LFH News

Little Falls Hospital Receives its Largest Foundation Gift
Posted 1/3/08

Little Falls Hospital has received a donation of $1.575 million dollars from the F. M. Kirby Foundation, Inc. of Morristown, New Jersey, to fund the renovations and expansion of the Emergency Department.

“This gift honors the diligent efforts of so many health care professionals and community volunteers who have committed themselves to the continuous improvement of Little Falls Hospital, and to our vision of achieving excellence in every aspect of the care we provide,” states Jonathan I. Lawrence, President and CEO.

This year’s extraordinarily generous donation comes in response to Little Falls Hospital’s 2007 grant request, which was prepared with the understanding of the Kirby Foundation’s interest in the hospital’s plans for the Emergency Department.  In light of the significance of this gift, LFH will be naming the new facility the “F.M. Kirby Emergency Department.”

Since 1984, the F.M. Kirby Foundation has supported Little Falls Hospital with gifts totaling more than $261,000.  This support has enabled LFH to upgrade and purchase diagnostic and clinical equipment throughout the hospital.  Thus, both the hospital and the thousands of community members the hospital serves have been the beneficiaries of the generous support of the F.M. Kirby Foundation.

Plans for the Emergency Department include twelve individual, uniformly equipped, adequately lit, and properly furnished treatment rooms.  The trauma room will be relocated adjacent to the ambulance entrance.  Patient triage and registration areas will offer new levels of privacy and efficiency to enhance care of critically ill and ambulatory patients.

Jonathan I. Lawrence comments, “As we reflect on the accomplishments and progress at Little Falls Hospital since our affiliation with Bassett Healthcare, this special gift serves as an inspiration to all of us throughout the New Year, and will reaffirm our confidence that the future of Little Falls Hospital is more secure and brighter than ever.”

The F. M. Kirby Foundation is a family foundation.  Its grantees are largely in geographic areas of particular interest to five generations of Kirby family members and, in many cases, are organizations with which family members have been associated.

“Little Falls Hospital is profoundly grateful for this exceptionally generous gift in support of the expansion and renovation of our Emergency Department.  This project goes beyond the bricks and mortar of expanding our Emergency Department – it’s about improving how patients access health care and changing how we deliver care to our community, adds John Bullis, President, Little Falls Hospital Board of Trustees.