What comes to mind when the words “hospital gift shop” are
uttered? Usually images of a place where someone can get magazines,
books, a candy bar or two and flowers.

That, however, is not the case at the new HeartStrings Gift shop
located in the new lobby of Bradford Regional Medical Center’s
Outpatient Services Center off North Bennett Street.

The gift shop moved to its new location since most of the
traffic will be passing through.

“We’ve almost doubled in size,” said Virginia Digel Neel, the
hospital auxiliary’s executive director. “We’ve expanded almost
every area from baby (gifts) to wedding crystal to garden
(decorations).”

The gift shop actually “opened” Thursday to members of the BRMC
family. Today, it will be open to the public, according to Digel
Neel.

But as Digel Neel said, “it’s more than just new space.”

She said the process of moving the shop started several years
ago when hospital officials decided to do the five-story
addition.

“It’s amazing to me that it was much more involved than I
thought.”

This includes being involved in the design phase and having a
user group to tell the designers what they were looking for. For
the people in the gift shop, this means more retail room as well as
more office space.

“We were falling on top of each other,” Digel Neel said.

And storage was another matter. The storage for the first floor
gift shop was on the third floor of BRMC as well as anywhere they
could find space, including the SACKS Resale Shop on Pine
Street.

Now, the storage is adjacent to the gift shop.

“We have our own suite.”

While they were designing the new space, they had to keep in
mind ways to save money.

The money raised in the gift shop is, in turn, donated to the
hospital.

“The better our profit, the more money we can donate to the
hospital,” Digel Neel said. “All our profits go to the
hospital.

One cost-cutting measure was to move the kitchen in the old
space “lock, stock and barrel” to the new gift shop.

They also reused lighting and cabinetry.

The three-week project started on Feb. 12. Then, they had to
look at an empty space to decide how to lay out the shop, a task
Digel Neel described as “stressful.”

“It takes a definite knack to do that,” she said, adding it took
about 10 days to complete the displays.

And it’s much more than a gift shop.

Digel Neel said she hears on a daily basis that this is “the
nicest hospital gift shop” people have seen.

“It’s wonderful and encouraging to know that we have that draw,”
Manager Denise Emerson said, adding what they carry is often unique
and out of the ordinary.

Digel Neel was quick to point out that their purpose is not to
compete with other stores, but complement them.

“When people go shopping, we want them to think of the
hospital,” she said.

A grand opening is set for April, at which time the entire shop
will be done – including a display currently being built by
building and trade students from Bradford Area High School. Gift
shop officials are also waiting or the seating area for the caf_ to
come in.

The alliance with Bradford High was conceived by auxiliary
president Dave Sheneman, who used to work for the school district.
He knew the students had worked on similar projects in the
past.

On the edible side, the shop features various coffees,
cappuccinos, cookies, ice cream and milk shakes.

People “can come up with their own concoction,” Digel Neel said,
adding a there’s a “mixology chart” that provides recipes on how to
create their own “flavor fusion.” Such examples are strawberries
and cream, caramel brownie and Neapolitan.

“You doctor it up,” Digel Neel said.

When the caf_ opens, Digel Neel said they hope to fill a void in
the afternoon when the cafeteria is closed. This may include soup
and sandwiches.

“Now, there’s nowhere to eat, but the vending machines,” she
said. This will make it more convenient.

Digel Neel said that April opening will be a “splashy” one with
vendors donating giveaways for the event.

They were helped by a committee comprised of Judy Moeke, Molly
Heron, Janet Detwiler and Bev Gallup. They also help with store
displays and go on shopping trips.

Digel Neel also lauded the efforts of the administration and the
board of directors for their support of the gift shop.

“What we have is awesome,” she said, adding that hospital
auxiliaries such as the one in Warren, have looked to this hospital
auxiliary for guidance.

Currently, Digel Neel hopes the auxiliary reaches its $300,000
pledge to the building campaign, the largest pledge in its
history.

The gift shop also provides personal shopping, gift wrapping and
will ship. People can also order a limited amount of items on
BRMC’s Web site.