SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (September 23, 2010) – The FairPoint Pioneers have donated more than 70 “cough pillows” to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) in Bennington for its post-surgical patients.
Doctors at SVMC say grasping or holding a cough pillow to the chest or abdomen helps patients to cough more comfortably and protects healing incisions after abdominal surgery. Physicians and respiratory practitioners want patients to cough and breathe deeply to help prevent some of the complications of surgery and anesthesia, such as pneumonia. The pillows also work well in the treatment of asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and cystic fibrosis.
“This is a wonderful gesture that will help our patients after surgery,” said Catharine Fairbanks, director of perioperative services for the hospital. “The ability to cough after surgery is important to patients’ recovery. And these pillows will help protect sutures and give patients comfort.”
A dozen of Vermont’s FairPoint Pioneer volunteers stitched and stuffed the colorful, oblong pillows over the course of a week said Cynthia Provost, president of the Vermont Pioneer Council.
The FairPoint Pioneers, with more than 200 members in northern New England, are part of the world’s largest telecom industry-based volunteer organization dedicated to community service. They routinely give back to communities where they work and live by helping out hospitals, soup kitchens, schools and civic organizations.
In Vermont, Pioneers donate over 3,000 hours of community service and continually fundraise for charitable causes throughout the state.
About FairPoint
FairPoint Communications, Inc. is an industry leading provider of communications services to communities across the country. Today, FairPoint owns and operates local exchange companies in 18 states offering advanced communications with a personal touch, including local and long distance voice, data, Internet, television and broadband services. Learn more at www.FairPoint.com.
Media Contact:
Sabina Haskell
802.658.7351
shaskell@fairpoint.com
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date