February, 2012 - In response to a request by the Cook Area Ambulance Service, the W. C. Heiam Medical Foundation Board approved a donation of $2,500 to be used to purchase two new radios. Pictured are (l-r) Heiam Foundation Treasurer Dale Lundblad, Dan Reing and Ross Gramling of the Cook Ambulance Service and Heiam Foundation President Sally Ludlow.

Thanks to the many generous donations received from supporters this year, the Foundation was able to donate $10,000 to the Cook Area Ambulance Service towards the purchase of a Stryker Power Pro XT cot. The Foundation also funded the purchase of a new defibrillator for cardiac resuscitation in the Cook Hospital emergency room and a new urine analyzer and interface for the hospital’s lab. Cost for the defibrillator was $15,059.43 and the urine analyzer and interface total was $3,804.38. The Foundation continues to work with Scenic Rivers Health Services and the Cook Hospital in the recruiting of two more physicians to join the staff in Cook.

Recently the Heiam Foundation board accepted the resignations of board members Becky Barnes, Jim Clare and secretary Pam Roederer. Becky had served on the board for many years and is the granddaughter of Dr. W.C. Heiam, for which the foundation is named. They all are recognized for the many hours they volunteered to serve on the board to help keep quality medical services in our area for future generations. The Heiam Board welcomes returning board member Judy McCarthy, who will take over the duties of secretary.

There were new and unique auction items on which to bid and two great raffle prizes – an iPad 2 with case and a Kindle with lighted cover! The live auction included a fly-in fishing trip at Smoothrock Camp in Ontario, Canada and a one-week vacation at Residencial Casa Linda in the Dominican Republic!

Some of our guests came early and had the opportunity to tour the hospital’s facilities, as well as the newly remodeled Scenic Rivers Health Services medical clinic. Our thanks to the Cook Hospital and Scenic Rivers staffs for providing the tours.

Donations to the “Cruisin’ an’ Schmoozin’” summer benefit are still being received. The event was very successful and has raised a total of $50,344.00 to date. The Foundation’s board met recently and discussed ways to improve the event for next year. The 19th annual benefit is being planned for Saturday, August 11, 2012. Please mark your calendars now so you don’t miss this fun-filled event next year!

Pictured (l-r) W. C. Heiam Medical Foundation vice president Lawrence Gustafson and treasurer Dale Lundblad present a check for $10,000 to ambulance director Tim Mankowski and Reuben Rosnau of the Cook Area Ambulance Service. The $10,000 donation was approved by the Heiam Foundation Board at its regular meeting held Feb. 25. The ambulance service will use this donation, along with others, to purchase one of two new Stryker Power Pro XT cots, at a cost of $12,500 each. The foundation is pleased to assist the Cook Area Ambulance Service in this purchase.

Heiam Foundation president Sally Ludlow and treasurer Dale Lundblad present a check for $19,500 to Cook Hospital administrator Al Vogt for the purchase of three Computers on Wheels.

The goal of the W.C. Heiam Medical Foundation’s Spring Fund Drive in 2010 was to raise enough money for the purchase of three “COWs” or Computers on Wheels for the Cook Hospital.

Thanks to the generous donations of this area’s summer and year-around residents and local businesses, the foundation reached its goal and on Monday presented the hospital with a check for $19,500.

These Computers on Wheels are mobile wireless computers on carts equipped with wireless bar code scanners that will allow clinicians, doctors and nurses at Cook Hospital to view the patient’s medical records and enter data electronically at the patient’s bedside.

A key component of the patient care system is bedside medication verification or BMV. BMV allows care providers to utilize bar code scanning technology prior to administering medications, to confirm patient identity and medication information against data readily available via on-line medication administration records.

Immediate access to a patient’s current results and medication administration information greatly reduces preventable medication errors. The COWs will help Cook Hospital meet mandated requirements for electronic medical records for acute patients and also bedside medication verification.

Each year the W.C. Heiam Medical Foundation holds a Spring Fund Drive to help fund a need for capital equipment at Cook Hospital, or most recently to help in the search to hire additional physicians to provide care at Scenic Rivers Health Services in Cook and at the hospital.

With this donation of $19,500, the foundation has donated more than $212,000 to help serve the needs of residents in the Cook-Orr Healthcare District. The foundation’s long-term goal is to raise $2 million for an endowment fund that will insure that quality health care remains available in our area for future generations. The foundation’s endowment fund has grown to over $1.2 million.

Great entertainment was provided by the “Black Bay Bluegrass Boys” while guests enjoyed wonderful appetizers and libations. The picnic style dinner included delicious barbecued ribs prepared on site by Tod Polley, along with barbecue favorites from the Cook Hospital kitchen.

A Silent and Live Auction was held throughout the evening. Guests had a chance to bid on a wide variety of more than 100 great gifts. The Live Auction items were valued at over $5,000 and included a pheasant hunt, incredible dinner for eight, fly-in fishing trip, Target Field and Twins experience and a tropical villa vacation. The Silent Auction featured lots of items from arts and collectibles, handyman’s helpers, fun things to do, home and garden, wine and restaurants and boutique. The total value of the Silent Auction items was close to $20,000!

Raffle tickets were sold throughout the evening for three prizes which included a 14 kt. white gold and diamond pendant, CZ “Canvasback” 12-gauge shotgun and case and a $200 cash prize. Winners were announced at the end of the evening.

The “Best Backyard Barbecue” benefit has raised $47,679.50 to date! We are especially grateful to all of the supporters of this event in light of the country’s slow economic recovery. The foundation’s success has been made possible by the generous support of its many donors who understand the importance of quality medical services in our community.

Next year’s annual benefit is tentatively planned for Saturday, August 20, 2011 at the Cook Hospital. Please mark your calendars now! We hope you will be able to attend.

If you are not currently on our mailing list and would like to receive an invitation to next year’s benefit, please let us know by emailing Nan Lundblad, database manager, at: info@heiamfoundation.org