Healthcare company targets community and residential rebuild efforts as part of its $1M pledge to support tornado recovery in Mayfield, KY
Brentwood, Tenn. (December 15, 2022) – Lifepoint Health, a diversified healthcare delivery network dedicated to making communities healthier®, announced today that it would donate $325,000 to multiple community organizations leading rebuilding efforts in Mayfield, Kentucky, as part of its $1 million pledge to the community following last year’s tornado. This contribution provides $25,000 to the Graves County Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV); $150,000 to the Mayfield Graves Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG); and $150,000 to the City of Mayfield. Lifepoint owns and operates Jackson Purchase Medical Center (JPMC) in Mayfield, a 107-bed facility and the sole provider of acute care services in Graves County.
Lifepoint’s donation of $25,000 to Chapter #106 of the DAV will assist with building renovations to accommodate civic organizations whose meeting locations were destroyed as a result of the tornado and the DAV in its mission of providing a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families. The DAV building has been serving as a temporary location for Post 26 of the American Legion after its historic building located in downtown Mayfield was deemed too damaged to save and was subsequently torn down in August. Post 26 provides critical assistance for veterans through veteran support groups and communications for veterans in need, including those with new medical concerns following discharge.
“The past year has been very stressful for everyone affected by the tornado that passed through our town. Many veterans had storm damage and food losses. It was difficult having fundraisers in a town with so many losses,” said Ron Reavis, commander of the DAV Chapter #106, which is funded solely by donations and fundraising. “About three months ago, I reached out to Dave Anderson, chief executive officer of JPMC, and he put me in contact with Lifepoint’s Community Impact Director. I want the community to know who we are and what we do, and the hospital and Lifepoint have helped make this more of a reality than a dream for me.”
The DAV has begun making improvements to its building and has plans for additional projects, including sealing and painting the roof, painting the exterior of the building, and landscaping. The building is also serving as a meeting location for Boy and Cub Scouts troops, which were displaced by the tornado.
Subsequent donations happening this month include $150,000 to the LTRG—$25,000 of which will be distributed to individuals in the community with unmet medical needs, such as the need for home medical devices or wheelchair-accessible ramps that were destroyed or lost in the storm. The remaining $125,000 will help fund the LTRG’s Home for the Holidays initiative to put 25 families in 25 homes by December 25, 2022. This initiative supports the nearly 70 percent of tornado survivors who were living in housing rentals at the time of the storm. The funding will assist the LTRG in purchasing and renovating vacant homes throughout Graves County to lease to displaced renters. The renovations will include resiliency measures like hurricane clips and foundation straps, high-impact windows and doors, storm shelters, and more. Survivors will be given the option to purchase the home at LTRG’s cost after one year. More information about the program, including how to apply or donate, can be found at recovermayfieldgraves.com/home-for-the-holidays.
“Our community’s recovery would not happen without our local organizations and their leaders stepping up to join hands together in meeting huge needs,” said Al Chandler, LTRG chair. “Partnering with Lifepoint and great JPMC staff to help fill gaps in our families’ medical needs is an absolute strength to our Long-Term Recovery Group. Plus, as we are ramping up to help provide homes to many renters through Home for the Holidays, this very generous donation will help at least three families immediately. We are very honored to serve our community alongside this amazing group of medical professionals.”
Additionally, a donation of $150,000 will assist the city in its rebuilding efforts of Dunbar Park, which was also destroyed in the storm. The renovations will include new playground equipment and landscaping, among other improvements. The donation will also help fund lighting enhancements at Kess Creek Park. While not impacted by the tornado directly, the park is in need of improved safety features, which will help promote fitness and mental well-being among community members—a goal of Mayfield Rebuilds’ Health and Wellness Committee.
“We have been working diligently to find impactful and meaningful ways to deploy funds to support the rebuilding efforts in and around Mayfield,” shared Dave Anderson, CEO of JPMC and co-chair of the Health and Wellness Committee. “After thoughtful consideration, we are excited to announce these new donations targeting restoring shelter for families directly impacted by the tornado, helping sustain crucial veteran chapters and civic clubs, as well as promoting physical, social, and emotional health and wellness.”
This recent allocation of funds follows Lifepoint’s previous contributions, including the original $100,000 donation to the LTRG for their building acquisition and $100,000 provided in support of Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland and its partner agencies: the Mayfield-Graves County Needline and Food Pantry and the Purchase Area Development District (PADD) Food Bank. With the new donations, Lifepoint has now allocated $525,000 of its $1 million pledge.
The deployment of this funding will be allocated through the Lifepoint Disaster Response Fund, which was created as a mechanism for the company and its employees to help communities respond to disasters as they work to recover and rebuild.
About Lifepoint Health
Lifepoint Health is a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of making communities healthier®, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 62 community hospital campuses, more than 30 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 170 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. Through its innovation strategy, Lifepoint Forward, the company is developing meaningful solutions to enhance quality, increase access to care, and improve value across the Lifepoint footprint and communities across the country. For more information about the company, visit www.lifepointhealth.net.
About Jackson Purchase Medical Center
A part of LifePoint Health, Jackson Purchase Medical Center is a 107-bed (all private), Joint Commission-accredited facility. The hospital is the sole provider of acute care in Graves County and has been serving patients from the eight counties of the Jackson Purchase since 1993. From emergent to elective, our facility offers a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient services, including those offered at the New Beginnings Birthing Center, the Advanced Healing Wound Care Center and our accredited chest pain center. Through incredible teamwork and a medical staff beyond what you typically find in a small town, Jackson Purchase Medical Center aims to deliver the best healthcare available in the greater Western Kentucky region. As we seek to achieve our mission of making communities healthier, we treat you like family because you are family.
Media Contact
Emily Serck
VP, Communications
emily.serck@lpnt.net
