| | President Bush mixed humor with touching tributes to his mother during his address to the SMMC assembly. |
| | Former First Lady Barbara Bush and the President's sister, Nancy Bush Ellis, look on. |
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| President George H.W. Bush Kicks Off Campaign for SMMC Expansion |
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New Emergency Center to be Named The Dorothy Walker Bush Pavilion
YORK COUNTY, MAINE – Honorary Campaign Chair, President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara joined Edward J. McGeachey, president and CEO of Southern Maine Medical Center (SMMC), and over five hundred York County residents to kick off SMMC’s capital campaign for a major hospital expansion. This $23.5 million project, which was approved by the state earlier this year, will be the largest medical facilities project in York County’s history. The cornerstone of the expansion is a state-of-the-art emergency and urgent care center which will be named The Dorothy Walker Bush Pavilion, in honor of President Bush’s mother who was a friend and benefactor of the hospital.
“What an historic day for SMMC!” opened SMMC Board Chair Don Burnham as he greeted the crowd of community leaders and local residents. He went on to welcome honored guest, President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush. “We are very grateful to President Bush for his service as the Honorary Chairperson of our LifePromise Campaign.”
SMMC President Ed McGeachey took the stage next and reached out to the community for support of the hospital’s first campaign in over 26 years. “This capital campaign is a celebration of decades of excellent care close to home made possible by the nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, environmental staff, nutritional services and everyone else who is a part of SMMC. The fact that we need to expand, that we are 50% undersized today in our Emergency Department and other areas, is a tribute to our communities’ trust in the great care our medical professionals give every day. We have promised our community to be here with life-saving care close to home, and now we need community support to do just that.”
Campaign co-chairs Roland Eon and Randal Simon then announced the goal for the largest capital campaign in York County. Simon commented, “We need to raise at least $8.25 million and hopefully a lot more.” He also shared the unprecedented early results, “I am very pleased to report today that we are well on our way to that goal, with $4.37 million donated to date by our Board, physicians, employees, and special gifts from early donors.” Among the early pacesetters recognized was Biddeford Savings Bank who recently announced an incredible bank pledge of $500,000.
One of the event’s other big highlights came when McGeachey announced the naming of the building in honor of President Bush’s mother, Mrs. Dorothy Walker Bush. “I am pleased to announce today that Southern Maine Medical Center’s new Emergency Pavilion will be named The Dorothy Walker Bush Pavilion in honor of a woman who loved this community deeply, who devoted her life to others, and whose unconditional love and passion for life was the foundation upon which a son and grandson would grow to a life of service as presidents of the United States and leaders of the free world. Dorothy Walker Bush was a frequent visitor, and when necessary, a patient at Southern Maine Medical Center. She unfailingly expressed her appreciation for the work of the hospital and our caregivers.” McGeachey then surprised the President with a touching video tribute to his mother which included clips of Mrs. Bush with her family at Walker’s Point and stories from family members, including the President’s sister Nancy and wife Barbara.
McGeachey closed the event by unveiling the campaign logo, 41ife. A symbol that joins President Bush, the 41st President, with the hospital’s life-saving mission.
Southern Maine Medical Center (SMMC) is a nationally accredited, award-winning medical center offering excellent clinical care that is also compassionate and attentive to each patient‘s individual needs. In 2004, SMMC was recognized as one of the Top 12 Exemplary hospitals in the nation, and the best hospital in the nation for outpatient care in 2002, 2003 and 2004 as judged by hospital patients in an independent national AVATAR survey. SMMC was also rated among the top 3% of hospitals nationwide for heart attack and heart failure treatment in 2004. In conjunction with a medical staff of over 200 highly-skilled primary care physicians and specialists, SMMC offers residents and visitors to southern Maine exceptional and convenient emergency and urgent care as well as inpatient care at our 150-bed medical center located just off Exit 32 of I-95 in Biddeford. Additionally, SMMC offers high-quality home nursing care through affiliate SMMC Visiting Nurses, community education and prevention programs, and a full range of outpatient services at our diagnostic and therapy centers in Saco, Kennebunk, and Biddeford. SMMC is JCAHO accredited, state-licensed, affiliated with MaineHealth, and a teaching hospital for University of New England’s medical residency program.
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