One hospital working to open its doors is now helping another do the same—halfway across the world.
As Quincy Medical Group (QMG) moves forward in bringing the QMG Hospital to our community, it’s also playing a role in helping make a hospital in Kenya a reality. Collaboration between QMG President Carol Brockmiller; Ada Bair, Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Senior and Childcare Services CEO; and Bishop E.L. Warren, Ph.D., Senior Pastor of the Cathedral of Worship in Quincy, has led to the donation of medical equipment and supplies from QMG and Memorial Hospital in Carthage to two Kenyan healthcare projects—providing life-saving resources to communities with little access to care. However, one significant hurdle remains: securing the funds to ship the items overseas.
To help offset shipping costs, Brockmiller suggested a fundraising initiative, bringing employees together to support the effort. This led to the Souper Bowl of Caring on February 5, with both QMG and Memorial Hospital in partnership with Memorial Hospital Foundation hosting lunch events where employees provided donations to enjoy soup. To maximize the impact, the QMG Foundation matched the contributions made by QMG employees.
“Bringing QMG Hospital to our community has always been about increasing access to care and making healthcare more affordable. Bishop Warren is leading a similar mission in Kenya — to expand healthcare access in an area where it is critically needed. Just as he has stood by us, we want to stand by him. It’s simple: we share the same mission — to serve our communities by providing quality, affordable healthcare to those who need it most,” Brockmiller shared.
The donation effort will support two hospital projects in Kenya. The first is a women’s health and maternity hospital, designed with small birthing rooms, emergency care facilities, and waiting areas to accommodate mothers in labor. Once completed, it is expected to serve nearly 500,000 childbearing women. The second project involves renovating a long-vacant 400-bed hospital, expanding healthcare access to the surrounding community.
Bishop Warren has been at the forefront of these hospital projects, ensuring that medical equipment no longer in use locally can be repurposed to meet critical needs in Kenya.
“We started with nothing, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of Quincy Medical Group and Memorial Hospital. The impact of this project is truly beyond words,” said Bishop Warren. “If you could see the conditions at these facilities right now—the lack of sanitation and care standards—you’d understand just how significant this donation is. Thanks to this collaboration, we’re bringing a state-of-the-art facility to provide the care that’s long overdue.”
The donated medical equipment includes birthing beds, hospital beds, mobility aids, kitchen appliances, and over 15,000 surgical instruments. While the equipment itself has been secured, the shipping costs remain a challenge.
“We’ve had to pause our workforce temporarily while we raise funds for the shipping costs, but the generosity shown by QMG and Memorial Hospital will help us get this equipment to Kenya so we can resume our work,” Bishop Warren said.
Ada Bair, Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Senior and Childcare Services CEO, echoed the importance of the partnership. “We are honored to support these transformative healthcare projects in Kenya. Our partnership with local organizations exemplifies our shared commitment to improving healthier outcomes and enhancing the well-being of communities worldwide. We believe that every individual deserves access to essential healthcare services, and through initiatives like these, we strive to make that a reality.”
With the final pieces falling into place, the equipment is expected to ship in the coming weeks, with a projected arrival in May 2025.
For more information on how to support this effort, please contact Bishop Warren at 217-257-6602.
Pictured left to right: Dr. Gina Bell, OB/GYN; Dr. Ferdinand Wanjala Nang’ole, Chairperson Trans Nzoia County Health Taskforce, Bishop E.L. Warren, Ph.D., Senior Pastor of the Cathedral of Worship in Quincy, Illinois; and Ada Bair, CEO at Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Senior and Childcare Services
