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Peter J. King Makes $3.5 million lead gift to United Family Practice Health Center
$13 million capital campaign now underway to construct new clinic building to be named Peter J. King Family Health Center
ST. PAUL, Minn. 03/01/2007--The King Family Foundation and Peter J. King have donated $3.5 million to the United Family Practice Health Center as the lead gift in a $13 million capital campaign to construct a new building for the clinic. The Peter J. King Family Health Center will become the new home of United Family Practice Health Center, a community clinic that focuses on providing health care to uninsured, under-insured and under-served residents in the greater St. Paul area.
"I'm proud to support the wonderful work United Family does to provide comprehensive health services to low-income and uninsured patients from the West 7th corridor and nearby communities," said Peter J. King. "This new building will help ensure that United Family can continue to fulfill its mission for many years to come."
The current clinic location, at Ann and West 7th Streets, can no longer accommodate the growing number of patients that need its services. With an average of 300 new patients each month, the number of annual patient visits has grown 35 percent since 2003, from 33,000 to 45,000 in 2006. That number is expected to grow to 60,000 by the year 2010.
"First came the acknowledgement, back in the 1930's that everyone deserved proper care, regardless of income," said Tim Rumsey, MD, founder of and staff physician at United Family Practice Health Center. "Since then, we have been working to attract top physicians and other providers to do the work. Then we added the residency program so that future, as well as current physicians could continue the philosophy. We are so grateful to Peter King for helping to make this dream come true."
The new building will be located at the corner of Randolph and West 7th Streets. When the clinic is completed, it will have nearly twice the square footage of the current facility, making it possible for the clinic to have dedicated areas for urgent care, dental care and group care for people with similar medical conditions.
"It is my privilege to work on this project," said Jay Salmen, chairman of the campaign committee. "I have watched Dr. Tim Rumsey take his passion for health care from a storefront clinic to what will be a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the community for many years to come. Mr. King's gift will lead the way for others to follow to make the facility a reality."
A unique feature of United Family is its nationally acclaimed Family Medicine Residency Program, which trains the doctors who will care for under-served populations both in St. Paul and elsewhere in the future. Many graduates of the residency program go on to put their skills to work in other under-served communities throughout Minnesota.
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