Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
June 2016
Ida the dollmaker Hundreds of Kansas children have been comforted by Ida Coombs in a difficult time. Ida, a resident of the Westerly Residences, has been making cloth dolls for child patients at Wesley Medical Center since 2012. She makes them a dozen at a time, and she recently completed her 24th batch. “It took me a little while to get the hang of everything,” Ida said. “After this many dozen, I’ve got it down to a science.” The dolls are given to children who are admitted to the hospital, often after a trauma. Not only do they give comfort, but they are used to communicate with the young patients and help them understand what’s happening. Nurses and doctors can use the doll to show a child where he or she may get a shot or have an incision. And the kids can DOLLS, continued on page 3
Residents enjoy dinner in The Landing at Presbyterian Manor.
It’s a grand opening Residents and guests of Wichita Presbyterian Manor celebrated the grand opening of the newly revitalized campus with a week of activities and events the first week of May. Residents enjoyed a special dinner May 3 in the campus’ seven dining venues with short remarks by Dawn Veh, executive director, and Bruce Shogren, president and chief executive officer of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, the campus’ parent organization. “When we were in each dining venue on the campus, you could feel the sense of family that is developing on this campus,” Shogren said. Local VIPs and strategic partners gathered for a dedication ceremony on May 4 on the front circular drive. Rev. Laura Frazey from Covenant Presbyterian Church led the invocation, offering thanks for the project and all involved. “You are the God of dreams,” Frazey said. “Today, we celebrate a dream realized.” Shogren said the campus project was a long time coming and introduced the strategic partners who worked on the project—AG Architects, Paric Construction, management company Greystone, advertising agency GRAND continued on page 2