GALESBURG, Illinois — Carl Sandburg College has announced the naming of the Graham Health System Science & Technology Center Atrium following a $500,000 commitment by the health system for student success.
Members from Sandburg, Graham Health System and the Galesburg Chamber of Commerce were on hand as the gift and naming were announced on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The atrium is part of the $27 million Science & Technology Center, which opened last year on the college’s Galesburg campus.
“This atrium — now the Graham Health System Science & Technology Center Atrium — serves as a vibrant and enduring symbol of Graham’s belief in Sandburg’s mission that welcomes students, guests and alumni,” Eric Johnson, Sandburg vice president of advancement, said. “It serves as a daily reminder of what is possible when community partners invest in education, workforce development and opportunity.”
According to Sandburg, Graham’s total commitment came in two parts – including a new commitment revealed Tuesday. The initial portion was a $250,000 pledge in January 2024 to fund the Graham Scholars program, which covers all educational fees for students in select health, career and technical programs encompassed within Graham Health System.
An additional $250,000 commitment, announced at the ceremony, will support the Graham Healthcare Scholars program. The program is designed to assist students pursuing a nursing or other health professions career.
“This level of commitment reflects a partner that stays engaged and invests strategically in the long-term needs of District 518,” Mr. Johnson added. “Graham Health System has consistently supported students’ emergency needs, helped strengthen the nursing program and assisted students as they persist along their career pathways. It leads directly to jobs in our communities and helps strengthen our workforce.”
Graham Health System provides patient care through its hospital in Canton and 12 medical group clinics across Fulton, Knox, Mason, McDonough and Peoria counties.
The most recent $250,000 contribution by Graham also helped Sandburg Foundation sail past its Giving Tuesday campaign goal of raising $350,000.
“Your support of our institution is a promise to the future,” Sandburg President Dr. Seamus Reilly said. “It’s a promise to those students who are not yet born, and it is a promise and a belief in the future of our community. It is, as I always say, an act of faith in the future.”
“We are on the cusp of a new age in medicine and a new age in science and technology, and Carl Sandburg is happy to have these facilities here to advance those new adventures in the future,” he added.
Allison Sours, Graham’s president and COO, said as the western Illinois region’s prominent health care provider “we recognize our unique responsibility to support the institutions which prepare future clinicians in our communities. Through this gift, hundreds of students will have the necessary support and access to high-quality educational resources to ensure their future success.”
Graham Medical Group’s Center for Ambulatory Care on Galesburg’s North Seminary Street is slated to open an ambulatory surgery center next year that will support multiple specialties and significantly increase its need for skilled clinical staff, nurses, medical assistants, imaging technicians and other professionals, according to Eric Rahn, director of Graham Medical Group’s western region.
“This is why this partnership with Carl Sandburg College is so important,” Mr. Rahn said. “You are a phenomenal pipeline to high-quality health care in this region. By investing in Sandburg and its students, we are investing in the future of Graham Medical and strengthening the workforce that will care for our community for the years to come.”
To learn more about contributing to Sandburg, contact the Sandburg Foundation at (309) 341-5349 or [email protected] or donate directly at sandburg.edu/givenow.
