The Great River Health Foundation was established in 1995 as the Fort Madison Community Hospital Foundation. For more than a quarter-century, it has been a thriving philanthropic organization.
- In 2018, Great River Medical Center in West Burlington and Fort Madison Community Hospital became partners under Great River Health, a health system serving the southeast Iowa region.
- In 2021, the hospitals became Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, one hospital with two campuses.
- The same year, the Fort Madison Community Hospital Foundation changed its name to Great River Health Foundation to align with the health system’s regional perspective.
- The Foundation operates as a 501(c)3 charitable organization governed by a 17-member independent board of directors.