Mercy Health Foundation donors came together and donated over $140,000 to support technology advancement at Mercy Medical Center and community outreach services at the foundation's first annual MercyStrong event.  Affinity Health System CEO Dan Neufelder, Mercy President Bill Calhoun and Wayne Trembly, chairperson of the Mercy Health Foundation Board of Trustees, hosted the September 25 event held at The Waters in Oshkosh.

 

MercyStrong's primary focus for 2009 and 2010 is on heart and vascular services at Mercy.  The existing heart catheterization lab is reaching the end of its lifespan and an advanced 64-slice CT scanner is needed to enhance diagnostic services for heart, stroke, trauma and other major illnesses.  MercyStrong will also help the Foundation meet its annual community health outreach commitments to support the Living Healthy Community Clinic for the uninsured in Oshkosh, the Tri County Community Dental Clinic and the Fitness for the Physically Challenged Program in the Rehabilitation Department at Mercy.  For more information about the MercyStrong campaign Click Here

 

Many, many thanks to all who have supported this good work to Save Lives, Give Hope and Build Healthier Communities.

 

Loren Swanson, DDS, and his 

wife Judy were special guests at the MercyStrong event.  They shared their story of Loren's

 

 

The loss of a loved one is very traumatic and emotional, but organ and tissue donation brings a degree of comfort to some.  "Donation can generate something positive in an otherwise tragic situation," according to Dawn Auclair, RN, who has been working with donor families at Mercy Medical Center since 1992.
 
Dawn is a night hospital coordinator at Mercy and serves as the liaison for the University of Wisconsin Organ Procurement Organization.  She works with ICU nursing staff and multiple other hospital departments to coordinate organ donation cases.   Dawn is available to assist staff with approaching family members to make the request and explain the donation process.  She sees herself as a family advocate, trying to ease their stress and keep them informed throughout the process.  Donation procedures can take from a few hours to a few days.
 
To help families through this difficult time, Dawn has developed a memory kit program.  The tastefully decorated memory kits are a tangible way to honor organ and tissue donors as well as help staff better connect with the families.  Read More