Easthampton Savings Bank Gives $400,000 to CDH Campaign

NORTHAMPTON — It’s no longer enough for Cooley Dickinson Hospital to keep up with the latest healthcare technology. It’s imperative as well for the hospital to be able to meet people’s expectations and the future demands for care in the community. That’s the view of Easthampton Savings Bank President & CEO William S. Hogan, Jr., discussing why the bank has once again taken a leadership role in supporting Cooley Dickinson.

It is the first bank to have committed — with a gift of $400,000 — to the hospital’s Building Our Future campaign.

“The consistency and reliability of Easthampton Savings Bank’s support of our community hospital is nothing short of remarkable,” said JoAnne Finck, Building Our Future’s campaign chair. “We are extremely grateful for this generous gift, the most recent of many over the years. It sets a pace for giving for other organizations.

Easthampton Savings Bank’s gift brings the campaign over the $5 million mark toward its $8.2 million goal.

Hogan was thinking of the New Unified Cancer Center, for which the campaign goal is $5 million, when discussing people’s expectations. The center, organized around cancer patients, will bring together in one physical space the already existing team of physicians, treatment providers and support services of Cooley Dickinson’s Cancer Care Program, in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

“Our bank operates for the benefit of our customers and the community we call home. Helping to provide what people need and want for cancer care is a way we can share our success as an additional dividend that benefits our customers and our community,” said Hogan.

Easthampton’s gift is also supporting Nurse Development Programs; $1 million is being raised to provide nurse specialty area internships and a leadership development institute. The programs are needed because more than a third of the most experienced CDH nurses are expected to retire in the next five years. Nurses are the frontline caregivers at all hospitals, providing 95{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of direct inpatient care.

“The bank takes its role as a community leader seriously, supporting worthwhile community organizations with contributions of money and time,” said Hogan, noting the extensive record of volunteerism by bank employees and board members. “As the center of health in the community, the hospital is particularly worthy of our support.”