It’s the beginning of a new fiscal year for Lady Minto Foundation, and I want to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you on behalf of everyone at the Foundation and at Lady Minto Hospital to all our community members who have supported the hospital over the past 12 months. Though it was formally a year of “rest” after the overwhelming success of our ED Capital Campaign, we at the Foundation have been truly touched by the community members who included us in their giving this year, from dedicated longtime donors, to new donors just beginning their relationship with the Lady Minto family. The community’s commitment to funding this project, followed by your support in buying the Seabreeze to provide much-needed staff housing, gives us the confidence to keep planning for the future.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the construction site of our new Emergency Department. What an amazing building it is; built to the highest standards and designed for the medical needs of our community. After years of hard work and planning, it’s truly awe-inspiring to see the support and generosity of our community members embodied in this building. I was particularly struck by the pride of the contractors involved in this project as well. Andy Allen, President of Western Medical, who led our tour of the ED, proudly told me that “when the big shaker comes, this [building] will still be standing and operating at full capacity.” We can’t wait to open the doors to this wonderful asset to our community later this year.

Lady Minto Site Director Erin Price-Lindstrom has deemed this “the year of Minto Makeover”—focusing our efforts on improving other spaces in the hospital to make them congruent with the experience of the new Emergency Department, and creating a more enjoyable environment for staff and patients/visitors alike. If you haven’t made a gift to the hospital in a while, now’s a great time to contribute to these efforts. 

The issue of affordable and appropriate workforce housing on-island poses a considerable challenge to our economic well-being. Our hospital is no exception, and as the hospital looks to adjust its staffing complement to support the new Emergency Department, this issue will contribute to the challenge of recruiting staff. As we work through the slow process of beginning renovations to the Seabreeze, we ask that those with appropriate and available housing for rent consider posting their spaces to our dedicated hospital staff Housing Information Portal, to help us bridge the gap.

For those golfers among us, we are looking forward to seeing you on the greens July 8th for the Annual Lady Minto Golf Tournament? If you haven’t joined us for one of our tournaments these past decades, now’s the time! It’s always a ton of fun, with food, prizes, and celebration. You can learn more and register on our website at ladymintofoundation.com/golf.