Funds for the minigrant program come from the proceeds of the three gift shops plus special sales and fundraisers hosted by the Auxiliary throughout the year. Mini-grants are awarded for noncapital services or equipment that directly benefit patient care.

The 2007 application form is available from Pat Dimond in Volunteer Services,
303–440-2183 (ext. 2183). Applications should be submitted by the first of the month to be reviewed at the Auxiliary Board meeting held on the fourth Monday of the month.

Auxiliary Awards almost $7000 in Minigrants

From funds to assist with prescription costs to baby tee shirts, the BCH Auxiliary is making a difference hospital-wide. A dozen minigrants were approved in the first quarter of 2007. They fund small projects that directly enhance patient care. Among the new projects are the following.

• A swing and a glider for the Special Care Nursery to sooth infants who are recovering from painful procedures or are just fussy and inconsolable
• A supply of tee-shirts for babies to wear home from the Special Care Nursery.
• CD players with headphones for patients in pre-op, surgery and recovery  in OCC/PACU at Broadway
• Wheelchair   for use in the Mapleton  therapy pool.
• Co-pay funds for needy out patient pain rehabilitation services through Rehabilitation Services and an urgent care medication fund for indigent/needy patients at CMC. Funds to supply pain management and other urgent medications for patients unable to afford them.
• BCH Ethic Committee was awarded funds to purchase An Academy Award winning  training video, “Code Gray”, about ethical dilemmas in nursing.
• Seed money to stock a CD library at Foothills administered by Chaplain Services.
• Material to make soothing neck pillows for patients in Tisone Cancer Care Center.
• An electronic subscription to Journal of Autisum (Autism)  and Development Disorders submitted by Pediatric Rehabilitation.

Auxiliary Awards Three Mini-Grants in December 2006

The Board of the BCH Auxiliary awarded two mini-grants to the Social Work Case Managers and one mini-grant to Inpatient Rehab at the December Board meeting.

The mini-grants awarded to Case Management were to help indigent patients with their medical recovery. A  $500 grant was earmarked to purchase motel vouchers for patients needing overnight shelter to recover from injuries that do not require inpatient facilities. A second grant for $1000 will fund prescriptions for indigent patients who cannot afford to pay for the full course of medication.

A $1000 mini-grant awarded to Inpatient Rehab will help defray the cost of a set of custom-built stairs to enhance stair training in a safe environment.

Funds for the mini-grant program come from special sales and fundraisers hosted by the auxiliary throughout the year as well as proceeds from the three hospital gift shops. Mini-grants are awarded for non-capital service or equipment that directly benefit patient care. Applications for mini-grants, available from Pat Dimond in Volunteer Services, should be submitted by the first of the month in order to be considered at the monthly board meeting on the 4^th Monday of the month.

Auxiliary Awards Six MiniGrants

The BCH Auxiliary awarded six minigrants at its November Board Meeting.

The first minigrant was awarded to the Family Birth Center to help train the staff in aromatherapy techniques and the acquisition of the proper oils. Aromatherapy and use of essential oils is an alternative means of alleviating stress and tension during a patient’s stay.

The Neurological and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Unit received two minigrants. The first of these will go to purchase skeletal models for the physical and occupational therapists.  The models include a full skeleton as well as partial models, of the knee, foot and shoulder. Models are extremely useful as teaching aids. “These models will enhance our services, customer service and client satisfaction,” explains Cathy Holland, a PT Program Coordinator.  The second minigrant awarded to this unit will purchase an AccuTread Limb Load Performance System.  This system delivers accurate information about a patients weight-bearing status so that they can “have objective feedback regarding the amount of weight they are bearing.” Cathy explains that the system  “will take the guesswork out of the clients’ ability to comply with weight-bearing restrictions and help to increase patient safety post-op when there are weight-bearing restrictions.”

The last three minigrants will be used to enhance communication between hospital personnel and patients who are not adequately able to communicate due to speech impairments, hearing loss or other special communication needs. 

Debbie McBride and Julie Pearson with Neurological Rehabilitation and Acute Care Service describe the “Adaptive Toolkits” they are building as “will be placed in many of the units so the nursing staff can provide simple and easy to use communication tools for speech, hearing, vision and physical access needs patients. These boxes will provide enough equipment to meet the anticipated communication needs of patients both during their stay as well as aid in transitioning to home, if needed, through a loaner program.” Each of these three minigrants will help facilitate the completion of these Adaptive Toolkits, by purchasing the requested outstanding products.

The first minigrant provides for “low-tech” Speech Tools, such as Alphabet Boards, Communication Boards in English and Spanish and Picture Communication Books – to name just a few. 

A second set of tools necessary for these toolkits are Speech Devices. These devices enhance a patient’s ability to be heard and understood.  The second minigrant will make possible the acquisition of one Chattervox voice amplifier, as well as two Go Talk 9+ Speech devices – a powerful portable easy to use speech output device.

GoTalk 9+ Device

The third minigrant awarded to Claire Riley from Patient Services will permit the acquisition of additional Pocket Talkers. Claire tells us that JCAHO is starting to look at requiring these kinds of communication augmentation devices, and that BCH is once again in the forefront by already recognizing this need and finding ways to implement solutions to achieve the best possible patient care. Clair tells us “that Pocket Talkers are one of the most common pieces of adaptive equipment used within the hospital.  They directly enhance a patient’s ability to communicate and participate in their own care.  Currently there are not enough pocket talkers to meet patients needs.” The last minigrant will provide five Pocket Talkers, adding to the five that the hospital already owns, and allowing one Pocket Talker per Adaptive Toolkit.