Oswego Health, a community-centered healthcare system with 17 locations, has publicly launched its comprehensive fundraising campaign to invest in and advance its mission of best-in-class healthcare.
Patient-centered care is at the core of Oswego Health’s mission. “Caring for Our Community, Right at Home, The Campaign for Oswego Health,” was born out of the healthcare system’s consideration for future priorities, all the while focusing on continued quality care for patients.
With a total goal of $3.5 million, Oswego Health’s internal and board leadership set out to secure financial support for the identified strategic priorities — all of which began to take shape before the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted healthcare globally.
Oswego Health has remained committed throughout the pandemic, with devoted and experienced frontline healthcare workers, and a leadership team responsive to evolving circumstances through a challenging time. The community recognized this response, supported Oswego Health’s foundation for immediate needs, and concurrently made investments in the healthcare system’s future. The priorities set by the leadership over this time are focused on a future with best-in-class care, and to date, community members, foundations, and corporations have contributed nearly $3 million towards the overall $3.5 million goal.
The campaign is chaired by Ed Alberts, who also serves as the Oswego Health Foundation board chairman. Ed and his wife, Emily Alberts, are longstanding supporters of the healthcare system. “It’s an easy decision to ‘give back’ when what is experienced and felt is: genuine concern, kindness, compassion and care at Oswego Health. When people are treated with care, listened to, guided gently and delicately, especially in situations that are fragile and difficult, it’s easy for families to feel nothing but gratitude and appreciation.” Ed and Emily choose to invest in a system that takes patient-centered care to a new level; with their philanthropic commitment to Oswego Health, with a gift of $250,000 the couple hopes to inspire others to support a system that remains committed to the county’s health, and to ensure that remains a reality.
Oswego Health’s current priorities, which are funded in part through the generosity received during this campaign initiative, include
- Modernizing Inpatient Care
At the very start of 2020, Oswego Health embarked on a complete renovation of its Medical-Surgical Unit. However, like many things that were impacted due to the pandemic, construction was forced to stop, as the need for critical patient beds increased in the event of a surge. With the decrease of COVID-19 hospitalized patients, Oswego Health has resumed construction and by the end of 2021, the third and fourth floors of Oswego Hospital will be completely renovated.Once complete, there will be 41 private rooms and 4 semi-private rooms. Each floor will provide comfortable areas for family members to gather and immediate and convenient access to care staff. In addition, each patient room will be equipped with a new HVAC filtration system purchased through Healthway Family of Brands that will greatly improve the indoor air quality within the patient rooms. Indigo-Clean, a new light technology will be installed in each patient bathroom to continuously disinfect the surfaces within the bathroom area. The technology is known to reduce pathogens by nearly 99% creating a greatly reduced chance of hospital-acquired infection and better patient outcome. - Transforming Mental Health and Wellness
Oswego Health is committed to improving the mental health of CNY residents and thanks to a transformational grant from the NYSDOH and support from community members and local organizations, the Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness opened, transforming mental healthcare locally. As the only behavioral health services inpatient and outpatient provider in Oswego County, Oswego Health has constructed a facility specifically built to provide this specialized care. The health system has renovated 42,000 square feet of a former grocery store, to feature 32 inpatient beds. Patients will find the new location offers a warm, welcoming, soothing, and healing environment that includes secure outdoor spaces, comfortable interior areas, and a kitchen area. Also, to assist those that utilize these services become healthier overall, primary care services are available onsite.
This transformational mental health care offering is in response to a current, silent epidemic of those suffering with underfunded and inadequate services. In many health systems around the world, these services are non-existent and fewer than 1 in 5 individuals in need receive treatment.
- State-of-the-art, Local Orthopedic Care
The Center for Orthopedic Care is the most advanced orthopedic office suite in CNY at the Fulton Medical Center, where three experienced and talented orthopedic surgeons are fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology to ensure the highest quality patient care. Oswego Health is the only provider in the county to offer new ligament sparing total knee implant with CT-free, handheld, robotic-assisted surgery.
As a nonprofit healthcare system, Oswego Health invests every penny of income over expenses in caring for the community. Based on a recent report from the Healthcare Association of New York State, Oswego Health, with an annual payroll of $76 million, generated $228 million in economic activity for the region, resulting in $28 million tax dollars generated. Additionally, Oswego Health annually provides $18 million as part of a community investment project to provide care to those without insurance, those who are underinsured, and those who are medically indigent.
Insurance reimbursements, including those from Medicare and Medicaid, do not cover operating expenses in their entirety, making the Oswego Health Foundation and the support it facilitates a critical component of the healthcare system. The institution relies, in part, on philanthropy for its continued success.
For more information about The Campaign or Oswego Health, visit www.oswegohealth.org or contact The Oswego Health Foundation at foundation@oswegohealth.org or by calling 315-326-3473.
