The Olympic Medical Center Auxiliary donated more than $20,600 to Olympic Medical Center's disaster preparedness, medical/surgical/pediatric and laboratory departments.

The donation allowed for the purchase of medical equipment, including a portable medical surge pod containing cots, bedding blankets, gowns and IV poles for disaster deployment; a lightweight device that uses infrared light for vein location in real time, which provides more effective patient care; and a tabletop centrifuge for patient testing process.

Since 1980, the auxiliary has contributed more than $360,000 for the purchase of medical equipment or enhancement of services at OMC.

Money is raised through the hospital gift shop, fundraisers and an annual arts and craft show.

"All proceeds from items purchased at the gift shop are given to the hospital for needed medical equipment," said Patty McCarty, auxiliary president.

"Our volunteers staff the gift shop, greet patients at the front desk and perform many other duties around the hospital."



Donated equipment

The medical surge pods, valued at more than $8,200, are mobile pods for adult patient care in a disaster. The pods will allow Olympic Medical Center to care for adult patients when there is a surge in patient care at the hospital or to provide care at an alternate care site.

The AccuVein AV300 is a tool that highlights vein location in real time and is valued at $4,500.

The tabletop centrifuge for the laboratory will be used daily for the analysis of specimens by the laboratory and is valued at more than $7,900.

For more information, contact Kathy Coombes, volunteer coordinator, at 565-9110 or kcoombes@

olympicmedical.org.