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7/9/2008 - Free Standing But Not Alone FREESTANDING BUT NOT ALONE By Brad Smith Redlands is such a unique community; it goes to reason that Redlands Community Hospital would be, too. Redlands Community Hospital (RCH) isn’t owned by some large parent corporation. Since its beginning in1904, RCH has operated as a free-standing, non-profit hospital. Redlands Community Hospital Foundation President Zachary Tucker explained, “We’re not part of a for-profit system. Neither are we a district hospital, where the voters can levy taxes on themselves to help support the capital needs. We’re unusual from that standpoint. There are only two stand-alone hospitals left operating in the whole county of San Bernardino. We’re one of them.” RCH has always been a charitable institution. In the 1920s, the Cope family donated the land that the hospital sits on today. Tucker told how far philanthropy has come since those early days, “When it started, they were selling jams and jellies. Mary Kimberly Shirk was the first member of the hospital auxiliary back in the early 1930s, the same lady who gave Kimberly Crest to the city.” Created in 1980, the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation was established for the sole purpose of raising funds which are then granted to the hospital to help with special projects that impact the quality of patient care. “The difference between a good hospital and a great hospital is what philanthropy does,” said Tucker. “Hospitals are very capital-intensive enterprises. For every dollar the hospital generates in gross revenues, it only gets to keep three cents. So every dollar the Foundation donates is a dollar the hospital gets to keep. The hospital doesn’t have a big organization standing behind it. So, in some ways, the Foundation is the one standing behind the hospital helping it to achieve its mission. Last year, we provided seven million dollars in charity care to the community for people who came to the hospital needing medical help but couldn’t pay for it.” “The Foundation also helps fund the community clinics, like the one on the corner of Texas and Colton Avenue. Community clinics mean fewer people coming to the hospital’s emergency room, which sees 100-110 patients daily! “Like the YMCA, the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs, and the Family Service Association,” said Tucker, “I like to think that Redlands Community Hospital is part of what makes the community a special place. We’re not the only organization that does it; there are a number of them. But we’re part of what makes our town unique.” EDITOR’S NOTE: If you would like to make a cash gift, bequest, or life income gift, contact the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation at 909/335-5540. Back |
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