The Palmerton Hospital Auxiliary annual dinner meeting was held recently at the Blue Mountain Hospital System's Palmerton campus.

Over 50 members and special guests attended the event, which was held in the BMHS cafeteria.On the agenda was the presentation of a check to the Palmerton campus by the auxiliary, a guest speaker and the installation of the 2016-2017 officers."Tonight we celebrate this past year's work on behalf of our hospital and our health system. Tonight represents the culmination of a year of hard work and good fun. We treasure our hospital and health system and we all work very hard to help it thrive," said Priscilla Offen, president of the auxiliary.AwardsTwo $1,000 awards were presented to two 2016 Palmerton Area High School graduates who will be pursuing a career in the medical field.Shelby Gower received the Dan and Mary Shook Nursing Award and the Nancy G. Mendsen Medical Career Award was presented to Erika Beers.The $1,000 Joyce W. White In-House nursing award was presented to employee Matthew Ottinger.Volunteer effortsThe auxiliary, which consists of volunteer members, runs the Near New Thrift Shop on Delaware Avenue in Palmerton and the Owl's Nest Gift Shop in the Gnaden Huetten campus, makes Huggy Bears for patients, and delivers the hospital mail. They also provide some clerical support at the hospital.Many volunteers work at the Blue Mountain's Adult Day Service in Lehighton.Various fundraising events are held throughout the year such as the ongoing art sale in the hospital, the strawberry shortcake stand at the Palmerton Community Festival, a Christmas in July ticket raffle and a spring plant sale.The auxiliary presented a check for $40,000 to the hospital system from the money raised in the past year. Treasurer Violet Strickland presented the check to Dr. Louis Sportelli, chairman of the board of BMHS and Andrew Harris, president and CEO.The auxiliary is also planning to purchase televisions for the ICU at the cost of $2,430.New officersKaren Kaiser, manager of the Nearly New Thrift shop, inducted the new officers, Joann Kerscmar, president; Marjorie Federanich, president elect; Carol Curcio, secretary; Kathleen Ahner, assistant secretary/corresponding secretary; Violet Strickland, treasurer; and Owl's Nest treasurer, Mary Levendusky.Guest speakerThe main speaker for the evening was Dr. Andrew Smith.In 1988, he received hisdegree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia with commendations in pathology and surgery. He was a surgeon in the U.S. Navy from 1993-97, and some of that time was spent deployed with a Marine Amphibious Ready Group.He is also a volunteer with the special Olympics and the Easton Hospital community breast and skin cancer screening. His topic for the evening was the recent advances in minimally invasive surgery.The auxiliary is always looking for new volunteer members.If interested, stop by the Owl's Nest in the hospital or the Nearly New Thrift Shop for more information.