Wellington Regional Medical Center recently announced that through the generosity of the medical staff, hospital employees and the medical executive committee, the hospital collected $18,500 to help 41 local families during the holiday season.
Through a partnership with nine local public schools, families facing severe circumstances were identified.
Joseph Paul, chief financial officer at WRMC, launched this initiative in 2013. Since then, the hospital has assisted 103 school-aged children and their families by giving more than $50,000.
The families each received a Walmart gift card for food, clothing, medicines, household goods and toys for the children.
“Seeing firsthand the tears of extreme gratitude from the families, the happiness of the children, as I handed each family their gift certificate on behalf of our hospital, it made me so proud to represent Wellington Regional Medical Center in this endeavor,” Paul said.
The medical staff was happy to take part in the effort.
“Joe Paul has a passion for supporting our community during the holidays, and we have watched this grow each year to help more and more families,” said Dr. Richard Hays, chief medical officer at WRMC and a family physician. “The medical staff wanted to join his efforts by initially giving a donation of $10,000. When the medical executive committee learned of the impact these donations have on our community, we decided to increase the donation by another $3,500.”
Wellington Regional Medical Center is a 233-bed acute care hospital. Celebrating 30 years of treating residents in Wellington and the surrounding community, the hospital offers a wide range of services, including comprehensive stroke care, a comprehensive lung program, minimally invasive services, cardiac services, a birthing center with a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive women’s center, hepatobiliary surgical procedures, intraoperative radiation therapy, interventional procedures, and a wellness and weight loss center.
To learn more about the hospital, visit www.wellingtonregional.com.