Melinda Carrieri and Lois Walsh, two long time members of the local Hospital Guild, recently attended the Service League sponsored Region 111 Auxiliary Meeting at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. The conference was held in the Providence Auditorium.

Carrieri shared that Sr. Rosalie Locati spoke about the valuable contributions that hospital guild members make to all of the hospital. Eighty-four guild members were present representing Eastern Washington.

The meeting included a tour of the new Women’s Health center, Pediatrics, ICU and Oncology departments at Sacred Heart. “The tour was incredible,” Carrieri said. “Pet Therapy was one of our favorite parts. Dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals can be trained for pet therapy. And, it’s been proven that whether it is a stroke victim or a small child, animals have a calming influence.”

The Okanogan Douglas Hospital was started in 1988 and meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7PM in the hospital dining room. Various fundraising projects are conducted throughout the year and all money earned is used to make the patient’s stay more comfortable. The most recent project was a complete renovation of the hospital’s chapel. Membership is open to the public.

Members will begin collecting recipes in the near future for the next fundraiser --- the Okanogan Douglas Hospital Cookbook due to be on sale by the holidays. Money earned from the sale of the cookbooks will be used in the patient room renovation program currently underway at Okanogan Douglas Hospital.