Oneida Nation donates $1 million to Wynn Hospital campaign

UTICA, N.Y. — The Oneida Indian Nation has made a $1 million donation in support of the new Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Wynn Hospital that includes the commission of two art pieces that will honor the shared history of the Oneida people and the region.

A bronze sculpture called “Allies in War, Partners in Peace” by Edward Hlavka will be located outside the hospital’s entrance. It will be the second one created. The original 20-foot sculpture is located at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The second art piece is a mural that will be painted on the exterior hospital wall along Columbia Street. Located on the central utility plant, it will be visible to those looking out the south side of the hospital as well as passersby.

“As we embark on the largest evolution of Turning Stone in two decades and the exponential growth simultaneously occurring throughout the region, it is more important than ever to support community resources like the Wynn Hospital,” Oneida Nation Representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said in a press release. “This world-class health facility will not only meet the needs of residents and our employees today, but of those who will choose to build lives here as the transformation of the region continues in the years ahead.”

“The Oneida Indian Nation’s legacy of collaboration dates back to the very founding of our country,” MVHS President/CEO Darlene Stromstad added. “We are grateful to the Oneida Indian Nation for their support and look forward to honoring their history of contributions to the region through the commission of cultural elements that tell the story of our shared history so it will never be forgotten.”

The MVHS Foundation is in the midst of its $30 million “This is for You” fundraising campaign for the hospital, set to open in October. Along with serving as a new clinical campus, the hospital will bring together services currently located on two different campuses — St. Luke’s and St. Elizabeth’s — to one 703,000-square-foot hospital.

Located on 25 acres, the new hospital will have 373 private patient rooms, a 63-bed emergency department, and a level III trauma center capable of 90,000 patient visits annually.