Grisell Funeral Homes and Crematory

Photo by Linda CominsWHEELING — With its governmental funding threatened, Wheeling Health Right and its supporters realize that raising significant sums at its Chefs’ Auction is more critical than ever.The 24th annual Chefs’ Auction will be staged at WesBanco Arena on May 5. Kathie Brown, executive director of Wheeling Health Right, said organizers hope to exceed the $82,000 raised at last year’s event.Republican leaders in Congress withdrew the proposed American Health Care Act from a vote last week, but the future of the current Affordable Care Act — particularly in terms of Medicaid expansion — remains uncertain. Brown and leaders of other free and charitable clinics in West Virginia also are watching actions of the Legislature closely because of the state budget crisis.In addition, city leaders are unsure if they will receive any more federal Community Development Block Grant money because President Donald Trump’s budget seeks to end the program. Wheeling Health Right received $20,000 in CDBG funds this year, which Brown said allows the free clinic to purchase up to $500,000 worth of generic medicine because the agency receives deep discounts on pharmaceuticals.Despite the uncertainty of public funding for free and charitable clinics, Brown said, “We will be here.”However, she predicted, “If Medicaid expansion goes out, our numbers are going to explode — 20,000 (patients) will be minimal.”Currently,Wheeling Health Right serves almost 19,000 patients, she said.Speaking at a kickoff breakfast for the Chefs’ Auction, Brown told participants, “You are saving lives. You are making a difference. You are keeping people working. You are keeping them involved in the economy.”The Chefs’ Auction is Wheeling Health Right’s major annual fundraiser. Yearly proceeds have grown more than ten-fold since the event’s inception. The initial auction made $8,000 in profit, she said.The number of chefs also has grown steadily, with 20 institutions set to participate this year. Dee Phillips, Health Right’s executive secretary and event planner, said the Hall of Fame Cafe in Wheeli... (Wheeling Intelligencer)

The fourth annual Springtime in Paris event, featuring entertainment by 176 Keys Dueling Pianos, will take place at Wheeling Park’s White Palace on March 24. After a reception at 5:30 p.m., dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The performance will begin at 8 p.m.In previous years, funds generated by the event were allocated to Valley Hospice’s unfunded patient care fund. However, CEO Cynthia Bougher said, “The focus this year is on Liza’s Place.”Valley Hospice serves 1,300 patients a year in the Northern Panhandle and eastern Ohio, she said. About 5 percent of those patients receive care at Liza’s Place, which is located adjacent to Mount St. Joseph, off Pogue Run Road.The area’s only free-standing hospice care center has been open since March 2009. Bougher said, “Over the past eight years, Valley Hospice has provided expert symptom control for thousands of patients and provided emotional support and education for their families and loved ones.”Naturally, some “wear and tear” has occurred to the building and its amenities, she said. Valley Hospice plans to use money raised from the upcoming event for repair and replacement of amenities such as sofa beds, placed in patient rooms for use by family members, and for furnishings in the center’s common rooms. Upkeep of the garden area also is an ongoing process, she said.In addition, Valley Hospice still owes $2.8 million on the mortgage for Liza’s Place. Bougher said, “Many people believe it’s debt-free, but it’s not.”The facility was built at a cost of $5.4 million. Donors contributed $1,975,000 and Valley Hospice invested $1 million, she said.Over the years, the number of patients served by Valley Hospice has remained consistent. “Our local population hasn’t changed much, so we’re fairly stable,” the CEO said.At Liza’s Place, the nonprofit agency offers two primary types of care:? General inpatient care to control symptoms at the end of life. Patients receive around-the-clock care. A fairly short stay is involved. ? Short-term residential care, for when a caregiver is unable to continue providing care, either tempor... (Martins Ferry Times Leader)