Cooley Dickinson Receives $100K Gift from Greenfield Cooperative Bank

Cooley Dickinson Hospital announced that it has received a $100,000 gift from Greenfield Cooperative Bank. The funding will support the expansion and renovation of Cooley Dickinson’s Emergency Department and is the kickoff gift for a $1,000,000 challenge opportunity.

“This incredibly generous gift in support of the Emergency Department is an investment in our shared commitment to a healthy Pioneer Valley,“ Lynnette Watkins, MD, MBA, President and COO of Cooley Dickinson, said. “We are honored and grateful to Greenfield Cooperative Bank for this gift of support, which will benefit their customers, our patients, and our collective communities by providing access to the region’s top providers and leading health care services in a newly renovated and expanded Emergency Department.”

The gift from Greenfield Cooperative Bank will support the $26 million expansion, reconfiguration, and renovation effort to allow Cooley Dickinson to meet the ever-evolving emergency medicine needs of the community it serves. To accomplish this goal, the hospital has embarked on an ambitious and comprehensive fundraising campaign; nearly $7.2 million has been raised to date. The project is expected to break ground in the spring of 2023.

“Cooley Dickinson Hospital is a vital part of the health of our neighbors in The Valley,” stated Tony Worden, President and CEO, Greenfield Cooperative Bank. “This donation is a way for us to show our support for the hospital and the people it serves. Many of our staff, family, and friends, have needed to receive care at the Emergency Department. We are grateful for the work that the hospital does, and we are thrilled to help them continue their mission.”

Continued Worden, “Greenfield Cooperative Bank is committed to giving back to the community, and we believe that supporting our local hospital is one of the best ways to do that. We are proud to be a part of this community, and we want to do our part to make it a healthier place.”

Cooley Dickinson’s Chief Development Officer, Diane Dukette, noted that the generosity of Greenfield Cooperative Bank has an equally transformational impact as it is the kickoff gift for the $1M Harold Grinspoon Foundation Challenge.

“Beginning September 1st, 2023 until August 31st, 2024, every new cash donation to Transforming Emergency Care: The Campaign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department is matched 50%, up to $1M through the generous commitment of the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation. When successful, that means that we will raise up to an additional $2M for this campaign.”

Added Dukette, “this campaign is critical to the health of our community. In the newly renovated Emergency Department, patients will see a nurse when they arrive; they will be treated in single patient rooms that allow for privacy; and a central nurses’ station means our clinicians can respond better to patient needs. Overall, this is about making the Emergency Department as efficient and up-to-date as possible to enable our talented providers to take the best possible care of their patients. We are so truly grateful for Greenfield Cooperative Bank for stepping forward and supporting Cooley Dickinson Hospital so generously.”

Why a New Emergency Department is Needed

Cooley Dickinson is expected to serve 40,000 emergency department patients this year. That care will be provided in a 1970s-era building that was designed for 17,000 patients annually and is currently 40% undersized. A shortage of space means that some patients are treated in hallways. The Emergency Department also needs to expand its services to care for an aging population (triple what it was just 10 years ago). In addition, the expansion will provide additional beds for people experiencing mental health emergencies.

The two-year project calls for adding 6,600 square feet of space, including nine new patient rooms; eight behavioral health beds, which can ‘flex’ as patient needs arise; and a family waiting area. In addition, a computerized tomography or CT scanning machine, which provides timely access to diagnostic imaging, will be added to the Emergency Department.