GraceMed Health Clinic is more than halfway to its goal of raising $3.94 million to expand its Topeka facilities, and a new challenge grant may push it near the top, its leader said Friday.
GraceMed received a $500,000 Challenge Grant from the J.E. &L.E. Mabee Foundation Inc. In a challenge grant, the clinic will have to raise $500,000 by Oct. 10, 2018, before it receives the grant, said Alice Weingartner, director of community development.
“If we only get $400,000 by that October date, we don’t get any of the money,” she said. “I believe our community is so supportive of this initiative. I believe it’s going to happen.”
In April, GraceMed launched the $3.94 million capital campaign, called Project Wellspring, to tackle extensive renovations to be done to the former Dillons building at 1400 S.W. Huntoon, which will become the organization’s headquarters. Weingartner said she’d been waiting anxiously to hear if they were approved for the Mabee grant, and learned the news on her birthday last week.
“I am beyond excited,” she said.
Now the work begins to let the community know about the Mabee opportunity and the critical deadline. Weingartner said she and other GraceMed staff will be reaching out to organizations and individuals who might be willing to help.
The renovation of the 23,000-square-foot Huntoon facility will create 25 rooms for medical care and also add space for dental and vision services not currently offered by GraceMed. A patient pharmacy and consultation suites for behavioral health services are included.
GraceMed took over management of Topeka’s two community health clinics last July.
“The Mabee Challenge grant provides great momentum to reach the Project Wellspring goal. We are eager to start working on the building,” said Dave Sanford, CEO of GraceMed.
Weingartner said the architectural plans are nearing completion and, if the Mabee grant is received, they are hopeful to begin work on the building by early 2018.
“I think what we’re most anxious for and what we hear from our community partners that they’re anxious for, is for us to start adding those new services that we’ve talked about — the dental and the vision and the pharmacy being available for the patients.”
Project Wellspring also includes a stretch goal that would support the first school-based clinic in Shawnee County. With an additional $930,000, GraceMed in cooperation with Topeka Public Schools plans to build a third clinic, which would have space for medical and preventive dental services. The facility would be owned by the school district and operated by GraceMed.
“A lot of people don’t realize that there are currently more than 25,000 residents of Shawnee County who are being underserved,” Weingartner said. “That’s a lot of people who are having to live without medical and dental care. Project Wellspring is an absolutely vital first step in Greater Topeka’s effort to address this deficit in the quality of life and health for so many of our residents.”
Donations to the campaign have been made by numerous individuals, businesses, government and private foundations, including Stormont Vail Health, Shawnee County Board of Commissioners, Capitol Federal Foundation, Security Benefit, St. Francis Health Foundation, the Lewis H. Humphreys Charitable Trust, Bank of America and the U.S. Department of Health &Human Services/Health Infrastructure Program.
