Acklie Tower Recognizes Lead Gift to Bryan
Acklie Charitable Foundation Helps Advance Patient Care at Bryan Into Next 100 Years
Today, Bryan Medical Center named its main inpatient care tower at Bryan East Campus the Acklie Tower in recognition of a lead gift from the Acklie Charitable Foundation to the Bryan Foundation. Of the $47 million renovation of Bryan East Campus, $8 million will be funded through donor support, including the Acklie Charitable Foundation gift. A portion of the Acklie Charitable Foundation gift is also directed to Crete Area Medical Center.
“It’s humbling to receive such a generous gift, the largest in Bryan’s history, from a family that means so much to Bryan Health and the communities we serve,” said Kim Russel, President and CEO, Bryan Health. “Duane and Phyllis Acklie have given of themselves to guide the work of Bryan Health as Board Trustees and this generosity is further testament to their commitment to others. We will honor the Acklie family’s trust in the people of Bryan by using this gift to create healing environments that will serve our patients and guests for decades to come.”
Halley Kruse, General Counsel for Acklie Charitable Foundation and Crete Carrier Corporation, said, “Our family foundation is pleased to make, in honor of Duane and Phyllis Acklie, this investment in our community’s future. Our company has a proud legacy of innovative leadership and we see that same spirit and drive at Bryan. It is because of that commitment, and our personal experiences with the care they deliver, that we are proud to associate the Acklie name with the future of health care in our region.”
Transforming the patient experience at Bryan East Campus
This re-investment began with construction of the 5055 Building on the Bryan East Campus. This enables some outpatient surgeries to take place there, rather than in current Bryan East Campus surgical suites. This sequence was imperative to avoid interruptions in surgical schedules while new surgical and public spaces are constructed.
Every aspect of the patient and family experience, from the moment visitors walk toward the front door of the medical center, is being transformed. It continues through public spaces, and into clinical areas designed to accommodate advances in surgery and new technology. Key elements of the project:
- 115,000 square feet will be renovated and transformed
- 14 large operating rooms and two specialty procedure rooms
- 42 private patient rooms for care before and after surgery
- 18 rooms for recovery after surgery
- 4 private consult rooms for families to meet with doctors
- Waiting areas offering family seating, quiet places and work areas with charging stations
- Open staircase to connect new 1st and 2nd floor waiting areas
“This gift from the Acklie Charitable Foundation is the ultimate endorsement of Bryan’s work today and its charge for the future,” said Bob Ravenscroft, Vice President at Bryan Health. “It is an inspiration for our 4,900 employees to see the community re-invest in them, and this wonderful gift launches our campaign that will create surgical and public spaces to serve the medical community and the patients we serve.”
In addition to the gift designated for the Bryan East Campus, the Acklie Charitable Foundation made a donation to complete the walking path at Crete Area Medical Center in Crete, Nebraska. “Crete Carrier Corporation got its start in Crete, Nebraska more than 50 years ago,” Kruse said. “And we are glad to honor our company’s connection to the Crete community with the funds to help finish the Crete Area Medical Center walking path.”
Rebekah Mussman, president and CEO of Crete Area Medical Center, said, “The Acklie family’s gift will allow us to enhance the path on our campus and serve as a trail head to potentially connect to other trails in our community, thus vastly improving safety for families embracing a healthy, active lifestyle.”
Thank You, Acklie Family
Your transformational gift impacts our patients, employees and medical staff. It is an inspiration for others to make an impact in our community. We are thankful for the opportunity this presents for generations to come.
For more information about this project, visit bryanhealth.org/transforming-surgery.
