Harvest Ball proceeds provide vital machines

This year’s Harvest Ball is of vital importance to the Glacial Ridge Hospital (GRH) in Glenwood, MN nursing department. Proceeds from the upcoming Harvest Ball, set for Friday, Oct. 14 at Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood, MN, will help the GRH Auxiliary purchase vital machines for each patient room in the new hospital wing.

Glacial Ridge Health System’s new hospital wing will extend south of the current GRHS campus along Franklin Street South. Completion is set for late fall or winter 2017. The new hospital wing will house a total of 22 rooms, and the goal of the GRH Auxiliary is to provide each one with its own vital machine.

“It’s about better care for the patient,” said Lynn Flesner, director of nursing. She explained that providing dedicated vital machines will cut down on the noise of transporting the machines between rooms, prevent clutter in the hallways, alleviate wear and tear on the equipment, and will give staff more time with patients.

Emergency room manager Quinn Jacobs said it’s difficult when the hospital has a full house to find an open vital machine when you need one. Having a dedicated machine for each patient room, said Jacobs, “will allow you to spend time on nursing tasks rather than looking for equipment to do your job.”

“Infection control is also a huge deal,” said Flesner.

Nurse Heather Hanson agreed and said patient safety is paramount. “Having a dedicated vital machine in each room will cut down a lot of risk.”

Harvest Ball gives back

Each year, the GRH Auxiliary hosts the Harvest Ball, an elegant evening of dining, dancing, and more at Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood. The ball is the GRH Auxiliary’s major annual fundraiser; after costs, money raised from the event’s ticket sales and silent and live auctions is dedicated to assisting Glacial Ridge Hospital move forward with its goals for improvement.

“It’s just a good event,” said Hanson. “It’s a good way to support the hospital. The Auxiliary supports the hospital and in turn gives back to the community.”

The nursing department is giving back, as well, by donating an iPad Mini for the chance wall. Fifty chances at $10 each will be raffled off during the Harvest Ball. The lucky winner goes home with a new iPad Mini.

Flesner encourages everyone to attend the Harvest Ball. “It’s a great evening,” she said. Between the silent and live auctions, the beer and wine walls, the 50/50 drawing, the chance wall, live music, dancing, dinner, and good fellowship, Flesner said, “There’s something for everyone.”

One of the things hospital staff look forward to each year, said Flesner, is the competition to see which department can create the best silent auction basket. “We get pretty competitive, but it’s all in good fun. The nursing department is going for a three-peat,” she said with a laugh.

Jacobs said she enjoys the Harvest Ball because it draws people together from across the community. “It’s so much fun – even if you don’t know a lot of people there. And it’s fun to dress up once a year, but it’s not a requirement,” she added.

Tickets

The 12th annual Harvest Ball is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14 beginning at 5 p.m. at Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood; dinner is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased by Sept. 30 at GRHS, Meco7, Eagle Bank, Glenwood State Bank, or from any auxiliary member.

For more information, call Joanna Curry at GRHS at (320) 634-4521.