| Hospital auxiliary gears up for move |
By: Melissa Kaelin
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Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:54 pm
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Melissa Kaelin/People’s Press Barbara DeReus and Mary Greene, who are both members of the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary, work to stock the Pink Pantry at the Owatonna Hospital on Wednesday.
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By MELISSA KAELIN
mkaelin@owatonna.com
OWATONNA — Change is coming to hundreds in Steele County as one of the area’s largest service organizations prepares to put on new colors.
Currently made up of 233 members, the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary has been operating in Owatonna since 1957. These volunteers, who provide services such as visitor information and patient courtesy services, can usually be found in the Pink Pantry at the Cedar Avenue entrance of Owatonna Hospital, wearing pink vests as they go about their work. But as the hospital prepares to move to its new campus, the Auxiliary must prepare to move as well.
“I think we will lose a few people because of the location,” said Ginny Thompson, of the Auxiliary.
The Owatonna Hospital will move into the facility at 26th Street in October, calling the health-care campus that includes the Owatonna Clinic its new home. But when the auxiliary arrives, the ladies and the one man who can be counted as a member will be wearing a new color.
In the place of pink vests will be burgundy vests. And in the place of the neon Pink Pantry sign that adorns the current gift shop and cafe, will be a new sign — and it won’t be neon, Thompson said.
Though a few features will be left behind, many new services will be added as the auxiliary moves into the new facility.
“Our Pink Pantry will not be offering soup and sandwiches anymore,” said Dorothy Smith, who is also a member. “That’s because we’ll be right next to the cafe.”
Smith said the shop would still offer treats and coffee and would be including a more extensive selection from pastries to cappuccino.
The main reason the gift shop has been limited in the items it can offer to patients and their families, Smith said, is space.
“Right now, storage space has to be shared,” said Smith. “It’s workable, but we’re looking forward to having our own storage space right up next to the Pink Pantry.”
But in the new location, the gift shop will also be able to offer much-requested items that there wasn’t room for in the past.
“With the new one, there will be fresh flowers,” said Smith. “A lot of people ask for fresh flowers.”
In addition to the Pink Pantry, auxiliary members sew baby caps for every newborn and give out dozens of scholarships each year. The auxiliary also uses its funds to provide items to Owatonna Hospital, such as operating tables, defibrillators and eye surgery cards.
The group will also work longer shifts at the information desk, transport mobile meals, help with special events, assemble kits for hospital departments, provide therapy services and continue to donate the more than 600 baby caps they sew each year.
Thompson said the services the auxiliary offers may change as the hospital identifies more needs, and even the application process has been part of the upgrade.
“We have a new way of volunteers applying to work,” said Thompson.
She said whereas the volunteers kept track of their hours on index cards in a recipe box before, now everything will be kept in a computer database. She said though some of the older members don’t want to have anything to do with computers, the system will speed up the application process. Every volunteer will also be held to the standards of the hospital, as well, submitting to a full background check and other tests.
Still, the auxiliary is hoping to grow its numbers, and the group has even added a recruiting volunteer to streamline the process. As the move approaches, the ladies are encouraging not just women to join, but also men, and high school and college students.
“In all these years, the auxiliary — I think one of their big ideas was...” said Smith, “that there would be a personal touch.”
Thompson echoed her sentiments, saying the auxiliary would still provide wheelchairs to patients and visitors, and help people get around the new hospital.
“If we’re going to make changes, this is the time to do it,” Thompson said, “when the hospital is moving.” She also said that they are slowly starting to see new membership and they’ve even added an auxiliary cookbook to their list of accomplishments.
“It’s exciting for us,” said Thompson.
To volunteer for the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary, call Recruiting Volunteer Sue Simons at 455-3311.
Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.
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