IPMC Foundation Board Members from left, Dr. Frank Lauro, Lorrie Cooper, Dave Valentine, Genia Lauro, Denise DePriest, Vivian Crymble

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - An 18-foot Norway spruce was planted this week on the grounds of Indian Path Medical Center in preparation for the Dec. 1 "Tree of Life" lighting ceremony.

"The tree signifies the full scope of patients that have come here and the many community members that depend on us throughout their lives," said Vivian Crymble, IPMC Foundation coordinator. The IPMC Foundation is a local arm of Mountain States Foundation. Each community with a Mountain States Health Alliance hospital recently formed its own local Foundation to help raise funds for special needs in the community.

The "Tree of Life" event at IPMC is an opportunity for the community to purchase a light in honor of a loved one or a friend during the holidays. The names of those honored/remembered will be read aloud at the evening service. Honorees will receive a card of recognition and are encouraged to attend the lighting and reception in the IPMC lobby following the December event.  

Donations will fund the purchase of a 12-lead monitor for cardiac patients coming to the emergency department at IPMC. This monitor will allow patients being transported via ambulance to have their heart condition remotely monitored by emergency teams at IPMC to make definitive diagnoses before patients arrive at the hospital.

"Since this is our first event, we are so excited to have something to share with the community," Crymble said.

About Mountain States Health Alliance

Mountain States Health Alliance, a not-for-profit healthcare organization based in Johnson City, Tenn., operates a family of hospitals serving a 29-county, four-state region (Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Southeastern Kentucky and Western North Carolina). Mountain States offers a large tertiary hospital, several community hospitals, two critical access hospitals, rehabilitation, a children's hospital, a behavioral health hospital, home care and hospice services as well as a comprehensive medical management corporation. Its 10,000 team members and associated physicians are committed to its mission of bringing loving care to health care. For more information, visit www.msha.com.