Donor recognition sculpture unveiled at Riverside
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| Charles Revere (left), Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Board Chairman, and Congressman Rob Wittman unveil the Make A Difference Sculpture. |
Riverside Tappahannock Hospital held its unveiling ceremony on July 9 of the “Make A Difference” donor recognition sculpture. This sculpture will recognize donors to the hospital Make A Difference Fund and will be displayed in the main lobby of the hospital.
Presentations were given by Elizabeth Martin, vice president/administrator; Frances Ellis, chair of the Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Make A Difference Fund Committee; Debbie Atkinson of the Riverside Health System Foundation; and Congressman Rob Wittman.
Martin reviewed the history of the hospital’s existence from the local community fund drive led by Mayor Clanton in the 1950s to the opening of its doors in 1964. Martin noted, “The community’s spirit built the hospital, and our hope with the Make A Difference Fund is to revitalize that spirit and give our community an opportunity to continue to invest in the hospital’s future.”
A special recognition was given to the late Pierre Dohet, a Kilmarnock resident who left Riverside a gift of $470,000. His bequest gift was given in gratitude for the services provided by Riverside Hospice to his wife Kathryn, who preceded him in death in 2001.
Also recognized during this event were the Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Volunteers, who donated the first $5,000 directly to the Make A Difference Fund.
Gifts to the Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Make A Difference Fund enables the hospital to continually enhance the facilities, equipment, and programs that support the healthcare needs of the communities served. The fund provides a means for concerned members of the community to assist in providing excellent healthcare, right here at home.
This event also officially launched the “Building a Better Place to Heal, Close to Home” campaign. This fund-raising campaign will support the transformation of shared patient rooms to private patient rooms at Riverside Tappahannock Hospital. During the event, several displays were provided for guests to visualize the “future patient room.”
The importance of this campaign is significant, said hospital officials. Private rooms improve recovery, reduce the risk of infection, and better accommodate the latest medical technology. Private rooms also allow health-care professionals to more easily communicate patient information in a private setting and provide an enhanced environment for family visitation.
“To make this campaign a success, we need help from the entire community. The funds committed to the project from this campaign will ensure that the hospital is building the best care close to home with the latest medical technology and patient safety. This project is a win-win for our hospital and the community,” said Frances Ellis, chair of the Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Make A Difference Fund Committee. Other Make A Difference Fund Committee members include Jeanette Baylor, Eugene McCarthy, Marion Rowe, Nancy Brown and Jill Robertson.
In his keynote remarks, Congressman Rob Wittman noted that the “people of the community are what make the difference. Whether it is your church, your schools, or your community hospital, it is when people come together for the right-cause that great things happen.”
Members of the community are welcome to stop by the hospital to see the Make A Difference Sculpture. To learn more about how one can make a difference at Riverside Tappahannock Hospital, call Elizabeth Martin at 443-6189 or Debbie Atkinson at the Riverside Foundation at 757-534-7070 or visit http://www.riversideonline.com/foundation. If interested in volunteering opportunities, call Jaime Cook at 443-6192.
