Now the Ira Elizabeth Hay Rhea, MD chapel, the MTMC Foundation hosted a celebration Feb. 21 in honor of Rhea, a foundation board member since 1993. Rhea’s gift to MTMC’s “A Time to Build Up” campaign recently wrapped up the $20 million investment to build the new hospital.

“The Ira Elizabeth Hay Rhea, MD chapel is a place where patients and their families can pray for healing, celebrate the birth of a new baby, or find solace after the loss of a loved one,” said Gordon Ferguson, president and CEO of MTMC. “Given Liz’s personal strength and support of our community, there isn’t a more perfect person for the chapel to be named for.”

A cancer survivor, Rhea recently co-chaired MTMC’s cancer campaign to raise funds for the new Cancer Center at MTMC. The lobby in the Cancer Center is named for Rhea as well following a major contribution.

“I hope that by naming the chapel, I could inspire others to keep fighting and always put their faith in God,” Rhea said. “At a time when I was ready to give up, MTMC’s chaplains were there to pray for strength with me. I attribute much of my healing and my survival to divine intervention from God.”

The MTMC Foundation’s primary work is to promote community awareness of the quality and value of medical services provided by MTMC and to raise and manage philanthropic gifts to further the hospital’s healing ministry to care for the poor and vulnerable.