On May 8 of that year, representatives from nine of the twelve hospital auxiliaries from across PEI met at the old PEI Hospital in Charlottetown to form the Prince Edward Island Association of Hospital Auxiliaries. We are pleased to still be together 50 years later.
Some things are different, of course. We changed the Hospital in our name to Healthcare to include manor auxiliaries. There are fewer member auxiliaries, with the amalgamation of the two Charlottetown hospitals into the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the combining of Junior and Senior auxiliaries across the province. The items we raise money to purchase are less likely to be johnny shirts and bed pans and more likely to be diagnostic imaging and medical equipment.
50 years of working together, our auxiliaries side-by-side across the Island, has created strong bonds between our groups, and a sense of support and cooperation. The PEIAHA has allowed the large and small healthcare auxiliaries to learn from each other. We all have the same goals: to ensure our neighbours have the best healthcare possible.
Harmony, kindness, dedication, resilience, and hard work are what has made our Association a success. Volunteers created the healthcare system on PEI and remain at its core, quietly doing important work.
The Stewart Memorial Healthcare Auxiliary are the PEIAHA executive for the 2013-15 term. They have planned a special semi-annual meeting celebration for April 26, 2014 at the Royal Canadian Legion, Ellerslie. We are looking forward to marking this special milestone.
SMHA also hosted the 40th annual celebration in 2004. Here are some memories from that day:
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| QEH Auxiliary Members |
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| PEIAHA Executive (2003-05) Doreen Wooder (Public Relations), Verna Barlow (President), Thelma Phillips (Secretary), Marilyn Ramsay (Treasurer) |
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| Verna Barlow (President), Mary McQuaid, Irene Kassner, Thelma Phillips (Secretary) Mrs. McQuaid and Mrs. Kassner had been at the first meeting of the PEIAHA in 1964. |