On the heels of its 100th anniversary, nonprofit health system Boulder Community Health is investing in the future of quality medical care.
In August, the Boulder Community Health Foundation announced that it met the $22 million goal for its Centennial Campaign. Launched at the end of 2021, the Centennial Campaign was focused on expanding access to care, improving the patient experience and bolstering the BCH workforce.
While the goal was only hit during the summer, BCH has been putting the donations to use throughout the campaign. Over $10 million from the campaign has already gone toward cardiology equipment, massage therapy for nurses, geriatric services and a palliative care program.
Grant Besser, president of the BCH Foundation, said he felt “incredibly fortunate” watching the local community support the health and wellness of both patients and employees.
“We were immediately investing those dollars as they were coming in to really accelerate that work,” Besser said.
The Boulder Community Health Foundation supports BCH by coordinating financial contributions from donors. Since 1978, the foundation has helped raise over $75 million to advance BCH’s health care goals.
The Centennial Campaign has also funded grants to nonprofits that collaborate with BCH on patient care. Earlier this year, the BCH Foundation awarded $300,000 to nine community partners, including the Boulder County AIDS Project and All Roads.
The $22 million goal was the largest set by a BCH Foundation fundraiser to date. Previously, the foundation’s biggest campaign goal was $10 million.
“It was a really big leap of faith,” Besser said.
On top of paying homage to BCH’s establishment in 1922, the decision to set the campaign goal at $22 million was inspired by the Boulder community’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Besser said community members rallied in early 2020 to meet health care needs, such as helping BCH secure personal protective equipment.
The Centennial Campaign was also a departure from previous fundraising efforts by not being a capital campaign. After finishing the campaign for Boulder’s Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion in 2019, the BCH Foundation chose to look beyond infrastructure for its next fundraiser.
One aspect of the Centennial Campaign was the well-being of BCH’s workforce. The campaign has supported continuing education for BCH employees through the Hoover Family Center for Education Excellence, which launched in 2022.
“We were coming off a very challenging time after Covid, particularly for health care workers,” said Robert Vissers, president and chief executive officer of BCH. “We thought it was a bit risky going out to the community, asking them to support our providers. But it was amazing how much that resonated with the donors.”
Boulder Community Health has facilities in Boulder County, Broomfield and Erie. Its services include neurosurgery, cancer care and orthopedics.
Thousands of individuals contributed to the Centennial Campaign, with gifts ranging from $5 to $5 million. Vissers said the campaign showed him that Boulder residents care about their community hospital.
“They trust us as the provider of their care, and they also trust us to be responsible and thoughtful with their donations,” Vissers said. “For me, that was very reaffirming, to get that sort of tremendous amount of support.”