Jones Regional Medical Center Endowment Provides Crucial Support

Through donor dollars, the Jones Regional Medical Center Foundation has purchased equipment, funded educational programs, renovated hospital departments, and made other efforts to benefit the health of the community. As healthcare evolves, the foundation will continue to play a crucial role in keeping Jones Regional functioning at its highest level.

One of the Jones Regional Medical Center Foundation endowment funds is supported by the Jones County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. Because of that affiliation, donors who want to support the Jones Regional Medical Center Foundation and take advantage of the Endow Iowa 25% tax credit have this as a giving option. “It’s a beautiful opportunity to offer our donors,” said Sheila Tjaden, director of community development at Jones Regional. “They want to give back, and the tax credit is beneficial to them.”

The annual distribution of the foundation’s endowment is placed into a general fund that benefits the area of greatest need each year. Recent projects utilizing those funds include supporting staff in the medical center’s family counseling department and Parkinson’s disease support group.

“Because Parkinson’s has so many ripple effects, the support is very valuable to both caregivers and patients,” said Tjaden. “We’ve seen a lot of growth with that group, even friendships develop.” The support group meets monthly and attendance is free.

The therapy department, which includes physical, occupational and speech therapy has also benefitted from the endowment. “As our therapy program continues to grow, the funds help purchase equipment,” Tjaden said. “With any new equipment we purchase, we look at benefits to both the patient and the caregiver. Safety is always the top priority.”

The Jones Regional Medical Center includes 70,000 square feet of hospital space plus an urgent care facility and seven rural health care clinics. “We see about 13,000 patient visits per month, or about 425 per day,” said Tjaden. “Keeping quality healthcare local is a vital component of sustaining our community, both in healthcare delivery and the economic impact. This hospital is an economic engine for the whole community.”

Thanks to support from its endowment, that engine runs a bit more smoothly.

Learn more, make a contribution to the endowment and gain the opportunity to take advantage of Endow Iowa tax credits by clicking here.