Published on June 16, 2011
Auxiliaries Make Generous Donations to Improve Care in Southern Oregon
The auxiliaries of Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford and Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass will make large donations to both hospitals in June 2011.
The Rogue Valley Medical Center Auxiliary will present the Asante Foundation with a check for $100,000 on Friday, June 17, 2011 in support of the Rogue Valley Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) expansion project. In 2010 the Auxiliary donated $50,000. With a total of $150,000 given in two years, it equates to the sole funding of a single room, a headwall, a Giraffe bed, and six bassinettes.
“The NICU staff is stunned by this generosity," said Michele Strickland, clinical manager of Women’s and Children's Services. "We are honored by their support in dollars and time. They are committed to the success of our babies and families, and it is an honor to have them as members of our team.”
The Three Rivers Community Hospital Auxiliary will present the Asante Foundation with a check for $48,000 on Thursday, June 30, to fund three vein viewers, devices that sense the location of a patient’s veins and then projects a map of them on the patient’s skin so a nurse or lab tech can insert a needle with greater safety and accuracy.
“We are so thankful for this donation,” said Linda Rankin, vice president of Patient Care Services at Three Rivers Community Hospital. “This donation will mean better care for our patients because we will be able to get IV’s started more quickly and with less difficulty.”
Karin Guy, director of Volunteer and Spiritual Care Services at Asante Health System, said the auxiliaries were, "Proud to support the hospitals,” adding that the auxiliaries provide financial support to the hospitals through fundraisers and sales at their gift shops in the hospitals.
In the past three years, the RVMC Auxiliary gave $100,000 towards the purchase of the TomoTherapy machine and related software and $50,000 to the NICU expansion.
The Three Rivers Community Hospital Auxiliary donated $45,000 last year to assist in funding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit expansion at Rogue Valley Medical Center and to purchase bladder scanners for Three Rivers Community Hospital.
“With this year’s generous gifts, the auxiliaries are continuing to improve the lives of our patients and the community,” Guy said.
More than 600 volunteers serve at both hospitals and each year they give nearly 100,000 hours of their time and talent, donate funds toward the purchase of needed equipment, and provide valuable scholarships for those entering healthcare careers. Their in-kind donation of volunteer time in 2010 equals $865,000 at Rogue Valley Medical Center and $780,000 at Three Rivers Community Hospital.
Though 600 volunteers may sound like a lot, it's not enough to accomplish all the important work the volunteers do, added Guy. "We are always in need of more volunteers," she said.
To learn how you can volunteer, call 541-789-5875, or visit Volunteer Services.