Major individual and corporate gifts support new hospital building

Philanthropists and civic leaders Deanna and Greg Graves have made a personal pledge of $1 million dollars for the new building. Greg Graves is chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell and serves as vice chair of The University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board.

The Burns & McDonnell Foundation, which is funded by the employee-owners of the company, has made its biggest contribution in its history, pledging $2.5 million for the building.

“We have watched The University of Kansas Hospital grow into the largest and fastest growing hospital in the metro area, as patients seek out the academic medical center difference. The hospital attracts more than a third of its patients from outside the Kansas City area, including patients from across the country. As the demand for its services grows, the hospital needs to build more beds to serve the needs of its patients,” said Deanna Graves.

“This community must embrace its academic medical center and help it provide advanced medicine for patients,” said Greg Graves. “Deanna and I are thrilled to get things started but we will need many other community leaders and organizations to step up to make this happen.”

The University of Kansas Hospital has a strong case for expansion.

The University of Kansas Hospital has seen patient volume grow 30 percent in the last five years. It’s fastest growing services — neurosciences and surgical oncology, which include many Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) procedures — have grown nearly 40 percent over that period. Those specialty areas will move into the new building “Cambridge North,” which will be located on the northeast corner of 39th and Cambridge Road.

Cambridge North will staff approximately 100 new physicians and provide 600 patient care jobs in highly specialized surgical and support areas. The facility, when fully built out, will feature 92 patient care beds, including 28 intensive care beds, 12 operating rooms, imaging, lab and pharmacy.

No construction timetable has been announced.

“The construction schedule will depend on philanthropy,” said Bob Page, president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital. “With our growth in patient volume across the board, we would like to begin construction very soon. But, the changing economics of medicine means we have to rely more on the leadership of our community than ever before.”

The hospital receives no state or local tax appropriations since it became an independent state authority in 1998.

Page also had praise for Deanna and Greg Graves and for the Burns & McDonnell Foundation.

“Deanna and Greg Graves are tremendous leaders of our area. They see community needs and dedicate themselves to solving them,” said Page.

“If there is any company that knows what it takes to be a national leader, it’s Burns & McDonnell. The employee-owners who support its foundation know it takes significant investment to become the best and stay the best,” added Page.