Two hospital auxiliaries have ponied up for two pieces of equipment for hospital
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation
As construction on the Kootenay Lake Hospital’s new emergency ward nears completion, there will soon be a need to fill the new space with equipment.
In response, two hospital auxiliaries have laid down a combined $37,200 for two pieces of equipment, setting an impressive tone for this year’s Light Up The Hospital campaign.
This year’s Light Up The Hospital campaign’s theme is Emergency Essentials, appropriate given the six pieces of equipment on this winter’s list are all destined for the hospital’s new emergency ward.
The Salmo chapter of the Kootenay Lake Hospital Auxiliary purchased their piece of equipment in the name of Betty Tennant, a long-time volunteer who passed away this summer.
The cardiac probe ($6,200 ) is an attachment for the portable ultrasound, a piece of equipment used everyday to diagnose medical conditions. The cardiac probe will let hospital staff get unprecedented images of the area around the heart.
Betty Tennant was a member of the Salmo chapter for the last 30 years at least, says chapter president Arlie Bengert. Even in her later years, Tennant was eager to help.
“She baked, sewed, she did anything she could,” says Bengert. “We miss her very much.”
Tennant was known for making memorable comments at auxiliary meetings that were never stern but always worth listening to.
“Words of wisdom we could all live by,” says Bengert, describing Tennant’s contribution.
The Salmo chapter has now donated $178,088 to the hospital foundation. They’ve raised money through their thrift shop, Christmas tea, bazaar, and raffle and their Spring plant and bake sale.
The Nelson chapter of the Kootenay Lake Hospital Auxiliary has committed $31,000 to buy a transport ventilator. This is a machine that helps a patient breath and will serve people being transported by ambulance to another care facility.
Dorothy Wayling, president of the Nelson chapter, says her members wanted to encourage the community to support the campaign by purchasing the most expensive item on the list.
“We though, ‘Let’s kick off the campaign with this and hopefully it will encourage people,’” Wayling says.
The Nelson chapter has now donated $376,273 to the hospital foundation.
Wayling notes her chapter raises all their money through TV rentals at the hospital, the hospital gift shop, bake sales and raffle ticket sales.
In fact, the Nelson chapter is currently raffling a wooden logging truck toy, afghan comforter, baby quilt, rocking horse and scratch lottery tickets. The draw is Thursday, Dec. 2 and tickets are available at the gift shop and at Wal-Mart on Saturday, Nov. 27.
The total goal for the Light Up The Hospital is $89,200. The other pieces of equipment include a pediatric monitor, glidescope video laryngoscope, trauma stretchers and an OB/GYN stretcher.
Residents will soon receive a mail-out from the hospital foundation making it easy for them to donate to the campaign. Donations can also be made online at www.klhf.org.
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