In just a few short years the River Hospital campus has evolved significantly. Through our community’s generous donations to the Hope + Healing campaign, the old Monticello Hotel has been transformed into the Macsherry Building. The main hospital building has been renovated inside and out, and now offers updated facilities for patients and their families. A new Medical Office Building has been built, and the former River Family Health Center temporary buildings have been removed. Visitors and patients may have noticed that recently attention has turned to paving and landscaping, including a very important milestone: reinstallation of the hospital’s treasured Memorial Walkway.
“The generosity of our community continues to inspire,” said Emily Mastaler, CEO of River Hospital. “While the memorial pavers had to be moved to facilitate construction, it’s exciting to know they will soon become elements of a new Memorial Garden on River Hospital’s campus. It’s shaping up to be a truly special & meaningful component of the largest restoration and modernization effort in our Hospital’s history.”
The Memorial Walkway is made up of personalized engraved pavers, remembering and honoring members of our community. Formerly located in front of the main hospital entrance, the Memorial Walkway had to be moved to make room for the new ambulance entrance to the Emergency Department. Planning is now underway to reinstall the Memorial pavers in the spring, as part of a new Memorial Garden on River Hospital’s campus, providing a scenic and peaceful setting where donors and families may visit.
“The Memorial Walkway at River Hospital has served as a longstanding and meaningful feature of our campus” said Stephanie Weiss, River Hospital’s Executive Director of Development. “We hope that individuals and families who have donated pavers or benches – and those who would like to participate in the future – will find the new Memorial Walkway and Garden a serene place to remember friends and family.”
The new Memorial Garden will offer future donors space to add to the pavers and benches provided by previous generations, and will be installed in the Spring of 2022. A River Hospital Walkway Paver and Bench order form is available at www.riverhospital.org.
To learn how you can help, please contact Stephanie Weiss by email at
By Wayne Strauss, Contributing Writer
