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April 24, 2008

Argosy Casino Pledges Support to Mercy Capital Campaign

Argosy Casino—Sioux City has pledged $30,000 to the Mercy Campaign for Siouxland.
The gift will support Mercy’s efforts to build a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU), establish a cardiac electrophysiology lab, and to bring a da Vinci surgical robot to the area.

“This generous gift from Argosy Casino illustrates its ongoing support to the Siouxland community,” explained Dr. Gregg Galloway, a Mercy pathologist, board member, and one of the four chairpersons for the capital campaign. “It is very clear that Argosy Casino supports this community partnership to strengthen and enhance health care in the region in a way that will benefit thousands of people for many years to come.”

“Argosy Casino has always been very proud to be an integral part of the Siouxland community. Our association and partnership with Mercy Medical Center is long-standing and we felt strongly that it was important to support their capital campaign,” said Kees Eder, Vice President and General Manager of Argosy Casino. “We estimate that through our health benefits program, we insure approximately 1000 individuals that directly benefit from the excellent care offered through Mercy.”

Retired Cardiologist Dr. Diane Werth, another of the four chairpersons for the campaign, said “they have automated external defibrillators at the Argosy Casino and more than one life has been saved by their prompt use by employees.”

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are portable electronic devices that analyze cardiac rhythms and, if appropriate, deliver an electric countershock that can save a patient’s life.

Titled “Your Community, Your Health, Your Hospital: The Mercy Campaign for Siouxland,” the $15 million fundraising effort is the first major capital campaign undertaken by the medical center in its 117-year history.

The campaign will fund three major projects including the construction of a new $10 million ICU. To accommodate that new facility, a sixth floor will be added to the Mercy Heart Center building.

Mercy officials said the new ICU would create a patient-centered healing environment with the most advanced monitoring technology. Twenty private rooms will be constructed. The renovation of the existing ICU on the fifth floor of Mercy’s south hospital building will create a new space for the Cardiovascular Care Unit. Construction on the new sixth floor of the Mercy Heart Center is expected to start this summer.

Another $5 million from the campaign is earmarked for technological enhancements. Mercy plans to purchase a high-tech da Vinci surgical robot, which is predominantly used for urological and gynecological surgical procedures. The precision offered by the surgical robot allows for less invasive surgery, which reduces discomfort and scarring, and improves overall recovery. The advanced da Vinci technology is currently not available in the Sioux City area.

The campaign will also establish a cardiac electrophysiology lab in the Heart Center. Cardiac electrophysiology (EP) is the study of the heart’s electrical system. EP procedures include pacemaker and ICD (implantable cardiac defibrillator) implantation, diagnostic and interventional studies, cardiac mapping, and ablation (a process that disrupts faulty electrical signals in the heart). The specialized EP equipment is not currently available in Sioux City.

Community members, businesses and organizations interested in learning more about the Mercy Campaign for Siouxland, are asked to contact Lea Clausen, the executive director of the Mercy Medical Center Foundation at (712) 279-2475.

Argosy Casino Sioux City is part of Penn National Gaming, Inc. Penn National owns and operates 16 casinos across the United States. Argosy Casino Sioux City features 36,000 square feet of gaming excitement. On board you will find over 700 of the newest and most exciting slot machines, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Video Keno and a Poker Room. Argosy Casino Sioux City also features the Outfitters Grill offering a wide variety of menu items from sandwiches, hamburgers and salads to great desserts.