Contribution from Deaconess Medical Center helps
Ronald McDonald House Charities secure property for future expansion

Over sixty-five percent of the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House were unaware of their need to travel to Spokane with a seriously ill infant or child for medical care within forty-eight hours of their arrival. For these families, the Ronald McDonald House is a refuge in the midst of the most serious family crisis they have faced – the care of a precious infant or child with a life threatening medical condition.

What if there is no room at the inn during this time of concern and chaos for these families? This has been the case over the last three years according to Mike Forness, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities. “Unfortunately, we have a perpetual waiting list, sometimes reaching twenty families.”

After an expansion in 2000 that increased capacity from fourteen to twenty-one families, the Ronald McDonald House had an extensive waiting list by 2003. “Health care is the largest industry in the community,” offers Mayor Dennis Hession. “As hospitals grow and serve more patients from a four state region, the need for services provided by the Ronald McDonald House increases.”

To address this growing need, Deaconess Medical Center donated $100,000 to help Ronald McDonald House Charities acquire land directly adjacent to their current facility. “We saw this situation as a potentially emerging crisis for families that need the support of the community and institutions that the Ronald McDonald House serves,” said Jeff Nelson, CEO of Empire Health Services. “Our goal is to provide the best overall healthcare possible for members of our community and part of that commitment involves supporting access to resources like the Ronald McDonald House Charities.”

“By securing the last parcel on the block that the current Ronald McDonald House occupies, future expansion will be more efficient in the face of increasing construction costs,” reports Ronald McDonald House Charities Board President Tom Lienhard.  Lienhard also noted that operating costs can be kept to a minimum by expanding the current facility and not having to duplicate fixed costs at a second facility.

“Deaconess Medical Center has assisted us in moving forward and we are very grateful for their contribution and foresight in addressing this growing need in our community,” adds Mike Forness. A timeline for future expansion is underdevelopment by the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Directors.

There will be a press conference and check presentation:
When:  Tuesday, November 28th at 10:30 a.m.
Where:  Ronald McDonald House Charities
              1015 West Fifth Avenue
Who:     Mayor Dennis Hession, City of Spokane
              Jeff Nelson, CEO, Empire Health Services
              Tom Lienhard, Board President Ronald McDonald House Charities
              A family staying at the Ronald McDonald House
              Mike Forness, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Charities