Mabee Foundation issues $1M challenge grant for expanding needs at Children's Mercy East

Over the course of six years of operation, Children’s Mercy East (CME) located in Independence, Mo., has far outpaced projections with a 213% increase in patient visits and annual volumes exceeding 76,000 visits each year. The Edward G. and Kathryn E. Mader Urgent Care Center is the busiest in the Children’s Mercy network and expansion has become vital to meet the growing needs of Eastern Jackson County.

To kick-start the expansion project, Children’s Mercy has been awarded a $1 million challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation. In order for Children’s Mercy to receive the challenge grant, the hospital must raise an additional $1 million by October 1, 2019.

“We have maximized every available inch by converting height/weight rooms into exam rooms, establishing a temporary triage area in the lobby and dividing exam room times between Urgent Care and specialty clinic appointments, but we are bursting at the seams,” says Cheryl Melton, Director of CME Multispecialty Clinics. “While these adjustments have provided a temporary solution, they are inefficient and limit the number of children we can serve.”

Currently CME offers a comprehensive suite of 18 specialty clinics ranging from cardiology to orthopedics, a convenient onsite lab and the regions only full-service pediatric gentle imaging center with Child Life support. The fundraising project will provide additional space dedicated specifically to the current and new specialty clinics, and more exam rooms, which will improve wait times, patient flow and privacy at the facility.

“We are so grateful to the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation for its longstanding support of our children and families, as well as the many donors who help us meet these type of challenge grants,” says Jenea Oliver, PhD, Vice President of Philanthropy. ”The use of our urgent care in Eastern Jackson County is greater than we imagined and we want to do everything possible to ensure kids in our community can get the care they need close to home.”

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