SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Soon out-of-town families will have a tranquil, affordable, place to call home in Springfield should their loved ones need specialized care at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield, or University District in Eugene.
The much-anticipated Heartfelt House, a 20-room patient family guest house on the RiverBend campus, will open to guests on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
“This beautiful, welcoming home will provide a place of comfort and healing for families who are facing trying times -- the new parents of a fragile infant in our NICU, the grief-stricken loved ones of a trauma patient and sometimes patients themselves, who need a good night’s rest before an early morning surgery or have traveled here for outpatient treatments unavailable in their community,” said Mary Kingston, chief executive of PeaceHealth Oregon network.
This spectacular $8.4 million home was funded entirely through philanthropy. It is a collaboration between PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center, which owns the house, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon & SW Washington, which will supervise day-to-day operations.
PeaceHealth is grateful to the more than 600 donors who contributed to the Heartfelt House, to architects Richard Shugar and Kira Malone from 2fORM Architecture who designed this wonderful home and to Chambers Construction, which built it.
The 20,200-square-foot house was designed with two wings-- each with 10 guest suites -- on either side of shared great room. One wing is for families of pediatric patients and the other is for families of adult patients.
Guests have access to a full kitchen and dining room in each wing, laundry facilities, lounges for quiet relaxation, a library/business center, indoor and outdoor children’s play areas and a covered outdoor patio area.
“The Heartfelt House lets families who may be emotionally and spiritually fragile know that we hold them close to our hearts,” Kingston said. “With its open layout, high ceilings, private rooms, and inviting and comforting indoor and outdoor spaces, it is physical reminder of PeaceHealth’s Mission to ease suffering and lovingly care not only for our patients, but also for their family members.”
To thank our generous donors and spread awareness of the home, PeaceHealth will host an invitation-only open house on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Kingston will give a housewarming message at 5 p.m.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
