Did you know that if you stacked 26 million $1 bills on top of each other, they would extend 9,308 feet above sea level, which is only 431 feet from the top of Mount Tallac?

Stacking those $1 bills would be an impressive engineering feat, but not nearly as inspiring as how many lives you would positively impact if you invested $26 million into local health care.

Thanks to the generous support of thousands of donors, the Barton Health Foundation has raised more than $26 million since its inception in 1990 to support and enhance the overall health of our community.  Along the way, the donations were used to fund hundreds of worthy projects, both big and small, as well as provide ongoing support for numerous programs.  

“I am amazed at how much the Foundation has grown, and I’m very proud of where we have gotten to at this point,” said retired Barton Health nurse and longtime Barton Health Foundation board member Angela Moore.  “The equipment at Barton Health is state-of-the-art and competitive with some urban hospitals, which is not always typical for a rural hospital,” she said.  “It’s important for the community to understand that donations to the Barton Health Foundation are invested right back into local health care.”

The Barton Health Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, receives its operating support from Barton Health.  “We partner with Barton Health in a variety of ways, from purchasing new medical equipment, providing funding for various programs, engaging in capital projects, and most recently, reaching out to the community to address food insecurity during the pandemic and subsequent evacuation,” said Chris Kiser, Executive Director of the Barton Health Foundation.  “I like to say that our role is to provide the margin for excellence at Barton Health.  The variety of accomplishments over the years by the Barton Health Foundation is something to be proud of, and it’s all because of the generosity of our donors.”

“Because of how the Foundation is structured, 100% of every dollar we raise goes directly to the area where the donor specifies.  Honoring the intent of the donor is paramount to the mission of any non-profit organization,” added Kiser.  “We are a leader in creating community health programs, such as the Emergency Response Fund during the pandemic, and the annual Community Health grants program, which support non-profit organizations in our community who are engaged in healthcare related initiatives.”

The Barton Health Foundation is governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees, who function in an advisory capacity.  Each board member also participates on either the Investment or Special Events committee.