Donors and community leaders toured a new 20-room patient family guest house Thursday on the PeaceHealth RiverBend campus in Springfield.
The 8.4 million dollar Heartfelt House has two wings with 10 nicely appointed rooms on each side. The hospital says it was built entirely through philanthropy. For day-to-day operation of the house, PeaceHealth collaborates with a well-known charity.
“Hi I’m Andrew McNall, Regional Director for the Ronald McDonald Charities in Oregon and Washington.”
McNall says six families are already lined up to stay at the house.
“We provide the rooms, free of charge to the families. Just keeping families close during a time of health care crisis.”
This makes the fourth Ronald McDonald House in Oregon. McNall says families can stay in the house as long as needed. Last year, an Oregon family resided in a Ronald McDonald House for 261 days as their child healed.
In the courtyard patio of the Heartfelt House, PeaceHealth Oregon’s chief executive Mary Kingston explained why they built this guest house for families.
PeaceHealth Oregon's CEO Mary Kingston huddles with three Catholic nuns following her speech.
Credit Tiffany Eckert
Kingston studies: “We’re opening our hearts and our home here in Eugene/Springfield so that they have a place to stay and then they can focus on helping heal. There are so many research studies done, that having your family close by, hearing their voices, having somebody touch you that you know, to help that healing, is so instrumental.”
Reporting from Springfield, I’m Tiffany Eckert, KLCC News