Monroe County Healthcare Foundation

Equipment Needs for Fiscal Year 2008                

The blanket warmer can be utilized before, during, and after exams in Radiology.  Blankets can be used to help warm the exam tables and keep patients warm.  Besides increasing the comfort of the patient, it helps reduce anxiety and increase relaxation which provides better quality images.  Patients that come from Emergency Room often get cold during or after exams. 

Responding to emergencies and transporting patients are priorities for the Hospital.  The Hospital staffs two ambulances 24 hours a day, 7days a week.  The ambulance department responds to about 800 calls per year.  These include 911 calls and transports to other hospitals.  The new ambulance would be the first one to respond and will allow us to take out of service a 1995 model with almost 110,000 miles.

Braslow bags are used by the paramedics and are designed to have all the supplies needed to care for infants and children in emergencies.  These include supplies and equipment for opening and maintaining airways, trauma equipment, taking vitals (blood pressure, pulse, etc.), and medication doses appropriate for size of child.  Everything is in one bag and is color coded according to the size of the infant or child.  The Braslow bags were designed to make it easy to find and use the equipment you need in a very stressful time. 

For a child being in the hospital, both as a patient or with a family member, can be a scary and sometimes seem like a long time.  To help ease the anxiety and keep ‘little hands’ busy, we prepare comfort bags for children.  These include a toy, snacks, stuffed animal, activities, and crayons.  The stuffed animal can be a friend and also a teaching tool.  The animal can ‘get’ the shot, IV before the child.  For those that come in with a family member, it takes care of some of those needs (hungry, boredom, scared) so the patient can taken care of.  We see children in every department and these can be needed distractions at a difficult time. 

In Chemotherapy we have 40-70 patient visits a month.  Many times those patients are seen for several hours a day over several weeks.  The beautiful landscape and sunshine outside is a peaceful and relaxing way to pass the time.  However, in the cold and blustery days of winter the windows also allow cold to come in as well.  Having blinds can keep the room warm by closing them at night.  They can also be partially closed any time during the day for patient comfort.

This "WISH LIST" highlights just a few of the needs.  Your gifts help us to hire the most dedicated professionals, to purchase the latest technology, and educate our future health care givers.  Your gifts help save lives and changes lives.

All gifts, small or large, make a difference. 

Thank You!