Great Plains Health’s Gift Box continues impact on patient experience
Contact: Mary Roberts
North Platte, Neb., January 20, 2023 – When shoppers visit The Gift Box at Great Plains Health, they do more than make a purchase. They make an impact. Purchases directly support the patient experience.
The Great Plains Health Care Foundation received a $62,500 gift from 2022 sales from the Gift Box, operated by the Great Plains Health Volunteer Auxiliary. The amount is the largest annual donation in store history. The gift is designated towards the greatest healthcare needs, and allows the Foundation Board of Directors to allocate the funds to provide maximum impact.
“We are grateful for the support from our community,” said Crystal Welch, director of volunteer and guest services, Great Plains Health. “We could not do it without our customers and volunteers. It takes a lot of people to make this happen.”
Welch appreciates the legacy of retired gift shop coordinator, Debi Steinmeyer, and the commitment of current coordinator, Heidi Hula, and assistant, Taylor Pankonin, to continue that impact.
“Every time that you step into The Gift Box, you are giving back to the community,” said Hula. “It provides our patients and families, coworkers and community members a fun place to shop. It warms all of our hearts to know the impact is even greater than that. When you shop with The Gift Box, your purchase goes to a greater purpose.”
Hula appreciates the volunteers who give freely of their time to assist at The Gift Box. More than 20 volunteers staff the store, which stocks a wide range of items, including home décor, tasty treats, baby items, paper goods, apparel, accessories, spa items and more.
“Each and every year, the Foundation knows we can rely on The Gift Box for a significant donation and we are so appreciative of that,” said Megan McGown, chief development officer, Great Plains Health, and director, Great Plains Health Care Foundation. “It’s exciting to shop at The Gift Box and know your dollars are reinvested into our community’s health and the patient experience.”
The lifetime gift from the Great Plains Health Volunteer Auxiliary to the Foundation is $735,700.
The Gift Box is located at the main hospital entrance of 601 W. Leota St., North Platte, Neb. The Gift Box is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All shoppers are welcome.
Learn more about the Foundation and how you can make an impact at gphealth.org/give.
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About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning more than 67,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.