Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation Announces $15K Major Campaign Gift
The Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce a major donation to its capital campaign to build future patient housing for cancer patients and others traveling to Great Falls for treatment.
Dr. Karl Guter, a longtime partner of the Great Falls Clinic, and his wife, Dr. Colleen Marron have donated $15,000 to the Foundation’s “Building Hope” Campaign. Dr. Guter joined the Great Falls Clinic Cancer Care Department in 1977 and is now the longest serving partner within the organization reaching his 40 year work anniversary this year. Dr. Guter serves on the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation and has supported the housing project since its inception. Dr. Guter and Dr. Marron, both physicians within the oncology and pediatric departments, are more than familiar with the need the Great Falls community faces for patient housing while receiving outpatient treatment in Great Falls.
“This family housing unit represents a shared legacy of the Clinic and the Central Montana community,” says Dr. Guter on why he believes in and supports the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation.
Dr. Guter and Dr. Marron proudly serve their patients, the Great Falls Clinic and the Great Falls community. Both physicians remain active in the community, participating in various events within the Clinic, the public school system, the swim programs and more.
The Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), announced its plans for future patient housing last June. The Great Falls Clinic sees an average of 650 surgical and 400 cancer care patients per month, with approximately 42 percent of those patients traveling from out of town. Helping those patients and families from around Montana, seeking treatment at the Great Falls Clinic was part of the vision of the Foundation. Patient care and comfort is of the utmost importance to the Foundation, and patient housing is now their top priority.
“Our patients are our number one priority and helping to relieve some of the financial burden of medical care, as well as, housing and travel costs associated with out-of-town visits is important,” said Samantha Shinaberger, Executive Director. “The housing facility will reduce the amount of stress placed on our patients seeking medical care. Knowing their housing and travel is taken care of for the duration of their treatment is meaningful to them,” she added.
The patient housing facility will feature 12 patient guest rooms, including double queen rooms and single king rooms to accommodate large and small families. The rooms will be handicap- accessible and patient-friendly. To accommodate all lengths of patient treatments, all rooms will have a kitchenette and other hotel amenities. Along with patient rooms, the facility will feature an entry atrium displaying a donor recognition tree, a self-serve kitchen and dining area, family gathering areas, a laundry room, and an exterior gathering area with a fire pit.
“The community of Great Falls and surrounding areas would benefit greatly from the proposed housing project, especially knowing they are helping some very ill, financially burdened patients. In some patient cancer cases, a course of radiotherapy may take as long as eight weeks to complete, with treatments given daily,” said Vicki Newmiller, CEO of the Great Falls Clinic and board member of the GFC Legacy Foundation. “Without patient housing available for these patients, they would be required to stay in a hotel, sometimes far away from their treatment center, which only adds to their financial burden,” added Newmiller.
The Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation, started in 2016, was created to help patients seeking treatment at the Great Falls Clinic. The Foundation’s mission is to bring hope and healing to Great Falls and surrounding communities, by providing the best access to healthcare possible. The Foundation seeks to achieve its mission of hope and healing through funding approaches that will result in: providing affordable housing and travel options for patients and families in need, increasing the level of care for all patients, promoting patient health and wellness, expanding opportunities beyond just housing and travel assistance that will bring hope and healing to the Great Falls community.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.gfclegacy.org or call (406) 771-3107.
