MV Hospital Annual Fund

November, 2011

Dear Friends,

Ten years ago, when Martha’s Vineyard Hospital was certified as a Critical Access Hospital, it was the first in Massachusetts to be so designated by the federal government. A decade later, the Commonwealth has only two others. CAH facilities are the exception, not the rule, because they represent that tiny fraction of hospitals whose very existence speaks to the unique circumstances of the communities they serve.

Critical access – these words convey both the essential nature of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and the challenges involved in sustaining it. Again and again, as we make decisions about how to deliver health care for the people of this Island community, we are reminded that this institution marches to a unique set of imperatives.

When necessary, thanks to our affiliation with the Partners HealthCare system, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is able to connect patients with advanced care at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, one of the leading medical institutions in the world. But wherever possible, we strive to help Islanders receive their medical care close to home, even when this involves services that will never be profitable here.

Perhaps the most vivid example of this is the Hospital’s new maternity department, which sees only about 150 births a year – not nearly enough to support the costs of a full maternity service. No hospital with its focus solely on the financial bottom line would provide such a service. In fact, we’re not doing this because we expect ever to make money on it. We’re doing it, quite simply, because this community is so passionate about making sure our families can go through labor and delivery of “new Islanders” right here on the Vineyard – with confidence and safety.

It’s been said that if there were a bridge from the Vineyard to the mainland, there would be no Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. This is certainly true – but it’s also true that there would be no Martha’s Vineyard Hospital without the generosity of a community that recently rallied to build a new, $50 million facility without the burden of a mortgage.

We’re a nonprofit institution, operating on the slenderest of financial margins, because our twofold promise to the Island involves a delicate balance: to meet the health care needs of the Island as fully as possible, and to be responsible stewards of Hospital finances so its work can go on. Looking outward to the national landscape of health care, it is clear that big changes are coming, and we are prepared to defend this Island institution and its essential services. Looking homeward, we are deeply grateful for the community support which sustains us. We hope you will be generous in your donation to the Annual Fund, so our Hospital can be here to serve the Vineyard for many years to come.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year,

Timothy J. Walsh
President & CEO

P.S. This year there’s a new a way to give to MVH! Become a sustaining contributor by setting up an automatic monthly contribution via your credit card.

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Just give us a call at 508-693-4645 and we can take your gift information over the phone including sustaining pledges—plus you get to talk to a real person and get a real thank you! We truly appreciate your support and your patience.