Imagine you’ve rushed a friend or loved one to the hospital emergency room to find you’ll be waiting several hours to hear about their condition. In the mad dash you’ve forgotten your phone charger and as luck would have it, you have about 10% power left.
This scenario plays out daily at hospitals across the country because patients and visitors are likely there unexpectedly and haven’t prepared to spend long hours waiting or are unaware of COVID protocols that may limit or not allow visitation of loved ones.
Low mobile device batteries only add to the stressful emotions of a hospital visit, but this could be remedied by using portable device chargers strategically located at nursing stations.
The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce worked to ease this stress by providing mobile device charging stations for Northside Hospital Duluth.
With a goal of raising $750 to provide at least six charging stations, the organization realized by the April 1 deadline that it had greatly surpassed that target.
SWGC this month donated $1,100 for phone charging stations to Northside Duluth Hospital via the Gwinnett Medical Foundation.
SWGC Board member Jill Morris works at Northside Duluth and shared this critical need with the chamber.
“Patients arrive at the hospital with hopes to be quickly treated and return home. Grabbing a phone charger is not always on their last-minute packing list. With the past years’ limited visitor policy around the country, having a means to communicate with loved ones via phone or iPad becomes essential to their feelings of connection to home,” said Morris.
“If they do not have a charger, then those important connections can be completely cut off.”
Cindy Murphy, Associate Director of Development & Operations for Northside Hospital, explained the impact of the donation.
“Our nurses and floor techs are the first to offer their chargers to a patient in need. However, people forget to return them, or the needs outweigh the supply. Having a station where the cords are safely secure, and the phones are protected, is another need met by the hospital,” Murphy said.
Murphy credits the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce with helping meet a community need.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Chamber members, we are now providing comfort in another way. It is an excellent gesture of meeting the needs of others,” she said.
The SWGC’s core objectives revolve around engagement, connecting and making a difference in our communities of Norcross, Peachtree Corners and Berkeley Lake.
“By providing these charging stations, we hope to eliminate a barrier that has separated loved ones during challenging times,” commented Chairwoman Margie Asef.
Information: southwestgwinnettchamberofcommerce.org
