Classic Lawton Chevrolet and owners Ervin and Bridget Randle presented a check in the amount of $10,000 to the CCMH Foundation for the Children’s Starlight Fund. This gift came from the proceeds of the Annual Classic Golf Tournament. Thank you to the Randle’s and their committee for being champions for CCMH.
Five years ago this past September, my Dad, Jim Mulkey, had an accident in which he broke his neck and suffered a spinal cord injury. He was left partially paralyzed and as a result of complications from the fractured vertebrae, he had to undergo the insertion of a peg tube for his nutrition, and later, a tracheotomy. After a lengthy eight month hospital stay where he completed intense rehabilitation, he was able to return home. Doctors from the Memorial Medical Group(MMG), and their staff, have been a wonderful resource in managing my Dad’s ongoing overall care since his return home.
With the challenges my Dad continues to face, sometimes, emergency situations involving his health can arise. When they do, we are so fortunate to have access right here in Southwest Oklahoma to outstanding, personalized care at the Drewry Family Emergency Center. My Dad has been treated four times over the past four years. The doctors, nurses and staff have done a great job meeting his very specialized needs. Our family is so grateful knowing that help is right here at home when and if we need it.
Despite all of the obstacles my Dad has faced, he has continued to progress every year since the accident and is now walking! Thanks to CCMH for helping us along the journey!
“Care such as this is why I continue to support Comanche County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s goal: To reinvest all profits back into Comanche County Memorial Hospital for renovations, improvements, and the purchase of new advanced technology and equipment. I hope you will join me and consider ending the year with a gift to support Southwest Oklahoma’s community hospital.”
Kim Dodds,
Comanche County Memorial Hospital Foundation Supporter
If you have any questions please contact: Lea Ann Chandler, Director, Comanche County Memorial Hospital
Foundation, by email: LeaAnnChandler@ccmhonline.com or phone: 580.250.5989.
A donation of 48 sets of hand crocheted baby blankets and matching hats, and 80 crocheted baby hats were donated to the CCMH Neonatal Intensive Care Unite on Thursday, July 14 from a local group. The Book n Hookers is a group from Elgin that gets together every Saturday at the Elgin Library to crochet together and read. Their goal is to share their hobby, for the joy and benefit of others. In the past, they have donated lap quilts for cancer patients at the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma and are now working on lap blankets for residents of the Lawton Veterans Center.
Cindi Tracy, a member of the Book n Hookers brought the donation for the group, and said that she and six other ladies crocheted all of the items over the course of 5 months. “This was a labor of love for us to be able to provide a and-crocheted item for these sick children to provide something home-made to show that someone cares”. Tracy went on to say that “This was a true community project. Most of the group members live in Elgin, but two are from Fletcher, and yarn and materials were donated by people from all over for them to use to make the baby items”.
We would like to give special thanks to the Book n Hookers members who made and donated the crocheted baby blankets and hats to donate to NICU babies:
CCMH opened the areas first and only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in July 2013. Over the last three years, the unit has treated about 300 premature and sick infants annually who would have otherwise been
transferred to Oklahoma City for lifesaving care.
Lawton, OK (June 16, 2016) – Comanche County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) was pleased today to receive a generous donation to the CCMH Foundation for construction of the hospital’s new regional Drewry Family Emergency Center.
A check in the amount of $50,000 was presented to the Comanche County Memorial Hospital Foundation by Terry and MG(R) Lee Baxter in memory of Mrs. Josephine Giannella, the late mother and mother-in-law of Terry and Lee Baxter. The lobby of the new Drewry Family Emergency Center will bear her name to honor her memory per the family’s request.
Brent Smith, Chief Executive Officer of CCMH stated “We are sincerely grateful to Terry and Lee Baxter for their generous donation to support the hospital. As the regional referral center for Southwest Oklahoma, CCMH operates one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the state, providing approximately 55,000 visits annually. The Baxter’s are well-known for their contributions to the community and the fact that they have chosen to make this donation on behalf of Mrs. Josephine Giannella is a wonderful way to pay tribute to a life well-lived”.
MG(R) Lee Baxter said “Through the years Josephine spent in Oklahoma, her medical needs were met by the caring staff of CCMH. We always felt comfort in the fact that the medical staff that tended to Josephine were thoughtful, compassionate and kind. We feel a great way to memorialize her is through supporting the CCMH growth that can further care for many families and their loved ones”.
ABOUT MRS. JOSEPHINE GIANNELLA
Josephine Rossi Giannella, was the mother of Theresa Marie (Terry) Giannella Baxter and mother-in-law of the former Fort Sill Commanding General Major General Lee Baxter. She was born in Italy in 1920 and immigrated to America when she was 15 years old, where she was reunited with her father and other family members in New Haven, CT. At age 17, she married her life-long love, Mario, also an emigrant from her hometown. They settled in Paterson, NJ where the family established the Giannella Baking Company, which flourished into a leading Italian Bakery in New Jersey and New York.
Despite little knowledge of the English language, the Giannella’s achieved the “American Dream” in every sense. They were true American Patriots. Josephine was integral to the success of the family business, while devoting herself to raising three successful children: Terry, a speech-language pathologist; Ralph, a Medical Doctor and Mario, Jr., a physicist within the U.S. National Laboratory System. While Josephine and Mario had little formal education, the Giannella’s appreciation for education is reflected in the accomplishments of their children.
Josephine was smart, of strong character and values, was witty and possessed a delightful Italian accent. After her husband’s death in 1980, Josephine single-handedly owned and managed her own business, the M. Giannella Delicatessen in Westwood, NJ. She was an astute businesswoman, and a loving grandmother and great-grandmother.
In 2004, Mrs. Giannella relocated to Lawton, OK to join her daughter. Over a period of seven years, she was frequently treated in the Emergency Department at Comanche County Memorial Hospital. A gift, in Memory of the beautiful life of Mrs. Josephine Giannella, was made to show appreciation to those who cared for her so well, until she perished at the age of 91 on January 17, 2012.
The Ribbon Cutting for Phase I of the Drewry Family Emergency Center will occur on Tuesday, June 28 at 2 pm in the new center. Phase II, consisting of the renovation of the existing CCMH Emergency Department is scheduled to be completed and open to serve patients by the end of 2016.
COMANCHE COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DREWRY FAMILY EMERGENCY CENTER OVERVIEW
In January, 2014, Comanche County Memorial Hospital broke ground on construction of a new state-of-the-art Emergency Center located on the southwest corner of the hospital’s existing building. The project includes 28,924 square feet of new construction, and the renovation of 11,218 square feet of the Emergency Department originally constructed in 1984, bringing the new center to 40,142 square feet of usable space with an additional 3,715 square feet of shelled space to accommodate anticipated future growth. The new construction is slated to be complete in June, 2016 with the renovation of the existing area finalized by the end of the year.
The new Drewry Family Emergency Center will increase the number of treatment rooms by 12 to include two new Level 3 Trauma Rooms, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, designated specialty treatment rooms for obstetrical and psychiatric patients and a rooftop Heliport landing pad. The center has been designed with modern design efficiencies in conjunction with input from the physicians and staff of CCMH Emergency Services. The current CCMH Emergency Department provides about 55,000 patient visits annually making it one of the busiest Emergency Departments in Oklahoma.
Drewry Family Emergency Center Facts:
Lawton, OK (June 15, 2016) – Comanche County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) announced a Check Presentation Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 16 at 2 pm in the Maple Conference Center where a major donation will be made to the CCMH Foundation for the construction of its new state-of-the-art regional Drewry Family Emergency Center scheduled to open this July after nearly three years of construction.
The donation being made by a distinguished local family will be announced, along with a construction update about the new Emergency Center which will open in two phases. A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Phase I of the new construction will take place at 2 pm on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, with Phase II of renovation of the existing Emergency Department to occur before the end of 2016, completing the project.
On January 17, 2014, CCMH broke ground on construction to build a new state-of-the-art regional Emergency Center. The plans were to nearly quadruple the space of the existing Emergency Room opened in 1984. The new Emergency Center will increase treatment room capacity by 50% which will allow more patients to be treated in a larger facility with modern design comfort and efficiency.
Details about the donation and the new Emergency Center will be provided in a Check Presentation Ceremony on Thursday afternoon.