Hospital Auxiliary Receives Distinguished Service Award

In recognition of years of dedicated service to the surrounding community, the Stony Brook University Hospital Auxiliary received the Distinguished Service Award from the Healthcare Association of New York State.

Since its formation in 1981, the Auxiliary has raised more than $5 million for hospital projects, services, and equipment. The Auxiliary is a volunteer organization made up of a diverse group of men and women committed to raising money for hospital projects for which other sources of money are not readily available.

Among the Auxiliary’s recent contributions is an ambulance for the Department of Emergency Medical Services—the third they have donated so far. The ambulance is state of the art; valued at $139,000, it is stocked with a full complement of critical care equipment and medications and equipped with a GPS system that relays to the hospital transfer center the exact location of the vehicle every 30 seconds.

Funding was also provided for a noninvasive blood flow monitoring device called Cardio Q for the hospital’s surgical intensive care unit as well as $100K for infant pulmonary function testing equipment for the Cystic Fibrosis Center (The hospital is now the first on Long Island to have such equipment).

“We are dedicated to the patients at Stony Brook University Hospital,” said Auxiliary President Caroline Levine. “Like me, several Auxiliary members are healthy today because of the outstanding lifesaving care we’ve received at Stony Brook. The quality care provided by the doctors and nurses is unsurpassed.”

“In this time of fiscal austerity, the work the Auxiliary does is more important than ever,” said Hospital COO Bruce Solomon. “The Auxiliary cares deeply about the hospital and is responsive to the needs of the institution when deciding how to utilize the funds raised.”

The Auxiliary derives its funding from the newly designed Auxiliary Gift Shop located in the hospital lobby, in-house vendor sales, new and used sales, fundraising events such as the recent gala for the Heart Center, and of course donations from appreciative patients. The organization also initiated this area’s Vial of Life program. In addition, the Auxiliary has a network of knitters—women from the local area—who get together and knit baby hats and blankets for families to take home with them when their babies leave the hospital. They also knit blankets for oncology patients.

Auxiliary membership benefits include an invitation to the annual luncheon, advance notice of all special events, newsletters, and an annual report. For more information about the Auxiliary call 444-2699.