Background Information
Henry Heywood had always voiced the hope that some day people would not have to travel out of Gardner for medical care. In support of his wishes, Mrs. Henry Heywood and her daughter, Helen, founded Heywood Hospital over 100 years ago.
Now, a century later, Heywood Hospital still strives to provide a wide array of services so that residents of the region do not have to travel for most of their healthcare needs.
Role of Heywood Hospital in the Community
In addition to the vital services provided by the Hospital, and the presence of doctors in the community attracted by the Hospital, Heywood also serves as an important economic engine. It is the largest employer in Gardner, with over 1,000 employees and a payroll of $45 million annually, much of which gets spent locally.
The Hospital also serves the community in other ways, by providing important aid and advice in times of crisis, such as the 2008 Ice Storm. In addition to providing vital medical services during the weekend following the ice storm, over 1,900 meals were served by the Hospital to community members, most of which were provided free of charge.
The Project: Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care
The Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care is a new 72,000 square foot addition on the campus of Heywood Hospital. Ground was broken for the building in June of 2009, and a topping off ceremony was held in October 2009. The Hospital celebrated its grand opening in November 2010.
The Watkins Emergency Center
The new Emergency Center contains 16 exam rooms and a 4-bay trauma room. The previous Emergency Department was designed for 12,000-15,000 visits. We currently have approximately 22,000 visits a year. Tight space impacts waiting times, patient privacy and patient and family comfort. The new space will accommodate nearly 30,000 visits, allowing the center to add approximately 10,000 visits to the current volume.
The Watkins Acute Care Center
The Watkins Center is also the new location of the former Favor III and the Intensive Care Unit. The inpatient floor occupied by Favor III and ICU (known as Watkins I) contains 19 medical, surgical and telemetry beds, and 6 Intensive Care Unit beds. The floor known as Watkins II now houses the former Favor II and contains 25 medical, surgical beds for inpatients.
All patient rooms are private rooms and are designed to include a day bed for the comfort of family members who may wish to stay overnight with their loved ones. Rooms also have safety rails extending from the bed to the bathroom to help prevent the potential for patient falls. A new state-of-the-art nurse call system and in-room patient servers for medications also lend to improved patient centered care.
A Message from the Chairman of The Next Century Campaign, Dr. James A. Faust
Heywood Hospital needs your help. The Hospital launched the Next Century Campaign three years ago to help raise funds toward completion of this vital project. The Hospital has received overwhelming support from physicians, employees and trustees, as well as the surrounding communities. With your help, we are hopeful we will achieve our $10 million goal.
The Watkins Family Foundation
As you may know, The Watkins Family Foundation led the way with an incredible gift of $5 million and subsequently increased that pledge to $7 million in order to help complete the entire project. This is extraordinary support that has made the entire project feasible. However, we still have $135,000 to go to reach our goal.
Please see the information on these pages for more details, and please consider how vital a strong community hospital is to the lifeblood of our community. I hope you will join us by making a gift or pledge to the Next Century Campaign. Thank you.
Why is this Campaign and Project Important to Heywood and the Community?
Providing the kind of care our community needs and deserves is our highest priority. Over the past five years, we have purchased a number of state of the art equipment items and initiated a number of new services by physicians recruited to our community. Heywood Hospital offers leading edge technology and expert care.
Despite these improvements, our facility has lagged behind these achievements in terms of size, functionality, and cosmetics. This new project is transformative for the Hospital, changing both the way we are able to deliver care, and the way our facility functions and looks.
It is vital that Heywood Hospital continues to grow.
Growth brings additional employment, more services to meet community needs, and increasing complexity in the care we are able to provide.
Who has supported the Campaign so far?
In addition to the extraordinary $7 million in pledges from The Watkins Family Foundation, the Hospital has received gifts and pledges from a number of other major donors including the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, the Heywood Hospital Aid Association and others.
Insiders such as Heywood physicians, trustees and employees together have pledged nearly $1.3 million over a period of three years, demonstrating that insiders view this project as worthy of support.
Why Should I Give?
Supporting Heywood Hospital with a pledge or gift to the Next Century Campaign is a way to support the Greater Gardner community by ensuring that the area has a strong, vibrant and full-service community Hospital. It is also a way to give back to the community and the Hospital, and a way to create a meaningful legacy for future generations.
How Can I Give?
Gifts and pledges may be made by check or money order payable to the Next Century Campaign at Heywood Hospital, Office of Community Relations and Development, 242 Green Street, Gardner, MA 01440.
Gifts and pledge payments may be made online here on the secure server, using a credit card.
Gifts may also be made by transferring appreciated stock to the Hospital, or by selling stock and transferring the proceeds to the Hospital.
There are other ways of giving, such as bequests and charitable trusts that we would be happy to discuss with you and your financial advisors.
For more information, contact the Office of Community Relations and Development at (978) 630-6248.
