Auxiliary

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission

The mission of the Auxiliary of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital is to support Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in its efforts to improve the health and well-being of the community.

Vision

The Vision of the Auxiliary of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital is to continue contributing to the improvement of healthcare in our community.

Values

• Commitment
• Compassion
• Dignity
• Integrity
• Respect

History

The Auxiliary of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital was founded in 1914 and has been actively supporting the hospital since its inception.

Two years after the opening of the Joseph Lawrence Free Public Hospital, a small and dedicated group of women, led by Nanine Lawrence Pond, created the Auxiliary. It has grown to include hundreds of volunteers who have devoted thousands of hours to help L+M Hospital improve the health of the community and meet the needs of its patients in southeastern Connecticut.

The Auxiliary comprises hundreds of members who are actively engaged in our work and support our mission. In the last five years, thanks to our members generously responding to the Auxiliary’s call for support, we have:

• Provided a $100,000 donation to the hospital’s Emergency Department renovation project to sponsor an Emergency Department vertical treatment room.
• Provided $25,000 donation to the Emergency Department’s Triage Room from the bequest of Shirley Fulbrecht.
• Created the Annual Celebrate Nurses luncheon held on the first Saturday every May.
• Remodeled the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit family waiting room.
• Supported the Palliative Care department’s hospice rooms renovation project
• Supported requests from Smilow Cancer Hospital at Waterford, Cardiac Rehab, Speech and Language Pathology, Respiratory and Renal, “The Daisy Award”, a special needs closet, the Move a Muscle Program, Patient Experience, Pediatrics, Critical Diagnostics and the Healing Garden, an area set aside for families and friends who need a place to find comfort.
• Purchased Stop the Bleed kits for the Trauma unit.
• Initiated renovations on the Joseph Lawrence School of Nursing Alumni Association Nursing Museum.
• Donated funds to support the Nursing Education Fund and Special Equipment Fund.
• Created the John K. Neilan Helping Hand Award to honor the qualities of a long-standing member who not only supported the Auxiliary but was always there to help the community. Each year, a member of the community who exemplifies the humble qualities of this individual for which it was created will be nominated to receive the award in recognition and appreciation of their generous support of the Auxiliary of L+M Hospital and the entire community at large.

Looking Forward

Over the 2025-2027 term, the Auxiliary will focus on the following as part of its strategic plan:

1. Membership: Membership is the heart of our work because, without members, there is no Auxiliary. Our membership focus areas this term are:
   1. Growth
   2. New member onboarding
   3. Member engagement
   4. Communication
   5. Increased events and visibility
2. Synergy: Our job is much more difficult without a synergistic relationship with partners. We are One Team with One Mission. Our focus here includes:
   1. Hospital partnerships
   2. Relationships with other YNNHS Auxiliary leaders
   3. Presence with staff
3. Financial Support: Our sole purpose is to serve the hospital and the community, and we do that primarily through financial support. Our goal is to increase that support through:
   1. Easier mechanisms for interacting with the Auxiliary for requests and donations
   2. Reviving prior relationships
   3. Community outreach and presence
   4. Publicity and public relations
   5. Image refresh/rebrand