Construction Update

A few weeks ago the steel structure of our new addition was completed in construction tradition that included staff, donors, and all who made this project possible coming out to sign their names to the final steel beam. Thank you to the many supporters who attended, from political officials to local children. It was hoisted into place on March 29, complete with an American flag and tree for good luck, as the tradition goes.

Progress is still coming along as the crews work to make the 22,000 sq/ft space weather-tight. CEO Karen Gardner and CIO Katy O’Connell of the Building Committee traveled to Boston last week to review furniture recommendations with the architect. Katy explained that the underground plumbing will be going in over the next couple of weeks and the builders have started the process of installing water service by connecting to the water main on Commercial Street. The underground electric will be installed soon as well.

We are thrilled to still be on track and moving quickly. Completion is expected for September 2012.

Make YOUR Mark - Sign The Beam!

It is a construction tradition that the final steel beam that will be secured in a new building project is first signed by those who made it possible—in our case our many staff, volunteers, board members, donors, community members and leaders, and of course the building team. We could not do it without all of you!

It is also customary for the final beam to be hoisted into place with an American flag on one end and a tree on the other. The final placement is known as the “topping off” ceremony and will take place at the Health Center later next week.

Mashpee Town Manager Joyce Mason, Assistant Town Manager Thomas Mayo, and the Board of Selectmen (John Cahalane, Michael Richardson, Wayne Taylor, Carol Sherman, Thomas O’Hara) all made a special visit to the construction site this morning and were among the first to sign their names on the beam for good luck.

We invite all of our friends and supporters to come by today (Friday, March 23) between 11:30 and 1:30 pm or Monday, March 26 between 2 and 4 pm to “sign the beam” for good luck. No need to RSVP, but if you have questions feel free to contact the Development Office at 508-477-5990. We hope to see you there!

Structural steel and other construction news

Can you believe it is already March? Impending springtime means one thing at the Health Center: Structural steel. That’s right! Our construction team is currently preparing the work site in Mashpee for the delivery of lots of steel, which is scheduled to arrive next week. Crews will begin installing the structural steel next week and at least through this month.

In the meantime, the Building Committee has many choices to make in regards to the interior of the new space. They will be approving plumbing fixtures this week (including double flush toilets and no-hands faucets) and beginning the furniture selection process soon. Although we certainly cannot complain about the weather this winter, we are gladly welcoming spring and more construction progress here at the Health Center!

As a reminder, if you have not yet made a gift to the Building for the Future Expansion Campaign, right now you have the opportunity to have your campaign donation matched dollar for dollar by The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. Please contact the Development Office at 508-477-5990 for more information or you may download a pledge form here.

A big THANK YOU to all those who have already made a gift or pledge—It is only with your support that we can make this important community resource a reality.

Give now and double your gift’s impact!

Did you know that right now your campaign gift can be doubled? An appeal will be mailed out soon asking for support to satisfy the $125,000 matching grant from The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. To receive this full amount, we must raise the same by June 30. With your help we know can accomplish this tall task and we will then be $250,000 closer to our Building for the Future Expansion Campaign goal of $3.25 million. As of today, we have about $1.5 million more to go. In the past, our community has met and exceeded our expectations and we hope this appeal will bring more of the same!

As you may know, this grant is for the Health Center’s new and improved health information technology plan that is part of the Mashpee expansion (Read more here). So today, your gift towards the Building for the Future Expansion Campaign will actually double the impact. This is an excellent opportunity for you as well as the Health Center, its patients, and this entire community.

We hope we can count on you, but you don’t need to wait for your appeal letter to arrive in your mailbox. Just click here to download a pledge form or donate safely and securely online. Thank you in advance! Your support allows the Health Center to do so much for so many.

Want to be a “CHC Insider”? Join our new email list!

We have stepped further into the 21st century! Community Health Center of Cape Cod is now using Constant Contact, an email marketing program that allows us to communicate directly with people who wish to hear about our programs and activities. Constant Contact will be used for e-mailing our newsletters and periodic updates to donors, friends, patients, and other community stakeholders. We can save on printing and postage while being more environmentally friendly.

To join our email list, click HERE.

Of course, privacy is vital; therefore, we do not sell, rent, or give names or addresses to anyone. If for any reason subscribers decide they do not want to receive emails from us anymore, they can easily unsubscribe at any time with just a click of the mouse.

During this time of change and growth at the Health Center we want to keep the community updated and engaged with all that is going on these days. While we are certainly a much larger organization than we were during our Falmouth Free Clinic days over a decade ago, we are able care for exponentially more patients in need. Now serving 13,500+ patients from Cape Cod, the Islands, and nearby towns like Plymouth and Wareham, Community Health Center of Cape Cod cares for more year-round residents than any other community health center in this region.

With that said, we always have exciting news to share, so please consider joining our Constant Contact email list to stay in the loop!

Thanking our donors... and weather gods!

In addition to the many generous donors who have kindly supported our building expansion project so far, we also must thank the weather gods! This mild winter on the Cape is certainly cooperating with our building schedule, particularly the temperature sensitive task of pouring the concrete foundation, which is nearly completed. Half of the large back wall of the addition was poured last week—it’s an impressive height of concrete and it is clearly visible from Route 28. Take a look when you are driving by… but keep your eyes on the road! The other half is ready to be poured this week, and then the lower walls around the other three sides of the building will be connected.

We are still on track and expect to see structural steel go into place in March, so stay tuned! As always, we welcome the opportunity to give anyone interested a tour of the existing Mashpee facility and show the current construction and building plans with all we will soon have to offer our patients. Please call the Development Office at 508-477-5990 if you would like to stop by for a tour, have any questions or would like to make a gift. You may download a Building for the Future Expansion Campaign Pledge Form HERE.

Halfway to Our Goal!

Happy New Year to all! We hope your holidays were relaxing and joyous. On to 2012! Here at the Health Center we anticipate an exciting year filled with opportunity, growth, and celebration.

JK Scanlan’s construction team and our Building Committee have been hard at work over the past few months, as have our Campaign Committee and development staff. To date, $1.7 million has been raised of the $3.25 million fundraising goal. We are more than halfway there thanks to our very generous donors, foundations, and businesses!

There are several easy ways to make a donation and support the Health Center’s Building for the Future Expansion Campaign:

· Make a pledge by clicking here to download and complete a pledge form
· Send a check made out to CHC of Cape Cod, indicate the Campaign in the memo
· Give securely online with your credit card, visit http://www.chcofcapecod.org/ and click Make A Donation! Be sure to indicate “Building for the Future Expansion Campaign” or “Information Technology Challenge Grant”**
· Donate a gift of appreciated stock or securities. Call the Development Office at 508-477-5990 for delivery instructions.
· Choose our monthly gift option by providing the Development Office with your credit card number. Each month we will charge a payment amount with which you feel comfortable. This allows donors to give frequently in small, manageable amounts that have a much larger impact over a length of time.
· Make a tribute gift to the Campaign in memory or in honor of a loved one or someone special to you
· There are a number of naming opportunities. Please call the Development Office for more details and to discuss your options.
· Many employers have matching gift programs. Don’t forget to provide us with any matching gift forms to maximize your gift

Our close-knit Cape and Islands community is remarkably compassionate and philanthropic. When provided with a local challenge—like meeting the critical healthcare needs of the most underserved—you have always gone above and beyond. On behalf of all our grateful patients, we ask that if you have not already done so, please consider making a gift the Campaign to help us reach our fundraising goal and ensure improved access to care and expanded services for thousands more in need in our community.

**The Health Center has received commitment of a $125,000 matching grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation for implementation of our updated health information technology (HIT) plan. This grant requires that we raise the same amount in matching funds from other sources in the community by June 30, 2012. [See post below from December 29 for more details].