Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Emporia Team Brightens Community Event
• Stormont Vail Auxiliary Brings Holiday Cheer to Topeka Hospital
• Paw Patrol Alert!
• Thankful for the Holiday Lights
• “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

Emporia Team Brightens Community Event

It was a bright night in Emporia on Tuesday with the town’s annual Christmas Parade: Gnome for the Holidays. Our Emporia team proudly participated in walking down Commercial Street, representing our organization to the hundreds of residents celebrating the spirit of the holidays.

Coming together, the community involvement team devoted time and effort to create a parade float that brought warmth and joy to the festivities themed “Working to keep you and your family gnome for the holiday!” Working side by side, they contributed creativity and personal touch, generously donated lights to decorate with, and assembled a display that mirrored their collective dedication. Six providers and 40 team members participated in the parade with their families.

“We aren’t just co-workers, we are family and seeing our family come together for the holiday season is what it’s really all about!” said Val Raygoza, LPN, OB/GYN.

Thank you, Emporia team, for your unity that shined through the brightly illuminated parade float and the coordination and enthusiasm you created together to leave an enduring impression of teamwork and community pride to those along the parade route.

Stormont Vail Auxiliary Brings Holiday Cheer to Topeka Hospital

For more than 60 years,the Stormont Vail Auxiliary has provided special holiday décor at the Topeka hospital to bring cheer to patients, visitors and our team. From the Main Entrance to numerous other areas on the hospital’s first floor, sparkling Christmas trees, wreaths, and other decorations brighten the space.

Auxiliary Treasurer Tanzey Cutter, a longtime Auxiliary member and past president, said the group’s records indicate the holiday décor tradition started sometime in the 1960s.

“The Auxiliary felt there was a need to decorate the hospital during the holiday season, so (they) took on the project themselves,” Tanzey said. “It used to be coordinated by members of Auxiliary Group 8 and included the Angel Tree Project for many years. It has since evolved to where the Auxiliary now contracts and pays for the decorating to be done.”

Christmas trees are located in the Main Entrance, South Tower Entrance and Pavilion Lobby. Holiday décor including wreaths, lighted fixtures and garland grace information and registration areas, the Auxiliary’s Food Connection, several of the larger waiting rooms and the chapel.

In 2024, the Stormont Vail Auxiliary will celebrate 75 years of service. The organization has been a tremendous partner to Stormont Vail over the years, supporting many projects – large and small. The Auxiliary currently supports the Careline, Continuing Education grants for team members, nursing scholarships, youth volunteer scholarships, the patient library and a pledge to the new Cardiovascular Procedure Center’s lobby and waiting room.

The Auxiliary’s fundraising is from both the Auxiliary shops: Gift Shop and Food Connection, as well as Keep-the-Change from both shops, valet tips, vending machine commission and the Scrub Hub uniform sales commissions twice a year.

Tanzey said anyone can join the Auxiliary for free by contacting the Volunteer Services Office to have their name added to the Auxiliary membership roster. Once the Auxiliary is informed of a new member, the Auxiliary president makes contact to let them know how they can become involved in the organization.

We appreciate the many ways the Auxiliary has supported Stormont Vail, our patients and team, over the years – and for providing the festive décor for the holidays. 

Paw Patrol Alert!

You might do a double take Friday if you think you see a member of the Paw Patrol at Stormont Vail’s Topeka hospital. Yes, the real Paw Patrol! Since they will be in Topeka performing at the Stormont Vail Events Center over the weekend, some of our younger patients will be getting a special visit from a couple of the Paw Patrol characters. Welcome, Chase and Ryder!

Thankful for the Holiday Lights

A giant thank you to Stormont Vail’s Groundskeeping Team for their amazing work on the holiday lights display that circles the Topeka hospital. Thank you for making this an extra special place to work during the holidays.

“To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

Get tips on how to focus on healthy, balanced eating in the midst of the holidays on tonight’s WIBW “To Your Health.” Whitney Deedrick, APP, and Amber Groeling, RD, CSOWM, LD, from the Weight Management Clinic, share information about balanced food choices. The segment will air at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy