You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality, and then there are those who turn one into the other.
—Douglas Everett
A good character is the best tombstone. Carve your name on hearts not marble.
—Charles H. Spurgeon
A handful of pine seed will cover mountains with the green majesty of a forest. I too will set my face to the wind and throw my handful of seeds on high.
—Fiona MacLeod
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
—Dalai Lama
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.
—George Washington Carver
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest at of caring, all of which has the potential to turn a life around.
—Leo Buscaglia
Along the way of our service to others and community, we learn that a very large side benefit is an enormous sense of personal satisfaction, personal purpose and personal worth.
—Brian O’Connell
Giving starts with loving. Only as we are able to love others do we learn to give.
—Anonymous
Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.
—Mary Livermore
Occasionally in life there are moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.
—Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He who has health has hope, he who has hope has everything.
—Proverb
It is not our resources that limit our decisions, it is our decisions that limit our resources.
—U. Thant
If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.
—Anita Roddick
You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
—John Wooden
All you shall have some day be given; therefore give now that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritor’s.
—Kahlil Gibran
Progress is not automatic. The world grows better because people wish that it should and take the steps to make it better.
—Jane Addams
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
—Mark Twain
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
—Nelson Henderson
I expect to pass through this life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do, let me do it now as I shall not pass this way again.
—William Penn
Act as if what you do makes a difference. Because it does.
—William James
Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.
—Edwin Hubbel Chapin
Imagine a world where people give of themselves simply because they want to. Now, instead of imaging this kind of world, do your part in making it happen. Give back to the world that gives so much to you.
—Bill Daniels
Philanthropy lies at the heart of human kindness.
—J. Patrick Ryan
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
—William Arthur Ward
Throughout the last century, Columbia Memorial Hospital has relied on community support to help fund excellence in healthcare. From the very first hospital to the move to the Exchange Street campus, donors have helped make progress possible.
Not-for-profit hospitals rely on philanthropic partnerships to be able to offer the health services and programs that meet immediate human needs. Offering the best care to patients is our commitment to the thousands of individuals who trust us every year with their lives.
The Hospital also carries the responsibility of providing a safety net throughout Clatsop County. In 2011, Columbia Memorial Hospital provided almost $2 million in charity care to the community. Over $3.4 million was written off for “bad debt”—the cost of services billed but not reimbursed.
The Hospital also has to save money, keeping funds in reserve to afford future needed services and programs, facility improvements and expansion, equipment purchases, facility replacement, IT systems—the list of operational costs is long! Much like we all have to save to take care of our homes and have enough funds to pay the bills—mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc. the Hospital has to save or “reserve” money as well.
CMH is well managed, which is a significant achievement for any hospital but especially for one that holds the rare status of being an independent, locally controlled provider.
This is an even greater achievement when you consider that to free up $1 for use in replacing equipment, maintaining facilities and retaining highly skilled staff, the Hospital has to earn $12.50. In other words, to purchase a $2 million piece of equipment, or fund a program for one year, the Hospital has to generate $25 million in revenue to be able save $2 million.
Why? Because hospitals can generate revenue three ways: through operations, borrowing and philanthropy. Raising money through operations has become increasingly difficult as hospitals have a severely limited ability to raise rates and cannot decline to provide most healthcare services. Yet, the rate of medical innovation is off the charts. It’s difficult in keep up when you consider that medical technology changes and advances about every 18 months!
If a hospital borrows money then it has to pay that money back—with interest. So, $1 million borrowed at 5% interest over 15 years will cost $1.4 million which equates to $28.4 million in operating revenue needed to repay the loan.
So, when philanthropic partners join in carrying out the mission, Columbia Memorial Hospital is able to achieve a standard of care that would otherwise not be possible. Our sincere and humble thanks to all those who step in and up to support your hospital—it makes all the difference to everyone who counts on Columbia Memorial for care!