JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The Brooke Army Medical Center Auxiliary held its annual welfare grants distribution May 20 at the BAMC Main Entrance.
“Typically, we hold the distribution in the auditorium during a ceremony in March, but because of current events we were not able to do that,” said Sarah Kelly, BAMC Auxiliary president. “We were able to give away about $17,000 worth of goods.”
Kelly said the gifts are items requested by various departments throughout BAMC that are not usually in the budget. Items range from coloring books for kids to a new phone charging station the Auxiliary bought for the BAMC Emergency Department this year.
“We try to fill a need that departments can’t always get filled with other funds,” she said.
The BAMC Auxiliary conducts fundraisers throughout the year so they can purchase the items they give to departments. Members of BAMC’s staff said they are grateful for the work done by the Auxiliary and the donations they make.
“We had an idea that we wanted to be able to provide something for our patients who come in and need more information,” said Shawna Monk, a registered nurse in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Spc. Taylor Burk Clinic at JBSA Camp Bullis. “So, we asked the BAMC Auxiliary if we could get the supplies for a coffee station. They provided us with everything we needed to get that started.”
Monk said the coffee station will help patients who come in have a place to sit and relax while they read the information on applications such as secure messaging and how to fill out surveys for their care. Secure messaging is a way for patients to contact their medical providers, giving them an alternative to having to come into the clinic for information.
Other items the Auxiliary donated were books for a patient library, yoga instructional books, and infant CPR mannequins. BAMC staff can provide CPR training for new parents who may be unfamiliar or nervous about giving CPR to their babies if they don’t know how to administer it. Mannequins help provide staff the means to give new parents training and increase their confidence.
“We’re just happy to be able to provide whatever we can to help the staff here,” Kelly said.