
St. Alexius Laboratory Donates Microscope
On June 11, 2003, the St. Alexius Laboratory Department donated a microscope to the Ruth Meiers Hospitality House to be used in their healthcare center. The Ruth Meiers Hospitality House provides a variety of shelter services such as Stone Soup Kitchen, a used furniture barn, a food pantry, and JoAnne’s Healthcare Center.
After determining a need for a microscope, JoAnne Schock, RN, JoAnne’s Healthcare Center, called St. Alexius Medical Center inquiring about the possible donation of a microscope.
“We frequently get requests for microscopes, but seldom have any to give away,” said Pat Geistler, director of St. Alexius Laboratory. “After speaking with JoAnne, I contacted Kebocom and was surprised to find out we did have one available, and we were more than happy to donate it to help the community out.”
Kebocom is a private company that leases space from the medical center. St. Alexius
contracts Kebocom’s Laboratory Bio-Med division to maintain and repair lab equipment, such as microscopes. Kebocom prepared the microscope for JoAnne’s Healthcare Center with a routine maintenance check, including adjustments, alignments and cleaning. Kebocom representative, Chuck Belisle, assisted with the installation of the microscope.
Schock said that the healthcare center plans to use the microscope for lab tests to determine illness in the people she treats at the shelter. “It can be rewarding and challenging when treating patients that either live at the shelter, or use our services,” Schock said. “But at least now we will be able to offer even better care for those we see.”
The Ruth Meiers Hospitality House provides housing and supporting services to assist homeless and low-income people in achieving self-sufficiency. As a shelter, the agency operates a myriad of properties, including a men’s residence with emergency and transitional housing for up to 25 men. It also consists of nine neighborhood-based town homes available for families in need, and a twenty-five unit apartment complex for low-income adults.
