The new surgical services wing is seen at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. (Photo courtesy of Adirondack Health)

SARANAC LAKE — After two years, the Adirondack Health Foundation has surpassed its $12 million community goal established for the Future of Care Campaign, which supports Adirondack Health’s $45.8 million capital improvement project.

The project includes the construction of a new health and medical fitness center on Old Military Road in Lake Placid, and a new surgical services wing and MRI suite at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. Between donations, grants, bequests and proceeds from special events, the comprehensive total amount raised has grown to more than $16 million.

“Achieving a fundraising goal of this magnitude as quickly as we did is really a testament to the generosity of the communities served by Adirondack Health,” Future of Care Campaign Chair Scott McGraw said. “Our donors clearly recognize and value the importance of accessible, high-quality healthcare here in the Adirondacks.”

The new Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center will upgrade Adirondack Health’s primary care, emergency medicine, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, dental and physical therapy/sports medicine facilities. It will also house the region’s first medically integrated fitness center, aligning clinical guidance with targeted physical activity.

In Saranac Lake, the six new operating rooms and enhanced medical imaging capabilities will enable Adirondack Health to more quickly and efficiently render surgical care.

“We work tremendously hard to recruit and retain outstanding healthcare professionals, and they deserve facilities of the same high caliber,” Adirondack Health president and CEO Sylvia Getman said. “These projects represent exciting new trailheads on the path to better health, and we appreciate the widespread and generous support we have received to date, the invaluable guidance of our foundation and hospital boards, and the contagious optimism of our campaign chair, Scott McGraw.”

“Adirondack Health increasingly seeks to keep people healthy, as well as to provide state-of-the-art care for those who are sick,” said Jeannie Cross, chair of Adirondack Health’s board of trustees. “The capital improvements funded by the Future of Care Campaign will help us fulfill our mission of excellence, healing and compassion long into the future.”

Although the Adirondack Health Foundation has surpassed the fundraising goal established in 2016, the Future of Care Campaign will continue through the end of the year.

“We are fortunate to live in a place where people look out for each other,” Kevin Brady, chair of the Adirondack Health Foundation’s board of trustees said. “The communities and people served by Adirondack Health know and expect that we will be there when they need us, and based on their overwhelming response to the Future of Care Campaign thus far, they have chosen to be there for us when we need them. On behalf of the Adirondack Health Foundation board and staff, thank you to all those who have participated in the campaign. We are excited to continue meeting with any additional donors who may wish to support the new facilities.”