Kathy’s House breaks ground for new hospital guest house

Kathy’s House leaders and supporters celebrated on Tuesday the start of construction for the organization’s new hospital guest house in Wauwatosa. 

The new Kathy’s House is being built on a 3.6-acre site on Doyne Avenue between North 92nd and North 87th Streets, adjacent to the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center.

A capital campaign supporting the new house has raised $10 million of the $12 million goal.  

Froedtert Hospital provided the lead pledge of $6 million in 2017. Other significant gifts have come from the Fotsch Family Foundation, Ladish Co. Foundation, Schneider Company and longtime Brookfield residents Ginny and Mike McBride.  

“We are deeply grateful for every donation, large and small, because those gifts will enable us to continue to open our doors and hearts to people at a critical time in their lives,” said Patty Metropulos, president and chief executive officer of Kathy’s House. “We just need a bit more help to cross the finish line so that by this time next year, we can open our doors to more people who need us.”

The nonprofit hospital guest house serves out-of-town patients and their families who come to Milwaukee for medical care. The organization has been operating at capacity in recent years, and over the past two years, has had to turn away more than 1,000 guests because of a lack of rooms. 

The new building will double the capacity of Kathy’s House’s current 18-room facility at 600 N. 103rd St., which it rents from St. Camillus Health Center. 

“The need is so great, and the new House will double our capacity, from 18 rooms to 36 rooms,” Metropulos said. “More than 40% of our guests say they would not be able to receive the medical care they need without the affordable housing and caring support Kathy’s House provides.” 

CG Schmidt is the general contractor for the project and HGA is the architect. Kathy’s House is leasing the land from Froedtert Hospital. Kathy’s House serves patients from any Milwaukee-area hospital, but Froedtert Hospital is its primary referral source. 

The new house is expected to open next year.

The two-story, 30,600-square-foot facility will have a separate wing for patients with compromised immune systems and a patient services room for basic clinical services, such as blood draws, central line care and video telehealth visits. It will also have a communal kitchen, dining area, library, family room, fitness room, laundry facilities, courtyard, a patio and walking trail.