What is striking about St. Luke’s Wood River’s donor base is how many donors have supported its mission since its inception in 2000. Charles Stuhlberg is a perfect example.

Charles moved to the Wood River Valley 55 years ago and instantly became a supporter of the small hospital in Sun Valley that served the county before St. Luke’s Wood River existed. Then in 2000, he was approached by Nancy Cord, co-chair of St. Luke’s Wood River’s new hospital campaign, who requested his expertise in engaging the community to raise funds for a new hospital. Charles offered a $30,000 grant and rallied business leaders to match his donation in a community-wide effort to help the new hospital campaign. Ultimately, the community raised $20 million in 20 months to build and equip the new hospital we today call St. Luke’s Wood River.

“We needed to make it a community affair,” Charles says. “We not only went for large donations, but we also asked business employees to donate $10 to $25. It was amazing how many people contributed.”

It’s not surprising that Charles engaged the community in a vision that would positively benefit the whole. When asked what inspires him to give, he says, “Our community hospital takes care of all of us no matter one’s finances. Each donation benefits the entire community at all levels. Our community hospital is a key pillar that keeps the village together.”

Twenty years later, St. Luke’s Wood River is an example of what’s possible when a community coalesces to create something exceptional. Today, St. Luke’s Wood River is the only facility in Idaho of its size to have board certified emergency physicians providing care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Since 2001, the hospital has also received accreditation from the Joint Commission as a result of its demonstrated compliance with their nationally recognized health care standards. Only four of 26 critical access hospitals in Idaho have received accreditation from the Joint Commission. Additionally, the National Rural Health Association named St. Luke’s Wood River among the Top 20 Best Practices for Quality.

Having been a patient at the hospital himself, Charles can attest to the quality of care at St. Luke’s. He says, “Every time I go down there, I don’t want to leave. I love the staff! It’s like being at home.”

As a community member deeply committed to sustaining a healthy valley, Charles is a member of the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation’s Legacy Society. He has thoughtfully included St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation in his estate plan and will have a lasting impact well after his lifetime.

Donors, like Charles Stuhlberg, are the pillars upon which our health care flourishes.

“Our community hospital is a key pillar that keeps the village together.” Charles Stuhlberg.