Lincoln City – The campaigns supporting the new Samaritan hospitals being built in Lincoln County have received a tremendous boost with the announcement of a $125,000 gift from Lesley Ogden, MD, and her husband, William Arens.
As Chief Executive Officer of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, Dr. Ogden oversees the construction projects at both sites. After considering the difference a single large gift could make in the delivery of quality health care to these rural communities, Ogden and Arens decided to make this personal investment.
“We both felt compelled to make this gift because it’s simply the right thing to do,” Dr. Ogden said. “We are fortunate enough to have the means, and we know this donation will have a long-lasting and meaningful impact on the future of health care in our county. We ask others who have the means to thoughtfully consider doing the same because it’s so important to those we serve.”
Because Samaritan Health Services is a not-for-profit health care provider, she encourages community support for each hospital’s fundraising campaign. Two Samaritan foundations, the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation (NLHF) and the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation (PCHDF), are charged with raising funds for furnishings, fixtures and medical equipment for the new hospitals now under construction.
“Our communities have a rich history of supporting our local hospitals, and Dr. Ogden’s gift amplifies that spirit,” said PCHDF Executive Director Ursula Marinelli. “Because Samaritan Health Services is a not-for-profit health care provider, we don’t turn anyone away for inability to pay. That’s what makes gifts like Dr. Ogden’s critical to our mission. We are so grateful for this gift.”
In accepting the gift on behalf of the NLHF, Executive Director Cathy Sandoval commented that an organization’s leader helps to create the larger environment and the individual relationships that are conducive to commitment and giving.
“Dr. Ogden’s role-modeling will surely radiate onto the entire team,” Sandoval said. “When leaders radiate this kind of generous energy, it inspires others to do the same.”
Dr. Ogden agreed that role-modeling is just one benefit of making the large gift.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of something that is bigger than us and that will have an impact for years to come. This gift and gifts from others will help to secure the future of health care in our rural community,” Dr. Ogden said.
The new hospital project in Lincoln City is being funded by Samaritan Health Services and will entirely replace the existing Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital building, which turns 50 years old in October. The hospital expansion, reconstruction and remodeling at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport is made possible by a bond funded by taxpayers in the Pacific Communities Health District and support from Samaritan Health Services.
For more information about the new hospital projects in each community, visit samhealth.org/NewHospitalLincolnCity and samhealth.org/NewHospitalNewport.
