March 28, 2024

CCH Foundation receives $500,000 CCDC matching grant

Clarke County Hospital Foundation was recently awarded a $500,000 matching grant by the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC) to support funding for the hospital’s expansion project. The grant will match donations from the community on a dollar to dollar basis up to $100,000 per year for five years.

“Clarke County Hospital is a major part of our community’s economic success,” said Bill Trickey, CCDC director. “Every dollar that is raised toward the expansion will be doubled, adding leverage for people within our community to contribute.”

The CCDC Matching Grant is financially supporting a five-year expansion and renovation that will add more than 60,000 square feet to the existing hospital facility. Phase II of the construction project will start in March 2015 to build a new UnityPoint Clinic, outpatient clinic, specialty clinic and lobby to the south side of the existing building. The emergency department will be relocated to Jackson Street and include a separate waiting room for patients.

“We have outgrown our current facility in many departments due to a growing community and a growing number of patients,” said Brian Evans, chief executive officer at Clarke County Hospital. “The expansion will alleviate immediate needs for clinical space and plan for community growth for many years to come.”

Clarke County Hospital’s shortage of clinical space has not deterred the quality of patient care. In 2014, Clarke County Hospital received top honors:

• Top 20 critical access hospital in the U.S. for best practices in quality

• Guardian of Excellence Award for patient experience in the emergency department

• Excellence in patient care for a third consecutive year

• Top 100 Iowa workplace for a third consecutive year

Similar CCDC grants have funded other projects within Clarke County. A grant for Clarke Community Schools provided iPads for every attending child in the district. Murray Community Schools received a grant to supply students with Google Chromebooks, laptops with an app-based operating system.

“We are very excited for this grant, and I genuinely thank the CCDC for their generous support,” Evans said.