Sanford receives $10,000 for new pediatric room

• Image: Jennifer Weg and members of the Auxiliary

CNO Jennifer Weg (from left) and Auxiliary members Dorothy Rotschafer, Joanne Carlson (past auxiliary co-president) and Margaret Willardson (co-treasurer) pose outside of the new pediatric room at Sanford Worthington Hospital. (Alyson Buschena/Daily Globe)
• Image: $10,000 check given

Dorothy Rotschafer (second from right) presents Sanford Worthington Medical Center CEO Mike Hammer with a $10,000 check from the Auxiliary. The donation was made possible through the Beth Trunk estate and was used to remodel the hospital’s pediatric room. Also pictured are Jennifer Weg, Sanford CNO (from left); Mary Batcheller, co-vice president; Diane Waldner, co-president elect; Joanne Carlson, past co-president; and Margaret Willardson, co treasurer. (Alyson Buschena/Daily Globe)

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WORTHINGTON — With money received from the Beth Trunk estate, the Sanford Hospital Auxiliary presented a $10,000 check to the Sanford Worthington Hospital on Thursday to be used for the pediatric room.

The check was presented at the auxiliary’s monthly meeting to CEO Mike Hammer and Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Weg.

“Thank you for your money and your generosity of time to earn the money,” Weg said.

The donation was made possible through memorial money from the Beth Trunk estate.

Trunk, formally of Worthington, spent 51 years teaching, and ended her career as a teacher and principal in Brewster in 1984. She died in 2011 and, as she had no close relatives, her estate was divided among local non-profit groups.

Because Trunk spent her life in education working with children, it seemed fitting that money from her estate be used for a pediatric room.

“Our project was big and to have money specifically for the pediatric room was an added bonus,” Weg said of the new room, which was part of a larger remodeling project.

The pediatric room was opened last week and includes many updates to the existing room. One small change suggested by the nurses that will have large impact was adding a window to the pediatric room door.

“If a baby is sleeping, or a child is resting, or if parents and family need some alone time, we can close the door, but still know when they need us," Weg said. "Even adding a window is a big gift for us."

The room was painted in colors different from then the rest of the first floor, in soothing shades deemed more appropriate for children.

While the room is not yet furnished, a more modern crib will be added to replace the metal one that had been used.

“We’ve progressed from the safe steel ones that we had before that look clean, but we’re going to a more modern one that Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls uses,” Weg said.

More furniture, including a couch that turns into a bed and a rocking chair, will also be brought in to help make the room more comfortable for visiting families.

Decals were added in the room to make the space more kid-friendly, including a dragon “with a measuring thing that kids can stand next to and measure themselves,” Weg said. Outside, the room the wall is decorated in brick wallpaper.

“We put different wallpaper on the corridor that’s more of a brick theme and some decals with a boy and a girl to designate that this is a special area,” Weg said.

In addition to updating the pediatric room, a nearby procedure room was created.

“If a child needs to have an IV placed, putting them in the same room where they need to be comforted and sleep ... isn’t nice," Weg said. "We now have a procedure room to do the less pleasant things, and then they can come back to family in the other room.

The procedure room has supplies in it as well as good lighting, and is a quiet environment for providers to see children.

The pediatric room previously had space for two children. Because it is rare for the hospital to have more than one child at a time, however, and since the hospital staff felt it would be better for families to have more private space, the room is now a single-patient room. Weg estimated the pediatric room is used from three to four times monthly.

Annually, the Sanford Hospital Auxiliary hosts multiple fundraisers, including a fall style show and salad buffet, jewelry sales and Christmas cookie sales.

Money raised is used to award scholarships and improve the patient and visitor experience at Sanford Worthington Medical Center.

In 2012, the auxiliary members donated 368 baby caps for newborns and volunteered more than 7,100 hours of service in 28 committees including cafeteria assistants, nominating committee, gift shop and Hospice Tour of Homes coffee break.

New members are always welcome. Anyone interested in joining the auxiliary is encouraged to call 372-3106 or 376-4760.

Daily Globe Reporter Alyson Buschena may be reached at

376-7322.