HARRISONBURG – Rockingham Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer T. Carter Melton Jr. announced today the public phase of Building for a Second Century of Service, a capital campaign to support the creation of the new hospital and health campus at Port Republic Road and Reservoir Street. 

The campaign seeks to raise a minimum of $12.5 million to help with the $280 million cost of the new facility. More than $9 million has already been pledged to the campaign by the early donors to the effort. Those donors include hospital board members, RMH employees, the RMH Auxiliary and others. 

At an afternoon news conference, campaign co-chairs Joe Funkhouser and George Pace and honorary chair Robert H. “Twig” Strickler were introduced, along with other campaign leaders, volunteers and early supporters. It was announced that JMU football coach Mickey Matthews would serve as honorary chair of the community campaign. In addition, major gifts to date were announced.

Zanette Showker Hahn was introduced as the campaign’s leading supporter to date with a commitment in excess of $1 million for the new Cancer Center. Pace, an RMH Board member and Harrisonburg city councilman, described Hahn as “a former patient of RMH, a cancer survivor, an advocate for women’s services, a crusader on behalf of worthwhile causes. She was with us in the earliest stages of planning for our campaign. She helped us craft the case for support, she agreed to serve as a division leader, even though she had never done anything like that before, and she has proven to be a most effective spokesperson on behalf of this campaign.”

Funkhouser, owner of Coldwell Banker-Funkhouser Realty, noted “unprecedented support” from groups connected to the hospital, including board members, employees and the RMH Auxiliary, which recently doubled its initial pledge to $500,000. One hundred percent of RMH Board members and RMH Foundation Board members have pledged support, “most at levels they have never before given,” Funkhouser said. 

He stated that RMH employees “were challenged to raise more than ever before for a capital campaign, while continuing to give their support for the ongoing annual needs of RMH.” He noted that employees donated more than $620,000, exceeding both capital campaign and annual support goals.

Counted among the early supporters of the campaign are more than 460 members of the “RMH family,” which includes board members, physicians, employees and the Auxiliary. The remaining support is from around 100 individuals and businesses, who are responsible for nearly $7 million. The average gift size from RMH employees is over $1,400, and the average from all remaining donors is more than $55,000. Pledges being made to the campaign can be paid over a five-year period.

“This campaign is really gaining momentum as more and more individuals and businesses are being invited to support, and respond with amazingly generous pledges,” said  Pace. “This effort is a critical partnership for both Rockingham Memorial Hospital and the community.”

In reviewing the progress of the campaign to date, Funkhouser stated, “While we are grateful for the very generous early support, businesses and individuals should keep in mind that in order to be successful we are going to need community-wide support. The question should not be whether or not to participate, but at what level to help support essential community healthcare needs.”

Most of the funding for the new RMH hospital and health campus has been provided by issuance of tax-exempt bonds, rated AAA and sold on the date of offering. The hospital is also using savings and proceeds from ongoing operations, as well as $50 million from the sale of the present facility to James Madison University, according to Melton.

For more information about the Building for a Second Century of Service campaign or to make a tax-deductible donation, call Merv Webb, Vice President, RMH Foundation, at 540-564-5955.