FAYETTEVILLE - Jennifer Bonner can’t wait for the Washington Regional Foundation’s 20th annual Gala and Eagle Awards.
It’s not because she’s the world’s biggest fan of Kool and the Gang, although she thinks it’s “pretty cool” that the foundation is bringing in the chart-topping band for its annual fundraiser. Rather, it’s because the proceeds from the gala will benefit the critical care unit at Washington Regional Medical Center.
Every year, the gala benefits one aspect of the hospital, and this year’s recipient is Bonner’s department. A registered nurse, Bonner is the clinical educator for the critical care and intensive care units.
“We need new beds to take care of our patients,” says Bonner, who lives in Lincoln. “Those beds are very expensive and very helpful in our patient care. The money they raise [at the gala], that’s hard to come by.
“The beds we have now are 12 years old, and in the critical care equipment world, that’s ancient.”
The patients who wind up in the critical care unithave “serious and sometimes quite debilitating illnesses,” Bonner says. Often, they require long stays, and the mere act of getting out of bed is extremely difficult.
The TotalCare SpO2RT2 therapy beds the patients stay in perform continuous lateral rotations, which when combined with nurses repositioning patients, greatly reduces their chances of getting bed sores or developing congestion or other problems with their lungs. The therapy beds can perform chest-compression therapies, tapping patients on the back and further re-ducing the risk of lung-related problems.
They are also capable of gradually transitioning patients from a horizontal position to a seated position, making it easier for them to get out of bed and move. The bed’s transition can take place quickly, or over a handful of days, whatever patients can tolerate.
“Even small movements can make a huge difference,” Bonner explains. “Research shows that that kind of early mobility improves your patient outcomes. … These beds are absolutely a must-have for our patients.”
The 20th annual Gala and Eagle Awards will be April 2 at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. Tickets to the show are $75 each, and include a reception before the show.
Kool and the Gang had 25 songs that reached the top 10 of the Billboard U.S. R&B/ hip-hop singles charts between 1973-1987. The band is perhaps best known for its chart-topping single “Celebration,” a staple at weddingsand festive events even since its 1980 release.
At the preconcert reception, which starts at 6 p.m., the foundation will be honoring its 2013 Eagle Award winners. They are the late Dr. George Cole, a longtime Washington County obstetrician and gynecologist; Dr. David Ratcliff, Washington Regional’s chief medical officer since 2004; and the Cancer Challenge nonprofit organization. The Cancer Challenge has raised more than $9.5 million to support cancer prevention since its inception in 1993. (The 2013 Cancer Challenge is June 27-29. It includes golf and tennis tournaments, trap shooting, run/walk events, and the Sparkle & Spurs Gala.)
“During this very special 20th annual Gala and Eagle Awards, we gratefully acknowledge and thank our generous donors and volunteers who have made this event so successful over thepast 19 years,” says Amy Linimon Mason, Washington Regional Foundation’s special events director. “The health of our Northwest Arkansas community has been greatly improved because of the leadership and vision of this year’sEagle honorees.”
In years past, proceeds from the gala have totaled more than $1.2 million. In turn, this has benefited the neonatal intensive care unit, the Willard Walker Hospice Home and the emergency department.
Bonner and the other medical personnel who work in the critical care unit are excitedabout what the 2013 gala will mean for their department. The critical care unit has 40 rooms, and currently has 36 therapy beds, so the first goal is to get four additional beds, bringing the unit to capacity.
Any additional funds will be used to replace the 12-yearold beds currently in the unit.
“We’re now a Level 2 trauma center, as of this year, so we need more of [the beds], and we definitely need new ones,” Bonner says. “They’re very helpful.” For more information about the Washington Regional Foundation’s Gala and Eagle Awards, call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600 or visit wregional.com/koolandthegang.
Northwest Profile, Pages 35 on 03/24/2013