To the editor:

Recently, the Saranac Lake Health Association completed its rebranding and commissioned its new website at saranaclakevha.org.

In the redesign of the website, a historical timeline was added so that we could show how important our history is to understanding who we are.

Since 1897, the timeline shows the important contributions that have been made in providing free professional health services to residents of the Saranac Lake area. Our understanding of our history continues to grow as our latest timeline update shows the grants of assistance that the Saranac Lake Health Association gave to High Peaks Hospice in their early years.

This information grew out of a conversation with Ann Merkel, who was one of the founding members of High Peaks Hospice, which began in 1986. This resulted in a search of our meeting minutes, and we found that during the 1990 and 1991 years, we made two grants totaling $12,000 to High Peaks Hospice.

Bob White, Esq., who is now, and was then, on our board of directors, remembered this decision because it was not customary for our organization to give grants to other not-for-profits.

The exception was made because during 1989, we had received a large planned gift and we wanted to help High Peaks Hospice start an endowment fund and to purchase needed computers and software.

Today, through our visiting nurse program, we continue to provide no-cost health related services to those who need it, where they need it, within the Saranac Lake area. Also, we provide a dental hygienist to the area elementary schools of Saranac Lake, Bloomingdale and St. Bernard’s so that all children receive free dental exams and education. Lastly, we provide dental care and hearing aid assistance for those in financial need.

None of this would be possible without our many gifts and bequests from our donors and supporters whom we wish to thank as we carry on our mission.

Cole Campbell

Saranac Lake Health Association board member

Saranac Lake