Making a Difference

It was a time of celebration, and a time for some very important people in pink and a few in maroon, to give themselves a pat on the back.

A reception was held Tuesday morning in the lobby of Missouri Southern Healthcare to officially recognize the hospital's auxiliary for having been named the 2009 Auxiliary of the Year at a recent gathering at Lake of the Ozarks. The honor was bestowed upon the local group of volunteers by the Missouri Association of Hospital Auxiliaries for volunteer services to the healthcare community. While a handful of local volunteers, including Auxiliary President Carl Neuber, were able to attend the formal ceremony earlier this month, Tuesday served as an opportunity for the entire auxiliary to gather, and in a departure from the norm, to stand on the receiving end of things.

Dignitaries on hand included Dexter's Mayor Joe Weber, Rep. Billy Pat Wright with a resolution from the House of Representatives recognizing the auxiliary's work, and State Senator Rob Mayer, also with recognition from Missouri's Senate for a job well done.

Also on the podium were Missouri Southern Healthcare's CEO, Amy Akers, who addressed the volunteers and informed the group of 75 members that their contributions in the form of volunteerism and scholarship funding exceeded many hospital auxiliaries in Missouri whose membership numbers far exceeded those of the MSH Auxiliary.

"We may be small in number, but we're big in spirit," Akers told the group to a round of applause.

Noreen Hyslop photo MSH Auxiliary members and guests gathered at the local hospital Tuesday morning for a reception in honor of the auxiliary having been granted the Auxiliary of the Year award on the state level. Shown presenting the award to Auxiliary President Carl Neuber and Missouri Southern Healthcare CEO Amy Akers is Dist. 6 Auxiliary Director Naomi Glassey.

Commending Akers and the hospital's administration for their cooperation and assistance with the auxiliary program, Neuber said, "Their cooperation makes our job a lot easier," he told the crowd gathered.

Mayor Joe Weber next spoke to the volunteers and guests, stating, "Volunteerism is the life blood of any community and this group of auxiliary members are a prime example of that."

MSH Director of Marketing Amy Ellinghouse, whose job it was to complete the application for consideration of the annual award, credited the group for their "proactive" nature and the audience, "It was a breeze to complete this process because there are so many things this group does for the community and for the hospital."

Noreen Hyslop photo Rep. Billy Pat Wright (R-159) is shown at right presenting Missouri Southern Hospital Auxiliary President Carl Neuber, at center, and hospital CEO Amy Akers with a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives. The presentation took place during Tuesday morning's reception held in the hospital lobby to honor the local hospital auxiliary for having been named Hospital Auxiliary of the Year.

Naomi Glassey, District Six Director for the Hospital Association, was also on hand and thanked the group for their dedication. She was followed by recognition by both Mayer and Wright, with both again commending the group for their continued efforts throughout the local healthcare facility and within the local community.

The work of the MSH Auxiliary includes not only efforts toward making patient stays at Missouri Southern Healthcare as comfortable as possible for both the patient and families of patients, but also monetary donations in the form of annual scholarships. Those scholarships, which annually total $7,000, are awarded to high school graduates in the county who intend to pursue higher education in the field of healthcare. Last year, Neuber noted, the MSH Auxiliary also donated $25,000 worth of new medical equipment to Missouri Southern Healthcare.

Amy Ellinghouse perhaps summed up the sentiment of guests attending Tuesday's reception for auxiliary members when she said, "They are simply a gift to our community."