Support the Emergency Dept. Expansion Project

Current Challenges

Middlesex Hospital Today

For over a century, Middlesex Hospital has been dedicated to meeting the ever-changing healthcare needs of the communities it serves, which now include 250,000 citizens in Middlesex County and beyond. With an extensive array of community health and wellness offerings, no other healthcare institution invests as much in the health of the citizens of Middlesex County. The physicians, staff and volunteers in Middlesex’s network of care are dedicated to maintaining high quality, cost-effective healthcare services, focusing foremost on the needs of patients and their families.

Recent Accomplishments

In 2001, the Hospital undertook a major facilities expansion that included a new Cancer Center, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, new Department of Surgical Services, and a new Marlborough Emergency and Diagnostic Center. These projects represent an investment to the community of more than $60 million.

Future Challenges

Planning to meet ever-growing demands for services and provide the most advanced treatment with the limited financial resources available to hospitals today is, at best, a great challenge. The Hospital’s Board of Directors and Administration have worked diligently to assess the many needs and address them through a strategic planning process. The results of these studies indicate that the current and future demand for emergency services and inpatient hospital care will far exceed our current capacity.

Emergency Services

Over the last 10 years, Connecticut has seen a growth in the number of patients utilizing emergency room services. The Middlesex Hospital Emergency Department has grown from treating 26,000 patients per year to 37,000 patients per year. Future projections show a continual increase, with nearly 50,000 visits anticipated by 2009.

In addition, the Hospital operates two satellite emergency facilities – one in Essex and one in Marlborough. Patients seen in these facilities requiring further care or admission to the Hospital, are transferred and admitted through the main Emergency Department.

Hospital emergency departments are the healthcare safety net for all in the community, any hour, day or night, seven days a week. All patients who come to the facility, regardless of their ability to pay, receive care.

Inpatient Services

Hospitals nationwide have experienced a trend towards higher utilization and volume in inpatient care. From 1991 to 2001, utilization was up 10% across the country. This is in striking contrast to hospital utilization that decreased significantly during the 1980’s. While the number of outpatient medical procedures continues to increase, the overall population has grown and is aging. This growth, combined with an aging population, is what is fueling the increase in inpatient care.

Utilization at Middlesex has paralleled the national trend. In the past five years, the Hospital has experienced growth from 30,000 patient days to 40,000. For the current year, the Hospital is planning for 40,500 medical/ surgical inpatient days with an average length of stay of 4.4 days. These projections put the Hospital at essentially maximum capacity. With future demands projected at even “baseline assumptions,” bed capacity will be at maximum by year 2007.

The Solution

To address the situation, the Board of Directors has approved the plans for expansion of both the Emergency Department and inpatient care facilities.

Emergency Department Renovations

To accomplish this expansion, the plans call for a new, two-story facility, with Emergency Services on the first floor encompassing three specific areas: acute care, Express Care and behavioral health.

The facility would be constructed adjacent to the current exterior of the existing Emergency Department. In addition to increasing bed capacity and addressing privacy issues, the facility would include parking underneath the building for Emergency Department visitors and patients, a separate area for ambulance vehicles, and covered pick-up and drop-off area for walk-in patients. The second floor would be developed as shell space for future inpatient expansion onto the second floor.

Inpatient Room Renovations

The Hospital just recently completed renovations to add six beds on the Weiss Hospice and Palliative Care Unit. In addition, the plan includes creating 30 new private rooms on the 4th and 6th floors in the South Wing. These two floors were previously being used for business functions. Conversion of these areas has already begun. In February, the 4th floor opened as a new 16-bed unit featuring private rooms. Construction on the 6th floor will begin in the near future.

Opportunities for Support

With the assistance of a volunteer fundraising committee comprising community leaders, the Hospital is seeking philanthropic support for this initiative. A variety of opportunities exist for individuals, businesses, and foundations to participate in improving healthcare for all those Middlesex Hospital serves.

Giving Opportunities

Direct Gifts

Gifts of cash and securities will be put to use immediately, helping to construct and equip a new Emergency Department that more than 40,000 people will use each year.

Life Income Gifts

Gifts through charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts will be put to use in the future to sustain the annual needs of the Emergency Department to continuously maintain the high level of service for those needing emergency care.

Bequests

Gifts through bequest will provide the necessary resources to care for future generations.

Selecting a Gift that is Right for You

If you are interested in supporting this project but are unsure about the best way to be helpful, consider these options:

• Cash or gifts of securities provide you with an immediate and the most advantageous tax deduction, especially if you were to gift highly appreciated stock, as you do not have to pay for capital gains.
• If you wish to make a gift of $10,000 or more but require an income stream from that investment, a charitable gift annuity may be right for you. The amount you receive will depend on your age and the number of beneficiaries (no more than two) you choose. For example, at age 72 you could receive a 6.7% return on your investment in Middlesex Hospital. In addition, certain tax benefits can apply.
• A charitable remainder trust may be the right gift for you if you wish to leave a substantial gift ($100,000 or more) to Middlesex Hospital using highly appreciated assets. A trust can provide substantial tax savings and provide an income stream for you or a beneficiary.
• If you desire to help in some meaningful way, but have no discretionary income now for a charitable contribution, consider leaving a bequest to Middlesex Hospital.

These gift opportunities can be used in combination with each other and can open the door for you to support your community in ways that you might not have thought were possible. For additional information and examples of these opportunities, please visit www.middlesexhospital.org or contact the Philanthropy Office directly at 860-344-6200.