In a show of veteran-to-veteran support, the Veteran's Administration Medical Center received a $2,500 donation from the Veterans of Foreign War Department.
The money came as part of a larger $47,000 contribution.VFW Commander Ted Evans said donations have supported a variety of programs, including the purchase of small television sets for medical center patients.
The TVs, which cost about $500 each, are specially made to comply with the hospital's electrical requirements. Each set is attached to a flexible mechanical arm for individual viewing, and patients on oxygen machines or with a pacemaker can watch television without interference from the strong electrical current.
"These donations mean so much to our veteran patients," said Bill Hodson, medical center director. "We don't always have the funds to purchase these special units, and they really help entertain as our veterans recuperate in the hospital."
The Salt Lake Veterans Administration Medical Center provides health-care services to more than 170,000 eligible veterans from Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming. More than 8,000 inpatients are discharged each year, and 140,000 visits are supported by the hospital's outpatient clinics. The Salt Lake center's 25,000-square-mile service area is the largest in the 172-hospital VA system.