The Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary of Emerson Hospital was held on Wednesday, October 14th at the Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Mass. This year, the meeting featured a trio of speakers, all reflecting on the work of the Auxiliary as it enhances the patient experience at Emerson Hospital.
The first speaker was Faith Pulis, President and CEO of The Thoreau Club. Faith is an Auxilian and co-chairs the Emerson 5k Run~Walk for Cancer; she talked about how this important Auxiliary event brings people together to support cancer care at Emerson Hospital.
Amy Hildreth, a Nurse Manager at Emerson, spoke next giving her “caring thank you” for Nursing Scholarships funded by the Auxiliary. Amy is a three-time recipient of a Nursing Scholarship and is known for her commitment to the practice of nursing and supporting her staff so that they have the resources they need to provide exceptional patient care.
The final speaker was Christine Hannigan of Harvard, Mass. Chris spoke about the thoughtful and supportive care her family experienced at Emerson from the Pediatric Intervention Team, an Auxiliary-supported program. Attendees at the Annual Meeting remarked that they enjoyed the opportunity to hear personal stories about the work the Auxiliary does to support Emerson services and patients.
At the event, outgoing President Sally Savelle announced an Auxiliary gift of $120,000 to the Hospital. The gift will support a variety of programs at the hospital—including the Mass General Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital – Bethke, the Pediatric Intervention Team, Cardiac Rehab, the Employee Emergency Assistance Fund, and Nurse Manager Rounding, which is an innovative approach to enhance the patient experience. Sally also talked about the valuable contributions made by Auxiliary members and its volunteers. Some volunteers make the teddy bears that are included in Pediatric Coping Kits. Other volunteers make quilts and afghans for patients beginning their oncology treatment at Emerson.
“We are extremely grateful to the Auxiliary for their members’ unwavering support of Emerson,” said Christine Schuster, president and CEO. “Based on the Auxiliary’s fundraising events and focus on enhancing the patient experience, we are able to provide our patients with compassionate care programs to help ease their recovery while they are in the hospital and when they return home. These programs are integral to Emerson’s focus on providing the highest quality care with a personal touch to all of our patients.”
Betty Ann Killian received a warm welcome as new Auxiliary President saying as she addressed attendees, “I am delighted to lead the Auxiliary this year as we launch new initiatives to support the Hospital and continue to enhance the patient experience.” Betty Ann also welcomed new Board members: Kate Galusza and Barbara Morse, both of Concord, Pat Fleischauer of Acton, and Brenda Gould of Westford.
The Auxiliary thanks Wingate Health Care of Sudbury for their generous sponsorship of this event.
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The Auxiliary of Emerson Hospital supports Emerson through increased community awareness, health-related education, and fundraising initiatives. Over the past decade, the Auxiliary’s fundraising efforts have raised more than $3M for hospital equipment, facilities, and services. For more information about the Auxiliary, email EmersonAuxiliary@gmail.com, or visit EmersonHospital.org.
Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton, Westford, and Maynard. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns.
