PREECEVILLE — The Preeceville Hospital Auxiliary has a long-standing reputation in the community for providing financial aid and support for the Preeceville Hospital. They recently hosted a soup and sandwich fundraiser on April 16 that was once again very well supported by the community, held at the Preeceville Club 60.
“Through everyone’s generous support through donations, memorials and attendance of our functions we are still striving to keep our outpatient department, lab and palliative room the best they can be," said Elaine Christopherson, president of the Auxiliary.
“We are a team of hard-working, dedicated volunteers who consist of a wide variety of community members and are currently seeking new members. If we don’t get some new members soon, we might have to consider folding. The organization has been active for 87 plus years and would hate to see it fall due to lack of members. Members do not have to have a past background with a hospital and we welcome anyone who is interested. We are in desperate need of some new volunteers who would like to join us with continuing to provide a valuable service in our community,” she said.
Purchases made by the auxiliary in the past years included, a blanket warmer, $9,541; a Life Pak 15 with an ice and water combo dispenser for $14, 940; a bariatric bed for $11,960; a longer bed for taller patients valued at $4,877; two ECG Module USB patant cables, $1,734 each; palliative care upgrades; donated monies to the lab to buy stickers for children; three Grade 12 scholarships, two for Preeceville and one for Sturgis and made a donation to STARS for $500.
Other items purchased in the last few years included Bronslow Hickle Paediatric bags for the emergency room (contain everything required for a medical emergency with a child), a bladder scanner, a vein finder, a ECG machine and a Centrifuge machine for the lab ( laboratory device that is used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on density).
April 12, 1939, saw the formation of the Ladies Hospital Guild. Thirty-five women met every second Monday with the purpose of raising money for building a hospital. Over the years, monies have been raised with organized suppers, rummage sales, bazaars, whist drives, fowl suppers, bingos, teas, raffles, concessions at softball tournaments, meals at sports days and circuses, galloping teas, and dances. Currently, the auxiliary still has raffles, a tea, the Christmas auction and have hosted a Victorian tea.
The group also receives many donations and memorial donations.
In the early years, $1500 was donated to the Hospital Board. During the war years, members sewed sheets, gowns and diapers. They also knit and sold baby garments.
In 1942, the Guild joined the provincial Hospital Auxiliary. They purchased an anesthetic table, six patient trays, bedside rockers, bassinets, a dressing cart, biopsy forceps and a sewing machine.
In 1943, they sponsored a Well Baby Clinic organized by public health. In 1944, they donated monies towards a new sterilizer. In 1947, they furnished and equipped the nurse’s residence. In 1948, a new wing was added to the hospital so the guild helped with furnishings and linens. In 1950, a crib and furnishings were purchased for the hospital waiting room. A resuscitator was also purchased that year.
In l951, surgical instruments, an incubator, suction machines and gowns were purchased. In 1959, meetings started with the Guild prayer, a practice that is still maintained today
In 1965, the guild furnished a room at the Lions Hostel. The sponsorship of the candy striper program started in 1967, which continued until 2010 when it was handed over to Hostel (nursing home) Guild.
In 1968, a Red Cross Blood Donor clinic was sponsored. This was also the start of raising money for the proposed new hospital. In 1970, the guild donated money toward a heart monitor and then paid the balance later. Also purchased in the 70's were bedside tables, over-bed tables, a Geri chair, a bookshelf, corner cupboards for the bathrooms, a playpen, a children’s high chair and a patient lift.
In 1975, the guild contributed half the cost of an incubator. The guild changed its name to Preeceville Hospital Auxiliary in 1976 and purchased an Annie dummy doll and a baby dummy for CPR teaching.
In 1981, the auxiliary donated towards the Preeceville Developmental Centre and also applied for a grant for the centre. In 1989, money was donated towards a new x-ray machine and the auxiliary helped purchase a fetal monitor and a bili light. The auxiliary helped deliver meals on wheels during the 1990's. These years also saw the purchase of a recovery room bed, special mattresses, a baby warmer and an ice machine and contributions to fixing up the east patio. In 1994, the auxiliary outfitted and decorated a palliative care room. Starting in 2000, the building fund project began with the auxiliary. Following the renovations, the auxiliary again equipped and decorated a new palliative care room and the adjacent family room and purchased an overhead lift for the palliative room. The auxiliary has purchased sheepskins, a sequifix restraint, pillows, chairs for patient rooms, stacking chairs, nebulizers, a bariatric bed and commode, bulletin boards for patient rooms and shelves for patient bathrooms. The auxiliary supplies the wool for the knitting of prayer shawls for palliative patients and their families. The pop machine at the hospital is a service the auxiliary has looked after for many years
They organize the students from Preeceville and Sturgis to make patient meal tray favours for special days and they provide flowers for patients on Mother’s and Father’s Day.
Educational sessions with heart-related topics have been held at meetings over the years. Each year a bursary is given to a student entering the health care field and also a bursary is given in memory of Marie Phoenix and Esther Paul to a student entering the BSc Nursing program.
