In one month, the Costco in Catoosa County raised more than $26,000 for Children’s Hospital at Erlanger by hosting several fundraising events for their customers and employees.

This accomplishment is a 113.85 percent increase over last year’s donation.

For almost 25 years, Costco’s participation in CMN Hospitals has expanded along with the growth of the company, raising money for affiliated children’s hospitals in every community where Costco warehouses are located.

“Costco has been a great addition to our community, and we are most grateful for their partnership,” said Rebecca Brinkley, Children's Miracle Network coordinator for Children’s Hospital. “The Costco contribution will go towards the continuing transformation of the inpatient experience for sick and injured children who are treated at Children’s Hospital.”

Approximately 3,000 children will require overnight stay at Children’s Hospital this year. These children require specialized care and are monitored 24/7 until they are well enough to return home.

One of Erlanger Health System Foundations’ goals is to raise funds to renovate 60 patient rooms, and these funds will help reach that goal. The new rooms will include bright colors, fun lighting fixtures, fantasy artwork, and advanced technology to not only provide a family-friendly atmosphere but to also conveniently and effectively care for patients. Some of the items include:

· Floors dotted with colorful shapes;

· Whimsical wall murals;

· Color-splashed curtains with geometric patterns appropriate for all ages;

· Light fixtures with glass and filled with bubbles of color;

· “Smart beds” for older patients that include electronic controls to adjust the bed, lights and television; these special beds also feature built-in scales, so fragile patients will no longer have to be moved to check their weight;

· New cribs;

· Comfortable chairs that pull out into sleepers that make it easier for moms and dads to stay by a child’s side to provide comfort and companionship;

· Special wall modular behind the bed to hide clinical supplies like gloves and bins for used needles, so rooms will feel more like bedrooms and less like clinical spaces.

The renovation does not stop with just the patient rooms. The colors, furniture, fixtures, artwork and technology will also extend into common areas such as the hallways, kitchens, playroom and resource room. These areas will include:

· New built-in cabinets and bookshelves;

· Soft play spaces;

· Flat screen televisions;

· New floors, paint, lighting, artwork and wall murals;

· New kitchens for a place to store food, to heat a meal or get a drink that is just steps away from a child’s bedside, reducing the anxiety of being away from a young child or missing a doctor on rounds.

For more information on the renovation, please visit erlangerfoundations.org/projects or contact foundation@erlanger.org or call 423-778-6600.