HOISINGTON — Through the years, Clara Barton Hospital Foundation members have been generously committed to helping Clara Barton Hospital, a not-for-profit Critical-Access Hospital, expand healthcare services and update equipment to meet the community’s healthcare needs. This year was no exception. Contributions from the 2012-13 membership drive funded a Hematology Analyzer for the laboratory.
Members’ interest in quality healthcare was evident as ever this year, as they welcomed more donors to this year’s membership drive than in years prior. Knowing the difference that it will make for the hospital, a record-number of businesses and individuals donated to help fund the Analyzer. This year, 111 organizations and businesses donated nearly $17,000 to the cause.
Over 108 Clara Barton employees participated in the membership drive raising just over $11,500. This year a combined total of 642 members raised just over $45,687
Several Foundation members shared the reason why they support Clara Barton Hospital Foundation.
Listed are a few of the responses: “I just want to do my part to help the community”; “Because we have the best hospital and I would like to keep helping to update it”; “My donation helps facilitate the technical advancement necessary for Clara Barton Hospital to provide the most up to date medical care to our community.”
The evidence of the community’s generosity is visible all around Clara Barton Hospital. Over the years, other equipment like the analyzer has been funded with gifts from Foundation members including: a Bone Densitometer Technology, Pyxis Medication Dispensing Machine, Cautery Unit and Pulmonary Function Testing Unit to name a few.
 “Thanks to the generosity of many Foundation members this year, the lab was able to replace the blood analyzer that had been purchased several years ago.  The replaced analyzer had a considerable amount of downtime this past year, resulting in delayed test results and additional cost for troubleshooting and transportation of samples to another lab,” said Myrtle Whitmore, lab director.