April 2014 - Alabama Hospital Association

ALABAMA COUNCIL
OF
HOSPITAL
AUXILIARIES
The Communicator
V O L U M E
2 6
I S S U E
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A P R I L ,
2 0 1 4
Beverly Commander, ACHA Chairman
Inside This
Issue
I personally will be glad to see Winter go away this year, and am looking forward to Spring. I know several people went to work on the Tuesday in early Jan-
District I
2
uary and stayed at work for a couple of days due to the snow and ice. Thank you
for your service and dedication. Everyone I have talked to turned a bad situation into an enjoyable
District II
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experience.
I started the year traveling to Vaughn Medical Center in Selma on January 8 th to install their
new officers. I attended the District III meeting in Wedowee on January 27 th. Mike Alexander, the
Chair-Elect
Historian
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Administrator of Wedowee Hospital, talked to us about how important we are to the hospitals in
our state. He said the hospitals have to ask more of volunteers to be able to keep our hospitals open,
especially in the small rural areas. Mr. Alexander told us to always remember we are Volunteers
Program
Gift Shop
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not “just volunteers.” Wedowee had the Backwater Bells singing group entertain us before serving a delicious lunch. I attended the District II meeting in Jasper on February 5th. We had a won-
Project Chair
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derful program presented by Renae McKinney, the Director of Volunteer Services and Marketing
Manager, on how to eat healthy to have a healthy heart. She gave us signs and symptoms to look
out for and presented each participant with handouts of healthy foods to eat. Everyone was asked
Newsletter
Contact Info
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to wear red to the District meeting to remind us of our state project and Valentine’s Day. Walker
Baptist stayed with the theme with a delicious salad lunch to help us eat healthy. I was unable to
District III
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District IV
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attend the District I meeting due to weather and I had a conflict the day of the District IV meeting.
I look forward to being able to attend their next meetings.
At the District II and III meetings several auxiliaries told how they are involved in community
activities and have gotten new members by participating. One group puts on an arts & craft show
Communicator
Deadlines
2014
June 8
September 8
December 8
2014 ACHA
Fall Conference
Oct. 12-15
Marriott Hotel
Mobile, AL
in the Fall, several help with community health fairs, another group participated in a Belk Charity
Day Sale by selling tickets to this event. A group joined the local Rotary Club to help provide basic
necessities for Senior Citizens in their community. There are many ways we can be involved in our
communities which will enable us to get more members. I will be attending the SHVL Conference
in Nashville from March 23-25.
Don Pugh is working on the program for our Conference in Mobile October 12-15. If you have
any suggestions you would like him to consider, please contact him.
We are looking for new ACHA Board members to come on the Board at our State Conference
in Mobile. If you are interested in becoming a Board member please contact Billie Simpson, your
District Chairman , or me for more information.
Hope you have a wonderful Spring and blessings to each of you!
P AGE
District I
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Shirley Brocato, District 1 Chairman
The District 1 meeting was held at the Helen Keller Hospital Wellcare Center
on January 28. Wanda Berry, Helen Keller Auxiliary President, called the
meeting to order and gave the thought for the day. Amy Bishop, DVS, introduced HKH CEO, Doug Arnold, who welcomed
everyone to our hospital. Dr. Theresa Lango, Cardiologist at Tennessee valley Cardiology Center, was our speaker. Our
state project this year is heart disease. District 1 Chair, Shirley Brocato introduced State Board members, District 1 Assistant Chair, Jean Glisson, from Huntsville Hospital, and State Newsletter Chair, Betty Hendrix, of Marshall Medical Center
North. We had 7 area hospitals represented and each president attending gave their report. We adjourned the meeting and
Jean Glisson gave the blessing before lunch. The next meeting will be in April at Crestwood Hospital in Huntsville.
Crestwood Hospital
Our volunteers are jumping into 2014 with excitement. We made donations to Shriner’s
Hospital in Greenville, SC (currently treating 260 crippled children from North Alabama) and 2 local veterans’ organizations, Still Serving Veterans , and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter. In addition, we
purchased 10 new wheelchairs for the lobby areas of Crestwood Medical Center, for which the
hospital staff was most appreciative. Pictured at right—Jim Szeredy, Board Member; Colby
Baer, All Star Medical Supplies; Connie Thompson, President; and Veronica Carter, DVS.
In celebration of Heart Month, Dr. William Schneider spoke at our 1Q meeting. He discussed
the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and shared success stories from our own Crestwood
cardiac cath lab, which beats the national average for door to balloon time.
Several members have taken the lead on a monthly newsletter and have done a great job of keeping our volunteers informed. Each issue features new volunteers, birthdays, a recipe and upcoming dates. In order to learn more about each
other, we are also highlighting a volunteer each month .
Recently, our Recruitment Chairman began revising service descriptions for each of the volunteer areas. He spent several
weeks meeting with the supervisors in each area to determine if the current description was accurate and to evaluate the
needs of that area. He will be working with new volunteers during orientation to set the expectations for their desired areas.
He has also pulled together a team to work on retention of volunteers.
Cullman Regional
Connie Thompson, President
We continue to sponsor 100 newspapers each day for our patients. We cover all the hospital
running errands, and occasionally work on mail outs or charts for different departments.
Our Book Fair fundraiser (Books are Fun) did well in October. The room our auxiliary sponsored in the Refresh-aRoom Campaign has been finished, and our name plaque will be installed soon.
Currently we have 12 auxiliary members.
Huntsville Hospital
Sarah Hicks, President
Our auxiliary kicked off the New Year by assisting with the opening of a new Information Desk
in Blackwell Medical Tower on the main campus at Huntsville Hospital. In addition to greeting visitors and patients, they
offer valuable resources such as “go maps” to help them navigate their way around the campus.
To promote the State Project of Heart Health, our Mended Hearts Support Group was
recently featured on Channel 48. Fredonia Williams, Auxiliary President, told about her
journey with heart disease and discussed the value of the support she receives from Mended Hearts. Auxilian Donnette Smith, who serves on the National Board of Mended Hearts,
shared the story of how our Mended Hearts Chapter began and discussed the value of the
heart pillow that is made by our volunteers. The pillow, partially funded by the Auxiliary,
is given to each patient who has open heart surgery. It is used to comfort the patient
when he or she coughs to prevent pneumonia. It’s also used upon discharge from the hospital to protect the chest when riding in a car and using a seat belt. Pillows are delivered
H E by
CO
M Mwho
U N have
I C Ahad
T Oopen
R
eachT week
those
heart surgery and can offer encouragement, as well as support, following surgery.
Pat Legg, DVS
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District II
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With our first district meeting for 2014 under our belts and with 11 out of 15
Eunice Stagner, District II Chairman
auxiliaries present at Walker Baptist Medical Center in February, it is easy to
see we have a great year ahead of us. Beverly, Carol, Don, and Johnnie from the State Board were present and each added
some valuable information. The program was sort of deju vu of the State Conference. The doctor scheduled to speak had to
be out of town, his replacement had to stay in her office because of sickness of another employee, so Renae McKinney, Walker's DVS filled in. I applaud her for a job well done. To celebrate Heart Awareness Month, Valentine’s Day, and the state
project, I asked everyone to wear red. Wow! We were a
“sea of red” with everything from red shoes to red lipstick.
Hopefully by the time you receive your “Communicator”,
Spring will finally have arrived. It will surely be most welcomed. Remember your most valued asset, your smile, and
enjoy your volunteering!
Bibb Medical Center
Residents at Bibb Medical Center Nursing Home have been super busy with weekly activities.
Some of their favorite activities have been Corn Hole, Mexican dominoes and BINGO. Once a month residents were treated
to a birthday party. Each birthday recipient for that month received a gift and they all got to enjoy cake, ice cream and a
surprise from the Auxiliary President. The surprise usually is cookies, candy or Chex-mix with M&M’s, which they all love.
Every month the birthday party theme changed.
A favorite among the residents was a party called “Old School.” Items from over the past 50-100 years were used for
decorations. There were school bells, Easton Speller and year books from the 50s-60s.
Residents also had table cloths that had simple math equations and spelling words written on them to remind them of
elementary school. Some of the resident’s names were also hidden in sentences on the table cloths. A big thank you to all
auxiliary members for helping residents to and from the parties and helping with refreshments. Thank you to Auxiliary
President Kathy Frith and her mom, Annie Jean Smith, for coming up with the party decorations and themes every month.
Brookwood Medical Center
In 2012 the Brookwood Medical Auxiliary formed a partnership with the parents of
Todd Parsons, a former patient in our Behavioral Health Department. Unfortunately, he
passed away, but his parents turned their loss into something wonderful. They established the Todd Parsons Memorial
Fund to purchase special gifts for our Behavioral Health patients. The Brookwood Medical Auxiliary manages this fund for
the Parsons and purchases some of the “extras” our patients need: socks, reading glasses, lotion, playing cards, puzzles,
clothing and other things. Recently our Treasurer, Martha Hester, found sweat suits to
keep patients warm during this chilly winter.
Behavioral Health has a wonderful art therapy program that allows patients to express themselves through painting and making crafts, and we purchase paint supplies,
canvases, beads, etc. for them. These
patients recently surprised us with a
unique thank you note – a painting
expressing their appreciation for the
work we do. The painting is filled
with their colorful handprints, a poignant reminder that we serve individuals with hearts that can be blessed by the simplest acts of kindness.
The Brookwood Medical Auxiliary thoroughly enjoys our growing relationship with this department and its patients.
Janis Cole, President
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District II (cont)
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DCH Regional
DCH Regional Medical Center Auxiliary has been busy at the beginning of the year with re-
orientation of all volunteers, along with TB skin testing, and the business meeting where a nominating committee was elected to begin looking for potential/new officers to fill positions for next year. At the meeting it was announced that due to successful sales, we were able to pay the 2014 installment of our $30,000.00 commitment to funds designated to renovation of
the Breast Center Imaging area in the Lewis and Fay Manderson Cancer Center. Two years ago the auxiliary voted to give
a total of $200,000.00 to the center for this work.
Beginning January 2014, Fayette Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary was welcomed into the DCH Health System Volunteer Services Umbrella. DCH Regional Medical Center and Northport Medical Center were already closely aligned and
with the addition of FMC, all three will be under the guidance of Elizabeth Toney, DVS. We also work closely with the
Volunteer Auxiliary at Pickens County Medical Center (also affiliated with DCH Health System), although the auxiliary is
not directly supervised by Mrs. Toney.
The photo shows all four of the auxiliary presidents:
left-to-right are Jane Cotton, FMC; Sarajane Pugh, DCH RMC;
Patsy Nowell, NMC and Judy Halbert, PCMC.
The association of the 4 hospitals and their auxiliaries
will hopefully strengthen and unify each.
Sarajane Pugh, President
Northport Medical Center
On January 1st, Northport Medical Center welcomed the New Year with a Smoke-Free
Campus. This, as you well know, prohibits all tobacco products on campus by patients, staff, volunteers and visitors.
In February, we hosted our first fundraiser for 2014, Alter’s Gem Jewelry sale. On March 4 th & 5th we hosted Children’s Clothing sale and on March 26th & 27th we will host Books are Fun.
In February, we joined with DCH Regional for a volunteer meeting and luncheon. On Valentine’s Day several volunteers gave out roses to our patients. It made our day and I’m sure it made theirs also. We also made a payment on our
pledge to the Mammography Breast Care Center at DCH.
Northport Medical Center will send four volunteers to the Spring conference in Nashville in March.
Patsy Powell, President
Pickens County Medical Center
In October we purchased a pediatric exam table with digital scale and measuring
device for Reform Primary Care Clinic, a transport chair for the Nursing Service Department, and a Geri chair/recliner for
the Senior Care Department. A large bookmark containing a visual reminder of our state theme “Back To Basics” was distributed to our volunteers at the October quarterly meeting.
We had a successful Masquerade Jewelry Sale in November. Volunteers made tray favors and provided holiday napkins
for the patient trays for Thanksgiving Day.
Three volunteers helped with the new Reform Primary Care Clinic’s Open
House event on December 3rd. Christmas Open House for our Gift Shop , with refreshments and door prizes, was held in
our hospital lobby. A member of our auxiliary provided small Christmas gifts for the patients and they were delivered on
Christmas morning by two volunteers. Volunteers also participated in a hospital Christmas project of granting wishes to
disabled people in Pickens County by donating a watch from our Gift Shop. We also made a donation to Pickens Baptist
Center.
Eight new members joined our organization on December 9th.
T HE
COMMUNICAT OR
Judy Halbert, President
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Princeton Baptist
District II (cont.)
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We started out the year with our Uniform Sale and it was fun and very successful. We held our new
volunteer orientation in February where we welcomed 2 new adult volunteers to our program.
We had a special occasion on Thursday, March 6, when we congratulated Ms. Lee Rich
who received her 40,000 hour pin and was also honored with a certificate of appreciation.
This is a great milestone for Ms. Rich, who works in our CICU Waiting Room, as she worked
very hard for it. We are very proud of her! Pictured at right is Lee Rich receiving her
pin & certificate from our Director and Administration.
Pictured at the left—Handing out Valentine’s Day
Favors to our patients are Paulette Thomas, Dot Lewis,
Bonnie Mason and Marlin Johnson.
We will also have another orientation on March 11, where we will welcome 2 adult
volunteers and 2 college students.
We are busy preparing for our Linen Sale that will be
held on March 26 & 27. This is always a successful sale.
Barbara Mcdonald, President
Shelby Baptist
This year began with a special presentation for our New Year’s Baby! We provided the family with a
Gift Basket of necessary baby items and a Gift Certificate to Wal-Mart. God always seems to open a
door for us to really make a difference in the life of a young family. Their baby gave them a new outlook on life and we were
so glad to play a small part in it.
We also officially kicked off our new “Cuddler Program” in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. After extensive interviews,
five volunteers were chosen to go through Orientation and we went to work. Since this program is very different from any
other opportunity in the hospital, we have the privilege of learning what will work best in this unique environment. More
volunteers will be added as we “fine tune” our responsibilities. It has been such a blessing! We are giving the nurses in this
unit the time to attend to other babies needs while we rock, feed, and calm others.
Our Winter Uniform Sale occurred in February with Scrubs for Less, a company located here in Alabaster. It was very
successful and we have enjoyed building a relationship with a local retailer. We have also started work on our annual
Easter Basket Sale. Special orders will be taken and generic baskets will be available for purchase.
Now that we are meeting 6 times a year we will have our next meeting in April. We always enjoy our lunch together and
catching up with all the Volunteers. We are looking forward to Spring and all of the events we have planned.
Hope Hundley, President
St. Vincent's St. Clair
Recently at our January General Meeting new officers were announced: Edna Daffron,
President; Shirley Broadwell, 1st VP; Marion Fraizer, 2nd VP; Maxine Godwins, Recording
Secretary; Edith Woodward, Corresponding Sec.; and Gloria Richards, Financial Officer. Kidada Hawkins, VP and
COO for St. Vincent's Health System Rural Hospital Operations, presented Service awards to Barbara Beland-2,000 hours;
Shirley Broadwell-1,000 hours; Audrey Greenwood-1,500 hours. & a 5 year pin; Hazel Morgan-5,500 hours; Ponda Terry6,000 hours; and Lela Penn- 500 hours.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, St. Vincent St. Clair Hospital had a grand opening event for The Vein Center. Also, on that date
“The Red Couch” was at the hospital to remind everyone to “Go Red for Women” durimg the month of February. Saturday, Feb. 15 was Heart Day at the hospital. About 220 people pre-registered and walked-in for the four heart tests.
There were 32 scholarship applications received this year and will be evaluated in March. A special welcome to our newest members, June Franklin and Peggy Frazier and also a warm welcome back to Louise Addison.
Coming up in April is
our Bake Sale scheduled for Good Friday, April 18; the General Meeting at Simeon Episcopal Church on Tuesday, April 22;
and the Masquerade Jewelry Sale on April 24-25.
Edna Daffron, President
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District II (cont.)
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Trinity Medical Center
Our Board of Directors held its first 2014 scheduled meeting on January 14th and voted unanimously to send a monetary donation, along with a thank-you note, to the Mountain View Baptist
School as a show of appreciation for the entertainment provided by the youth student band at the Auxiliary's annual Christmas luncheon. It was inspirational to see and hear what the students have already accomplished musically in their teen years.
We awarded five $1,000 scholarships to deserving students of hospital employees in January and checks were mailed to the
University of Alabama, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Jefferson State Community College, and Auburn University.
Our two-day Uniforms2U fundraiser was scheduled for Jan. 30th & 31st. However,
we experienced the unexpected snow/ice storm the day before and had to cancel the sale
on Jan. 30th. We were able to proceed with the event on the 31st and were pleasantly
surprised at how successful it was. We had a makeup sale date Feb. 20th and it also did
well. Pictured at right are Marcia Warren and June DeFoor at the Uniform Sale.
On February 5th, Marcia Warren and Cathy Maddock attended the ACHA District
II Meeting held at Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper. Congratulations to them
for hosting a terrific luncheon and meeting. Everyone was asked to wear red in observance of heart health awareness month
and the state project for this year, heart disease.
On Valentine's Day, as a way of saying thanks to all the employees and staff of the hospital
for all they do on a daily basis, our volunteers expressed appreciation to them by serving iced
heart-shaped cookies in the cafeteria dining room and doctors' lounge. In addition, one of our
new volunteers, Syd Dudgeon, played the harp for the enjoyment of everyone in the dining hall
as the cookies were being served. Cookies were also provided for late shift employees and some
visitors as well.
Pictured at left are Syd Dudgeon, harpist, Marilyn Dickson, and Phyllis Landers.
Cathy Maddock,
UAB Hospital Auxiliary
The promise of warmer seasons ahead brings relief and peace to the many volunteers,
hospital staff and guests who struggled and worked so hard through the storms of January and February. Stories of kindness
and selflessness through such harrowing times will serve to inspire us all for years to come.
The New Year brought a continuation of the
Auxiliary-sponsored First Thursdays concert
series. The UAB Faculty Brass Quintet fills the
North Pavilion Atrium with beautiful music the
first Thursday of each month during the lunch
hour.
The School of Music uses the sponsorship
funds to continue its outreach program into area
middle and high schools.
Pictured above—Performing three shows at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School 12/19/13.
Spring also signals our Scholarship and Nominating Committees into action. We wish them the very best in their efforts
and look forward to all results. In the spirit of Heart Health and with an interest in supporting the ACHA State Project, our
Auxiliary is making plans to participate in Heart Walk 2014, scheduled for June 28. We hope to have a significant presence at
the event!
Kyle Wick, President
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ISSUE
ACHA Board Chairmen
2
Carol Hunter, Chairman– Elect
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Although our Alabama Winter seemed like an Alaskan
Winter at times, my spirits were lifted when I heard stories of extraordinary service of Auxiliary
volunteers !
On Tuesday, January 28, Mr. Till reported at 7:00 A.M. for his shift on the 7 th floor UAB
North Pavilion Waiting Room. When he learned the city roads were closed, he returned to the
Waiting Room to meet the needs of the hospital visitors. After two nights of sleep in “post-op” and two and one
half days of service, Mr. Till ended his “shift” at noon on Thursday.
Ms. Selph began her usual duties in the
Gift Shop Tuesday morning. When she learned she was stranded, she returned to the Gift Shop where she found
lines of customers waiting to purchase “essentials” needed to cope with the storm. Ms. Selph re-stocked shelves
until 11 P.M. Many thanks to all of the Auxiliary volunteers throughout our state who stayed for extra shifts
during the ice storms.
On February 5, the Auxiliary of the Walker Baptist Medical Center celebrated Valentine’s Day with the
members of District II ! From the red heart décor to the delicious luncheon featuring giant, red strawberries to
the red and purple dark chocolate kisses and red gift bags, we were treated royally! I always enjoy the Auxiliary
Presidents’ reports , especially the descriptions of special programs which give other presidents ideas to take
back to their hospitals.
On a recent airplane trip, I read a magazine article entitled, “Keeping Your Heart Healthy” by Dr. William
Strimel of Mercy Suburban Hospital in Philadelphia. He gave 5 tips to stop heart disease : talk to your doctor
about your risks; get moving; know your family history; stop smoking; and remember, “ you are what you eat”.
His recipe for a smoothie : 2 C green leafy vegetable (spinach), a banana, 1 C oats, ¼ C your favorite fruit, ¼ C
nuts (walnuts), 2 C water. Blend. May be served over ice.
Makes 2- 8 oz. smoothies. If you like smoothies,
my husband and I recommend this recipe !
Looking forward to Spring weather and spring District meetings !
Linda Patterson, Historian
I sure would love to include your Auxiliary in our State Yearbook! Everybody works so hard to put their Newsletters and Yearbooks together, and I just
want the State Yearbook to reflect it. I am asking all the Auxiliary President’s to make sure
that the Newsletter chairperson has included me in their mailing list and that they send a copy
of the Newsletter to:
Linda Patterson, 2050 Repoll Rd., Mobile, AL 36695
or email me at jppandlfp@att.net.
I would also love to have any newspaper articles and pictures. Just include the names of those in the picture,
the hospital and your district.
A couple of hospitals have included me on their mailing list and I thank them for that, but that leaves many
hospitals from whom I have received no communication. I know that you want your hospital to be included in
the yearbook, so get those newsletters, articles and pictures in the mail!
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ACHA Board Chairmen (continued)
8
Don Pugh, Program Chairman
By the time you receive this "BEAUTIFUL-WONDERFUL" issue of the Communicator,
there will only be about 6 months left before our next ACHA Fall Conference. While that seems
like a long time, it is really not far away. The dates for the conference are October 12-15, 2014.
The location is the Marriott Hotel on Airport Blvd. in Mobile, AL. The Marriott is located in a very busy area
with shopping malls, restaurants and easy access from Interstate 65. The hotel was recently renovated and has
all new finishes inside making it a great place for our conference.
The ACHA State Board and I are working on the Program and have some new ideas lined up to meet your
high expectations. This year we will be having one day dedicated to "Leadership". Many of you serve as officers within your local auxiliary, but were never given much assistance with dealing with the demands of your
position. The leadership training we have planned will help you to better understand how to make wise decisions which will direct your auxiliary and to deal with conflict which arises within the auxiliary or from external
problems which you encounter. Many times we are seeking answers to implement so that our auxiliaries are
more effective and efficient. With the changes in the healthcare system, we must adapt in order to better serve
our hospitals and clients. Hopefully these working sessions will allow you to see, hear and better prepare for the
coming changes we face.
So, I ask that you go ahead and make your plans right now and select your attendees and be ready once you
receive the registration packets for your hospital to respond and attend the ACHA Fall Conference. I think you
will be well pleased with what you will experience and will come back to your auxiliary with a re-vitalized spirit
and will learn from the presenters as well as from fellow auxilians from across the state.
See you there...............
Johnnie Knott, Gift Shop Chairman
!!!Happenings Around The Gift Shop Corner!!!
The New Year ushered in happiness for Gift Shop Managers. David Myers once said, “Your happiness is like your cholesterol level. Both are genetically
influenced, yet both are – to a certain extent – under control.” I was overwhelmed with the hospitality of Elinor Ott, Constance Taylor and other members of District IV/Atmore Community Hospital, Atmore, AL. I was also equally astonished while visiting the Doris Esneul Gift Shop. This is
a small shop that carries so much history and is named for the founder of the auxiliary. A Christmas tree is decorated festively during the year, for each holiday. Donna Ferguson and Linda Blake proudly
allowed me to really browse this shop. Books are donated from the community for saleable items.
Because of the snow and ice, I could not meet with Shirley Brocato and other auxilians at the Helen Keller
Hospital/District 1 Meeting on Jan. 28. However, my travel to District II Meeting (Walker Baptist Medical Center) on Feb. 5 was a joy to behold. Since February was the American Heart Month, members were adorned in
red. Eunice Stagner, Sarajane Pugh and other members who hosted, presented an outstanding program, distributed very pertinent information in reference to a “Healthy Heart”, the State Project.
Afterwards, Melissa Taylor, Gift Shop Manager, gave me a tour of their beautiful shop.
Pictured with Melissa are Tommie McNasco (12 yrs. service) and Pat Ferrell (8 yrs. service). These ladies, along with others, have personally made items (wreaths, etc.) and
donated to the shop’s inventory. As Gift Shop Chairperson, I am grateful to everyone
who has ever done a kind deed for me, or has spoken one word of encouragement. These
have entered into the make-up of my character and of my thoughts!!!!
V OLUME
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2
ACHA Board Chairmen (cont.)
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Stress and Blood Pressure
Fay Burns, Project Chairman
Everyone suffers from stress at sometime in our lives; some of us may suffer more often than
others. Our stress rears its ugly head with body aches, tiredness, anger, depression and many
other signs that we may not recognize. In today’s fast-paced world filled with increasing demands, it’s important to manage your stress level. Some people cope with stress by overeating or
eating unhealthy foods, smoking, drinking and other activities that raise their risk for heart attack, stroke and
high blood pressure. Although stress is not a confirmed risk factor for either high blood pressure or heart disease, and has not been proven to cause heart disease, scientists continue to study how stress relates to our health.
And while blood pressure may increase temporarily when you’re stressed, stress has not been proven to cause
chronic high blood pressure.
How much stress do you live with and what is the cost to your health? Stress definitely affects our bodies. In
addition to the emotional discomfort we feel when faced with a stressful situation, our bodies react by releasing
stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) into the blood. These hormones prepare the body for the “fight or
flight response” by making the heart beat faster and constricting blood vessels to get more blood to the core of
the body instead of the extremities. Constriction of blood vessels and increase in heart rate does raise blood pressure, but only temporarily; when the stress reaction goes away, blood pressure returns to its pre-stress level.
This is called situational stress, and its effects are generally short-lived and disappear when the stressful event is
over.
Although stress does not clearly cause heart disease, it can play a role in general wellness. Learning new lifestyle habits sometimes requires clearing out the mental clutter. When you can turn down the stress response,
you can turn in to good health. Here are some ways you can learn to be mindful about stressful situations and
how you might change what is within your power to change.
·
Reduce stress by using humor
·
Reduce stress by changing your expectations
·
Reduce stress by recognizing where you have control
·
Reduce stress by taking care of your mood
·
Reduce stress by practicing gratitude and joy
Information from American Heart Association
February, 2014
Readers Digest, Laughter the Best Medicine

Mary was in a large department store when she heard on the PA system that the optical department was
offering free ice cream. She rushed down the escalator to take advantage of the offer. As she approached the
clerk, she told her that she was there for the ice cream. “Ice cream?” came the reply. “Sorry. What we have
is a free eye screening.”

Amy and Suzie were twins who were out on the town one evening when they ran into a man that
Amy knew from work. She introduced Suzie as her twin sister.
“You’re twins?” he asked. “You look nothing alike.”
Pointing to her nose and Suzie’s chin, Amy said, “Different plastic surgeons.”
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ACHA Board Chairmen (cont.)
First of all, I want to thank you for the articles
Betty Hendrix, Newsletter Chairman
and great pictures that you submitted for this issue.
Thanks, also, for putting the district number and the hospital name in the subject line of your
email. This helps me so much when I have to go back and verify information and check on pictures. Due to the large number of articles that were sent to me for publication this time, I had
to shorten many of them to make room for all of the submissions. Notice that some even spilled
over to the back page! But this is a great thing! I’m glad you are sending me articles. I always enjoy reading
about the really neat things your auxiliaries are doing.
I was able to attend our January District 1 meeting at Helen Keller Wellcare Center, along with our other Marshall North officers. The weather did not cooperate for me to attend other meetings, especially those
which were not too far from my area.
I know we are all looking forward to the conference next October at the Marriott Hotel in Mobile! Don is
working hard to make this another great event for all of us and has some excellent programs planned. I am
looking forward to seeing and meeting all of you!
ACHA Board Chairmen 2013-2014
Beverly Commander
Chairman
(256) 276-0839
bevcommander@gmail.com
Carol Hunter
Chairman-Elect
(205) 879-2015
clairol55@aol.com
Billie Simpson
Past Chairman
(256) 486-3389
billie743@charter.net
Linda Patterson
Historian
(251) 634-1278
jppandlfp@att.net
Betty Hendrix
Newsletter Chairman
(256) 586-6394
bwhendrix@gmail.com
Johnnie Knott
Gift Shop Chairman
(334) 289-2495
johnneknott@yahoo.com
Don Pugh
Program Chairman
(205) 242-3667
ezzzlife@peoplepc.com
Fay Burns
Project Chairman
(334) 821-0577
fburns1119@charter.net
Linda Reynolds
DVS Liaison
(251) 460-5223
linda.reynolds@springhill.org
Shirley Brocato
District I Chairman
(256) 381-0964
shirlbro@bellsouth.net
Jean Glisson
District I Vice Chairman
(256) 881-0858
jeanglisson@knology.net
Eunice Stagner
District II Chairman
(205) 664-2490
eunicestagner@att.net
Sarajane Pugh
District II Vice Chairman
(205) 242-3667
ezzzlife@peoplepc.com
Flo Mcintyre
District III Chairman
(256) 234-4462
flobud@charter.net
Chery Webb
District III Vice Chairman
(256) 846-5007
ccwebb1@hotmail.com
Elinor Ott
District IV Chairman
(334) 636-2091
elinoro@bellsouth.net
Constance Taylor
District IV Vice Chairman
(251)4 56-5951
brandci@bellsouth.net
Teresa Stubblefield
ACHA State Office
(334) 272-8781
(800) 489-2542
T HE
COMMUNICAT OR
tstubblefield@alaha.org
V OLUME
26
ISSUE
Flo Mcintyre, Chairman
District III
2
P AGE
11
District III is off to great start. Our first District meeting was hosted by Wedowee Hospital
with 67 in attendance. Beverly reminded us to focus on being compassionate volunteers and to
be more involved in our community. We had a great meeting and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at our next
Quarterly meeting which will be in May and hosted by Russell Medical Center.
Cheryl Webb, Vice– Chairman
I am so excited and privileged to serve as District III Vice Chairman this year. Vol-
unteering at Coosa Valley Medical Center has taught me so much, and I am now also learning more about the district and
state levels of the Alabama Council of Hospital Auxiliaries. This is a great way to meet auxilians from across the state and to
share ideas. ACHA Chairman Beverly Commander has shared with us her goals for this year. One is being more compassionate in volunteering and being a more caring and understanding volunteer with patients and other auxilians each day.
Another goal is to become more involved in community outreach. By representing our auxiliary and by being involved in
the community, I hope to draw people to our hospital and invite others to volunteer with us. What a special time it is to
serve as a volunteer!
Wedowee Hospital hosted our District III quarterly meeting in January. They did an outstanding job with coordinating
the event. Wedowee Hospital CEO Mike Alexander was the guest speaker. He made a comment that really had an impact
with me. He stated “We are not ‘just’ a volunteer, we are a volunteer”. I hope we all remember this and that we are proud
to be a volunteer.
Springtime is here and I am looking forward to the warm weather and sunshine. I am sure we are all getting ready for
jewelry sales, bake sales, uniform sales, and picnics. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our District meeting on
May 21st at Russell Medical Center. Wishing everyone a Happy Spring.
Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital
December proved to be a busy month for BWWMH Auxilians! $5,846.50
was added to our treasury from the sale of 41 corporate wreaths which were
used to decorate the halls of the hospital and also from the sales of “Love Lights” which were placed in honor or memory of
loved ones and filled 3 trees in the lobby.
Several members helped to update and refurbish the auxiliary float used in Demopolis’s Christmas on the River parade.
Those that rode on the float on parade day threw candy and beads to the exuberant crowd of spectators.
A door decorating contest was also held at the hospital during December, with the auxiliary executive committee serving
as judges. First and second place ribbons were given in three categories: Religious, Children, and Fun. First place winners
also received a box of cookies, and the Best Overall winner was awarded a box of candy.
Old age, sickness, and death have severely depleted our active membership roll, so it is especially gratifying to welcome 5
new members to our group. Joan Wilkerson and George Cannon joined in January, and Wanda Campbell, Peggy Luker,
and Krista Mitchell were added in February. A very successful blood drive was held in January, bringing in 36 units!
Britches and Bows, a children’s clothing vendor, spent two days at the hospital in February, showing their fashion line for Spring and Summer. Sales were
brisk as customers browsed the sales racks and bought for Easter and summer.
Pictured at right are Jan McDonald and Alice Boggs looking over
some of the children's fashions displayed at the Britches and Bows sale .
Johnnie Knott
P AGE
District III (cont.)
12
Citizens Baptist Medical Center
Our volunteers have been busy as Bees! In October, we joined other hospital
departments in an Alabama /Auburn tailgate party and raffled off a beautiful AL/AU
tablecloth, made by one of our volunteers. In November, we had a book sale which was so successful we plan to make it one
of our annual events. Our Christmas luncheon was just what we needed to get us in the holiday spirit. We enjoyed good food, fun and laughter. A quartet of volunteers sang a beautiful
rendition of Silent Night while another one read a poem, T’was the Night Before Jesus Came.
We exchanged gifts by playing Dirty Santa and enjoyed all of the beautiful Christmas fashions.
Representatives from the American Cancer Society, North Talladega Relay for Life, The Red
Cross, and the Samaritan House received donations from the Auxiliary which were made available from our fundraisers.
Each month we provide food for our Explorer/Teen volunteers’ meeting. These teens come into the hospital and shadow
all departments. Final touches are being done to the newly renovated mammogram room. We provided funds for this area
to be renovated. When completed, this room will be dedicated to Sarah Phillip, one of our most dedicated volunteers who
worked in the radiology department every day from 7 a.m. -11 a.m. Sarah passed on Christmas Day
and left a void in the hearts of all she touched.
At the request of our hospitalists who work 24-7, we purchased a leather recliner for their lounge,
in hopes of giving them comfort as they see to the needs of our patients with service around the clock.
In February several beautiful floral arrangements were delivered to the volunteers. We randomly
chose patients within the hospital and presented the flowers to them. Several members attended our very district meeting in Wedowee. The food
was delicious, and gifts were given by random drawings. We have really
had a Winter and are waiting for the arrival of Spring. Hope to see you all soon!
Yvonne Estell-McElderry, Secretary
Coosa Valley Medical Center
Our Christmas Party and Tree of Love Lighting (which collected donations of $2,000)
were held on Dec. 6. The program consisted of singing by the CVMC Choir, special
music by Nichole Bulger, devotion by Chaplain Glenn Winter, and appreciation to everyone for their donations and attendance by Auxiliary President Jerri Thomas.
Due to the cold weather in January we canceled our regular auxiliary meetings. Some of our members attended the January CommunityLinks educational symposium, sponsored each month by CVMC and B.B. Comer Memorial Library.
CVMC CEO Glenn Sisk spoke on ‘Alabama’s Best Campaign’, an Alabama driven solution to the expansion of health care.
Attending the District III meeting in Wedowee on Jan. 27 were Jerri Thomas, Montine Webb, Helen Pfeiffer, and Cheryl
Webb. The facilities, speaker, food, entertainment, and door prizes were great.
Our focus was Heart Health during the month of February since this is Heart Health Awareness month and it is also
our ACHA State Project . Several members attended the February CommunityLinks program presented by Ms. Carla
English with the American Heart Association, and CVMC departments held a mini heart health fair. Our Board of Directors and our General Membership meetings were held in February. At our General Meeting Andy Gill discussed ‘Tips for
a Healthier Heart’. We made a donation of $1,566 to the CVMC Nursing
Home for a special wheelchair to help residents who needed a lower chair.
On Feb. 22nd Montine Webb, Helen Pfeiffer, Treasure Cannon, Dotty Cleveland, Mary Gunn, Vivian Lucas, and Cheryl Webb helped with the CVMC
‘Heart to Sole’ 1 mile fun run and 5k run by working at the water station and
the hospitality tent. We welcomed 2 new members in Feb. – Linda Hickey and Robert Hickey.
In our monthly Newsletter we have looked at Heart Facts, Keeping an Eye out for heart disease, and Warning Signs of
T H E attack,
C O Mstroke
M U Nand
I C cardiac
A T O Rarrest.
heart
Our auxilians are encouraged to attend and participate in community events.
Cheryl Webb, 1st Vice President
V OLUME
26
ISSUE
District III (cont.)
2
East Alabama Medical Center
P AGE
13
EAMC Auxiliary enjoyed two special activities in February. One was
our semi-annual Open Meeting with more than 100 members in attend-
ance. Using the theme of the ACHA State Project, Heart Health, our guest speaker was Amie Hardin, Manager of the Diabetes and Nutrition Center at EAMC. She spoke on healthy lifestyles regarding diet, nutrition and healthy habits for senior adults.
Another event our members enjoyed was our first Ladies Valentine Appreciation Brunch. Eighty five
Auxiliary ladies and two guests were in attendance for this event honoring our Auxiliary members. They were greeted at
the door and presented with a Valentine goody bag filled with chocolate candies. After a brief welcome the group enjoyed a
fantastic brunch consisting of cheese grits soufflé, broccoli rice chicken casserole, fruit salad, mini
quiches, French toast casserole with mixed berries and syrup, coffee, juice and water. After feasting
on brunch, the group enjoyed playing several rounds of Bingo with the winners receiving some great
door prizes from The Giving Tree (the EAMC gift shop).
This was a day filled with great food, fun and fellowship and lots of laughter from all in attendance. The goal of the EAMC Foundation, sponsor of the event, is to make this an annual event. The
plans are now underway for a Men’s Breakfast in September to honor our men who volunteer .
Faye Burns, President
Greene County
It is said, “A good leader makes it fun to be together in a group.” Beverly Commander is that leader.
Fifteen (15) auxilians traveled to Wedowee to attend the District III Meeting. The weather was amaz-
ingly beautiful (Oh what a wonderful world of which we live). Upon arriving at First Baptist Church of Wedowee Fellowship Hall, we were warmly greeted by Florene McIntyre, District III President and other members of the Wedowee Hospital
Auxiliary who hosted the meeting. The physical chemistry blended so very well! After the usual procedural opening, we
were entertained by the Backwater Belles, who provided an array of melodious bliss (R&B, Country & Western, Classical,
etc., from Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Diana Ross & Supremes to Kenny Rogers and others).
The 2014 year found Greene County Hospital/Nursing Home working in a “change mode”. Changes included: a new
administrator, Mr. Elmore Patterson, revamping organizational charts, changing in staffing, and a new name, Greene
County Healthcare System. Change is to be expected, therefore, we welcome Mr. Patterson and support each endeavor.
Johnnie Knott
Russell Medical
Families of our surgery patients have enjoyed the renovations that were done in our Surgery Waiting Room. The Auxiliary helped facilitate the renovations with our donation to the hospital. New floor-
ing, furniture, paint, and art work donated by the Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony were included in the renovations. We
loved the new flooring so much that we have decided to use it in our Auxiliary Gift Shop too!
Our Auxiliary Board met in February and voted to recommend renovating the
Auxiliary Gift Shop. The Auxiliary general membership voted unanimously to
pursue with plans. It has been 16 years since anything has been updated in the
shop. We are excited to begin the process!
Four new members joined us this
Winter. They are working in the Auxiliary Gift Shop, Cancer Center, and 3 rd floor.
We have several more people waiting to go through hospital orientation who will help in the main registration area and the
surgery waiting room. To support the State Auxiliary Project of Heart Health, we
had a presentation by Nick Howell, PA – C at our March meeting. Nick works with
one of our cardiologists at Russell Medical Center and is also one of our former
scholarship recipients. He talked about exercise and maintaining a good diet. He
also had good pictures of the heart. We all learned a lot from his presentation.
Sarah Newman, DVS
P AGE
District III (cont.)
14
These ladies represented Vaughan Regional’s Auxiliary in Selma
Vaughn Regional
at the January 27, 2014 District III meeting in Wedowee, Alabama. Pictured are: seated L to R – Bonnie Molett, Shirley Pugh, Martha Plummer, Standing L to R – Rosie
Dunklin, Alice Jones, Linda Hobson and Betty Lester. The meeting was enjoyed by all
who attended.
Renovations to the OB "Special Delivery" Unit at Vaughan
Regional have been completed. Pictured L to R— Linda Hobson, Vice-President, Jean Harvell and
Agnes Williams. A donation from the Auxiliary helped facilitate these renovations which included
updated furnishings, paint and artwork. The Auxiliary is already working toward their 2014 service project. The Auxiliary is also looking forward to their Annual Spring Luncheon which will be
held at the Selma Convention Center on April 8th.
Kay Davidson , DVS
Wedowee Hospital
Wedowee Auxiliary hosted the District III meeting on
Jan. 27. There were 8 hospitals represented, with an excellent attendance of 69
auxilians. It was a great opportunity to spend time with auxiliary members from
our district and learn from each other. We thank everyone that took the time to
come.
The program was presented by Mike Alexander, Wedowee
Hospital Administrator, who spoke on the challenges that rural hospitals are currently facing and the
importance of volunteers. Several hospitals in Alabama have closed their doors in the past year. He
mentioned the importance of hospitals to the community, as well as to the economy of the state.
Pictured at Right—Entertainment was presented by
The Backwater Belles. They were fantastic and enjoyed by
everyone.
The auxiliary hosted a Valentine’s luncheon on Feb. 10 for the hospital staff.
The menu consisted of a variety of homemade soups, chicken ‘n dumplings,
sandwiches and tasty desserts. Julia White and Yvonne Keller decorated the
hospital cafeteria in a festive Valentine theme.
Martha Crawford, President
District IV
Elinor Ott, District IV Chairman
District IV met at Atmore Community Hospital in Atmore on January 8
with 9 auxiliaries represented. The meeting place, decorations and food
were excellent. We had a great time and gained a lot of ideas to take back to our auxiliaries for fund raisers and recruitment. We discussed what a great time we had at Conference and we are looking forward to hosting the 2014 Fall
Conference. The next District IV meeting will be hosted by Providence Hospital Auxiliary in Mobile on April 9.
Constance Taylor, District IV Vice Chairman, with
Pat Hall, President of Atmore Community
Hospital Auxiliary
Johnnie Knott, Gift Shop Chairman;
Linda Patterson, Historian;
Elinor Ott, District IV Chairman &
Constance Taylor, District IV Vice-Chairman
T HE
COMMUNICAT OR
V OLUME
26
ISSUE
Providence Hospital
District IV
2
(cont.)
P AGE
15
On Jan. 8, three members of the Auxiliary attended the District IV
meeting in Atmore. It was informative and the lunch was delicious.
In an effort to give back to the community, Theresa Christie, Linda Patterson and Judi Allen
spent several hours addressing invitations for the Festival of Flowers Gala, a major fundraiser
which will be held March 20-23 on the campus of Providence Hospital.
Dr. Charles Parrott was the speaker at our General Membership Meeting
and Luncheon held on January 27. Dr. Parrott is a well- known and very much loved Cardiologist in
the Mobile area and in an effort to promote our State Project of Heart Health, was asked to speak to
our Auxiliary members. There were over 100 members in attendance and everyone seemed to enjoy
the speaker and the question and answer period that followed.
Our $60,000 Cardiology Waiting Room renovation has finally been completed. The waiting area has
soothing blues, greens and earth tones, with comfortable chairs arranged in clusters for more family privacy.
Several fundraising events are being held in our hospital. Myra’s Jewelry Box was here on February 7, Books R Fun on
February 20/21, Silver Collection on March 6/7 and Precious Treasures Novelty on April 2-4. We are also holding a Used
Books and Bake Sale in our lobby on March 12. 2014 is off to a busy and exciting start!
Linda Patterson, President
Southwest Alabama Medical Center
SWAMC Auxiliary, Thomas-
ville traveled to Montgomery, along with civic leaders & concerned citizens, to petition the Alabama State Health & Development Board to grant
us a provisional Certificate of Need (CON) to build a new hospital in
Thomasville. It was a successful trip & we were awarded our CON!
A warm welcome to
Cindy Spillers & Betty Carter,
Auxiliary members in route to Montgomery
new members to our auxiliary family!
Springhill Memorial Hospital
Linda Privett, President
We had a very busy December. Our first event was the Christmas tree decorating party
at the Senior Residence on Dec. 2nd. We served cookies, punch and sang Christmas carols.
Next, on Dec. 3rd, we decorated the Christmas tree in the hospital lobby. These activities
got us in the holiday spirit. We held our Books Are Fun sale Dec. 3 rd & 4th. Having it so
close to Christmas meant a lot of customers shopped. Also, on Dec. 4 th the hospital prepared the annual Christmas dinner, which we all enjoyed. Then, on Dec. 11 th, we had our
auxiliary Christmas luncheon at Carrabbas Restaurant. We not only had a wonderful
luncheon, but we also gave gifts to Penelope House. These gifts are always so happily received.
Mary Cleveland, a Co-First Vice President, and Dorothy Davis, President, attended the District meeting January 8 th at
Atmore Community Hospital. It was well attended and we were glad to hear of some new vendors to possibly try.
We started off February helping at the Love Your Heart event for the Heart Association. Our Community Outreach
Chairman and DVS handed out Files of Life and recruited volunteers. The Files are cards that are enclosed in magnetic
holders. People can put all their medications, emergency contacts and other pertinent medical information on these lists.
Files of Life are convenient to put on the refrigerator at home or carry with you anytime, even as you travel.
Fundraisers start in March, with Masquerade Jewelry being our first. This is always one of our biggest sales and everyone really looks forward to it.
Dorothy Davis, President
PRSRT STD
“The COMMUNICATOR”
Betty Hendrix
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
304 Harrogate Circle
TUSCALOOSA, AL.
Arab, AL 35016
PERMIT NO. 244
bwhendrix@gmail.com
District IV
USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital
(cont.)
The volunteers are getting ready for Spring at USA.!
Pictured at Right—Kathy Zoghby (seated) NICU volunteer, gives the park flower carts a touch-up
while Belinda Baggett, DVS, adds a pop of color.
The Volunteer Connections Committee has big plans for volunteer week celebration. Pictured L - R: Brenda Kirkland, Ronald McDonald Family Room
volunteer; Belinda Baggett, DVS; Patricia Juzang, Gift
Shop volunteer & Volunteer Leadership Council Chair; Keri Mallicoat, pediatrics
volunteer &Volunteer Connections Chair; Pat Bailey, NICU volunteer; and Margret Orr, pediatrics volunteer, gathered in the Ronald McDonald Family Room to
put the final touches on volunteer week activities. The volunteers held a 2-day Life Uniform sale in March and a Masquerade Jewelry Sale is set for April 10-11.
Currently we have 147 volunteers
Submitted by the Office of Volunteer Services
USA Medical Center The USAMC Auxiliary, in keeping with the State's Project, made a donation to the Cardiac Unit
for the heart patients. Also, to assist with Patient Education, donations of DVDs and other educational aides were made to
the Radiology Department. As the hospital continues to make strides in the service areas as a Regional Stroke Center,
Cardiovascular Diseases Center, Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Teleradiology, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Bariatric
Surgery, Ultrasound Bronchoscopy and Digestive Disease Center, the volunteers and auxiliary are proud to have contributed time, finances and needed equipment in several of the areas of progress at the hospital. The Auxiliary’s plans for the
future include, as always, to gain more volunteers and increase membership in the auxiliary.
The DVS, Ms Claudnette Mc Grew, and President Constance Taylor will attend the SVHL Conference in Nashville,
March 23-26. USA Medical Center will begin focusing on “Patient Centered Care” and the conference theme “In Tune
with the Challenge of Excellence” will be beneficial in helping plan and meet goals of the new focus of the Medical Center.
Constance Taylor, President