PANORAMA CITY, Calif., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Community Hospital (Mission) will hold a major fundraiser on May 17 to help raise $150,000 to refurbish its emergency room, which treats an average of 16,000 individuals per year -- three times the number of patients it was originally designed to serve when it opened in 1964.
Community members, business leaders and supporters are invited to attend Spring Affair for an evening of dinner, dancing and casino-style entertainment from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios, Hollywood. To date, event organizers have raised $103,000 in contributions, with the hope of reaching its fundraising goal through additional ticket sales, major sponsorships and a silent auction at the event.
"Mission's Emergency Department provides vital healthcare services to an increasing number of individuals and families in our community each year," said Mission Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer Heidi Lennartz. "This facility has provided 24-hour, quality care to help save lives for over four decades and now deserves a much-needed restoration."
Refurbishment of the nine-bed facility will include a complete remodeling of the Emergency Department and waiting room interior finishes and color, as well as enhancements to the exterior entrance to incorporate the facility into the overall hospital design. Construction is scheduled to commence by winter 2008 and take approximately three months to complete.
"Providing medical care to save lives requires the support of our entire community," said Lennartz. "As a safety net hospital for a growing number of families with overwhelming medical needs, Mission's goal is to ensure every individual has access to a full range of medical and emergency care services. We welcome any and all contributions and hope to achieve a record-breaking attendance on this very special evening."
Built in 1964 for Memorial Hospital of Panorama City, the original four-bed emergency room was expanded in 1970 for a total of nine exam and treatment areas. In 2007, the Emergency Department's capacity to manage 911 cardiac cases was doubled by the addition of five cardiac monitors, made possible by the Guenther Foundation. Mission's Emergency Department, still in its original location, also serves as a residency rotation for local physicians.
Mission's emergency room has one of the shortest patient wait times in the San Fernando Valley and is managed by the same team of Board Certified physicians that provides emergency room services to four other major medical centers.
Tickets for Spring Affair cost $175 each and sponsorship levels range from $1,500 to $15,000. For more information on how to purchase tickets or make a donation, contact Julie Powers at (818) 904-3545 or [email protected]. TransAid Ambulance and Valley Home Health, Inc. are presenting sponsors of the event.
About Mission Community Hospital
Mission is a private, independent and non-profit community hospital serving the San Fernando Valley since 1923. As a safety-net hospital, Mission works collaboratively with a variety of agencies and community based organizations to promote individual access to a full range of medical, mental health and emergency care services. Its San Fernando Community Campus for Health and Education is dedicated to preventing and reducing the health complications of type 2 diabetes. Mission is an active member of the Access to Care Consortium, a collaborative of San Fernando Valley hospitals committed to addressing the issue of access to primary care services for medically under-served, impoverished and uninsured families.
SOURCE Mission Community Hospital
