The Central Community Hospital Foundation is preparing for its annual golf tournament fundraiser, which will take place Friday, June 19, at the Elkader Golf & Country Club.
Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with a shotgun start to follow at 1 p.m. The 18-hole tournament features a three-person best shot, cash prizes for all flight winners and a raffle. Registration costs $50 per person, covering both green fees and lunch.
Proceeds from this year’s tournament will support patient service needs of MercyOne Elkader Medical Center, MercyOne Family Medicine Clinics in Elkader and Monona and MercyOne Elkader Ambulance.
The foundation, originally established in 1984, works to raise funds to help support needed updates to facilities, equipment and services. In 2011, the foundation established an endowment through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and participates in events such as Great Give Day to help grow its funds. The endowment provides a long-term source of support for local healthcare initiatives, allowing donated dollars to be invested and grow over time while helping sustain the foundation’s work for future generations.
The Central Community Hospital Foundation is made up of an eight-member board: President Dave Gibney, Vice President Brittany Reinhart, Secretary/Treasurer Ann McCorkindale, Michael Beck, Karmen Dillon, Dean Frazen, Rhonda Fry and Jerry Keleher. Beth Gilana serves as the Foundation’s administrative assistant. Hospital Administrator Danielle Gearhart also attends meetings to provide updates on hospital operations, needs, projects, services and future initiatives.
For McCorkindale and Reinhart, supporting the foundation is ultimately about ensuring quality healthcare remains available close to home.
“We’re blessed to have a local hospital in our community, and we want to keep it that way,” McCorkindale said.
She noted that rural hospitals face increasing challenges, including rising equipment costs and changes in healthcare funding. The foundation helps bridge that gap by providing support for projects, equipment and services that may fall outside the hospital’s regular operating budget.
“I believed originally the board felt it was necessary to provide funding that was above and beyond the capital budget generated by the hospital,” McCorkindale said. “That need continues on.”
Both McCorkindale and Reinhart emphasized that maintaining a strong local healthcare system benefits the entire community, whether residents regularly use the hospital today or may need its services in the future.
Over the years, foundation funds have supported a variety of equipment purchases and facility improvements, including new hospital beds, X-ray equipment and ultrasound technology. Those investments have helped ensure local patients have access to updated equipment close to home.
One project McCorkindale said stands out is the replacement of aging hospital beds. The foundation helped fund the purchase of new beds over time, allowing the hospital to phase out equipment that had been in use for decades.
“I personally had the opportunity to stay in one last November,” she said. “The nurses told me how difficult the old beds were to work with because they were all manual.”
Most recently, the foundation has committed funding toward several healthcare initiatives and equipment upgrades at the MercyOne Elkader campus. Among its recent commitments are a $50,000 contribution toward a new nurse call system, $6,800 for a pain clinic table and $10,000 for a telestroke cart.
“It’s going to make life a lot easier on the nurses and patients getting quicker responses,” Reinhart said of the nurse call system.
The foundation is also helping support the hospital’s new chronic pain clinic, which opened recently and operates in Elkader twice each month. The clinic serves patients dealing with conditions such as arthritis, spinal issues, headaches and chronic back pain.
“As it is right now, they have to go to Cedar Rapids or Iowa City,” McCorkindale said, referring to the patients seeking specialized pain treatment.
Another recent investment is a telestroke cart, which will help connect potential stroke patients with specialists more quickly, allowing for faster evaluation and treatment decisions during medical emergencies.
The foundation has also supported the launch of Senior Life Solutions, an outpatient mental health program designed for older adults experiencing challenges such as depression, anxiety, grief, isolation and other life changes associated with aging. Proceeds from this year’s gala will help fund the reconfiguration of space in the clinic basement to create a permanent home for the program.
In addition to equipment and facility improvements, foundation funds support professional development opportunities for nurses and emergency medical personnel, including assistance for individuals pursuing paramedic certification.
The foundation has also provided support to MercyOne EMS, including funding toward the purchase of a side-by-side vehicle. Previously, EMS and the fire department shared a vehicle, creating challenges when both departments needed access to it during the same incident.
“Our emergency management service is also filling in holes for all the communities that can no longer support their own,” McCorkindale said.
Board members noted that MercyOne EMS regularly assists neighboring communities through emergency response and transport services, helping ensure residents throughout the region have access to emergency care when they need it.
Another way the foundation supports local healthcare is through scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors pursuing careers in the medical field. This year, scholarships were awarded to Alivia Wiley of Central, Kiarra Young of MFL MarMac and Kiera Felder of Clayton Ridge.
This year, the board also introduced additional scholarships for graduating children of MercyOne staff members. Those scholarships were awarded to Alivya Goerdt and Anastasia Simon. Goerdt works as a CNA at MercyOne alongside her mother, Keri Goerdt, a CNA. Her sisters, Ryleigh Goerdt and Taylor Amling, also work for MercyOne as a CNA and nurse, respectively. Simon is the daughter of Dr. Melissa Simon, an emergency room physician at MercyOne Elkader.
“One of my favorite things the foundation does is award scholarships,” Reinhart said. “We’re helping support the next generation of healthcare professionals, and hopefully some of them will come back and work in our local communities someday.”
Both McCorkindale and Reinhart bring unique strengths to the foundation board.
McCorkindale joined the board in 2010 and was originally asked to serve because of her financial background. Reinhart joined in 2023 after attending the gala for several years and being invited to fill a board vacancy.
“I just think it’s important to have this foundation for the community and make sure the hospital stays strong,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart has helped bring a fresh perspective to the annual gala, introducing new ideas for decorations and guest experiences. She explained the goal is not only to raise funds, but also to create an opportunity for community members to learn more about the hospital and foundation.
McCorkindale said one of her favorite parts of the gala is seeing hospital employees attend and support their workplace.
“It’s wonderful attending the gala to see how many of the hospital staff come there and participate and contribute and support their employer,” she said.
She also enjoys hearing stories from local residents about their experiences with the hospital and the care they received.
“You don’t realize how important it is until you have a major health crisis,” she said.
Reinhart enjoys seeing community members who may have little connection to the hospital come away with a greater understanding of its impact.
“If I didn’t go to the gala or wasn’t a part of the foundation, I feel like I would have no idea what was going on in the hospital,” she said. “I think that’s important for people to hear.”
The foundation plans two main fundraisers each year, the golf tournament held in June and its annual gala held in February. Both events receive strong support from community members and local businesses through sponsorships and attendance. This year’s gala hosted approximately 150 guests, while last year’s golf tournament included 24 teams of three.
This year’s golf tournament will also feature a new online raffle system through Zeffy. The platform will allow community members to purchase raffle tickets and participate even if they are unable to attend the event in person.
The foundation board hopes the new system will make it easier for more people to support the foundation’s mission while expanding participation beyond golfers and event attendees.
For individuals who would like to participate or businesses interested in supporting the foundation and golf tournament, multiple levels of sponsorship opportunities are available, along with the option to donate raffle prizes. Questions about sponsorship opportunities can be directed to Foundation Administrative Assistant Beth Gilana at 563-245-7012.
