Avera recently announced a $50 million fundraising campaign, Tomorrow’s Promise, the largest philanthropic campaign in the region to support comprehensive women’s and children’s services.
The announcement was made at an Oct. 28 groundbreaking ceremony for a six-story tower addition to Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center to expand women’s and children’s care space and create a new welcoming entrance to the hospital. Together with a new medical office building at the Avera on Louise Health Campus, this represents the largest building project in Avera history at a cost of $245 million and 350,000 square feet of new patient care space.
“Tomorrow’s Promise: The Campaign for Women and Children will support the new tower addition, and also Avera services that branch out and touch lives in other ways, including expansion of patient and family lodging, and patient and family support,” said Dzenan Berberovic, Chief Philanthropy Officer for Avera Health.
“Avera has been investing in women’s and children’s care for decades, with a wide range of services and specialties. Today, we’re bringing them together like never before,” said Ronald Place, MD, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan. “The new tower building addition will provide a state-of-the-art home for the excellent care we are already providing through an expert team.”
Floor by floor, this tower will contain:
- Gathering and education space
- Labor, delivery and antepartum
- Post-partum care
- Pediatric hospital care and pediatric intensive care
- Neonatal intensive care
The modern facility will be designed specifically for women and children, with cheery, calming spaces curated for patient comfort and equipped with the latest care technology.
“We are extremely grateful for those who have already committed to generous gifts, and those yet to join us for the Tomorrow’s Promise campaign,” said Jim Dover, FACHE, President and CEO of Avera Health. “People who think beyond themselves are those who create a better tomorrow.”
The building project is not only a home for expanded and enhanced women’s and children’s services; it addresses numerous needs, including more medical/surgical care space. Avera McKennan is a hometown hospital for Sioux Falls residents, as well as a specialty and tertiary referral center for a 72,000-square-mile geographical footprint.
Tomorrow’s Promise campaign chairs are James Gaspar, Jennifer Kirby, Randy Knecht and Molly Uhing, MD.
“Women’s and children’s care is important to me, because I realize that it’s often the beginning of a lifetime of care at Avera,” said Dr. Uhing, an OB/GYN specialist at Avera. “We want their experience to be amazing and unforgettable. As a doctor, I’m excited about space that will accommodate the latest technology, as well as changing needs and desires of our patients.”
Tomorrow’s Promise is led by the Avera Foundation, which for the sixth consecutive year has been recognized by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) with the High Performer distinction for 2024. AHP recognizes high performance based on organizations that fall within the top 75th percentile in net returns from fundraising efforts, minus expenses, for fiscal year 2023 data in overall revenue and overall productivity categories.
“We are gratefully inspired by those who have joined us for the Tomorrow’s Promise campaign, investing in a healthy tomorrow for future generations,” Berberovic said. “This is a once in a generation opportunity to have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of women and children.”