July 20, 2007

A Fund-Raising Force

Genesis, Davenport Auxilians complete $1.2 million fund-raising goal

DAVENPORT, IOWA - You would think that after working thousands of volunteer hours a year, there wouldn’t be enough time or energy for the Genesis Medical Center, Davenport Auxiliary to raise more than $1 million for hospital technology, too.

But Genesis leaders have learned to never underestimate the fund-raising finesse of the hospital’s 306 Auxilians, who have been honored for raising more money than any Auxiliary in Iowa. When they pledged to raise $1.2 million in five years for an automated medication dispensing system, those who knew their track record could have guessed they would raise it sooner.

On Thursday, the Auxilians completed their fund-raising goal -- two years early. They handed over the final payment toward their pledge at the annual Auxiliary luncheon.

The Auxilians, along with the 741 other volunteers at the hospital’s two Davenport campuses, are crucial to the success at Genesis and work a total of 75,000 hours a year.

“This is our biggest fund-raiser to date,” said Sandy Hull, who manages the volunteer workforce at the Genesis, Davenport. “The Auxiliary has always taken on worthwhile causes over its history. This is just another example of their initiative to really strive to make life better for not only Genesis Medical Center, but for the citizens of this community. “They understand the importance of moving forward with technology.”

A patient safety tool

The automated medication dispensing system, called Omnicell, improves patient safety by reducing the risk of medication errors. The system dispenses medications at the point of care, increases patient safety, improves workflow efficiency and enhances medication security. Key features include biometric (fingerprint) ID, single-dose dispensing and bar code confirmation for restocking.

“This project improves patient safety and medication security at Genesis, and it’s one that touches every patient and nurse every day of the year,” said Kevin Cahill, Director of Pharmaceutical Services. “We really appreciate the Auxiliary for achieving its largest fund-raising project ever to bring this wonderful tool to Genesis.”

To date, there are 39 Omnicell units throughout the two Davenport campuses. Omnicell also is on the DeWitt and Illini campuses.

“Nurses constantly give us positive feedback about Omnicell,” Cahill said. “With Omnicell, caregivers have the medications at their fingertips instead of having to wait for it to come up from central Pharmacy. They have the medication a lot quicker, and there are safety features on the Omnicell cabinets to help prevent medication errors. There’s a two-way, sophisticated interface between the Pharmacy’s order entry system and the Omnicell medication cabinet. Once the Pharmacy enters the medication order, then the nurse has it at his or her fingertips to pull out of a cabinet and can be assured it has been reviewed by a pharmacist before dispensing.”

Before the automated medication dispensing system, the Auxiliary raised thousands of dollars for voice-activated operating room equipment, making the hospital the first in the Quad Cities region and the first metropolitan area in Iowa to have it.

For the past year, the Auxiliary also has had the distinction of having a man at the helm for the first time in the century-old history of Genesis and its predecessor hospitals. “Mr. President” Gary Jessen was honored for his service Thursday, and new Auxiliary president Linda Roeder was introduced.

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