Something cool happened at Highland Hospital on Friday, 3/31/17. Three mini refrigerators purchased by CFFC were donated to Highland for the exclusive use of CF patients admitted to West 7. The real cool thing about this donation is the way it evolved; demonstrating that collaborative health care is alive and well in our community.

The adult clinic and Highland staff periodically ask the folks who have been admitted to the hospital for ideas to improve the in-patient experience. The idea that consistently topped the list was having a refrigerator in the room to store the extra items that frequently supplement the hospital food plan. Key players in the CF care team put their heads together to work out the details of fulfilling this request.

The staff involved included: Dr. Steve Scofield (Director, Rochester adult CF center), Donna Germuga (CF care manager at the adult CF center and CFFC board member), Jean Wingard (Director, Highland dietary services), Rachel Neilans (dietician), Linda Sirianni (dietician), Stacey Bonacci (West 7 nurse manager) and Kyrstin Baldino (nurse, CF liaison).

The last piece of the puzzle was obtaining the refrigerators for patients’ rooms. When the proposal was presented to CFFC, it was an easy, unanimous vote of the board of directors to finance this request. We purchased three 1.7 cu. ft. refrigerators based on the expected in-patient counts. The units have adjustable temperature control with a small freezer space.

We played a little trick on one of our community who had checked in for a stay at Highland. Robin Fisher kindly agreed to be part of our photo op. As you can see, the idea of having a refrigerator in her room brought a smile to her face. The smile became a frown when we told her the refrigerators had to be carted off temporarily for a safety inspection.

Going forward, the management of the refrigerators will be the joint responsibility of the dietary and  West 7 nursing staff. Don’t be afraid to ask to have one brought to your room.