The White County Medical CenterAuxiliary has made its second installment in a $50,000 pledge toward the roboticda VinciTM Surgical System. The Auxiliary Board of Directorspresented a $20,000 check to fulfill the remainder of its $50,000 pledge to theWhite County Medical Foundation to be used for the advanced equipment.
“We are delighted to present this checkto the Foundation for the da Vinci system,” Auxiliary President Kathy Gammillsaid. “This investment demonstrates our hospital’s dedication to providingexcellent healthcare, as there are numerous benefits of the da Vinci.”
The White County Medical Foundationwas established in 1997 to ensure that the hospital will be able to provide forthe future growth of the community and changing medical technology. TheFoundation contributes funding to purchase advanced medical equipment andspecial projects that enhance patient care.
In its commitment to excellence inpatient care and keeping the community healthy, the Foundation continuouslyencourages community members to show support for the hospital to providepatients with the highest-quality healthcare available.
The four-armed robot, which joinedphysicians and a team of associates in the Operating Room last October, isknown as the da VinciTM Robotic Surgical System.
In the past year,nearly 3,000 surgeons worldwide have been trained in using the da Vinci, andsix of those surgeons are right here in Searcy. The da Vinci is being used forgynecological procedures— primarily hysterectomies—thoracic procedures, andgeneral surgeries. To date, four OB/GYN physicians at WCMC are trained on theda Vinci, including Bruce Thompson, M.D.; Bill Williams, M.D.; Kris Citty, MD;and Kyle Citty, M.D. Also, Cardiothoracic Surgeon Miguel Aguinaga, M.D., andGeneral Surgeon William Gibbs, M.D., also use the da Vinci for procedures intheir respective areas of surgery.
“This equipment has changed the waywe do surgeries now,” said Tisa Carlisle, Assistant Vice President of SurgicalServices. “It is a much more advanced method of performing laparoscopicsurgeries, which is beneficial to our patients in that it shortens the lengthof a patient’s hospital stay and reduces post-operative pain. The fact that weare able to offer this state-of-the-art equipment to the community means a lotfor our area.”
The mission of the Auxiliary is tosupport White County MedicalCenter by purchasingequipment, and providing funds for buildings and healthcare items that help thehospital best meet the needs of patients. The Auxiliary’s primary means ofraising money to donate to the Foundation is through managing the Carousel GiftShoppes on the WCMC North and South Campuses, and Moxie, the gift shop locatedinside the Cancer Center of Excellence.
Auxiliary members providenon-clinical support in various areas throughout the hospital. Last year alone,volunteers contributed nearly 40,000 hours of service to the hospital. In yearspast, the WCMC Auxiliary has made numerous contributions to the hospital. A fewof those include: a master communication board for the Inpatient RehabilitationUnit; a Nintendo® Wii electronic gaming system for individual and grouptherapy; an electronic door for the Rehab Unit to make accessing the uniteasier for patients; and, a horticulture therapy garden for patients. Mostrecently, the Auxiliary donated $150,000 toward the Cancer Center ofExcellence.
The Auxiliary also funds 15scholarships for students who are entering healthcare-related fields of study.According to Gammill, the Auxiliary is working toward creating an endowment toensure that the scholarships will be available for years to come.
“The WCMC Auxiliary has always been so supportive of White County Medical Center and the health and well-being of our community,” Cassandra Feltrop, Executive Director of the White County Medical Foundation, said. “Our Auxiliary is so generous with sharing their time and talents. To see them work together to provide thiscaliber of advanced technology for our surgical center is tremendous. Theytruly are an asset to our hospital family, and we thank them for all of their commitment and dedication to White County Medical Center.”
If you or your business would like topartner with the Auxiliary and the White County Medical Foundation to provideadvanced healthcare technologies and capabilities, please contact theFoundation Office at (501) 278-3186 or via e-mail at foundation@wcmc.org.
