The Scott Bieler Family Foundation and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center announced a donation targeted at improving medical training.
The hospital’s auditorium would be turned into the Scott Bieler Family Foundation Innovation and Training Center. The renovations will start in January, with the donation contingent on Memorial starting right away, with completion expected by June.
“This generous donation from Mr. Bieler is a game-changer for us,” said Memorial President and CEO Joseph Ruffolo. “The newly renovated center will usher in a new era of advanced training and educational excellence, profoundly impacting the standard of healthcare we deliver.”
Hospital spokesperson Sean Dwyer said they are not disclosing how much the foundation donated out of respect to Bieler’s wishes.
“It is a significant amount, which we are happy with,” Dwyer said.
The new center will feature advanced audio-visual technology, interactive smart boards and up-to-date audio equipment. It would also function as a space for presentations and press events.
Dwyer said the current auditorium, built in the 1970s, is woefully outdated and it was a hospital priority for a long time. It had been used as a multipurpose space for meetings, health clinics and training sessions.
The pull-down screens there were difficult to operate, it has no sound system, suffered from poor acoustics, and had two separators with furniture needing to be rearranged, something the new center will not have issues with thanks to its larger space.
“Any type of training in that auditorium setting was not conducive to a classroom setting,” Dwyer said.
Montante Construction would build the center, having also done initial renderings for the project.
Bieler, the president and CEO of the West Herr Auto Group and president of the Scott Bieler Family Foundation, has been known for his philanthropic endeavors throughout Western New York. Earlier this year, the foundation opened a $3.8 million Rural Outreach Center in East Aurora.
‘Supporting NFMMC in its mission to educate and train healthcare professionals is an honor,” said Bieler. “This project aligns perfectly with my foundation’s goals to improve healthcare and the well-being of the community.”