Record Breaking Gift Enhances Surgical Care in Calaveras County

SAN ANDREAS, CA, March 2, 2021 – Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation has received the largest one time gift ever recorded in the history of the Foundation. The generous $4.5 million gift from the Wings of Freedom Foundation will be designated to upgrade the surgery department at Mark Twain Medical Center.

This pioneering investment will strengthen the fight against disease and injury by upgrading facilities and adding specialized equipment for advanced procedures. The surgery department at Mark Twain Medical Center is currently staffed by highly skilled physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nursing teams. Surgical services are a key component in providing specialty care services to Calaveras County. While the current facility meets the needs of today, this generous gift will allow us to meet the ever changing needs of our community tomorrow and well into the future.

“Refreshing the operating room and bringing in newer technologies will allow us to perform surgeries that are being performed elsewhere, often outside the county,” says Pardeep Athwal, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Radiologist. “Patients don’t want to leave the community for their care. With this generous gift we will be able to continue to provide State of the Art Surgical Care to our patients in our community,” adds Dr. Athwal.

The upgrade of the existing surgical services unit and adjacent areas will incorporate the latest technology to enhance best practices in pre-operative care, surgical care, and post-operative care, providing improved operating rooms to accommodate advanced surgical procedures. Improvements in surgical technologies and medicine also will increase the number of cases that can be performed in an outpatient setting.

“The modernization of surgery services is a big step for Mark Twain,” says Doug Archer, President, and CEO of Mark Twain Medical Center. “This gift is a boost to the entire hospital as the project symbolizes the donors’ commitment to our community and the hospitals’ ability to remain at the forefront of excellence in patient care.”

Upon completion of the project the surgery department will be named the Betty Higgins Surgical Center in honor of her commitment to our community.

To learn more about MTMC Foundation, visit supportmarktwain.org or contact CJ Singh at 209-754-2624.

[Photo - Left to Right: Stephanie Geuke, Pardeep Athwal M.D., Charanjit “CJ” Singh and Doug Archer review plans for the new updates coming to the surgery center.]

###

About Mark Twain Medical Center
Founded in 1951, Mark Twain Medical Center is a 25-bed, Critical Access Hospital providing inpatient acute care, outpatient services and emergency services. The Medical Center’s Medical Staff represents a broad range of specialties that ensure access to high quality medical care in a rural community. In addition to being a major provider of health services, Mark Twain Medical Center is also one of the area’s largest employers. More than 300 people are employed at the hospital and its five Family Medical Centers. The Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in the nation. Mark Twain Medical Center is also on Facebook.