photo by: Chris Conde

Lawrence Memorial Hospital, October 2018.

LMH Health posted a nearly $16 million operating loss in 2019, but its separate endowment organization received a record $4.2 million in donations last year — money that will support surgical robots, a new cardiac catheterization lab and several other initiatives.

The previous donation record for the LMH Health Foundation was $3.4 million in 2018, according to a news release from the foundation. In 2019, there were 1,570 donors. One donor in particular, the Kansas City-based Sunderland Foundation, pledged $2 million to support the LMH Health West Campus, a $100 million outpatient center that is set to open to the public on Sept. 14.

“We are fortunate to be part of a community that values healthcare, and this exceptional philanthropic support ensures our community hospital is among the very best in the country,” Rebecca Smith, executive director of LMH Health Foundation and vice president of strategic communications for LMH Health, said in the news release. “From investing in strategies that ensure our ability to provide care for all — regardless of ability to pay — to procuring the very best in technology and medical equipment, our donors have had a tremendous impact over the past year.”

According to the release, donors provided support to the following initiatives:

•The purchase of two new surgical robots, which will allow doctors to perform complex procedures with more precision and control than traditional techniques.

•A second cardiac catheterization lab, which is used to examine heart health. In a cardiac catheterization procedure, a tube is inserted into a blood vessel that leads to the heart to help uncover diseases of the heart muscle, valves or arteries.

•The LMH Health West campus, which will focus on orthopedic and sports medicine but also includes surgical capabilities.

•LMH Health East Heights Family Care, a new medical clinic serving the residents of eastern Lawrence.

•The Help and Healing Fund, which helps patients in need pay for medications, medical equipment or other healing and recovery necessities after a hospital stay.