Ladish Center employees share meaningful moments, excitement over opening

10/19/21 04:00:pm

The newly opened Ladish Co. Foundation Center—which includes the Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation, the Ronald McDonald Family Room®, the Rogers Research Center, and hospitality and spiritual care services—has a lot to offer both Rogers team members and patient families who come to visit their loved ones.

In fact, there have been 1,132 visits to the Ladish Center since opening on August 16, according to the Foundation. Visitors include support group members, friends and families of patients receiving treatment at all levels of care, and community members involved in volunteer work in the Ronald McDonald Family Room, among others. Rogers staff have also found a home there for various trainings and continuing education sessions.

Below, Ladish Center employees share meaningful moments and words of excitement:

Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation

“All of us in the Foundation office couldn’t be happier to showcase the benefits of philanthropy as seen throughout this building. Whether you’re sitting in the Tadross Family Chapel or Bob and Mary Olsen Room or taking part in a spiritual care service or research project, donor involvement has likely played at least a part in its being here. For that, we are incredibly proud!

Now that we’re on campus, being present to engage with grateful families has been such an honor. For example, one mother who we got to know well at the Ladish Center told us she is going to miss it at Rogers after her family leaves. She wished there was a way to stay connected. When we told her about our Give for a Better Day Holiday Gift Drive, she was thrilled to be able to help other patients and families over the holidays and have an excuse to come back and drop off her gifts.

Big or small, there are many ways to get engaged with the Foundation. We look forward to continuing to help grateful patient families stay connected with Rogers, just as other families have done to make the Ladish Center possible.” ~ Matthias Schueth, executive vice president, Rogers Foundation

Ronald McDonald Family Room

“As the Family Room manager, I have the privilege of seeing our mission in action each and every day. Nothing brings our staff or volunteers greater joy than hearing guest families laughing and playing together in the playroom, reconnecting over a meal, exploring new art projects in the creativity room, or simply watching a movie together. The Family Room is a warm and welcoming environment where families can focus on what’s important: each other. Since we opened our doors on August 16, we have welcomed 391 visitors to the Family Room. We are open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. If you haven’t visited the Family Room yet, I encourage you to come for a tour!” ~ Kelly Levenhagen, Family Room manager

Comments and guest feedback for the Ladish Center and Family Room have been collected through the Ronald McDonald House Charities® Eastern Wisconsin guest feedback survey since it opened. Below is a sampling of positive feedback from visitors:

“Immaculate facility!”

“Always a smile and warm welcome!”

“This is a great way to meet other families who are in the same boat.”

“It is a wonderful, peaceful space, which is such a needed spot in my life while dealing with a mental illness of a child.”

“Extremely welcoming and cozy.”

“My daughters were dancing together with Just Dance on TV! Lovely!”

“Well stocked. Staff very professional and friendly.”

“I have found comfort in meeting others going through similar circumstances.”

“Absolutely love it here!! Relaxing and friendly atmosphere!”

Rogers Research Center

“The Ladish Center offers state-of-the facilities for our research center, providing more than 4,000 square feet for our research offices, labs, and patient consult rooms. Bringing together research, the Foundation, patient families, and the community is extremely powerful and unprecedented. Working together within the Ladish Center, we have the combined interests and resources to focus our research efforts on innovations and discoveries that can help us better identify the most effective treatments that can directly impact patients and their families and contribute to long-lasting recovery. Over the next six months, we will be instrumenting and outfitting our labs, as we continue to grow our team to capacity. The Ladish Center has provided high-quality spaces that allow us to grow over the years ahead.” ~ Kelly Piacsek, PhD, vice president, Research

Hospitality and spiritual care

“Everyone who comes cannot help but comment on it being a spectacular building—­like being outside while indoors. Just this very week there was a training, which brought energy and activity. Some stopped in the meditation garden. Twice parents from the Ronald McDonald House stepped into the chapel. We would very much like to see the opportunities of what this center represents being utilized to their fullest potential.” ~ Michael Witte, chaplain, Spiritual Care

“Our hope (COVID-dependent, of course) is to offer holiday services in the new chapel in the Ladish Center. We also want to encourage those visiting the chapel, as well as the outdoor meditation garden, to use it as a place of meditation, rest, and spiritual renewal, and to feel free to check out a book or two in the resource library for further inspiration.” ~ Christine Dawley, manager, Spiritual Care