Adventist Health News Notes

Adventist Health’s 2001 Community Benefits Report, titled “Elements of Service,” has recently been published and is available free of charge to those who request it.

The report features various Adventist Health programs and services that are making a big difference in the communities it serves. The publication also translates the various community services Adventist Health hospitals provide into dollars, showcasing how the facilities are caring for those around them.

Readers are enjoying the many heartwarming features found on its pages. Those wishing to receive a copy of the 2001 Community Benefits Report should phone the Corporate Communication Department at (916) 781-4756 or log onto Web site www.adventisthealth.org .

AMC’s Safety First

Adventist Medical Center has made its Portland-based hospital more secure by installing emergency call boxes throughout the campus.

The new red boxes are easy to spot and contain an intercom system that connects to the facility’s telecommunications department. Users are connected directly with an operator and are able to explain their emergency. If verbal communication is impossible, the operator can identify which call box is in use and dispatch a security officer to that specific location.

TCGH Adult Respite Center

Tillamook County General Hospital’s (TCGH) Faith in Action program recently received a $15,000 grant from the Paul and Sally McCracken Fund and the Emil W. and Lois E. Brammert Fund.

The money will help fund the expansion of Wellspring, an adult respite day center operated by Faith in Action and volunteers and staff from TCGH. The program, which is designed for adults who suffer from memory loss and have cognitive or physical limitations that require direct supervision, offers an array of activities and entertainment.

A licensed nurse is on hand to manage medication and personal care, a home-cooked lunch is provided to participants, and a private room is available for naps and rest periods.

WWGH Nutritional Services

Walla Walla General Hospital is changing the way people think about hospital food in the form of a new A La Carte Meal Service. A La Carte works much like room service in a hotel by giving patients the ability to order the food they want, when they want it, 12 hours a day.

The innovative program works like this: Once in-patients have a diet order, they are given a corresponding restaurant-style menu, which instructs them to place orders with the Nutritional Services staff via telephone.

Once an order has been placed, the personalized meals are delivered within 30 minutes. Patients’ guests of patients also may place orders and make payment upon delivery of their food.

AMC Honors Volunteers

Adventist Medical Center recently paid special tribute to its 370 volunteers, during National Volunteer Week.

Two-hundred-thirty adults and 140 teens currently donate their time and talents to the 302-bed facility. In addition to volunteering a total of 63,000 hours in 2001, the auxiliary also donated $74,930 to various programs and services throughout the hospital. •

Featured in: September 2002