Books, books and more books
The Reach Out and Read program touches hundreds of children through a generous partnership with Marshfield Area United Way.
Our Pediatrics staff distributes books to every child who comes in for a well-child physical visit from 6 months to 5 years old. Thousands of books are distributed every year, said Kristen Becker, registered nurse.
“I realize that all gifts, regardless of size, help a lot of people. When I was in college, I received a scholarship that helped me through my internship. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without that support. I’m grateful to the donors who made that scholarship possible and I give back to show my appreciation.”
– Lucy Yemc
"We enjoy giving the books just as much as the kids enjoy receiving them. I hope that, through United Way and private donations, we will be able to continue to support early childhood literacy through the Reach Out and Read program," Becker said.
A weighty issue
Children with special needs have to be weighed thoroughly, and accurately, when reporting to the Child Development Center at Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center. But many of these children have motor control issues and can't stand, or stand still, on a normal scale.
"We need to be able to get an accurate weight for these kids because their therapies, medication dosing and overall nutritional evaluation depends on it," noted Laurie Weber, a registered nurse in the unit. The answer is a wheelchair scale.
With the wheelchair scale, staff can weigh them stabilized in their chairs, and then simply subtract the weight of the empty chair. About half of the $3,000 cost of the scale came from the Unrestricted Gifts fund through Development, with the remainder coming from other funding sources within Pediatrics.
Comfort in warming
Patients preparing for surgery will be warm and comfortable, thanks to a blanket warmer made possible by gifts to Marshfield Clinic's Patient Care Fund.
The General Surgery Department in Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center was the most recent department to receive a blanket warmer.
"Patients really appreciate it, especially with the cold spring we had," said Julie Clark, the department manager. "They usually have to undress to be examined and at times this includes an ultrasound exam to check their leg veins and arteries. Having a warm blanket to keep them covered as much as possible during exams allows the patient to stay warm and cozy."
For more information about supporting Marshfield Clinic, please call 1-800-858-5220 or visit
www.marshfieldclinic.org/giving.
