2005 Press Releases
Rome Memorial Hospital Lends A Helping Hand to African Children Through Donation ROME -- On any given day, there are tens of thousands of African children who need medical attention because of AIDS, malaria, cholera, typhoid fever or other serious parasitic diseases. From Rome Memorial Hospital’s corner of the world, Operating Room Nurse Merritt Boucher, CNOR, and other RMH staff found a way to help these children. “There was an orthopedic bed we were going to throw away,” he said. “I started to think about how we could possibly use that to help someone in need.” So he put in a call to someone who might know — retired Helen Hayes Hospital Registered Nurse Betty Boucher, otherwise known affectionately as “mom.” “My mother had been a nurse at Helen Hayes Hospital for over 30 years,” he said. Helen Hayes Hospital is widely recognized as a leader in rehabilitation medicine and research and is located in West Haverstraw, New York. Boucher’s mother put him in contact with Registered Nurse Pat Cummerfort, who works part-time with Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Martha MacGuffie, co-founder of S.H.A.R.E., the Society for Hospital and Resources Exchange, New City, New York. S.H.A.R.E. is a not-for-profit organization consisting of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and business and lay people who work toward the common goal of helping the children in the Lake Victoria region of western Kenya. This region has one of the highest birth rates, infant mortality rates and incidence of infectious diseases in the world. One of their main outreach programs is to ship medical equipment and supplies to Africa. They also have an affiliate in Kisumu, Kenya. To date, the organization has shipped over $1.6 million worth of medical equipment and supplies to Africa. “Dr. MacGuffie is this absolutely dynamic individual,” said Boucher, who met with her at her home in New City, New York. “At eighty years of age, she goes to Africa three times a year to do plastic and reconstructive surgery,” he said. “She is just so down to earth. When I met her at her home, she was working in her garden and yet she is this tremendous surgeon. This woman is truly amazing,” he added. Merritt said that S.H.A.R.E. has had all types of medical equipment donated, including orthopedic implants. In addition to the orthopedic bed, Boucher donated discarded surgical instruments from the hospital as well. With help from his brother, Ed, and sons Paul and Jon, Merritt transported the equipment to West Haverstraw where it was placed in a large container which will soon be shipped to Africa. “This isn’t just about me,” said Boucher. “A lot of people went out of their way to make this donation happen,” citing Materials Management Director Larry Giardino, Director of Infection Control LeAnna Grace, the maintenance department staff, Operating Room Nurse Manager Donna Ciotti and the Central Sterile Receiving staff. “I plan to contact the other members of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) to see if they are interested in donating medical equipment as well,” said Boucher. Boucher has been an employee of the hospital for 19 years. He holds an assoicate’s in applied science degree in nursing from Rockland Community College. He is currently in the process of completing his B.S.N. degree from SUNY IT. In addition to shipping medical supplies and equipment to Africa, S.H.A.R.E. operates mobile clinics for treatment and patient education, especially for AIDS and related diseases, provides chemotherapeutic drugs, carries on a paramedic program, supports an orphanage, operates an AIDS orphan sponsorship program, constructs medical facilities, sends medical residents and related medical personnel over to Kenya to help there, and occasionally supports small research projects. “If in our daily duties we come across things that can be used by others, it’s a great idea to donate them,” said Boucher. “If anyone in the hospital has discarded medical or dental equipment, S.H.A.R.E. is a tremendous organization to make a donation to,” he added. More information on S.H.A.R.E. can be found at www.shareinternational.org. | 