Outstanding donors to NUMC cite outstanding care, community partnership

In the 125 year history of health care in New Ulm, donors have always played a vital part in the success of the facilities whether it’s been constructing a brand-new building; expanding services; renovating and modernizing existing departments or partnering with the hospital to offer healthy programs to residents.

Students Michael Messenger and Madison Suess check out proper portion sizes during a DAAN lesson in their classroom. DAAN is a healthy lifestyle curriculum that is taught to all students in New Ulm schools grades 2, 3 and 4 thanks to donations from the New Ulm Optimist Club.

Charlotte and Hobart Anderson have seen the progression of the history of health care first-hand with Hobart being born at the Union Hospital about 80 years ago and Charlotte arriving in town almost 60 years ago. They have been dedicated supporters of New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC), even acting as honorary co-chairs in the last capital campaign helping to raise money for the Surgery Center expansion and renovation. They cite the convenience of having outstanding medical care in their own community as the reason they see it being important to contribute to the medical center.

“For nearly 60 years we have had the privilege of having our medical needs taken care of right here in New Ulm by New Ulm Medical Center and its predecessors,” Charlotte said. “From day one, we’ve had the best of care.”

The Andersons can list a veritable “who’s who” in the recent history of New Ulm health care as some of their favorite doctors throughout the years: Drs. Frank Carthey, Lawrence Ringhofer, O.J. Seifert, and Peter Kitzberger. “They were all taking care of us (in their own clinics) before New Ulm Medical Center was even born. We’ve seen the progression of health care in New Ulm go from all these little clinics and two separate hospitals to becoming one,” Charlotte said. “And, as specialty services have been added, there’s less and less need to leave town for the highest quality care.”

While the Andersons have focused on the medical services within the hospital and clinical settings themselves as an important need to contribute, other donors see themselves as partners with the medical center in bringing programs to the larger community outside the medical center four walls.

The New Ulm Optimist Club has donated $35,000 in the last two years to the NUMC Foundation, fully funding the DAAN program. DAAN is a healthy lifestyle curriculum that, thanks to the Optimist Club donation, is taught to children in all of New Ulm’s elementary schools in grades 2, 3 and 4.

The DAAN program falls directly in line with the Optimist Club’s mission statement of “Bringing out the best in youth,” said current club President Derek Shaver. “By funding the DAAN program, we thought this was a great way to reach every single child that comes through the New Ulm school system. We donate to other areas that are a little more general, but this is something that every child will get and can use for the rest of their life.”

There are about 600 school children every year who benefit from the DAAN program.

The DAAN program in New Ulm started, explained Optimist Club charter member Doug Ladd, because a club member heard about a similar program in a town in Wisconsin. The club actually approached the medical center about implementing a comparable program and the DAAN program had already been piloted through Buffalo Hospital – which, like NUMC is owned and operated by Allina Hospitals & Clinics. “We definitely see ourselves as partners with the medical center in helping to keep our community healthy,” Shaver said. “We know that no one entity can do it alone.”

The Optimist Club in New Ulm was founded in 1997 and currently has about 40 members. They raise all the money locally through their own fundraising activities. They then donate funds to projects aimed at excelling youth.

“It’s through the generosity and vision of people like Charlotte and Hobart and civic groups like the Optimist Club that the New Ulm Medical Center can continue to serve our patients with the greatest efficiency and the latest technology; and can reach out into the community with preventive programs like DAAN,” said NUMC Foundation Executive Director Carisa Buegler. “These people and our thousands of other donors are our partners in healthcare, helping to take care of our patients every day just as if they were at the bedside.”

More information about the New Ulm Medical Center Foundation and how you can contribute.