News

Franklin Auxiliary spreads the wealth

The Franklin Hospital Auxiliary handed out more than $5,000 in gifts to several departments as a result of the annual Tree of Life campaign. Pictured are (back, left to right) Jim Johnson, CEO and CFO; Derek Johnson-COO; Dr. David Hartman; Cindy Odom, Age Management Clinic; Bryan Hubner, Laboratory; Lawana Gay, Surgery and Infection Control nurse; Frank Cline, Respiratory Therapy; Mary Ellen Aiken, Auxiliary President; (front, left to right) Daniell Weinhoffer, Imaging; Gayle Feather, MedSurg Director; Linda Brazzell-Risk, Jeanne Bierman-Materials Management; Judy Courter, Tree of Life Chairperson; and Phyllis Petty-Auxiliary Vice President.
Photo by Holly Kee
Seventy donors contributed over $5,000 to help support Benton's Franklin Hospital.
Pam Appleton dressed for the occasion to remind Franklin Hospital Auxiliary members about the upcoming April 4 scholarship dinner, 'Boots and Banadanas Round-Up.' Appleton made chocolate hats and boots that she handed out to members and guests at the Monday meeting Pam Appleton dressed for the occasion to remind Franklin Hospital Auxiliary members about the upcoming April 4 scholarship dinner, 'Boots and Banadanas Round-Up.' Appleton made chocolate hats and boots that she handed out to members and guests at the Monday meeting.
Photo by Holly Kee

Posted on 3/23/2017, 5:00 AM

For more than six decades, Benton's Franklin Hospital has played an important role in meeting the health care needs of the surrounding area. Its role is critical in a community where the next closest hospitals are 25 miles away.
The Franklin Hospital Auxiliary is a volunteer organization whose mission is to provide aid and comfort to the patients of Franklin Hospital. Auxiliary members staff the patient information desk, serve in the Med-Surg Department and maintain the gift center.
Each year the Auxiliary holds a "Tree of Life" campaign that is essential in providing assistance to the hospital with the purchase of needed medical items.
This year's campaign raised just over $5,200. At its monthly meeting on Monday, the members presented gifts to six different departments. Those gifts included:

- A new phlebotomy chair for the outpatient lab ($750)
- New flowtron pumps for medsurg/OR ($1,800)
- $1,000 to Linda Brazzell for customer service/education
- $500 to the specialty service-age management clinic
- Magazine racks for the waiting ($21)
- Imaging cassettes ($1,000)

In addition, Auxiliary vice-president Phyllis Petty donated a back-up Bipap/CPAP to the Respiratory Therapy department in honor of her late husband, Dr. Warren Petty.
"Every dime given to the Tree of Life is used for the hospital," Petty says. "Each department has a wish list that they give to us. We decide what we can afford and try to hit each department as much as we can."
Auxiliary members are now gearing up for the annual scholarship dinner. The "Boots and Bandanas Round-Up" will feature a "down-home country buffet and music by Ron Head and His Country Friends. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 4 at the Benton Civic Center. Proceeds from the dinner fund health care scholarships in the Franklin Hospital District.