The Chester River Hospital Center Auxiliary held its annual meeting and luncheon on January 9, 2018, at Heron Point in Chestertown. In addition to various committee reports and service awards, the occasion included a presentation by Deborah Mizeur, co-chair of the Maryland Heath Care Commission’s Workgroup on Rural Health Care Delivery. Mizeur’s presentation addressed the process of the study, the specific area/challenges each of the subgroups worked on, the Workgroup’s final recommendations and report, and the next steps, which are presently under consideration by state legislators.
The meeting featured recognition for the Auxiliary volunteers who donated a total of 11,429 volunteer hours to UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown during 2017, as follows: 1,478 hours in the Gift Shop; 3,948 hours at the Nearly New Shop; and 6,003 hours in patient transport/greeters/infusion clinic and surgical services.
Auxiliary members receive a gold star pin for each 500 hours of time volunteered. Those recognized for their service during 2017 are as below.
- In-house volunteers (which include those serving transport, infusion clinic, surgical services and greets) who received pins for 500 hours of service were Kathy Bacastow, Phyllis Brown, Tish Brown, Jim Collier, Ann Davenport, Dick Jones, Sue Mumford, Ellie Noble and Lois Smith
- Gift Shop Volunteers who received pins for 500 hours of service were Valerie Croft, Kathy Davis, Sue Edson, Veronica Gordon, Mickey Smith and Nan Voorhees
- Nearly New Shop Volunteers who received pins* were Peggy Albertsen; Patsy Alverson; JoAnne Bowdle; Thelma Bright (2 pins); Ann Collins; Trish Harwood (3 pins); Irene Mench (2 pins), Ellie Noble; Marsha Oertly; Camille Ollincik; Nanny Porter (2 pins), Jane Presser (2 pins); Joanna Rash (3 pins); Marjo Rasin; Mary Robinson; Charlotte Slagle (2 pins); Joyce Smithson; Louise Stonesifer; Jeanette Stubbs; Sue Urda; and Kay Wilkinson. (*The Nearly New Shop volunteers had never been awarded service stars before so some individuals received more than one pin.)
Additionally, Sue Mumford was recognized for accumulating 4,164 hours of volunteer time and Carol Droge was recognized for volunteering the most hours in the year: 362 hours.
The Auxiliary now includes 115 members. In addition to raising funds to support patient care and professional development of hospital staff, the Auxiliary provides greeting and reception assistance for patients and visitors in various departments of the hospital, holiday decorating and hospitality services. The Auxiliary also participates in the review of Kitty Clements, E. Thomas Massey and Barbara & Thomas Gale scholarship applications, which in 2017, provided a total of $11,528 to four hospital staff members pursuing certifications and/or degree programs in nursing and allied health fields.
Also in 2017, the Auxiliary’s “Wish List Committee” was allocated $25,000 by the Board to help fund the purchase of wheelchairs ($2,000), three vital signs monitors ($10,000) and laparoscopic equipment for the Operating Room ($13,000.)
The Executive Committee of the CRHC Board is as follows:
- Sue Edson, President
- Mackey Dutton, Vice President
- Kathy Ruge, Recording Secretary
- Paddy Tobey, Corresponding Secretary
- Jean Anthony, Treasurer
- Phyllis Brown, Parliamentarian
- Jack Edson, Immediate Past President
Other Board members are: Meredith Acton, Alice Barron, Jo Ann Bowdle, Holly Bramble, Valerie Croft, Mary Coryell, Kathy Davis, Susan Drumheller, Erin Gillespie, Cathy Molz, Vicki Neal, Barbara Noll, Maryann Ruehrmund, Miki Smith, Molly Streit and Nan Voorhees.
“2017 was a very successful year for the Auxiliary and we are already up and running with projects for 2018,” comments Sue Edson, Auxiliary president. “We welcomed 10 new volunteers in 2017 but still have a wide range of volunteer duties to be filled. There is a lot of camaraderie and fellowship among our members and many who have joined have found it a great way to make new friends as well as to help our hospital serve our community.”
Annual dues for Auxiliary membership are just $10 for active volunteers and $25 for sustaining members. For more information, contact Erin Gillespie, membership chairperson, (410) 708-0828.