Baylor Health Care System hopes to raise $250 million by 2015 in the first fundraising campaign in its 110-year history.
The campaign, called “Campaign 2015: Baylor Makes Us All Better,” plans to invest the proceeds in patient programs, research, medical education and capital improvements. Baylor Health Care System Foundation has already raised $165 million toward the goal.
The campaign was unveiled Wednesday night at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at Dallas’ AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Joel Allison, president and chief executive officer of the Baylor Health Care System, said Baylor is launching its first capital campaign because “changes in the health care environment due to the Accountable Care Act and declining hospital reimbursements now make philanthropy even more important to health systems like ours.”
“It is vital that the community come together to support the tradition of excellence that makes (Baylor) the very best health care available to all those in need,” said Erle Nye, chairman of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation Board and Campaign 2015.
Barry Andrews, Hal Brierley, Mary Anne Cree, Margo Goodwin, Debbie Oates, Leonard Riggs Jr., M.D., Paul Stoffel, Lisa Troutt and Bea Wallace, as well as Allison and Baylor Health Care System Foundation President Rowland K. Robinson, join Nye on the Campaign 2015 executive committee.
Campaign 2015 has received gifts of $20 million from the Sammons Family and the Men and Women of Sammons Enterprises, Inc.; $20 million from Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons; $12.4 million from the Deerbrook Charitable Trust; and $10 million from T. Boone Pickens. Other community and philanthropic leaders and organizations who have given more than $1 million: Lana and Barry Andrews, AT&T Foundation, Phyllis and Richard Bernstein, The Earl C. Bradley Jr. Family, Linda and Don Carter, the Collins family, The Discovery Foundation, EmCare, Inc., Blair and Martha Foster-Skiles, The Joan and Andy Horner family and Premier Designs, Inc., Hassie Hunt Foundation, Inc., Thomas M. Hunt, Betty and Pom Smith, Texas Oncology, and The James and Angela Thompson Foundation.
Campaign organizers said campaign gifts would be directed to the donors’ designated areas of support.
Robinson said previous campaigns focused on specific service lines while the current one encompasses all of the system’s services.
“We have never had a campaign nearly this size. $250 million is an awful lot of money. This (campaign) is important for Baylor to maintain a position of excellence in our community,” he said.
