Editor's Note: This story is the second in a series of three articles highlighting the upcoming Moore Regional Hospital Holiday Ball.

Chances are that at some point you or a loved one has experienced a hospitalization. If you were lucky, you lived close to the needed services and recovered quickly.

But can you imagine traveling more than an hour one way every day for weeks to receive medical treatment for an acute condition? Have you ever considered the challenges of parents with children in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit? Would you consider the typical hospital waiting room to be a place of comfort and respite?

Unfortunately, regardless of the time and energy devoted to planning hospital environments and encouraging compassionate care, a hospital is and always will be a hospital.

That's just one good reason to mark your calendars for Dec. 8, 2006.

Make plans now to join the FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary for the Annual Holiday Ball at The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst. Guests will enjoy a classic evening of dining and dancing while supporting special initiatives to benefit the health of the community. Music will be provided by Party on the Moon.

Funds raised during the 2006 Auxiliary Holiday Ball will be directed toward FirstHealth's Stepping Stones Campaign, which will help finance the construction of a Heart Hospital, Hospitality House and Hospice Residence at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. This year, the Auxiliary will focus on the Hospitality House.

Currently in the planning stages, the FirstHealth Hospitality House will offer patients and families a comfortable sanctuary as they navigate hospital services, procedures and overnight admissions. It will be conveniently located in FirstVillage, across Memorial Drive from the hospital's main entrance.

The facility is projected to be operational within two years.

"Through the Hospitality House, we will create a haven away from the hospital where individuals can relax and regroup," says Rebecca Ainslie, director of Hospitality Services for the Foundation of FirstHealth. "We anticipate the service will reach out to those who may have scheduled wait times between outpatient visits as well as individuals who may need a place to stay overnight while they await news on a family member."

The Hospitality House will be a residential environment designed to enable patients or family members to leave the clinical setting and enjoy some peace and respite depending on their needs and personal situation.

Plans for the Hospitality House include limited overnight accommodations that will be available based on needs not limited to financial considerations. Features will include such amenities as computer access, kitchen facilities, a laundry room and home entertainment options. A Quiet Room will be available for personal meditation and spiritual comfort. In addition, guests will enjoy a special arts and music room.

"The concept for the House emerged about five years ago," says Ainslie. "Since that time, we have dedicated time and energy to developing our plans so that we are best able to meet the needs of our patients and their families. We have collected information from staff and patients, and we have visited facilities across the nation to review their successes and identify best practices. The time we have spent learning will result in the design of a place to meet unique community needs. We will be more than just a place to stay."

Volunteers from the community will staff the Hospitality House as well as provide special activities and services such as meal preparation and music or other artistic expressions. In fact, Ainslie anticipates recruiting a staff of 200 or more volunteers. She also expects to engage civic organizations, school and church groups, and talented individuals throughout the region in special organized events on the grounds.

"We've even had one group agree to create a healing garden to help us fulfill our mission," she says.

The MRH Auxiliary has pledged $1 million to FirstHealth's Stepping Stones Campaign. Proceeds from the ball will support the pledge.

For more information on the FirstHealth Hospitality House, contact Rebecca Ainslie at 695-7507. To make reservations or request an invitation to the ball, contact Fay Terry at 639-2577; or Rebecca Cummings, Auxiliary president, at 695-7507.