December 23, 2009
Wednesday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Wells Fargo Bank representatives recently presented a check to the Ketchikan General Hospital Foundation for $15,000. The donation was given in support of the Foundation's 2010 "Gift of Healing" campaign to provide equipment and a new operating table for a Minimally Invasive Surgical Suite.

Wells Fargo Bank employees present a check for $15,000 to the Ketchikan General Hospital Foundation. (Left to right: Wells Fargo Business Associate Lacey Jergins, Foundation Board member Carolyn Wilsie, KGH CEO Pat Branco, Foundation Board Member Angela Salazar, Wells Fargo Business Banking Manager Steve Boehlert, District Manager for Southeast Alaska Joseph Landham and Business Relations Manager Dan Golden, KGH Vice President of Patient Care Services Kendall Sawa and Foundation Director Gretchen Klein) Photo courtesy KGH

Minimally invasive surgery is performed through small incisions through which a tiny camera and other instruments are inserted. The camera projects images on a screen to guide the surgeon. At the end the incisions are sutured and bandaged.

This new technology will improve image resolution resulting in superior diagnostic clarity, improve the detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of some cancers and other diseases, reduce the need to perform more invasive surgeries in some cases, and increase the range of services available locally.

"We feel passionate about giving back to the community," said Steve Boehlert, Wells Fargo Business Banking Manager for Southern Southeast Alaska. "This project will improve our medical facilities which is a great way for us to provide a benefit to our region."

Wells Fargo donated $36,000 to Ketchikan nonprofits in 2009. In addition to the $15,000 to the KGH Foundation, they donated $16,000 to Community Connections and $5,000 to the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council. They also donated $25,000 to the Arts Council toward the purchase of their building.

"We are proud that Wells Fargo Bank is a generous supporter of communities across the state," said Boehlert. "We donated about a million and half dollars to 277 nonprofits and schools in Alaska in 2009. The company's Alaska team members invested more than 6,500 volunteer hours in their communities too. They served as mentors, board member, project heads, fundraisers, educators and more."

From now until December 31, Wells Fargo customers can donate up to $250 to the United Way at one of the 105 wells Fargo ATMs in Alaska. To make a donation, customers select the "Donate to Charity" option, the United Way branch of their choice, the dollar amount and the account from which to transfer funds.

Ketchikan General Hospital is part of PeaceHealth, a Bellevue, WA-based not-for-profit health care system with medical centers and clinics in Alaska, Washington and Oregon that serves more than 57,000 patients annually.

Source of News:

Ketchikan General Hospital
http://www.peacehealth.org/SoutheastAlaska/

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