St. Luke receives Plum Creek grant

Finding a vein is not always easy when a healthcare professional has to draw blood for testing or insert an IV for infusion of fluids or medications.  Now a $3,000 grant from Plum Creek Foundation will help St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan purchase state of the art technology which will make these difficult “sticks” easier.

The AccuVein AV400 Vein Illuminator is a revolutionary device that can help locate veins for medical procedures by using infrared detection and light projection technology.  The lightweight, non-invasive device helps Laboratory technicians, nurses and surgical personnel “see” a patient’s veins by projecting a “map” of the patient’s veins on the skin surface.

“What a difference for the patients and staff if a lab draw or IV start in a difficult situation can be reduced to one quick and easy venipuncture” says St. Luke Community Healthcare Foundation Director Gayle Wilhelm.

St. Luke Community Healthcare, which serves communities in the Mission Valley, will use the portable device in its New Beginnings Birth Center, Emergency Department, Surgery Center and Acute Care unit.

Previous Plum Creek Foundation grants totaling $8,000 have helped St. Luke Community Healthcare purchase mammography equipment and fund hospital renovation projects.  For more information, please visit www.stlukehealthnet.org.

In other news, the St. Luke Foundation Employee Giving Program is selling a pair of custom made pink chinks at silent auction. The chinks or cowboy chaps made by Steve Krumm of Muley Bluz have a red yoke adorned with Breast Cancer Awareness Conchos on the scrolls. Bidding closes at 3pm, Thursday, November 7th. The unique item is on display at the St. Luke hospital lobby where anyone can make a bid. Or bids can be made by calling 528-5324 or 528-5407. The St. Luke Employee Giving Program provides funds for free screening mammograms for uninsured women over 40 among other things.