75 Years of Service

The Beginning of Service
West Nebraska General Hospital (WNGH) had been running in the deficit since it opened in 1924. On Nov. 17, 1950, 
a group of 28 women gathered and formed the hospital Auxiliary to serve patients and families and help provide 
general financial support for the hospital. Edythe Emery was the first president, and at the Auxiliary’s second meeting on Dec. 15, there were 97 members in attendance.

A board was established and met every third Friday of the month, except in the summer. All Auxiliary members attended four quarterly meetings, or general sessions. When they were on duty at the hospital, members wore cheery red smocks and helped in many areas, including making drapes for the third and fourth floors, canning produce for the kitchen to use in winter months, reading to or writing letters for patients, delivering pharmacy orders, and much more. By 1954, WNGH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Max Coppom reported that the hospital was running in the black.

Growing in Numbers
By 1962, the Auxiliary boasted 259 members. Volunteer hours ranged from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. 
In August of that year, the Auxiliary Thrift Shop opened, offering used clothing and household items.

Two years later, junior Auxiliary members, or candy stripers, were added to the roster. These teens, who were 14 years of age and older, would read to patients and entertain small children, deliver flowers, serve trays, feed patients, and assist nurses with other duties. Older volunteers transitioned to wearing pink smocks and helped outside the hospital walls as well, with some members acting as “foster parents” to freshmen in the WNGH School of Nursing.

As the number of volunteers grew, so did their contributions. In 1967, the Auxiliary opened a coffee and gift shop on the main floor of the hospital, offering inexpensive gift items and greeting cards as well as soup, rolls, donuts, pies, and milkshakes. They published cookbooks for sale and held fundraisers, such as the Ye Olde Christmas Village Boutique, to support the hospital’s initiatives.

A Name Change
In 1986, the Auxiliary included 800 members. They helped in new areas, including giving obstetrics pre-admission tours, operating the information desk, and assisting in the surgical waiting room. In 1988, the Auxiliary changed its name to the Volunteers & Friends at Regional West. Volunteers helped in the Breast Health Center, immunization and flu clinics, and health fairs. Their new hours were Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A Legacy that Continues
Today, the Volunteers & Friends at Regional West continue to make an impact on Regional West’s patients, families, and visitors. Volunteers are friendly faces in many areas, helping staff the Breast Health Center, main information desk, and Gift Shop. Each year, proceeds from the Gift Shop generate thousands of scholarship dollars for students pursing healthcare careers, in addition to helping fund projects such as new rockers in the Birth and Infant Care Center and a blood warmer for trauma patients.

Milestones Throughout the Years

1950s
The WNGH Hospital Auxiliary is formed. Dues were $1.99 per year for active members, $5 for inactive members, and $100 for lifetime members. Lifetime membership was paid over two years, and these members were exempt from paying any other dues.

1960s
Candy stripers, or junior Auxiliary members, were introduced. These volunteers would assist in duties that nurses did not have time to do, such as read to patients and serve food trays. The Auxiliary coffee and gift shop opened. It seated 17 people in booths or stools from 1 to 8:30 p.m.

1970s
Throughout this decade, the Auxiliary donated over $55,000 toward student nurse scholarships and loan payments. Auxiliary members also helped with a foster parent program, where each freshman in the WNGH School of Nursing received a foster parent to help them adjust to life at school.
The Auxiliary contributed $70,000 toward construction of the new southwest addition to WNGH – a new critical care unit.

1980s
The new Gift Shop opened at the north entrance of the hospital. The Auxiliary included 800 members. The Auxiliary was renamed the Volunteers & Friends at Regional West.

1990s
The Volunteers & Friends at Regional West donated $40,000 for a mammogram machine, and $4,000 toward the new trauma center.

2000s
Volunteers raised over $132,600 to support nurse scholarships, bariatric wheelchairs, the Community Health Contingency Fund, and much more.

2010s
$30,000 was pledged toward the purchase of the new da Vinci robotic surgical system at Regional West, to be given in $10,000 per year increments.
Volunteers gave $1,000 annually to Community Health towards purchasing books that were given to children receiving vaccinations.

2020s
The Volunteers & Friends of Regional West directly helped frontline employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, making cloth masks for both employees and visitors. Over $158,000 and counting has been raised to fund scholarships for students pursuing education in nursing, radiologic technology, surgical technology, and other healthcare professions.