Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Auxiliary Celebrates 80 Years Of Service

POMONA VALLEY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER AUXILIARY CELEBRATES 80 YEARS OF SERVICE

Community Invited to Open House to Experience Visual History of Nonprofit Group

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) is hosting an Auxiliary Open House on November 9 from 2-4 p.m. in the Pitzer Auditorium to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the fundraising and volunteer group. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the impact the nonprofit has made on the patients, community and the Hospital through historic photos and mementos.

In 1937, 24 community volunteers established the Auxiliary to support the hospital. Since then, the nonprofit has been dedicated to volunteer service and fundraising. The organization has raised $4.8 million in funds for the hospital and provided more than two million volunteer hours since its inception.

“Our volunteers and Auxiliary members are often the first people to greet you when you enter our doors. They are an important part of this nationally recognized community hospital,” said Stacy Mittelstaedt, Director of PVHMC Volunteers. “This open house is a great opportunity for the community, current, former and prospective patients, our staff and community leaders to see and celebrate the tremendous impact this group has made on PVHMC over the last 80 years.”

Since the Auxiliary’s first projects of furnishing patient rooms, buying beds for the nursing school and raising funds to build PVHMC’s first pediatric wing in the 1950s, the Auxiliary continues to sponsor the needs of the hospital. In 1998, the group raised $1 million to assist in the development of PVHMC’s Cancer Care Center and will soon be paying off their second $1 million pledge towards the hospital’s Outpatient Pavilion.

The Auxiliary raises funds through the Tender Touch Gift Shop, annual holiday fundraisers and donations. Each year, the Auxiliary receives requests for support including educational materials, equipment and supplies. Requests are approved as funds are available. The Auxiliary also donates to support families who need assistance paying medical bills.

About Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center is a 437-bed, acute care, nationally accredited not-for-profit medical center serving eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties. In 2015, PVHMC achieved The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for advanced certification in inpatient diabetes care, palliative care, sepsis and total joint replacement. In 2014, PVHMC was recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, Coronary Interventions and Cardiac Care, and was announced as one of only four hospitals in California to achieve Excellence Awards in Cardiac Surgery, Coronary Interventions and Cardiac Care and three Top 100 designations listed previously. PVHMC is also a recipient of the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation. For more information, visit pvhmc.org.