L+M auxiliary donates $25,000 to hospital's emergency department
Dec. 15—NEW LONDON — Members of the Auxiliary of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital spread some holiday cheer during a tree-lighting outside the hospital's main entrance Wednesday evening, presenting hospital officials with a $25,000 donation earmarked for a triage area in L+M's new emergency department.
The auxiliary also commemorated a pledge it made in June to contribute another $100,000 to the emergency department over the next five years.
"The auxiliary means a lot to L+M," Patrick Green, the hospital's president and chief executive officer, said. "Their generosity warms my heart."
Green joined other hospital officials who looked on during the auxiliary's annual "Lights of Love" program in L+M's Wadsworth Healing Garden. Seventh-grade members of Bennie Dover Jackson Multi-Magnet Middle School's chorus performed, singing "What A Wonderful World" and "What the World Needs Now Is Love."
The chorus then sang the songs again for the benefit of a television camera.
Kathy Greene, of Stonington, the auxiliary's president, said the the $25,000 donation was being made in the name of Shirley Folbrecht, a beloved auxiliary member from Groton who died in 2015. Folbrecht, who had volunteered in the emergency room for many years, had left L+M a bequest, Greene said.
Founded in 1914, the auxiliary, a nonprofit entity separate from L+M, is made up of volunteers whose sole mission is to raise funds and awareness of the hospital's needs. It has raised millions of dollars over the years, Greene said, and currently boasts 253 members.
The auxiliary primarily raises funds by hosting such events as an annual gala, she said.
"At heart, we're a community hospital, a safety net for the community ― and the community, through the auxiliary, reciprocates," Dr. Craig Mittleman, L+M's regional director of emergency medical services, said. "The $25,000 is not only sizable but also symbolic of the work these volunteers do."
A major expansion of the emergency department began nearly three years ago, with most of the initial work taking place underground, including the installation of a 40,000-gallon oil tank. Work stalled following the COVID-19 outbreak and resumed in early 2021.
The first phase of the project, including a new entrance, new treatment areas and a power upgrade, has been completed, Mittleman said, and further expansion is underway.
"A lot is happening behind the scenes," he said.