St. Luke’s Hospital is pleased to announce receipt of $30,000 in grant funding from the Polk County Community Foundation (PCCF) to support its Building on Excellence capital campaign.  St. Luke’s has received two “naming opportunity” grants for $15,000 each, one from The Samuel and Stephanie White Fund and one from PCCF’s Unrestricted Grant Fund.

For more than 84 years, St. Luke’s Hospital has provided our community with medical care that rivals much larger facilities. Originally built in 1972, the hospital is undergoing its first major facility upgrade since 1991 — constructing a $5.6 million, 15,000-square-foot addition. With groundbreaking this past November, completion is anticipated by the end of 2013.

The new post-surgical and rehabilitative therapies addition will provide an integrated approach to patient care, focusing on a healing environment accommodating patients as well as their families.  The six new patient rooms will be almost three times as large as our current rooms and have ample space for family members to comfortably spend the night.

Amenities include private bathrooms, pristine views and an emphasis on the healing powers of natural aesthetics. The new wing will have a large waiting area for patients’ friends and family with a stone fireplace to help extend a warm, personal touch to all aspects of St. Luke’s health care.

Founded in 1975, the Polk County Community Foundation is a public charity funded solely by gifts and bequests. They receive charitable donations from the community and distribute grants and scholarships in accordance with the donor’s wishes. They currently manage more than 100 permanently endowed funds and over 50 nonpermanent funds.

Their mission is to, “Support charitable and beneficial activities in the community; Provide and administer a variety of planned giving programs; Serve as responsible stewards of all funds entrusted to it;” and “Provide initiatives in recognizing areas of community needs and supporting solutions.”

PCCF’s unrestricted grant fund provided $15,000 toward construction costs and will receive acknowledgement through a naming opportunity for the rehabilitation services waiting room of the state-of- the-art addition. The Samuel and Stephanie White Fund also provided $15,000 toward construction costs and will have a physical therapy treatment room named in recognition of its support.

“We are very appreciative of the Polk County Community Foundation’s generous financial support” said Meshelle Ziegler Colvin, Executive Director of St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation and Tryon native. “The Community Foundation has a long history of working with St. Luke’s to help us serve the residents of Polk County and the surrounding areas.”

The financial support of the Polk County Community Foundation Unrestricted Fund and The Samuel and Stephanie White Fund will help St. Luke’s Hospital continue a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional care, close to home.

– article submitted by Jennifer Wilson