Anybody who watched WNIT Public Television’s great documentary on the life and times of Merlin Hanson aired last week went away truly impressed with his remarkable story. But, an entirely new chapter is being written seemingly every day and today that chapter includes another major gift back to the community that the Hanson family calls home. Today, Lakeland Health has revealed a substantial new gift to their new Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion from the Hansons.
Lakeland Health has announced that Merlin and Carolyn Hanson, along with their family, have committed a $1.5 million lead gift toward the Hanson Heart Center – to be named in the family’s honor. The Hanson Heart Center will be located on the first floor of the new 260,000 square foot Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion which is slated to break ground one week from today, on Wednesday, October 19.
Dan Hopp is Chairman of the Board for Lakeland Health. He says, “We thank the Hansons for their leadership and dedication to provide nationally-recognized heart care right here in southwest Michigan.” He adds, “Their gift paves the way for advancements in reducing the incidence of cardiac and vascular disease in our community and improving outcomes for those affected.”
Lifelong residents of the region, the Hanson family name is synonymous with integrity, ingenuity, and leadership. After more than 50 years of creating and leading several successful local companies, Merlin Hanson’s business acumen is highly regarded. He is Chairman of the Board of Hanson Group, the parent company for Hanson Logistics, Hanson Mold, Eagle Technologies, and Pure Fact Water.
Merlin himself tells us, “This gift is an effort to honor and give back some of our success to the people who’ve worked for us – and still work for us – as well as ‘for the good of all’, a motto our family has always strived to uphold in all we do.” He happily notes, “The Hanson Heart Center will help provide future generations with quality, compassionate care well into the future.”
Greg Hanson, speaking on behalf of the Hanson family, says, “My father has really dedicated himself to being a community servant.” He adds, “He’s very concerned about the health of the community and where it’s going. He is making his mark in terms of where it is today, where it should be, and where he wants it to be. He’s been a big community advocate for the past 34 years.”
At the Heart Center, patients have access to a multidisciplinary cardiac and vascular team including board-certified cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, electrophisiologists, hospitalists, and radiologists, among others. The new facility will include state-of-the-art procedure and treatment rooms, a cardiac rehabilitation area, as well as nuclear medicine and stress testing exam rooms.
Dr. Loren Hamel is President & CEO of Lakeland Health. He is very grateful for the Hanson family, saying, “Without the generosity of community leaders like the Hansons, people who call this area home would have a lesser quality of life and those truly in need would go without.” Hamel reports that, “Each year in southwest Michigan, and throughout the United States, cardiovascular diseases—such as coronary heart disease and stroke—top the list of the most serious health problems. As leaders in heart care, the Hanson Heart Center team will play a vital role in providing the best course of treatment in less time, with the hopes of saving valuable heart muscle and helping our friends and neighbors return to their normal daily activities as soon as possible.”
David Burghart is President of the Lakeland Health Foundations. He points out that, “Gifts like the one from the Hansons act as a springboard for the community to step in and get involved, knowing that this is a good thing for all of southwest Michigan.” He adds, “This leadership gift will spark the philanthropic spirit of the community and people will rally with support.”
For more information about the Medical Center Pavilion, including an architectural animation of the new hospital, click this link:
To learn more about how you can support the project, contact the Lakeland Health Foundations at (269) 927-5143 or click this additional link:
