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Potsdam Hospital Guild recognized by Health Association of New York State

Posted 5/2/12

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam Hospital Guild has been selected by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) to receive its 2011 Auxiliary Advocacy Recognition. “It’s quite an honor and …

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Potsdam Hospital Guild recognized by Health Association of New York State

Posted

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam Hospital Guild has been selected by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) to receive its 2011 Auxiliary Advocacy Recognition.

“It’s quite an honor and humbling experience for our guild to receive this recognition from HANYS,” said Guild Co-President Joyce Yianoukos. “We don’t expect special awards or accolades for the work we do. It’s rewarding enough to see the high-caliber technology and services that we help make possible at Canton-Potsdam Hospital,” said Yianoukos.

“We deeply appreciate the support and hard work of our devoted guild members who continue to be an integral part of the quality care we provide,” said Canton-Potsdam Hospital President and CEO David B. Acker. “Countless hospital achievements can be accredited in large part to their commitment and dedication, including construction of our Center for Cancer Care.”

Guild volunteers devote time and energy to the hospital’s gift shop and numerous fundraising events throughout the year. Over the past year, the guild has raised and donated more than $65,000 to the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Foundation to purchase equipment and help pay for recent construction and renovation projects. Some of the monies are specifically earmarked as mini-grants for departments to purchase special items that will help enhance the services they provide to the community. Recently the guild made a $75,000 restricted pledge to benefit the Center for Cancer Care, which will be paid in installments over the next five years.

The guild supports two scholarship awards. One is $1,000 to a graduating high school senior pursuing a healthcare career, and the other is $1,000 to a second-year nursing student at SUNY Canton. Beginning this fall, a third scholarship for $1,000 will be presented to a physical therapy student and on alternating years a physician assistant student.

Other initiatives the guild supports include a prescription drug program, established to aid individuals who are unable to pay for their prescription medications; and story walks, made possible in collaboration with the Potsdam library.

The Hospital Gift Shop, which is run by the Potsdam guild, is staffed by volunteers. The Gift Shop makes large contributions to the guild’s fundraising efforts. Other fundraising endeavors hosted by the guild include a spaghetti dinner, garage sale, family hockey night, book sales, uniform sales, gold/silver sales, a garden tour, raffles, handbag sales, trivia night and a golf tournament co-sponsored by the EJ Noble Guild in Canton.

A significant portion of the monies raised over the year are personal contributions from the hundreds of guild members from Potsdam and surrounding areas. Personal donations are used to provide for needy families and to contribute to the gift basket of blankets, toys, food, books, etc., which is presented to the parents of the Hospital’s New Year’s baby each year.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital is fortunate to be supported by two hospital auxiliary organizations, the Potsdam Hospital Guild in Potsdam and the Edward John Noble Guild in Canton.

For more information about how you can be involved with the guilds, contact Laura Cordts, Foundation Executive Director, at 261-5412.