4 new members join hospital foundation’s board of directors

Orleans Community Health looks to expand services, replace IV pumps

MEDINA – The board of Orleans Community Health Foundation Board has welcomed four new members, effective Jan. 1, according to Foundation director Heather Smith.

Those who attended their first meeting Feb. 10 are Nicole Goyette of Medina, assistant principal of O/N BOCES; Scott Robinson of Medina, Director of Marketing and Outreach at OCH; Matthew Kennedy of Middleport, realtor; and Gloria Brent of Medina, local business entrepreneur and owner of MDS Consultants.

During 2020 other new members of the board included Clark Godshall of Barker, superintendent of Orleans/Niagara BOCES; Marguerite Sherman of Medina, retired special education teacher at Medina Central School and a member of the Medina Village Board; Barbara Jantzi of Medina, retired business owner and former board member.

These new members have joined the existing board, which includes Jeanne Crane of Albion, Orleans Community Health Foundation and Twigs Auxiliary president; Sandra Walter of Albion, OCHF vice president; Cindy Hewitt of Medina, OCHF treasurer; Joyce Riley of Albion, OCHF secretary; Shannon Blount of Medina, chair of OCH governing board; Marc Shurtz of Lockport, CEO and president of OCH; Ruth Bane of Lyndonville; Carol Heiligenthaler of Medina; Roland Howell of Medina; Lance Mark of Medina; Dawn Meland of Medina; Agnes Recco of Lyndonville; Joyce Riley of Albion.

At the board’s first meeting of 2022 on Feb. 10, Shurtz, the CEO and president of Orleans Community Health, presented several new projects to the board, one of which is replacing all of the hospital’s IV pumps. A fundraiser and proceeds of several events this year, including the golf outing, Treasure Island and Mega Drawing, will go to that effort, Smith said.

Smith said IV units have a life cycle, and the current ones were donated by Sigma in 2011, the company that made them at the time. She said they will be putting out bids for 60 new pumps.

The hospital continues to expand its services and equipment to serve the local community, Smith said. Last year they raised funds to help replace the stress test equipment in cardiac services, funded two projects in radiology – the device in the ceiling which helps maneuver X-ray equipment and a new probe for ultrasound tests.

In addition, the Association of Twigs purchased a new oven for the kitchen, and through a donation from the Lyndonville Area Foundation, the hospital was able to purchase new coagulation equipment for the main lab. They also installed new countertops and chairs in the outpatient lab and purchased a new radiology calibration device for their nuclear testing unit.

Hospital personnel continue to stress they are here for the community and offer the latest, state-of-the-art equipment available in the industry.

“The transition we are going through now is exciting,” Smith said. “It should be encouraging to the community to know we are expanding our services.”

A lot of their other new systems were new in the last couple of years, Smith said.  They also recently announced that Dr. Joseph Misiti has moved his surgical practice into the hospital and added several new professionals, including a surgeon and physician assistant.

“We continue to improve by trying to bring back the right services to meet the needs of the community,” Smith said. “We are constantly trying to meet the needs of the community, by acquiring those needed services and finding the right people to partner with. Orleans Community Health is looking at several exciting projects that will ensure our sustainability for years to come.”