The Humboldt Hospital Auxiliary has donated well over $2 million to Humboldt
General Hospital over the past four decades.
Now the all-volunteer organization has raised that tally again with the
purchase of two wheelchairs which will be used exclusively in the hospital’s
Radiology Department.
The new Staxi “transport chairs” have been on Radiology’s
wish list for some time, especially since so many of the department’s
patients are nursing illness or injuries.
“We were delighted when the Auxiliary agreed to pick up this cost,”
said Humboldt General Hospital CEO Jim Parrish. “These two wheelchairs
will see a lot of use.”
Not only are the chairs of use for outpatients who are in the diagnostic
stages of illness or injury, but with built-in IV poles and oxygen tank
holders, the chairs are invaluable for inpatients too.
Together, the chairs cost $3,299. Parrish said the hospital is not only
appreciative of the Auxiliary’s monetary investment in the chairs,
but also the thoughtfulness that the gift represents.
“We always feel blessed by our Auxiliary and their willingness to
write out a check,” said Parrish, “but I think the thing that
makes us feel even better is the kindness and the forethought behind every
donation.”
He added, “This is a group that truly cares. They are watching and
seeing where they can be of service, and these transport chairs are just
one example of that; they are the perfect gift.”
Since 1967, the Humboldt Hospital Auxiliary, or “pink ladies,”
have donated everything from small medical supplies to large capital items.
In one instance, the group donated $100,000 toward the purchase of one
of the ambulance department’s long-hauler transporters.
“Our purpose as an Auxiliary is to help support health services for
the people who live in this area,” said Judy Adams, the organization’s
president.
Adams said the Auxiliary’s sole monetary source is the Poke and Peek
Thrift Store, which is able to profit through community members’
donations.
Volunteers also donate their time at Harmony Manor, the hospital’s
long-term care facility, and in other areas of the hospital.
The Auxiliary sponsors three blood drives a year, and the organization
has also had a significant role in the hospital’s AED program donating
the first $25,000 to the program. Currently, there are more 200 AED units
county-wide.
The group has also given more than 50 scholarships to nursing students—60
percent of whom have returned to Humboldt County to work.
“We are so pleased to have contributed to these and many other projects
over the years,” said Adams.
She added, “We have no paid staff, so everything is run by volunteers.
This is the reason we have been able to help out the community we love
over the last 48 years.”
Adams said the group was thrilled to donate the transport chairs to the
hospital, which she said the Auxiliary sees as one more way to meet the
health needs of Humboldt County’s residents.
“We hope they ease the journey toward better health for our hospital’s
patients,” she said.