Local hospital benefits from shower of donations

The Commonwealth Health Center recently received a donation of necessary supplies from various individuals and organizations for different departments at the hospital.

On hand to receive the much needed supplies were Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez, Deputy Secretary of Hospital Administration Joseph C. Santos and Deputy Secretary Lynn Tenorio.

The equipment donations, made through the CHC Volunteers Association, included a television set from Dr. Vincent Stravino, two blood sugar monitors for the emergency room, one printer/scanner/fax machine from the National Office Supply, two ink cartridges for the printers in Pediatrics, an instamatic camera and film for Labor & Delivery, a medical scale for Labor & Delivery, 12 wheelchairs, four quad canes for Physical Therapy, wheelchair oxygen carrier for the emergency room, IV stand for hemodialysis, and a graduate, which is a small measuring container used in the hospital laboratory.

According to CHC Volunteers president Kim Prinz-Coats, the wheelchairs were distributed to the operating room, emergency room, C-Side, women’s clinic and the hemodialysis clinic.

She acknowledged the tireless efforts of Mr. and Mrs. John Schwarz, who worked with the Your Special Needs Store in Lafayette, Indiana, to find the right wheelchairs to fit local needs.

The storeowners themselves where the wheelchairs were bought, Mr. & Mrs. Santiemmo, donated the quad canes, the oxygen tank carrier, and the graduate.

Long-time Okinawan visitor to the CNMI and chairman of the Marianas Repatriation Association Choken Ginoza also donated $500 for the purchase of a cannulating arm tool that would help train nurses on how to insert a fisula on a patient’s arms for dialysis treatment.

The CHC Volunteers, a non-profit organization that makes about $100,000 a year, also donated a DVD player and a cart to the Obstetrician Gynecology department.

Over the years, CHC Volunteers has donated over $2 million worth of equipment to the hospital.

According to Prinz-Coats, “We’re all about raising money to purchase equipment for the hospital. And everything we do here is for the hospital.”

“It’s money that can be used to purchase equipment for the hospital that everyone in the community can benefit from. No matter the race, creed, religion, or color-everyone benefits from that,” she added.