The Three Pillars of Community – a well balanced life in Sandpoint
This post is part of a series of Community within a Community, and our desire to recognize members of the Seasons community who are actively involved in making Sandpoint and Bonner County an even better place to live.
The two pillars of a strong community are education and health care. The third pillar, it can be argued, is Parks and Recreation. Howard Simmons has made health care his mission. “My wife is involved in education. I saw a need and an opportunity in healthcare”, said Howard Simmons, a Seasons at Sandpoint resident. Howard was integral in developing the Bonner General Hospital Foundation in 2007. Few people realize that Bonner General is a locally owned, not-for-profit hospital. The Hospital Foundation operates separately from the Hospital Board to provide a channel for fund raising, and to assist in needs that cannot be funded through their annual budget.
We are fortunate here in Sandpoint to have such a sophisticated medical community compared to other cities our size. One would think we could attribute that to the lifestyle the area offers (in other words, the third pillar). It’s something we don’t think about, and take for granted until we need it. Bonner General is one of the largest employers in the county. It has an ER, an imaging department, surgical center, maternity, and cancer treatment center. Just a few years ago, cancer patients had no other option but to drive to Coeur d’Alene for treatment.
Although in its infancy, the organization has funded several initiatives and upgrades to hospital equipment. Possibly the finest achievement at this point, is its organizational structure which will ensure the boards success and sustainability. Howard wanted to limit the board to a small number to keep the decision-making process nimble. Having said that, they created an Advisory Council of diverse community members who serve a 1-year term. The council serves to increase the knowledge base and provide a variety of areas of expertise in which the Board can tap into.
The Foundation Board facilitates fund raising activities and writes grant applications for capital expenditures not in the budget. They are also looking at long term capital improvement projects for the facility which will need to be upgraded eventually. The main hospital board has engaged a study to look at the needs of the region and see which hospitals are providing which services, to eliminate overlap and to identify any areas of need.
Some stats from the hospital for 2009 – pretty interesting for a little community hospital!
345 babies born
2423 inpatient admissions
57753 outpatient visits
5537 surgical procedures
8760 ER visits
37141 imaging studies
10891 home health and hospice visits
6142 cancer center visits
Bonner General Hospital Foundation is committed to advancing the promise of life through philanthropy. It is part of their mission statement. Find out how you can help or get involved here.
Howard and his wife Georgia live at Seasons at Sandpoint. When he is not busy with the Foundation, you might see him out on his boat on the lake, or snowmobiling in the mountains. He loves that you don’t have to go far to have fun.
