Transforming Healthcare.
Building for the Future.
If you are looking for a way to honor a loved one, thank a special health care provider or give back to your community, consider a gift to the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation. Your generous donations help the KRHC Foundation to live out its mission:
- To offer philanthropic opportunities through annual giving, special events and projects for individuals and businesses that wish to make gifts to Kossuth Regional Health Center.
- All charitable gifts will serve the residents of Kossuth County and the surrounding area by sustaining a viable community based healthcare center.
Thanks to a partnership with the Kossuth County Community Foundation, online giving is now available.
The KRHC Foundation engages residents from across Kossuth County to provide leadership and guidance for the endowment fund, annual giving, special campaigns and much more. Current Foundation Board members include:
- President – Pat Reding, Algona
- Vice President – Carol Heesch, Titonka
- Treasurer – Kristie Brown, Algona
- Secretary – Linda Nerdig Algona
- Trustee – Liaison Conley Nelson , Algona
- Trustee & Auxiliary Liaison – Brenda Bormann, Whittemore
- Medical Liaison – Mark Davis, P.A.-c, Algona
- Medical Liaison – Chris Kern, PT, Algona
- Past President – Kirk Hayes, Algona
- At Large – Tom Eischen, Algona
- At Large – Matt Muller, Algona
- At Large – Sara Guenther, Algona
- At Large – Tom Larson, Algona
Foundation Beginnings
Kossuth Regional Health Center has developed into one of the premier rural health care facilities in the state because of the strength of spirit, dedication and generosity of many. The health care campus we know today is the result of hundreds of volunteer hours and literally millions of dollars donated. It all began with the vision of Dr. Melvin Bourne and a group of citizens committed to building a hospital. Their dream was realized in October 1949 when St. Ann’s Hospital opened its doors under the leadership of the Sisters of Mercy.
In the summer of 1978 another group of citizens realized that the only way to recruit a physician to Kossuth County was to build a clinic. The Kossuth Medical Center Foundation raised over $125,000 to secure FHA financing to begin construction.
Volunteer community leaders stepped forward once again to assist the Board of Trustees when, in the mid-late 1980’s, planning began to build the outpatient addition. The Kossuth County Hospital Foundation was formed in 1988 and has raised over $1.2 million from the residents and corporate citizens of Kossuth County. The Kossuth Medical Center Foundation dissolved and transferred the balance of their funds to the Kossuth County Hospital Foundation in 1997 to create an Endowment Fund.
In December of 1985, the Board of Trustees entered into a management agreement with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Mason City, Iowa. The board and Mercy formed a physician- hospital organization in 1997 and created what we know today as Kossuth Regional Health Center.
Why Raise Private Funds?
To serve the residents of Kossuth County, Kossuth Regional Health Center must be financially stable. Kossuth Regional Health Center receives minimal tax support. Declining reimbursements from Medicare, an aging population and the spiraling costs of medical technology have placed a disproportionate burden on health care facilities our size. In many c ases, Medicare and other payers do not meet the actual cost of providing care to patients. In order to remain viable, it is critical that Kossuth Regional Health Center develops an additional source of funding to cover those shortfalls.
The Cornerstone of A Healthy Future
The Endowment Fund is the cornerstone of the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation. The Endowment Fund was established to provide ongoing support of the hospital. Only the interest income generated from the principal of the Endowment Fund is available to support the hospital and it is conservatively invested to produce long-term growth. The Foundation Endowment has been substantially increased with bequests from Gladys Mahana, Veda McArthur and Ellen G. Holmgren.
The goal of the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation is to grow the Endowment to the point where the income it generates for the hospital can fund not only the capital spending budget but also for the future needs of this community.
As critical as the Foundation’s support was to the facility improvement projects, without a growing Endowment Fund the future of this medical community lies in peril. The income generated by a healthy Endowment can help insulate Kossuth Regional Health Center against some of the pressures placed on it by declining reimbursements from payers such as Medicare as well as continually increasing costs resulting from greater regulatory burdens as well as rising costs of health care supplies and equipment.
Contact Us
To learn more about the KRHC Foundation, contact Foundation Director Nancy Grandgenett-Besch at 515-295-4582.
Past Projects
Chapel Project
Physical healing is bound together with a person’s emotional, social and spiritual needs. Having a quiet, special place set aside for reflection, prayer or meditation is once again available at Kossuth Regional Health Center. The Chapel was dedicated on June 21, 2015 and is now available 24 hours a day for use by patients, guests, vistiors, staff or anyone in need of this quiet, reflective space.
The Chapel is located on the first floor of the hospital and features the original stained glass windows from St. Ann’s Hospital (which eventually became Kossuth Regional Health Center). Funds to reconstruct the chapel were raised by private donations through the KRHC Foundation. Many thanks to the individuals, groups, churches and organizations who helped support this project!
Heritage Room
The Heritage Room was completed in late 2023. Located next to the Chapel on the main level of the hospital, the Heritage Room features a history of healing in Kossuth County going all the way back to when the hospital was first built as St. Ann Hospital in 1949.
Hospital patients and guests are encouraged to visit this room to discover the rich history of the hospital and foundation. The room features artifacts from St. Ann Hospital along with an electronic timeline where viewers can scroll through the decades and view photos, articles and videos highlighting the hospital and its happenings over the years.
This project was funded by the KRHC Foundation. Many thanks to the individuals who helped support the Heritage Room by sharing their historical knowledge and artifacts for others to enjoy.
Gift Giving
The Legacy Society
You are invited to become a member of The Legacy Society, by making a gift to the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation that will benefit generations to come.
You can make your philanthropy last a lifetime and beyond with your planned gift from your estate. After you have planned for your loved ones, those important to you and your other favorite charities, a planned gift to the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation will help untold numbers of patients and family members who look to Kossuth Regional Health Center for excellence in health care.
What Exactly Is A "Planned Gift"?
It is a gift from your estate. It could be a gift in your will called a bequest, a charitable gift annuity, a paid-up life insurance policy, a charitable trust, a personal residence or farm or other personal property including appreciated stocks, an over-funded retirement fund or IRA. Depending upon the type of gift, the donor would benefit from charitable tax deductions, possible estate tax savings, and may even draw income from the gift during their lifetime.
Is Making A "Planned Gift" A Complicated Thing?
Not necessarily, but you should always consult your personal financial advisor – your attorney, tax advisor, accountant or trust officer. You want to maximize the benefits of the charitable gift planning and conform to all state and federal laws.
What Is The Most Common "Planned Gift?"
The most common “planned gift” is a bequest from your will. This is also the simplest type of gift to implement with no cash or asset given during your lifetime. There are several ways to make a bequest. This can be done as a percentage of your estate, the remainder of your estate after everyone else has been taken care of or you may set a specific bequest amount or asset. You may also designate or restrict it to support a specific program. All unrestricted gifts and bequests received by the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation are designated to the Endowment Fund.
How Do You Become A Member Of The Legacy Society?
It’s easy. Make a planned gift, with documentation demonstrating your intention, and you will become a permanent member of The Legacy Society. To learn more, contact the KRHC Foundation Director at 515-295-4582.
