Gilroy – Hospital boosters have bought the first piece of new
equipment funded by Partners for Healthcare Excellence, a new
effort to keep Saint Louise Regional Hospital in the black.
Gilroy – Hospital boosters have bought the first piece of new equipment funded by Partners for Healthcare Excellence, a new effort to keep Saint Louise Regional Hospital in the black.
Within weeks, the hospital will be equipped with a new nerve integrity monitor, said Michele Averill, director of the Saint Louise Regional Hospital Foundation.
The machine helps surgeons locate nerves during surgery, and cost $47,000 – the bulk of the $67,000 the campaign has raised thus far.
“We decided it was the best one to start with,” said Don Christopher, garlic-grower and chairman of the fundraiser. “Especially since we could afford to get it.”
Six donors have given to the fund since its inception a month ago: real estate agent Bill Reimal, farm owners Don Christopher, Ralph Santos and George Chiala, South Valley National Bank and the Habing Family Funeral Home. Santos said the campaign aims to establish Saint Louise as “a premier hospital, not just a stopgap.”
“It’s like shopping,” he said. “We all used to go to San Jose to shop – now we can do it right here. We’re a growing community, and we need this.”
The campaign’s next event is planned for June 28.
