Hospital staff donates over $13,000 to Foundation’s annual appeal campaign
VMH Staff donations purchase pedia graph immobilizer ... The Veterans Memorial Hospital Staff made nearly $14,000 in personal donations last year to the VMH Foundation in order to purchase equipment identified by the staff as needed to better serve the community. Pictured above, left to right, in the X-ray Department displaying the new pedia graph immobilizer, which helps allow young patients to sit comfortably while being safely immobilized for an effective and fast chest X-ray, are Ultrasound Technician Rachel Wagner, X-ray Technician Keisha Coon and Respiratory Therapist Chanice Drahn. Submitted photo.
VMH Staff donations purchase needed items ... Two new plush patient room chairs as well as a new chest freezer for rehabilitation patient ice packs were also some of the many donations made by the Veterans Memorial Hospital staff during their campaign last fall. Pictured above left are staff members Becki Estebo, Housekeeping and Jennifer Palmer, Nutrition Services with one of these new patient room chairs. Pictured below is Danialle Draeger, PT; Chanice Drahn, Respiratory Therapist; Laurel Hagensick, PT; Dietsy Weymiller, RN and Amy Ghelf, PT-A, with the new Rehab chest freezer. Additionally, a new continuous glucose monitoring system, a bariatric bedside commode, an additional camera system with two new cameras for campus safety and security and two new handheld pulse oximeters for use in the ambulances were all purchased with these generous staff donations. This fund drive is held each fall for all staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital and consistently raises thousands of dollars for upgrades in equipment and furnishings. Submitted photos.
The staff of Veterans Memorial Hospital pledged nearly $14,000 this last year to the VMH Health Care Foundation’s annual appeal campaign. The total raised in personal staff contributions was used to purchase equipment and furnishings identified by the staff as needed in the hospital to better serve the community.
“I am impressed and pleased by the staff’s generosity and participation again this last year,” states Mike Myers, hospital administrator. “Our Culture Committee took a leadership role in identifying hospital-wide needs, setting a financial goal, and organizing this employee campaign which was extremely successful. This process is an indication of the great dedication the hospital staff has to the service of our patients.”
This fund drive is held each fall for all staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital and consistently raises over $13,000 each year for upgrades in equipment and furnishings recommended by the staff.
This past year, a new pedia graph immobilizer was purchased for safely securing children for quick, effective X-rays, as well as two new plush chairs for the comfort of patients in their rooms. In addition, two new handheld pulse oximeters were purchased for the ambulances when measuring oxygen levels and an additional bariatric bedside commode was purchased to accommodate all patients.
Two new security cameras plus an additional camera system were added to the hospital security plan, a new chest freezer was purchased for the numerous ice packs used daily by the Rehabilitation Department patients, plus these donations also purchased a new continuous glucose monitoring system for the Diabetes Education Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
The dedicated staff at VMH provides this type of monetary support to Veterans Memorial Hospital each year. Already another $16,500 has been pledged to the hospital for many needed pieces of equipment that will now be purchased this upcoming year, including a new treadmill for the Rehabilitation patients, a new ambulance electronic reporting system, wireless headsets for patients for relaxation, a new Bari Matt for allowing a wider and longer patient bed size for comfort, a new Wallaroo nurse reporting area plus a new ER patient tray table.
The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s annual direct mail campaign was mailed out to the area communities served by the hospital in late November. The funds raised in this annual campaign will be used to help purchase the new 3D mammography machine at Veterans Memorial Hospital, which is the first 3D machine in northeast Iowa. This machine has a 41% increased detection rate of invasive breast cancer compared to 2D machines, helping to save many lives around northeast Iowa. The goal is to raise $35,000 for this purchase.
Donations are currently being accepted by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation for this mammography machine. The Veterans Memorial Hospital Health Care Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that supports the hospital and other health care related needs in northeast Iowa. All gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible. Anyone with any questions about the campaign or Foundation is invited to call the hospital at 563-568-3411.
