The Founder of Our Bosom Buddies of Havasu
ARLENE POLSTER
Arlene believes that support groups will give you overwhelming validation that others have felt the way you now feel and survived. There's No Place Like Hope. By Vickie Girard
The History of the Havasu Community Health Foundation
In 1985, Samaritan Health System (“Samaritan,”) the predecessor in interest to Banner Health, acquired Havasu Regional Hospital in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Thereafter, members of the community, working under the auspices of the Banner Health Foundation raised funds and undertook other philanthropic activities in support of the hospital and related health care needs in the Lake Havasu Community.
In 1998, Samaritan sold Havasu Regional Hospital to Province Healthcare, Inc., a for-profit corporation, and transferred a portion of the sale proceeds to The Samaritan Foundation for the purpose of supporting health care needs in the Havasu community.
As of December 31, 2004, the community-raised funds, together with investment earnings (the “Community Funds”) were credited to the Development Fund and were credited to other donor- restricted funds for the benefit of the health care needs of the Havasu community.
In 2004, the Executive Director of Banner Foundation approached the local Havasu Community Health Trust Officers to see if they would be interested in being spun off into an independent 501(c)(3) public charity. Agreeable terms were worked out, and the Havasu Community Health Foundation began operating in January 2005.
In recognition that the primary purpose of Banner Health Foundation is to support the related health care needs of the communities served by Banner Health’s facilities, and that the assets of the Banner Health Foundation designated for the health care needs would be better administered and disbursed by a locally controlled foundation, members of the Lake Havasu community formed the Havasu Community Health Foundation on October 7, 2004, and received a determination on January 21, 2005, that the Havasu Community Health Foundation is an organization described in Sections 501 (C) (3), 509(a) (1) and 170(b) (1) (A) (vi) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Determination.”)
The current members of the Havasu Community Health Foundation Board of Directors, the staff, and the coordinators and volunteers of our 20 health-related programs, our 9 social services want to say, Thank You for bringing your passion, intellect, insight, experience, and resources needed to establish one of the greatest nonprofits in Lake Havasu City. We are leaders today because of the tools you gave us, and we shall continue to pay it forward.
Roberta Bayles
I am a retired R.N. and owe my excellent clinical training to Presbyterian-University Hospital in Pittsburgh, where I was born and raised. I am one of four girls, and all four are registered nurses.
After working for 6 years in Family Practice, I spent the next 40 years with a focus on Long Term Care and education, working in 3 states. Before retirement, I was blessed to work my last three years in Hospice Care.
In 2013 my husband and I relocated to Lake Havasu full time to care for my father-in-law, who had Dementia. I joined Dementia Connection of Havasu that year, and have been a volunteer for the last 9 years, focusing primarily on facilitating Support Groups, and offering education on the journey through Dementia. I also joined the Virtual Dementia Tour team, helping to provide the “Walk in their shoe experience.
I have been married for 53 years to my husband, Jim. We have two daughters, and five grandchildren – two in Phoenix and 3 in Missouri. In our spare time, which sometimes isn’t much with volunteering, we like to travel to camp. I sing in two choirs and enjoy sewing and crocheting, as well as church activities.
My incentive for volunteering with Dementia Connection, is being able to offer support and education, based on my nursing experience, to those who are on the journey through Dementia; and as Teepa Snow says, to encourage a Positive Approach to care.
