Baptist Health Foundation Celebrates Major Donors to Baptist Health Fishermen's Community Hospital
Nearly 200 guests attended Baptist Health Foundation’s 2023 Denim & Diamonds event on Saturday, March 25 at Ocean Front Park in Marathon, Florida. The event celebrated the Foundation’s Giving Society members and other donors to Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon, located in the heart of the Florida Keys.
Denim & Diamonds featured a cocktail hour, buffet dinner, band and a live auction. Speakers included Jane Packard, Baptist Health Foundation Fishermen’s Community Hospital Council Director; Drew Grossman, CEO of Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital and Mariners Hospital; Jay Hershoff, chair of the Baptist Health Board of Trustees; and Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation.
“We are so grateful to have such a tight-knit community of donors in the Keys,” said Alex Villoch. “We wanted to make this event an opportunity to express our appreciation and celebrate the impact their ongoing philanthropic support is making on the range of healthcare services and resources available at Fishermen’s Community Hospital.”
The event raised more than $200,000 to benefit the fund to build the new Medical Arts Building on the grounds of the hospital, which is located in the Middle Keys. The building will enhance the vision of making Fishermen’s Community Hospital an all-inclusive medical campus and will feature Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care physicians and specialty practices, rehabilitation services, an expanded infusion therapy center and more.
“Thanks to the commitment from our donors, plans for the new Medical Arts Building are moving along,” said Drew Grossman, CEO, Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital and Mariners Hospital. “We are looking forward to opening the doors to the facility in the coming year and being able to further provide our community with access to quality healthcare.”
The Denim & Diamonds event committee was led by Jane Packard and included Linda Coggins, Tammy Collins, Rebecca Godchaux, Kim Gregory, Nancy Hershoff, Ally Kelley, Jason Koler, Mike Leonard, George Neugent, Lindsay Rabito-Leonard, Don Swatik, Aleta Williamson, Sue Williamson and Barbara Wright.
Diamond Sponsors included First Horizon Foundation, Betty and Jim Howe and Lookout Foundation. Crystal Sponsors included Media Counselors, Sexton Family Foundation and Charley Toppino & Sons, Inc. Silver Sponsors include Rebecca Godchaux, Marathon Lumber and Building Supply, Ocean | Sotheby’s International Realty, Judith and Nick Rifkin, The Rotary Club of Marathon and SHI Keys. Denim Sponsors include American Coastal Vacation Rentals, Manfred & Beatrix Baumgartner, Design Center, Discount Rock & Sand, Keys Federal Credit Union, Michael Kiraly, Radiology Associates of South Florida (RASF), Trane and Sam Williams. In-kind donations were provided by Islamorada Brewery & Distillery, Florida Keys Press and Keys Weekly.
Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital has been caring for the Florida Keys community since 1962. The hospital was closed in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage to much of the area. A field hospital was quickly opened to provide uninterrupted care to the community. In July 2018, Baptist Health replaced the field hospital with a modular facility, before opening the brand-new facility in 2021. The state-of-the-art facility offers endoscopy, oncology, surgery, 24/7 emergency care with on-site helipad, diagnostic imaging, inpatient care, intensive care unit, telestroke services to provide stroke patients with emergency access to board-certified neurologists, outpatient laboratory and rehabilitation.
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Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 27,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.