Boca Raton Regional Hospital Announces $250 Million Campaign
By: Bryanna Basilio
On Wednesday the Boca Raton Regional Hospital (BRRH) officially unveiled a $250 million campaign that will support the most ambitious period of growth and expansion in its history, valued at more than half a billion dollars.
The fundraising effort, entitled “Keeping the Promise – The Campaign for Boca Raton Regional Hospital” is highlighted by eight-figure philanthropic gifts from five long-tenured members of the BRRH family which include Christine E. Lynn, Stanley and Marilyn Barry, Richard and Barbara Schmidt, Elaine J. Wold, and Louis B. and Anne W. Green.
“We stand at the threshold of an extraordinary future for Boca Raton Regional Hospital, one borne of a powerful and visionary long-term plan,” said Jerry Fedele, President and CEO of BRRH. “As always, our supporters of the hospital have demonstrated their spirit, commitment, and unflagging devotion by helping ensure these plans become reality. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for the sophisticated level of healthcare we will all enjoy as we move forward with this transformative initiative.”
Keeping the Promise is the largest campaign in the hospital’s 51-year history and has already raised $115 million toward its goals. The multi-level campaign project supports several key features of the hospital.
The new 180,000 sq. ft. seven-story patient tower is the centerpiece of the campaign. The tower will feature an expansion of the surgical suites, an inviting patient lobby, and three floors set aside for future growth.
The campaign is also expecting the Marcus Neuroscience Institute’s (MNI) surgical growth to expand at an astounding rate over the next five years in all neuroscience programs with an emphasis on neurovascular/stroke, CNS tumor, spine, and epilepsy/seizure disorders.
In the current hospital building, all 400 rooms will be converted to private in a comprehensive renovation, and a 20-bed observation unit with healthcare doors will be added. A 972-car parking garage will also be constructed. These investments are the initial steps toward an even broader vision for the campus over the next decade with greater access points and even more specialties.
“We are extremely proud of this campaign, truly the most significant fundraising effort in our history, and so grateful to our family of donors who generously provided us with the foundation for the campaign’s ongoing success,” said Stanley L. Barry, Chairman of the BRRH Foundation and co-chairman of the campaign. “In our continuing commitment to serve the healthcare needs of Boca Raton and the surrounding communities, we sought to bring the philanthropic community together so we can effectively provide the next generation of healthcare in all key patient care areas. In addition to the unprecedented level of eight-figure gifts here, there are so many others who have played a role in the incredible support already given. These are our family and friends who have risen to the occasion with special gifts, and we are profoundly grateful. It demonstrates the powerful partnership we share with this community.”
The announcement took place at a briefing at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health and Wellness Institute on the campus of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The event was attended by BRRH leadership, and officials, including Scott Singer, Mayor of Boca Raton. During the event, Keeping the Promise lead campaign donors were feted, and the goal of $250 million was unveiled.
“We are a community of people who believe in the hospital,” said Richard Schmidt, co-chair of Keeping the Promise. “We also believe in the strength of its partnership with the community. One cannot exist without the other, and we owe it to ourselves and everyone we care about to support it vigorously. We want the highest level of healthcare available right here in Boca Raton.”
Jerry Fedele indicated the campaign, and initiatives, will provide essential resources that will drive innovation and excellence throughout BRRH, ultimately improving the region’s health, well-being and quality of life.
“Together with our new partnership with Baptist Health, this transformative initiative marks the dawning of a new era here at Boca Raton Regional Hospital,” he concluded. “It really is just the beginning. Eventually, our entire campus will be renewed and enhanced, and we will become a destination for the most advanced healthcare in South Florida.”
The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). BRRH is recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 – 2019 Best Hospitals listing as a Top Ranked Regional Hospital, for the fourth consecutive year, and the highest ranked hospital in Palm Beach County.
