Springfield Standard

The Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) Auxiliary has contributed $62,000 to CMH Health Transit for the purchase of a new wheelchair-accessible van. The donation will allow the organization to replace an older vehicle in its fleet that had experienced significant mechanical issues over the past year.

Jordan Hembree, director of emergency services at CMH, explained how the new van will improve transportation options for patients. “This vehicle replaces one of our aging units that we used daily but has had some major mechanical expenses in the last year,” Hembree said. “The van is capable of transporting two wheelchairs at the same time, while still having room for five other passengers. We were also able to upgrade the unit with a folding bench. With only one wheelchair, the van can seat nine other passengers.”

CMH Health Transit has been operating since 1998 and provides transportation for medical-related appointments to both private-pay residents and Medicaid recipients.

Shantelle Posten, director of volunteers at CMH, described the ongoing efforts by auxiliary members to support hospital programs and services. “Our volunteers work tirelessly to raise money to support our patients,” Posten said. “The Auxiliary hosts fundraisers throughout the year to fund many projects at our hospital, in our clinics, at our long-term care facilities and more.”

The auxiliary is comprised of about 300 volunteers who collectively donate over 28,000 hours annually. In addition to this recent contribution, they provided more than $89,000 last year for purchases aimed at improving patient experiences.

For those seeking information about CMH Health Transit or volunteering opportunities with the auxiliary, contact numbers are available: 417-777-5165 for transit inquiries and 417-328-6432 for volunteering.