to join us in that fight and support this campaign that will allow us to take the exceptional care we’ve been providing for decades to an entirely new level – one that will enhance the care and experiences of our patients, their families and our dedicated providers.”
A “hospital within a hospital,” HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is comprised of hundreds of dedicated physicians, nurses, technicians and caregivers that specialize in providing care for children – from emergency care, to cancer care, intensive care, surgical care and everything in between. As part of a nonprofit, Catholic-based health care system, it provides care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2018, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital saw nearly 18,000 patient visits.
“The presence of HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin ensures thousands of children, each year, can receive exceptional care close to home and reduces the financial and emotional burden of traveling to more distant cities like Milwaukee or Madison,” said Heidi Warpinski, Executive Director at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital.
The Join the Fight campaign is hosted by the HSHS St. Vincent/St. Mary’s Foundation. In its first phase, it aims to raise $10 million by the end of 2019 to transform four units within the children’s hospital: emergency care, pediatric and pediatric intensive care, and Child Life.
Thanks to the generosity of our communities, $7 million has already been raised for the first phase of the Join the Fight campaign! This has allowed construction to begin on the pediatric emergency care unit, which is located within the main emergency department at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital. All updates to pediatric emergency care are expected to be complete by summer 2019.
Updates to pediatric emergency care will include:
-
A new waiting room and play area specifically designed for children
-
Six new treatment rooms equipped with new technologies and elements specifically designed for children
-
A new nurse’s station better designed to support specialized monitoring of patients
The first phase of the Join the Fight campaign, which still requires an additional $3 million to meet its $10 million fundraising goal, will also allow for updates to the pediatric and pediatric intensive care units, and Child Life space. The current layout and design of these areas were implemented in the 1980s.
Updates to the pediatric and pediatric intensive care units, and Child Life space will include:
-
A restructure of the layout of all units to better meet the needs of patients and providers
-
Renovation of all patient rooms to allow more space and amenities for patients’ families and caregivers
-
Updated furnishings and medical technologies in all patient rooms
-
Additional patient rooms in the pediatric intensive care unit
-
A new lounge designed to provide patients’ families and visitors space for respite and comfort
-
A new play area accessible to patients and visitors
-
Dedicated laundry space accessible to patients’ families
-
A new, larger space for Child Life specialists to coordinate and offer activities and services for patients
Upgrades to the pediatric and pediatric intensive care units, and Child Life space are slated to begin in the fall of 2019 with a completion goal of summer 2020. All upgrades will also be complemented by a new, whimsical design theme that reflects the natural, calming beauty of Wisconsin.
“We know that art and nature can play an important role in a patient’s healing process,” said Warpinski. “Considerable thought will be put into each image, color and piece of artwork chosen to complement our new and updated spaces.”
In a Feb. 27, 2019 press conference to publicly announce Join the Fight, Bobbi Giles, Director of the HSHS St. Vincent/St. Mary’s Foundation expressed gratitude to the more than 900 individuals, businesses, organizations and hospital colleagues and physicians that have already donated to the first phase of the campaign. This includes three, $1 million donors: K.C. Stock Foundation, Inc., Cornerstone Foundation of Northeastern Wisconsin, Inc. and a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
“To all of you who have so generously stepped up to get us this far: We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support is a true testament to your commitment to children in Northeast Wisconsin,” said Giles. “To all of you who are just learning about this wonderful campaign: Please, join the fight and help us give kids the best care and experiences possible, close to home, right here in Green Bay, Wisconsin.”
The details of when the second phase of the Join the Fight campaign will be launched, and what it aims to accomplish will be released at a later date.
To Join the Fight and donate now, visit: www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org
###
About HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital
Located inside the walls of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is Green Bay’s first and only children’s hospital. With every detail tailored to kids, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital delivers exceptional health care to children while making them feel comfortable and supported. As a partner of Prevea Health, it has direct access to dedicated pediatricians and a wide variety of specialty care physicians. HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is also a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, the voice for more than 220 children’s hospitals nationwide. For more information about HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, visit: www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.