Virden and District Health Auxiliary has handled in excess of $59,000 in 2023 and more than $76,000 in 2024 to provide medical equipment and furnishings for use in Virden hospital and in two personal care homes, the Sherwood and West-Man.
The auxiliary can do this because of yearly donations from other community charities such as the Lions Club and Royal Purple, as well as businesses and generous individuals.
Local community Foundations of Elkhorn, Oak Lake and Virden are key contributors to the Auxiliary’s, yearly fundraising.
The Auxiliary is projecting about $76,082.10 in purchases for 2024 including an Auto Compress ZOLL, a machine for re-starting the heart.
Virden Health Centre’s Dr. Jennifer Hammell listed this machine as a need for Virden hospital. She explained that manual chest compressions often break ribs, meaning that the patient will have one more complication in their healing, while compressions from a resuscitation machine do not damage patients’ ribs. The ZOLL provides circumferential chest compressions, and it can be applied in transport to provide continuous circulation, critical to resuscitation efforts for cardiac arrest victims. This device comes with a $16,317 price tag.
A Qube monitor costing over $18,000 was purchased this year. This compact, battery powered monitor is portable and can provide continuous patient information in an emergency, or during intensive care.
These are dramatic examples of equipment the Auxiliary fundraises for. Equipment designed to make a difference to health outcomes.
A GlideScope® Spectrum, purchased in 2023 was funded by Virden and Area Foundation, through the Auxiliary. It is a video laryngoscope with new lighting and camera technology.
Other items such as a bladder scanner/printer (a $15,000 item cost shared with Elkhorn Auxiliary), IV pumps and drug kits, a cast cart (for treating breaks and sprains), icemaker/dispenser, recliner for the IV room, and various smaller items are important pieces for efficiency and patient comfort in hospital and emergency room use.
There is no predicting who will require this kind of specialized equipment, or when. It’s not top of mind for most until you or a family member needs that service.
“We’re an important little group,” said Thelma Quinn, president of the Auxiliary. “I think we do a lot for the community,” treasurer Gwen Clarke said, adding, “And I don’t think a lot of people realize.”
For the personal care homes, in 2023, the group donated nearly $8,000 for numerous items like a temporal artery thermometer, commode pails, trolleys, tables and caddies.
In 2024, fundraising for the Sherwood and Westman homes was over $9000 and $22,000 respectively. Four therapeutic air mattresses, a blanket/towel warmer with steel cart, two electric lift recliner chairs and two blood pressure machines along with one Broda medical wheel chair (comfortable seating for long-term care) were big ticket items to improve seniors’ care.
(Two blood pressure monitors for $7,916 and two therapeutic mattresses for $3,962 were bought through Virden and Area Foundation donations.)
Quinn adds, “The young definitely don’t realize. And I always say, our group and all this equipment that we get, it’s going to eventually affect … you.”
There are 22 active members, including Quinn, Clarke and Carol Anne Trowell who works alongside as Auxiliary secretary.
“We really need younger members,” says the president. “Most are over 70… [some are] pushing 80.”
Quinn and Clarke say they both joined Virden Health Auxiliary 20 years ago and they find great satisfaction in this charitable work.
Some health auxiliaries have suffered from a lack of young members. Rivers is folding and Killarney, with just six elderly members will not attend the regional meeting in Virden this May. Glenborough, Deloraine, Melita, Boissevain, Souris, and Virden will meet. Elkhorn Auxiliary will attend, and President Myrna Orr said they have a membership of 18. It’s a time of encouragement, sharing ideas for fundraising and enjoying a health-related guest speaker.
“Last year in Souris we had a nurse practitioner. She was amazing,” says Quinn.
There are few bargains to be had when it comes to medical purchases. Quinn says, “Medical items are pricey. Prairie Mountain Health works through a contractor for all their purchases.”
This year the Virden group did not reach their fundraising goal. They fell short by about $20,000.
“We have wish lists and then we pick out certain things we feel would be the most important. Last year we had enough money that we could buy everything they asked for.”
The work of fundraising takes place through letters sent to organizations and foundations describing financial goals for specific items.
A Christmas Bake Sale and the Spring Luncheon are important fundraisers, and 50/50 raffle tickets are sold by auxiliary members.
“We sit at the [Valleyview food] co-op on one day for two weeks in a row, so a lot of people are in and out of there. The only problem with that is sometimes people don’t carry cash now.”
Donor’s Choice canvassing is a door-to-door collection and there’s a flyer available with information on how to give through Donor’s Choice. “It’s convenient because response can come through e-transfer, or people can drop off their donation at the library, or [donate] by cash/cheque at their door.”
Private donations and memorial gifts also support the Auxiliary’s work. Quinn says, “We’ve had some really nice private donations as well. We’ve had some anonymous. They’re nice sums.”
On the one hand the women say it’s the ‘extras’ that the Auxiliary provides for. But think what the facilities would be without them.
“Every facility has brand new beds. The crank and the lift.”
Clarke says the group has provided televisions in hospital rooms. “The Royal Purple helped us buy that, and we pick up the cost for Westman Cable. People are supposed to pay for the use of the TVs.”
Co-ordination between Virden and District Health Auxiliary and Prairie Mountain Health is essential. The Auxiliary receives requests from the Virden facilities, from which they select what they feel is possible to fund. Their intention to fund certain items is passed on to PMH. Prairie Mountain Health needs to approve and purchase the item and send the bill to the Auxiliary.
With recent and upcoming donations from the local area there’s money available to purchase the chest compression (ZOLL) machine. PMH works directly with the Health Auxiliary to provide medical items.
