UHS staff deliver beds to Mercy House

UHS and its employees have been recognized for helping Mercy House in Endicott replace the center's older hospital beds with newer ones.

Five of the facility's 10 beds were replaced on June 10.

Amy Roma, director of Resident Care at Mercy House, noted: "UHS' staff members were great. They came with a plan and developed a system that was extremely well-organized and not disruptive to resident care. They even commented that doing this job gave them a sense of satisfaction, knowing that they were helping those who are terminally ill."

Louise Clark, of UHS' employee recognition program, said: "This is a great testament to the true spirit of UHS."

When Mercy House first opened last year, UHS donated 10 used hospital beds. This year, Mercy House received an anonymous donation that allowed the facility to purchase five newer beds from UHS Home Care.

"Six UHS employees - from UHS Home Care and UHS Hospitals - took the largest truck we have and delivered the new beds, removed the old ones and set up the new ones, all in a short period of time and with no impact on resident care," said Blaine Olmsted, system director of Logistics and Distribution at UHS. "They demonstrated how we can pull together across organizational lines."

The older beds will be sold at auction, Mr. Olmsted said.

Mercy House is planning to replace the remaining five beds when more funding becomes available, Ms. Roma said.

The six UHS employees who did the replacement work are: UHS Home Care customer service technicians Chelsea Short, Steve Reppard and Chris Preston; Melissa Ferro, supervisor of Customer Service Technicians at UHS Home Care; and UHS Hospitals drivers Bob Irons and David Layman.

Mercy House, at 212 N. McKinley Ave. in Endicott, is a community care shelter which provides a home and a supportive family to people with terminal illnesses who can no longer remain in their own homes.

Residents spend their final days surrounded by loved ones and the love of staff and volunteers. The mission of Mercy House is to unconditionally accept each resident and ensure that they are treated with dignity, respect and compassion.