HURON — The Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) Auxiliary hosted its annual membership luncheon Tuesday, May 17, in the HRMC Legacy Plaza Auditorium.
Held in memoriam of Selma Laabs, HRMC Foundation donor and dedicated Auxiliary volunteer from 2008 until her passing in 2021, the luncheon began with a welcome and hospital update from, Erick Larson, president and CEO for HRMC.
Larson expressed his deep appreciation to the attendees for their volunteer hours, dedication and importance to HRMC.
Dr. Anthony Loewen, general surgeon with New Life Clinic, shared information on LINX Reflux Management, which is a minimally invasive procedure that places a flexible ring of small magnets around the lower esophagus to help patients manage and control acid reflux.
The Auxiliary awarded grant money to the respiratory therapy department for the purchase of a new pulse oximeter, which is a tool for monitoring oxygen saturation in patients.
Also recognized were Auxiliary scholarship winners, Ashley Curnow and Kyra Thielbar, who will each receive $1,500 in healthcare scholarships provided through money earned from HRMC gift shop sales.
Thielbar is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at South Dakota State University and Curnow is currently enrolled in a dietetic internship and is set to begin coursework through the Institute of Functional Medicine.
Judy Tschetter, Auxiliary treasurer and volunteer announced Jackie Spillum and Renee Goldammer, co-presidents, as the Volunteers of the Year.
Spillum and Goldammer each served more than 2,000 hours from 2019-2021 and have been active in Auxiliary leadership more than a decade.
New members Leanne Voorhees, Jan Tschetter and Gloria Schneider were welcomed to the group and volunteers were recognized for a total of more than 9,400 volunteer hours worked from 2019-2021.
The following volunteers were recognized for achieving volunteer hour milestones:
100 Hours: Cindy DeLooze, Jeanette Kleinsasser, Rita Hilgedick, Ginny LaFortune
500 Hours: Shirley Duxbury, Alison Dennis, Bob Eickhoff, Marilyn Hofer, Eva Sande, Barb Solomon, Jackie Sievers, Bonnie Sheridan, Elaine VanWinkle, Lavonne Wipf, Annette Zolobkowski
1500 Hours: Shirley Magee, Tootie Stahl, Diane Wipf and Phyllis Worrall.
The purpose of the Auxiliary is to promote and advance the welfare of HRMC by rendering service to patients and assisting with and contributing to charitable projects.
As members of the Auxiliary, volunteers serve daily, providing refreshments and assistance in hospital lounges, assisting visitors at the information desks and delivering floral arrangements and newspapers to patients.
The group is always looking for more volunteers to help for a couple hours a week or whenever is convenient for the volunteer – men and women are welcome.
For more information on HRMC’s Auxiliary or to volunteer, call 605-353-6565 or visit www.huronregional.org.
