You already know that if you suffer an injury or come down with a serious illness, you can go to one of the UHS hospitals and we will fix you right up. But where does the hospital go when it needs a little help? Fortunately, it does not have to go far. Each hospital in the UHS system has an auxiliary to help with services, education and equipment.
In 2013, through a creative combination of fundraising activities, the four auxiliaries donated over $90,000 to UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital and UHS Delaware Valley Hospital. Working with their hospital’s administration and volunteer director/manager, each hospital’s auxiliary determines where best to put donated funds and volunteer hours.
JOIN US
If you are interested in joining or learning more, please get in touch with the auxiliary contact person at your preferred hospital:
-UHS Auxiliary Binghamton General Hospital: Virginia “Ginny” Gruver, 762-2318 or virginia_gruver@uhs.org
-UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary: Kathie Deierlein, 337-6246 or kdeierlein@nbtbci.com
-UHS Delaware Valley Hospital Auxiliary: Mary Hunter, 865-5707 or dotti_kruppo@uhs.org
-UHS Wilson Medical Center Auxiliary: Louise Wasyln, 763-6720 or louise_waslyn@uhs.org
Auxiliary members can serve as hospital volunteers, operating the gift shop and café, staffing information desks and departmental waiting rooms, or delivering flowers to patients and “baby bundle” gift baskets to new parents. They also take part in community outreach efforts and assist at the golf tournament for breast cancer. In recent years, volunteer efforts by the auxiliary have totaled approximately 37,500 hours annually.
The auxiliaries also support the hospital staff through efforts as varied as scholarships for employees, teen volunteers or family members of staffers who are ursuing health-related careers, to advocacy efforts with the New York State legislature.
The auxiliaries are always looking for new members. Membership is open to area residents and dues are minimal. According to a nurse who retired from UHS Wilson Medical Center and then went right into the auxiliary, “It’s a fun way to keep active and social while helping people.”
