Individuals dedicated to providing superior healthcare for the citizens of McPherson County, formed and chartered the McPherson Healthcare Foundation in October of 1986 as a not-for-profit organization. This public foundation, created a partnership with the community of McPherson to secure financial aid for the operations, maintenance and expansion of Memorial Hospital's facilities and the services provided by this organization along with the advancement of public health for the community.
Since its inception, the McPherson Healthcare Foundation has contributed over $8 million to the enhancement of health care services. With collaborative efforts from area businesses and the community, funds have been acquired for the purchase of improved medical equipment, the renovation and expansion of several hospital departments, the essential recruitment of physicians to a rural setting and the establishment of an endowment to continue the legacy of comprehensive community health projects.
As an extension to retain and recruit quality medical staff, the McPherson Healthcare Foundation entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Kansas School of Medicine to develop a rural medical education site on the campus of Memorial Hospital. Third and fourth-year medical students are now afforded the opportunity to experience an educational rotation in a rural hospital. The facility opened in 1999 and has hosted over 100 medical students.
The Foundation now manages multiple funds dedicated to the enhancement of health for all. Some of these include the following: