Liberty Bank Foundation Donates $25,000 to Mercy’s Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit
SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center announced that Liberty Bank Foundation has pledged a gift of $25,000 to the fundraising effort to create the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit.
Following his cancer diagnosis, well-known restaurateur Andy Yee sought treatment at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center, where Yee and his family developed a strong relationship with his care team. Grateful for the high-quality, compassionate care Yee received until his passing in 2021, his wife, Sarah, approached hospital leaders about creating a space dedicated to palliative care for patients.
“At Liberty Bank, our mission is to improve the lives of our customers, teammates, and communities, not only by helping our customers reach their financial goals, but through other important ways we invest in our communities,” said David Glidden, president and CEO of Liberty Bank and president of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “The Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit underscores the need for this type of care in our communities and reinforces Mercy’s focus on helping patients living with a serious illness benefit from an improved quality of life for themselves and their family. Andy Yee was known for his generous and deep commitment to the community, and that unparalleled legacy will live on through this palliative-care unit serving the Greater Springfield region.”
Once complete, the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit will include design elements to provide an inviting, soothing space for end-of-life care for patients and families, as well as patients with chronic illnesses requiring pain and symptom management. All clinical staff involved in caring for patients and family members on the new unit will receive specialized training that focuses on palliative care.
“We are grateful to the Liberty Bank Foundation for its commitment to this important project,” said Deborah Bitsoli, president of Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group. “Andy Yee was a longtime supporter and friend to Mercy Medical Center, and the palliative care unit named in his memory will honor his human spirit and commitment to the local community for years to come.”
Donations are being accepted to help defray the cost of the project. To make a gift in support of this initiative, visit give.mercycares.com/andy-yee-palliative-care-unit; email Geoffrey Hoyt, chief Development officer at Mercy Medical Center, at geoffrey.hoyt@trinityhealthofne.org; or call (860) 331-1102.