Published on February 26, 2010

A Warmer Patient Experience At Genesis, Illini Campus

One of the first stops for a trauma patient at the Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus is the Radiology Department.

For patients who have been injured in an accident, who are feverish from a virus or who may be in shock, waiting even a few minutes for a CT scan can be an uncomfortably chilling experience.

Now, patients not only will be warmed by blankets but also by the generosity of community donors who came forward in tough economic times to give more than $5,000 for a new blanketwarming cabinet.

Assistance came from several Illini supporters, the East Moline/Silvis Kiwanis, the East Moline/Silvis Rotary, the Silvis Optimist Club and the East Moline Optimist Club. Winter is an especially punishing time for patients already in trauma, including elderly patients who have broken a hip after a fall on the ice, or automobile or farm accident victims who arrive covered in mud and snow.

In from the cold
For patients in discomfort, a warm blanket brings great comfort.

"The greatest need was for trauma patients who often get brought over to the CT scanner right out of the field or off the highway, where they have been in the elements and whose clothes are wet and cold," explains Denise Jones, Assistant Manager of the Illini Campus Radiology Department. "These patients greatly benefit from quick access to blankets to comfort them as they wait to undergo scans."

Radiology shared a blanketwarmer with the hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Lab, located in an area that wasn't easy for Radiology staff to quickly access. The Illini Foundation undertook the cause, and so began a yearlong effort to raise funds.

"Denise Jones made a very strong case for the need based on the comfort of our patients. She asked the foundation to help find the funding for a blanket-warming cabinet," says Steve Goebel, Development Officer of the Genesis Illini Hospital Foundation. "In this economic environment, organizations were low in their gift budgets or were responding to other community needs. Winter turned to spring and then winter came again."

President's Circle of Care
Jones didn't just ask others to help. She also made a personal contribution, as did foundation member David Lamb and radiologist Craig Tillman, M.D. The three became part of the President's Circle of Care, Genesis Health System's new giving association of donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually.

"The project shows the importance of community support for quality, compassionate care at a time when we're trying to keep down medical costs to our patients," Goebel concludes.

The Genesis Foundations help fulfill the needs of Genesis Health System. Find out how you can help and become a member of the President's Circle of Care by calling Steve Goebel, (309) 792-4273.