VGM Retail and Iowa’s MercyOne healthcare system have worked together to develop a hospital gift shop that benefits their local Waterloo Medical Center and Cedar Falls Medical Center.
Serving visitors to the hospital and colleagues that work there, a portion of the profits driven by the Gift Shop at MercyOne, Powered by VGM, is paid directly back to the MercyOne Waterloo Foundation and MercyOne Cedar Falls Foundation. Those donations help fund improvements that advance patient care.
“We are very excited to announce our partnership with MercyOne and operate gift shops that make a difference in our community,” said Rob Baumhover, director of VGM Retail. “This new collaboration brings beloved elements from the previous gift shop operations and adds gifts from new vendors, comfort options and even Iowa-made merchandise with a continued focus on the consumer experience.”
The Gift Shop at MercyOne will have multiple locations. At Waterloo Medical Center, the gift shop will remain in its current location in the first-floor lobby and carry sundries, snacks, home décor, travel supplies, phone accessories, clothing, shoes, flowers and gifts. Another gift shop can be found in the Waterloo Birth Center on the third floor, and will feature gifts for expectant parents to celebrate the birth of their child. The third gift shop will be located at Cedar Falls Medical Center in the main lobby.
“The contributions that come from our gift shops support our foundations and allow us to invest in our facilities and advance patient care,” said Ryan Meyer, vice president of operations at MercyOne Northeast Iowa. “This partnership reflects a new opportunity to build upon that success, and we appreciate VGM’s expertise in this area.”