Historic fundraising lift to aid Avera's six-story, $245M tower addition
'Tomorrow's Promise' campaign part of health care system's women, child service expansion initiative
Avera Health has launched its largest-ever fundraising campaign as it works to add a six-story, $245 million wing to its primary hospital campus in central Sioux Falls.
Avera officials this week announced the “Tomorrow’s Promise” campaign, which seeks to raise $50 million to enhance health care services and access for women’s and children’s services across the region.
“This campaign and tower addition will strengthen our ability to serve women and children, not only in Sioux Falls but across a wide region,” said Dzenan Berberovic, chief philanthropy officer for Avera Health. “We’re working to provide a welcoming and state-of-the-art home for the outstanding care our teams already deliver.”
The largest construction endeavor in Avera’s history, the six-story tower addition at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center is slated to house expanded critical care areas for women and children and serve as a focal point for Avera’s comprehensive service offerings, including labor and delivery, postpartum care, and pediatric intensive care units. This new structure, coupled with a new medical office building at the Avera on Louise Health Campus, will add 350,000 square feet to Avera’s footprint in Sioux Falls.
“We’re building a modern facility for exceptional care that reflects our deep commitment to women’s and children’s health,” said Dr. Ronald Place, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan. “The new tower will allow us to unify and grow these vital services.”
Avera’s philanthropic campaign will also support expanded patient and family lodging and additional support services, addressing growing needs for women’s and children’s health care across the region. The new facility is anticipated to serve both local residents and patients from across a 72,000-square-mile area due to Avera McKennan’s designation as a specialty and tertiary care center, according to a news release.
The Avera Foundation will administer the fundraising campaign, which is chaired by James Gaspar, Jennifer Kirby, Randy Knecht, and Dr. Molly Uhing.
“This space will offer our patients access to the latest technologies in a warm, supportive environment,” said Uhing, an OB/GYN specialist. “For many, this marks the beginning of a lifetime of care at Avera, and we want that experience to be remarkable.”
