Contributing writer for The Canyon Weekly
A newly established nonprofit foundation will help raise, administrate and allocate funds for Santiam Hospital & Clinics.
“SH&C continues to grow, especially in the last few years,” said Melissa Baurer, director of Integrated Health and Outreach. “Therefore, the leadership of the hospital decided in 2021 to establish a charitable foundation to be able to raise contributions to support the needs of the hospital as it continues to grow to meet the needs of the greater community.”
In early 2022, Baurer said a committee was formed to officially establish the Santiam Hospital & Clinics Foundation, whose sole purpose, as stated in the bylaws, is to operate for the benefit and support of SH&C “without limitation to support its mission and purposes, and to promote, develop and raise funds ….”
“They also developed a mission for the foundation that would clearly define its direction,” she said. “The Foundation’s goal is to invest in SH&C, ‘supporting the infrastructure needed for the health and well-being of your growing communities.’”
A board of directors was formed in February to direct operations and has been meeting since then to develop both short-term and long-term goals, Baurer said. In addition, the board has put in place a program to keep track of and acknowledge donors and an accounting program to receive and account for all gifts, she added.
“The foundation’s bylaws provide for 13 board members, and we currently have six,” Baurer said. “Recruitment will continue until we have filled all positions.”
To date, seven individuals from the greater Stayton area bring their diverse and extensive experience to the table by serving on the foundation’s newly appointed board of directors.
Dr. Guesly Dessieux, a family physician working with SH&C since 2007, will serve as president. Born in Haiti and raised in Miami, Fla., Dessieux is the founder and executive director of Project Living Hope, a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering Haitians through athletics, job-skills training, disaster preparedness, and community development.
A past board member of Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism and Haitian Christian Mission, Dessieux stays active in the Stayton community by coaching soccer. He also speaks in local schools and is a member of Foothills Community Church. He looks forward to helping build the infrastructure needed to care for the community in the coming decades.
Serving as secretary is Deana Freres, a Santiam Canyon resident for 18 years. Freres served as a board member for numerous regional organizations, including Family Building Blocks and the Stayton Public Library Foundation.
Holding a degree in management science engineering, Freres helped create the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund just days after wildfires swept through the area in September 2020. The Stayton resident is a member of the SCWRF Advisory Committee and is on the board of directors of the Santiam Canyon Long Term Recovery Group.
Hailing from Sublimity, Gary Rychard has deep roots with SH&C where he was born. Residing more than 60 years in the Santiam Canyon, Rychard’s career includes working in law enforcement, as a volunteer firefighter, and in emergency medical services. In the latter, he worked 25 years as a driver, driving instructor, and in charge of fleet maintenance on ambulance with Santiam Hospital & Clinics.
Rychard is currently the director of Safety-Security & Health Services at North Santiam School District. He is a former Sublimity City Council member and has served on many local boards, including the Sublimity Fire Department and the Sublimity Harvest Festival. He currently serves on the board of the Lyons Fire District.
As treasurer, Rychard looks forward to helping SH&C continue its growth and ability to provide high-quality healthcare to the region.
Also from Sublimity, Maryann Meredith was born and raised in Stayton. Meredith has been involved with SH&C since its inception. Her parents, T.G. and Frances Freres, were instrumental in the establishment of the hospital in 1953 when she was a teen and encouraged her to participate whenever possible.
A graduate of Oregon State University, Meredith taught English for 12 years in Costa Rica. Later she became a small business owner in both Stayton and Gates.
Always community-minded, she has been active in fundraising with her church in Mill City, the food bank and serves on the Save Our Bridge committee, which has garnered more than $8 million as the project nears completion.
Meredith has served on the SH&C Board of Trustees for many years and looks forward to serving as a liaison on the foundation board.
An 18-year resident of Mill City, Lynda Harrington brings extensive professional experience to her board member position. Harrington earned a bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish from the University of Michigan and taught both languages before retiring.
Harrington has worked with nonprofits for more than three decades, including numerous fundraising campaigns. She currently chairs the Legislative Action and Resource Development Committee for Catholic Community Services Foundation, serves as an advisor on public policy issues to the Archdiocese of Portland, and is a director on the Regis/St. Mary Foundation.
Harrington and her husband, Lee, supports their community by volunteering at St. Catherine of Siena Mission, on the Save Our Bridge Committee, and for various community groups.
She values local hospitals and considers SH&C a community builder for the Santiam Canyon, Stayton and Sublimity areas.
Salem-resident Ken Forster is a life-long resident of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Before retiring, he spent 30 years as a high school economics instructor in the Salem-Keizer School District.
Ken is an accomplished amateur golfer who was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2009. He coached golf at Sprague High School for 26 years.
Forster is enthusiastic about improving the patient experience at SH&C with a particular interest in Santiam Orthopedic Group. He is eager to help with the future growth and development of the hospital.
