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Ladies Auxiliary needs volunteers for casino fundraiser
Emily Plihal
for Smoky River Express
Ladies Auxiliary is looking for volunteers to help raise funds at a casino fundraiser in April.
The group has been working hard to raise money for certain items needed at the Sacred Heart Hospital in McLennan.
Last month, Shannon Soucy and Michelle Fallowfield of the auxiliary presented Health Director Barbara Mader with a cheque of $19,032 which will be used to purchase a cardiac telemetry system.
“We currently have a cardiac telemetry system in the McLennan hospital but it needs to be updated,” says Soucy. “We need to get a new system or all cardiac patients will have to be shipped to Grande Prairie or another hospital to receive care.”
Soucy explains this means any patient with any chest pain will have to be shipped to a different hospital when experiencing cardiac discomfort.
The cardiac telemetry program provides continuous monitoring of a patient’s heart rate and rhythm that can take place at a remote location. Generally this occurs near a nursing station in a cardiac telemetry ward.
The system provides service to patients who are recovering from heart problems or experiencing ongoing heart issues.
The system allows nurses to observe spikes in the heart rates and rhythm while the patient walks around the hospital. If there are major changes the nurse can print off a copy of the charts to show the doctors.
Some hospitals have special wards for cardiac telemetry, while others may offer the service as part of the standard care in intensive and critical care units.
The new system will cost Sacred Heart Hospital approximately $55,000 for two systems, including necessary software to run the program.
“All the money we have donated came from a 2008 casino fundraiser,” says Soucy. “We will be holding another fundraiser in April, and will need volunteers to help work the casino.”
Soucy explains the hospital budget does not necessarily allow for money to be divvied to extra programs. Thus, the Ladies Auxiliary tries to fundraise to help the hospital acquire these needed systems. Some other ideas the group has to acquire for the hospital includes a larger blanket warmer for geriatric patients and a patient wandering system for Alzheimer’s patients.
Ladies Auxiliary looking for new members
The Ladies Auxiliary is a group of volunteer women who assist the hospital in relation patient care, financial contributions, establishing good public relations, and raising funds to carry out objectives of the society.
They are looking for any woman over the age of 18 who is interested in helping the hospital.
All that is required of members is to participate in a monthly meeting between September and June. They will also have to help with fundraising efforts, distributing favours to patients during holidays, help with the vending machine and gift store, and provide a welcome wagon for parents and newborns. They say approximately only 1 – 2 hours per month are required. The first fundraising efforts made by Ladies Auxiliary in the Smoky River Region occurred in Sept. 1930, when the group raised money in a bazaar.
If you would like to volunteer, please phone Shannon at 780-324-2759
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Doris Carley of Donnelly proudly welcomes everyone in the Smoky River Region to check out her new store located on Main Street in Donnelly. The store is a cozy little shop with a variety of soaps, aromas, and natural honey products, amongst many other things.
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