Auto Dealer Donates $5M For Milford Regional Expansion

Courtesy of Milford Regional Medical Center A rendering of the proposed expansion of the Milford Regional Medical Center facility.

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By Emily Micucci

A local businessman has donated $5 million to expand Milford Regional Medical Center's emergency department and intensive care unit, the largest gift in the history of the health care facility.

The gift was made by Kevin Meehan, owner of Imperial Cars in Mendon and a Millis resident. It was announced as Milford Regional kicked off at $25 million capital campaign at the hospital Tuesday morning.

Titled “Excellence: The Campaign For Milford Regional Medical Center,” the fundraising effort will support an initiative to more than double the size of the emergency department, built in 1995, according to Milford Regional. The campaign will also support expansion of the intensive care unit, which has not undergone a major renovation since 1982.

“We are extremely proud of this campaign, truly the most significant fundraising effort in our history, and so grateful to our family of donors, particularly Kevin Meehan, who generously provided us with the foundation for the campaign’s ongoing success with his extraordinary $5 million gift,” Milford Regional CEO Francis M. Saba said in a statement released before the event.

In addition to his car dealership, Meehan is known for his expansive display of Christmas lights and decorations, known as Millis Wonderland, at his farm estate on Causeway Street in Millis.

Meehan said in a statement that his family is pleased to make a gift that will benefit the entire region.

“We are privileged to have made this area our home and honored to be investing in an institution that provides exemplary and compassionate care when people are in need. Our family has been the beneficiary of much goodwill from throughout the community and we graciously welcome this opportunity to help improve the quality of life for our neighbors, friends and colleagues,” Meehan said.

Milford Regional said it has already raised $15 million for the project after quietly launching fundraising last year, and Milford Regional President Edward J. Kelly called on the community at large to support the hospital in reaching its $25 million goal.

The entire cost of the project is $54 million, according to the hospital, and the scope of work includes:

-Increasing the number of emergency department beds from 30 to 52 to accommodate 70,000 patient visits per year, compared to the current design, which was meant to accommodate 45,000

-Increasing ICU beds from 10 to 16 and reconfiguring rooms so most medical treatments can occur there

-Reconfiguring the wider medical center so that rooms will be private whenever possible to reduce the risk of infection and improve the patient experience

“We need to depend on the community now to bridge the gap between the amount we’ve raised and $25 million. It will take a concerted response from everyone in the surrounding area who understands the value of having access to the highest quality care, close to home,” Kelly said.

According to the hospital, the area population has increased significantly in recent years and that growth is expected to continue, creating the need for increased capacity.

Emergency department volumes have increased 60 percent over the last decade, while the area population grew 8 percent between 2000 and 2010. Over the next 10 years, Milford Regional said the population of its 20 area towns is expected to climb 10 percent.

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