cktimes.ca Archives: HOWARD MUTUAL MEDICAL CENTRE IN RIDGETOWN TO BE MADE POSSIBLE BY MAJOR DONATION FROM HOWARD MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
Originally posted on: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Chair of the Howard Mutual Foundation Ken Richmond with Howard Mutual President & CEO Stephen Benishek at the announcement of a $1.5 million dollar donation to create the Howard Mutual Medical Centre in Ridgetown. |
by Marlee Robinson
Howard Mutual Insurance Company announced last Friday the donation of $1.5 million to the newly-formed Howard Mutual Foundation created to fund the Howard Mutual Medical Centre in Ridgetown. President and CEO of Howard Mutual Insurance Company Stephen Benishek says “we are giving back to the community we have served for 119 years”. It is expected that the Howard Mutual Medical Centre will serve not only Ridgetown but also Moraviantown residents.
Up to four family doctors will be recruited for the Chatham-Kent Family Health Team in Ridgetown. The state-of-the-art facility will also be a centre for health education and training. “This will be one of almost 200 Family Health Teams developed in Ontario in the last five years to serve people in their own communities” stated Mike Ferguson from the office of MPP Pat Hoy.
The clinic will have space for nurse practitioners, dieticians, social workers, chiropodists and a diabetes team.
Ken Richmond has been selected at Chair of the Howard Mutual Foundation assisted by Charlie Mitton as Vice-Chair. Marjorie Fair is Secretary while Mark Carter takes on the role of Treasurer. Other Foundation members are Jeff Dempster, Richard Murray, Marg Eberle and Howard Mutual staff members Roger Clark and Ken McLarty. The Foundation will be responsible for selecting a location for the clinic and then overseeing on-going administration of the facility. They will also lead fundraising for the additional $300,000 required to open the clinic.
Mayor Randy Hope confirmed that Council would actively support the initiative. He said “The Howard Mutual Medical Centre will not only provide much-needed medical care to residents in this part of Chatham-Kent but will also increase the general prosperity of Ridgetown by encouraging people to settle in a place well served with medical expertise.” To emphasis his support, Mayor Hope made a personal pledge of $100 to the Howard Mutual Foundation.
