With income earned from selling used clothing and other items for pennies at its thrift shop, the Tehachapi Hospital Guild has purchased a state-of-the-art echocardiogram device for Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley.

CFC

Members of the Tehachapi Hospital Guild at the hospital for the check presentation, front, President Jane Weldon next to Frankie Wysocki's granddaughter Skylar Colon, 6; rear, from left, Joyce Rasmussen, Donna Franks, Randie McKenna, Frankie Wysocki and Joyce Stowers.

The sonar device can measure the heart's blood flow per beat, the integrity of the valves, cardiovascular problems, clots, congenital abnormalities, the velocity and direction of the blood, electrical and physiology problems and the presence of infection. A future program will take vascular measurements.

"We want the best hospital we can have," Guild President Jane Weldon said as she presented the third and final check for the purchase to Adventist Manager of Philanthropy Christina Scrivner at the hospital on July 23. "The Guild is very thrilled to be able to donate to the hospital."

The cost of the instrument, aided by the buying power of Adventist, totaled $115,952.50. The Guild paid in three installments with checks of $50,000, $30,000 and $35,952. The model is a GE Vivid E-90.

Adventist hired experienced Echocardiographic Technician Becky Mills, a registered cardiac sonographer, to operate the echo device, which utilizes ultrasound sonar technology.