Great Plains Health is excited to share that Megan McGown, Chef Development Officer at Great Plains Health, will oversee the
Great Plains Health Care Foundation, starting August 10. McGown assumes the responsibility from Kathy Bourque, Foundation executive director, who has served in her role since July of 2018. Bourque is taking the next step in her career toward her passion for leadership development. “Kathy has built upon the legacy of the Foundation and many patients have been touched by her dedication,” said Megan McGown, chief development officer. “We are excited to continue the Foundation’s tradition of excellence and live its mission.”
The mission of the Great Plains Health Care Foundation is to inspire philanthropy that will enhance the quality and availability of healthcare services for the patients and communities served by Great Plains Health. With the slight restructuring of leadership, the Foundation remains its own entity within the structure of Great Plains Health, just as always. The non-profit entity is led by its own board of directors with the key objective of spearheading fundraising strategies to improve healthcare in the region. Bailey Trusty, Foundation coordinator, continues to oversee day-to-day operations of the Foundation. McGown, who has a background in community and economic development, will oversee the Foundation and business development. She also has served on the
Foundation board of directors for the last six years and brings a deep understanding of the Foundation’s processes, projects and ultimate goal. “The Foundation is a very special part of the corporate structure at Great Plains Health. The board is ready to work with Megan and our outstanding community to carry on the work of the Foundation and serve our patients,” said Leland Poppe, Great Plains Health Care Foundation chairman.
In 2021, Foundation donors made direct contributions to patient care totaling more than $885,500 to support the purchase of a new PET scanner, the Callahan Cancer Center and other key service lines and projects. “The Foundation began its tremendous efforts to advance the health and wellbeing of our community 30 years ago,” Ivan Mitchell, CEO of Great Plains Health, said. “Generous donors, the Foundation board and its directors have shared their time, talent and treasure toward projects that align with the Foundation’s mission and make Greater Nebraska a beacon for rural healthcare. We are appreciative of their support and excited for the next 30 years.” To learn more about the Foundation, visit gphealth.org/foundation/.
About Great Plains Health:
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning approximately 16,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.
