COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY GRANTS OWNERSHIP OF BUILDING TO HOWARD REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
Facility at 322 N. Main Street to continue as home of Howard Regional Health System's Behavioral Outpatient and Finance Services
Left to right: Mike Stegall, Chairman of the board of directors for the Community Foundation of Howard County; James Alendar, President and CEO of Howard Regional Health System; Ron Harper, President of the Community Foundation of Howard County; and Ted Brown, Chief Operating Officer of Howard Regional Health System; participate in the deed transfer.
January 20, 2011 —The Community Foundation of Howard County has finalized the transfer of ownership of the facility at 322 North Main Street, Kokomo, Ind., to Howard Regional Health System. What started as a conversation between Mike Stegall, then President of First National Bank, and Ron Harper, President of the Community Foundation of Howard County, in 2001 has resulted in a permanent home for Howard Regional Health System's Behavioral Health Outpatient and Finance Services.
The gift of the former First National Bank building to the Community Foundation was finalized in 2001. At the time, the principal shareholders of the bank wanted to make a gift of the bank's headquarters to the community and entrusted the Foundation to determine its highest and best use.
"The Foundation was extremely excited about this opportunity but not without some misgivings," said Harper. "We were much smaller in 2001 and the ownership of such a building can involve considerable expense and liability. It was decided that the project would go forward, and First National Bank was thanked for this additional outstanding example of corporate generosity that fit well with the bank’s history."
Howard Regional Health System was selected to occupy the building after a task force of community leaders reviewed occupancy proposals from non-profit organizations.
Now known as the hospital's Downtown Campus, the location houses its behavioral health and finance services with a staff of 48 supporting behavioral health and eight supporting finance. Current behavioral health services include confidential assessments, referrals and outpatient treatment for children, adolescents, adults and families. Services encompass play, group, individual and family therapy, and medication management. Treatment for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, life stress, family relationships and other problems are offered at the facility. Finance services include payroll, pension calculations, insurance contract negotiations, accounts payable, budgeting, invoicing, reporting and statement generation.
"As a community mental health center, our proximity to the social services organizations to which we refer and which refer to us makes this downtown location extremely convenient for our patients and clients," said James P. Alender, President and CEO of Howard Regional Health System. "With this in mind, the hospital invested $4.8 million into the renovation of the building. This allowed us to configure a space that provides the privacy and confidentiality a behavioral health facility needs to protect our patients' anonymity as much as possible. The building also gives us a positive and attractive presence in the downtown area, which we believe helps break down the stigma attached to mental/behavioral health issues. We thank the Foundation for this gift and are excited to be able to continue in this location."
"The Foundation is not in the business of managing and owning real estate," said Mike Stegall, Chairman of the board of directors for the Community Foundation of Howard County. "With the wonderful work that the hospital is doing, the grant made perfect sense. We are blessed to have such wonderful community partners as Howard Regional Health System."
"I am very pleased to learn of the Community Foundation's decision to make a grant of the facility at 322 North Main Street to Howard Regional Health System," said Greg Goodnight, Mayor of Kokomo. "I think it is fitting, given the wonderful work that the hospital has been doing in the mental health area. It helps keep important jobs in downtown Kokomo and contributes to the accelerating revival of our downtown core. Thanks to the Foundation for this inspired bit of grantmaking."
The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to benefit the citizens of Howard County. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Harper at 765-454-7298 or ron@cfhoward.org.
