Courtesy Roger Brown
This year the Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary is 112 years old. It was formed in 1901, when the Sisters of Providence Charity operated the St. Eugene Hospital. Over these many years the objective has remained the same — to assist those in need of health care through service and fundraising.
The Auxiliary continues to be proactive, reflecting the changing times, by adding new services to better facilitate patient care and comfort.
Volunteers at the hospital provide patient care and comfort by guiding visitors and patients to appointments within the hospital, providing special assistance in the Oncology Unit, in Ambulatory Care, Maternity and during weekend ultrasound, and in general, assisting those in need of help. Many Auxiliary members also work at our CHCA Thrift Store located at 30 - 8th Avenue South. This is a major fundraiser, providing over $300,000 a year, supporting equipment purchases for the EKRH.
The CHCA is a busy and productive group. During the last five years the 260-plus members have pledged almost $2,000,000. The 2013 pledge alone amounts to over $613.000.00 not including two high school scholarships of $3,000 each.
At the recent AGM of the CHCA, members passed a motion to purchase equipment for the following departments:
1. Biomedical: Incubator Analyzer — pledge, $14,280.
2. Obstetrics: Infant Scale with warmer and two Fetal Heart monitors — total pledge, $89,706.
3. Laboratory: CO2 and O2 Incubators and Hematology microscope — total pledge, $38,337.
4. Emergency: Defibrillator (X2) and Cooling Blanket, total pledge, $67,395.
5. Dialysis: Renal Ultrasound — pledge, $52,485.
6. Medical Records: Mobile shelving and storage — pledge, $30,847.00
7. Diagnostic Imaging: Wireless Digital Radiography Cassette and Ultrasound Probes — total pledge, $124,000.
8. And other assorted pieces of equipment - totaling, $196,283.
The CHCA continues to be an active and hard working group, collectively contributing both money and time to health care in Cranbrook.