(Quarterly Update on West River Health Services Foundation
By Ted Uecker III, Fund Development Officer at WRHS)
The last time we visited, it was -20 degrees below zero and the Patriots were winning the Super Bowl. It is amazing how quickly time flies! Thank goodness, it is now 60-70 degrees above zero, the snow is gone and the grass is growing. When we last visited about the Foundation back on January 30, we had raised $142,115 total, with $85,529 going toward the new MRI Project. You have helped us step on the gas in the last three months, as we are currently at total funds raised of $396,000 in the last eight months with $331,000 going toward the MRI Campaign. How have we done this?
1) We’ve stayed on course with our mission and strategy.
2) We’ve tried to form partnerships with area businesses/organizations.
3) We’ve gotten involved in our local communities – with more to come.
4) We’ve not told anyone what amount to give.
5) We’ve had some really fun events! – which have helped us raise funds and improve morale.
6) Our WRHS employees and physicians have joined us in our efforts.
Our Foundation mission remains the same: to provide fundraising and development services for West River Health Services and Western Horizons Living Centers as they provide comprehensive health and wellness services to the residents and visitors of the region. We at the Foundation believe in our entire organization – not just the hospital or clinic in Hettinger – but in all of our satellite clinics in Lemmon, Bowman, New England, Mott, Scranton and Dickinson; our Western Horizons Care Center and Assisted Living Center; our Rehabilitation Center, Eye Center, Ambulance Services, Visiting Nurses and Medical Store. We have a lot to be proud of – and speaking of pride – West River Regional Medical Center has just been named a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital in the United States for a 2nd consecutive year!! This is out of 1,300 critical access hospitals in the USA!
We have been out meeting with numerous businesses and organizations throughout our service area. We’ve told them all the same thing: 1) we want to be their partner and help them in some way, 2) we want to become more involved in their communities, and 3) we are not going to tell anyone what to give. We believe that’s up to each individual business or organization. They know what kind of year they’ve had. They know their budget. They can determine if they want to join WRHS Foundation in partnership or not. We are not here to tell anyone how to spend their hard-earned dollars. We just want them to consider what we bring to the table in our area communities and if that’s something they’d like to join us in. We are taking a bold and smart new approach –always being very open minded and willing to listen and learn.
What has the Foundation been doing the last three months? We held an amazing, first-ever in Hettinger (we think), Adult Prom; with a Grand March, Silent and Live Auctions, Portrait and photo booth photography, appetizers, awesome music – and just plain ol’ fun! Thanks to some amazing sponsors, crazy bidders and a $2,500 match from National Mutual Benefit, we raised over $18,000!
We also participated in the Lemmon Farm & Home Show, where we had Aunt Sylvia’s homemade pies ready to give away each half hour at the Beeler Center. If, and only if, the Lemmon area Show-goers gave $10 or more to the Foundation (which they could place toward the Lemmon Clinic, WRHS Lemmon Senior Scholarship Program, or the new MRI Campaign) which put them into the 16 drawings for 16 pies. Plus, we gave out balloons and a remote control plane to the kids. Overall, we raised $819; with $513 going toward the MRI; $210 toward the Lemmon Clinic; $76 to the scholarship fund and $10 each to WHLC and EMS.
We also rolled out our WRHS Scholarship Program to eleven area schools, as we presented to all of the soon to be graduating seniors and their counselors. With $10,000 to give out, we explained the program and awaited the response. It was tremendous – with over 80 applications flooding in to WRHS! Later this week, our WRHSF Scholarship Committee decides the number of lucky recipients, as well as the amounts of the individual scholarships. We’ll have more on this to come later.
We attended the Southwest Healthcare Services Celebrity Waiter Dinner in Bowman – it was amazing! We went as the “Sons of Health”, like “Sons of Anarchy” without the real guns and real bikes. We had our leathers on with tattoos. And the people were so gracious – rolled out the red carpet so to speak. We enjoyed our evening there, with a tasty meal, shots from a cattle syringe, lots of silent auction action, a rapid-fire Live Auction, a rockin’ Dueling Pianos Show with dancing, and plenty of conversation about our futures. We Safe-Rided over and back – with good vibes about our potential future endeavors with Southwest Healthcare. As a side note, the folks at Southwest sent a “Spa Basket” to our Adult Prom – a very classy gesture that we have not forgotten. Hopefully our leaders at both places can figure out some way that we can mutually assist each other – for the betterment of both parties. And most importantly, for the betterment of the health of our patients in Western Dakota!
On National Doctors Day March 30th, we helped serve free breakfast, including French toast, sausage, scrambled eggs and juice, right out of our cafeteria, to our employees and numerous folk from the surrounding area. Free food sure guarantees a good crowd!
Our Partners In Health Program Committee met and decided to award over $45,000 of our donor’s hard-earned dollars toward the following needed projects throughout WRHS: Handheld Ultrasound Unit; Furniture for the Lemmon Clinic; Updated Software for our Nurses Station’s Computers; Automatic Doors into our patio area at the Assisted Living Center; Carpet/Paint Update for our Physical Therapists area in the Bowman Clinic; Syringe Pump for OB; Tens Units for Physical Therapy; Fetal Handheld Ultrasound Units; Temporal Thermometers; Furniture for the Hettinger Counseling Room; and Blood Pressure Cuffs.
What’s next on the Foundation’s radar? 1) We are considering having a huge rummage sale as part of the City Wide Rummage Sale during Hettinger’s Streetfest on May 30th. 2) Also on that same day, we are hosting our “Foundation Nation” Golf Tournament at 4:00 pm at Hettinger Country Club. This 9-hole, four-person “Scramble” golf tournament is open to anyone, no matter your golfing experience. We will place you on a team if you don’t have three golfing friends. It’s all for a terrific cause – the new MRI Building and MRI Scanner at WRHS. 3) We also will be celebrating National EMS (Ambulance) Week May 18-23, as we are coordinating well-deserved gifts for all of our area EMS staff and volunteers. In addition, we are hoping to present a few EMS assemblies to the Hettinger grade and high school students. Let us face it; we have all taken our ambulance staffs for granted. The next time you see one of them, maybe consider telling them “Thanks for all you do.” After all, they leave their jobs at the drop of a hat to hustle to the ambulance and help rescue or stabilize you or a loved one.
Special THANKS to the following donors for their amazing gifts to WRHS Foundation in the last quarter: Slope Electric Cooperative, Gina & Dr. John Joyce, Lanae & Dr. Mark Kristy, Dr. Cathy Houle & Todd Shirek, Kim & Dr. Brian Willoughby, Danae & Terry Henderson, Kennedy’s Fresh Foods, Lyn & Mark Hendry, West River Insurance Agency, Pastime Bar & Steakhouse, Dacotah Bank, RZ Motors, Community Clothes Closet, Kay & Allen McIntyre, Ehlers Trucking, Eva & Dennis Knutson, Mary & Dick Vliem, Eagles Auxiliary, Ag Pro Equipment, Scranton Lions Club, Sheri & Ted Uecker, Tami Uecker & Chris Ohman, Dr. Jennifer Sheffield, Susan Uecker & John Shulman, Jan Braaten, Sharon & Craig Silkman , Uecker Yards, Brenda & Ron Dragoo, Carrie & Trevor Strand. Plus thank you to all of our donors – past and present. No matter the amount, it’s the commitment to our community’s healthcare future that counts. Until next time, remember: we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
04/28/2015
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Community Relations
West River Regional Medical Center
1000 Highway 12
Hettinger, ND 58639-7530