“We were glad to step up and help,” after Gabie Reeves of the Santa Clara Wellness Foundation asked for assistance in sponsoring the December dinner that benefited the hospital, said Gomez. “It was nice to attend the dinner and help support the hospital.”The donation is “a continuation of things just getting better and better,” said Long. “This is another demonstration that people love this hospital.”SPH Nurse Manager Bea Frias demonstrated the Stryker beds, noting that they have a 500 pound capacity, are easily handled, and have a chaperone system with an alarm to alert staff if a patient tries to get up, among other features. “From a patient’s perspective when sick and ill, it makes having to stay in” the Stryker bed easier for both the patient and staff. “It’s a gift that is going to touch so many lives,” and a donation that measures “selfless generosity” on the part of the Chumash Foundation, noted Frias.“The Foundation is very pleased to be a part of this donation,” said Foundation President Martha Gentry. “We also thank the Chumash for their generous donation.”“It was so wonderful for us when the Chumash gave so much for something that was so needed,” said Reeves. “It was incredibly generous.”
SP Hospital: Stryker frame beds a gift from generous Chumash
April 27, 2007
Santa Paula News
Recognizing generosity topped the agenda when representatives of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians were formally thanked for their donation to Santa Paula Hospital that allowed the purchase of five Stryker intensive care unit beds.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesRecognizing generosity topped the agenda when representatives of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians were formally thanked for their donation to Santa Paula Hospital that allowed the purchase of five Stryker intensive care unit beds. Tribal Committee Co-Chair Richard Gomez and his wife Virginia and Chumash Tribal member Gary Pace were offered a tour of the hospital and a demonstration of the beds by hospital and county officials on April 18.“I welcome you to your wonderful Santa Paula Hospital and honor and thank the Chumash for their generous donation,” said Ventura County Health Care Director Michael Powers. When the county purchased the hospital, which had been shuttered since December 2003, the county knew “that we needed resources and a first class staff” that was passionate and committed to healthcare in the river valley, a goal met. But also needed was state-of-the-art hospital equipment and “We have that through this generous gift,” he added.“Every time I drive up here it makes me smile,” said Supervisor Kathy Long, who worked with the City of Santa Paula and Creditors Committee on the hospital purchase. “We worked so hard, we knew we had to keep it thriving; and this is still a community hospital for residents of the Santa Clara River Valley.” But success takes continuous support, and the “history of the Chumash, long before we, were as committed to the river valley. I cannot thank them enough” for the donation.When the county acquired the hospital “it was a shell, but the county vowed to make it all new,” Long told the Chumash representatives. “You made a difference... thank you from the Board of Supervisors and the whole community.”