Public-private funding initiative and nation’s largest hospital construction project attracts over 12,700 donors with gifts ranging from 50 cents to $50 million
A surprise announcement marked the final milestone in the $150 million fundraising campaign led by Parkland Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Parkland Health & Hospital System. The public-private funding initiative, one of the largest of its kind for a public hospital in the U.S., engaged the entire Dallas community in contributing to the cost of building Parkland’s $1.32 billion new hospital that will open to patients in August.
“The way the people of Dallas County came together to raise this money is an inspiration,” said Parkland Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Krause. “From patients and families at our community clinics, who put pocket change in a jar, to great benefactors like the Harold Simmons Foundation and The Rees-Jones Foundation, the outpouring was truly communitywide.”
Community leaders Nancy Strauss Halbreich and Don Glendenning co-chaired the I Stand for Parkland campaign, which was supported by the Campaign Steering Committee and more than 12,700 donors with gifts ranging from 50 cents to $50 million. The generosity of donors will be recognized on plaques and displays throughout the new hospital. (See press kit materials for a list of donors.)
Krause also recognized the citizens of Dallas County for approving a $747 million bond campaign in 2008, a critical first step in helping to build the facility.
The new Parkland hospital– with its attractive, glassy, modern façade that reflects changing weather patterns in the sky – is the largest hospital construction project in the U.S. When the 17-story, 2.1 million-square-foot facility opens this summer, it will be a showpiece for leading-edge medical technology and, as a safety-net hospital, will continue to provide world-class patient care focused on prevention and healing to the county’s most vulnerable citizens. Additionally, Parkland also will retain its renowned role as the primary teaching hospital for The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where more than half of Dallas’ practicing physicians received their training.
A unique element of the campaign was an invitation to citizens to contribute $10 for the opportunity to have their names etched into the windows along the lobby and pedestrian bridge connecting the new and old hospitals. The effort generated nearly 9,500 gifts and raised more than $300,500.
The donation that helped complete the capital campaign was made by Dallas entrepreneur and philanthropist Mike Myers.
“The new Parkland hospital represents the best of what our community can do when we come together in a common, noble purpose,” Myers said. “I hope that my commitment inspires others to recognize the value this institution provides to the Dallas community. It is an absolutely essential resource for our most vulnerable citizens, but Parkland is also a pioneer in innovative approaches to medicine. You can’t beat that.”
Parkland Health & Hospital System opened its doors in 1894 and is now one of the largest public hospital systems in the country. The hospital averages more than 1.2 million patient visits annually. Among its many renowned services are the Level I Trauma Center, the second largest civilian burn center in the U.S. and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The system also includes 20 community-based clinics, 12 school-based clinics and numerous outreach and education programs.
For more information, go to www.IStandforParkland.org.
