Heartwarming Honor for CVPH Cardiologist

When Nidal Makhoul, MD reflects back on his more than two decades of providing care in the North Country, he spends a lot of time thinking about his patients. “The best moment is when you see a patient who is in trouble or might be dying, but you’re able to help save that patient’s life or alleviate suffering,” Dr. Makhoul recalled. “And then you get to keep seeing and talking to that person year after year because they survived.”  One of Dr. Ma [...]

Transition Success Program Helps Patient Get Home Sooner

The Difference Your Donations Make

A recent foot surgery patient is a shining example of what The Foundation of CVPH’s Transition Success program can do. Beverly Duffina knows her way around the shops and stores across the North Country. But as the region began to slowly re-open following an initial lockdown in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mooers, NY resident suddenly found herself sitting in a hospital bed instead of searching for sales. “I’m trying to get better to go shopping,” B [...]

Foundation Scholarship Program Helps Employees, Students

The Difference Your Donations Make

CVPH Clinical Assistant Meaghan Wells has a lot to balance between work, pursuing a degree at Clinton Community College to become a registered nurse and home life. “My days are very busy, because I also have 3 young kids at home," Meaghan said, as she described what she loves most about them. "My daughter is into dance. The 2 younger ones are free spirited. They do what they want." As for what it is about her children that makes her smile: "When they all get along [...]

Cooking With a Doc Program Promotes Healthy Eating

The Difference Your Donations Make

“If we can really help change behaviors for patients, we can really help change health outcomes," Cooking With a Doc creator Therese Ray, MD said. But, that's something that Dr. Ray realizes can be a tough thing for people to learn given the eating habits they've had their entire lives. “For a lot of patients, eating more fruits and vegetables and really changing their diet, it’s a big change, it’s something that a lot of our patients are not familiar w [...]

Vein Finder Provides Comfort For Youngest Patients

The Difference Your Donations Make

Mindy LaPier, RN, CVPH Labor and Delivery: “It’s always hard for parents to have to sit there and watch their baby be stuck with a needle, whether it’s for blood work or an IV, and sometimes it takes multiple tries." “If you can’t get it in, you can’t give them their antibiotics, you can’t start any treatment without having their lab values, so you just keep trying and trying and trying." Now, the vein finder gives patients and emplo [...]

Why I Give

Robin Bashaw, RN Is Paying It Forward

When it came to figuring out what Robin Bashaw wanted to do when she grew up, there was never really any doubt. “I’ve always wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl,” Bashaw explained. What started as a dream when she was a child is now a reality every day as an RN with Progressive Care. But that dream may not have come true without help from the Foundation at CVPH. “I used Foundation of CVPH grants to get my way through nursing school,” Bashaw [...]

Honoring Caregivers

When a Nurse is the Grateful Patient

Joyce Favreau of the Short Stay Unit donated to the Foundation of CVPH’s Honor A Caregiver program after being treated for breast cancer here.  “I want honor these caregivers. Please accept this donation on behalf the Women’s Imaging Center, Ambulatory Care Center and Radiology Oncology. The diagnosis was life changing but the care you provided has made a positive as an experience as it could be. I appreciate all of you and the care you have provided. Not only for my care [...]

Flight to the Heart

The Generosity Continues - Submitted by Sydney Dixon Foundation Intern

We received a phone call recently from a donor who had two round trip tickets to Boston and wasn’t able to use them.  The donor wanted to pass along the tickets to a travel fund recipient who would be traveling for specialized health care in the next couple of months. The Foundation Team thought of names, and a few travelers came to mind that would benefit greatly from the round trip flight. We called our first travel recipient-whose upcoming appointment did not line up with the of [...]

Hope & Strength

What YOUR donation means to OUR community

Last winter the CVPH Rehab Team applied for a Solo-Step track system through The Foundation’s Mini Grants.  I had the privilege of meeting John, a patient using the Solo-Step with the goal of regaining his ability to walk.  John fell out of a tree stand while hunting in Ohio last November and sustained a spinal cord injury.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and when I met him he was picking on his therapists to make them laugh.  His therapists got right to work with hi [...]

From The Heart

Recently, I was reminded why I do what I do.  I am the connection between our AMAZING DONORS and people who are having a difficult time medically and financially.  A young man stopped into the office to pick up a check for recent travel out of our area for medical necessity.   In a random turn of events, it was discovered that his heart was leaking.  He was referred to a surgeon in New York City and told that he would need to stay for about two weeks for prep and recover [...]

A Little Piece of My Mom

The Foundation of CVPH intern's perspective of a new program submitted by Jess Rojas

My mother was five months pregnant, and like most expecting mothers, spent her free time reading baby name books. She was expecting her third child, a daughter. She had finally decided on the name Kassandra after her favorite childhood novella protagonist. We loved it. My mother was experiencing a bit of discomfort one afternoon. She reassured me it was normal. My father insisted on taking her to the hospital just in case as soon as he came home from work. My father was a chef and would work [...]

The Gift of Working with Volunteers

It has been almost two and a half months since I have started my position as Manager of Volunteer Services. When I first came in these doors, I knew I was given an amazing opportunity to work with great volunteers, who make a difference in people’s lives every day. As the time has gone by, I have gotten to know so many of the volunteers, and have a true appreciation for them. I look forward to hearing their own personal stories of their everyday lives. I love being a sounding board and get [...]

What I learned when we recruited for a Manager of Volunteer Services

 We’re fortunate to have many volunteers at the hospital who come in to help and to make a difference throughout the hospital – of course I know that.  What I didn’t know is just how committed these folks are to lending a hand and wanting to help people.    During the transition and recruitment of a new Manager of Volunteer Services, Foundation staff has been filling in to guide new volunteers through the onboarding process, helping with any issues tha [...]

Finding Ways to Help

Volunteer brightens patients' stays

One of our hospital volunteers, Kathy Ryan, was rounding on patients as part of the falls prevention program she is part of.  She checks with patients in the hospital to make sure they have anti-slip socks on, that their alarms are set so they don’t try to get up without assistance and that proper identification is in place to alert staff.  The last question she asks before leaving the patient’s room is, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”   On [...]

From the Other Side of the Desk

My personal story with the Foundation

January 28, 2016 was the best and worst day of my life.  My daughter, Violet, was born that morning at 5:14.  The first thing every mom listens for is the cry, that first cry.  I didn’t hear it.  I asked if she was crying and I just didn’t hear her, the staff calmly told me, “Not yet.”  They moved her to the warmer on the other side of the room the second she was born and I didn’t get to see her or hold her.  My husband stood to the sid [...]

The Easter Bunny

The little girl who became the bunny

It was a spectacular spring day in 2002. The sun was shining and the breeze no longer swept the cold from the snow-covered ground. By Adirondack standards, it was warm.  The little 4-year old girl, Easter basket in hand, takes her place among the throngs of other youngsters waiting for CVPH Easter Egg Hunt to begin. Despite the event being only a few years old, it was wildly popular and hundreds of families gathered around the perimeter of the hospital’s front lawn.  The young hu [...]

Foundation Mini Grants

Review day is one of my favorite days of the year

One of my favorite times of the year is mini grant review day...It demonstrates the passion our team has for their patients and their jobs. Mini grants are grants that we give to departments throughout the hospital for program or equipment needs that will enhance patient care.  The typical amount awarded is around $3,000 but last year, we expanded that amount to a limit of $15,000 each for big projects.  The requests are for items that, for some reason or another, didn’t&rsquo [...]