Greater Niagara General Hospital equipment fundraising brochure

If you think renewing your hospital is expensive, just consider the alternative.

With your help, we wonÕt have to.

For over 40 years, your hospital has offered some of the finest patient care available in the Niagara region.

The doctors here are remarkably skilled and the staff equally dedicated to making more than 100,000 patients each year well and happy again.

Every day, they perform miracles great and small.

But time is running out because many of their tools are running down.

Some diagnostic equipment is more than a quarter century old Ð that's centuries when you consider the advances in medical technology of the last decade.

Some of it weÕve just never been able to afford,

though we dearly need.

So weÕre counting on you as our support of last resort.

WeÕve asked 11 of our doctors and nurses to tell you what they need to do their job.

What they need is expensive Ð from $7,500 to $180,000.

But since when was saving lives an inexpensive proposition?

We hope their needs will move you to support our drive to renew one of Niagara FallsÕ most precious resources.

If not you, who ?

And if not now, when ?

Thank you.

DR. IAN BROWN Urology

After receiving his Medical degree from Dalhousie, Dr. Brown interned at the Victoria General in Halifax. He completed his Urology residency at the Ottawa General and Ottawa Civic Hospitals. He joined the staff of the GNGH in 1996 where he is currently President of the Medical Staff Association. Dr. Brown is also on the Board of the GNGH Foundation.

NEED Flexible Ureteroscope, Camera and Monitor COST $47,000 2

ÒThe flexible ureteroscope allows us to remove kidney stones without having to do major surgery. We can go straight through the urinary tract Ð from the bladder into the kidney Ð instead of using an incision to get to the stones.

ItÕs what we call a minimally invasive surgical technique and it will be faster, safer and far more reliable. And thatÕs good for our patients.Ó

DR. GEORGE HARPUR General Surgery

Dr. Harpur received his degree and surgical training at McMaster where he is now an Associate Professor. He joined the GNGH staff in 1996 and has been the Surgical Coordinator for the Ontario Breast Screening program since the program started in 1999. He is also Chair of Surgery for the Greater Niagara General site as well as the Regional Chair of the Department of General Surgery in the Niagara Health System.

NEED Lymph Node Gamma Mapping System COST $47,000

ÒThe Gamma Camera is a piece of x-ray equipment that we can use to examine our patientsÕ lymph nodes. Right now we have to surgically remove all of the lymph nodes in order to determine if they have cancer.

It will help us to isolate the affected lymph nodes and limit the amount of surgery that we have to do. Identifying the lymph node involvement will also help us to determine whether or not the patient needs chemotherapy.

The Gamma Camera is new technology, but itÕs going to be the standard of care in the management of breast cancer and other malignancies.Ó

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DR. ALLAN JACKIEWICZ Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Jackiewicz immigrated to Canada in 1981 after graduating from the Warsaw Medical Academy. He interned at the Scarborough General and did his residency at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. He joined the GNGH staff in 1988 where he is now Chair of the OBS/Gyn Department. He is also the Regional Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Niagara Health System.

NEED Laparoscopy Instruments COST $40,000 4

ÒAbout 95% of the hysterectomies I perform are done with a laparoscope.

What this has enabled us to do is to cut down drastically on the length of time our patients have to stay in the hospital Ð from an average of 7 days in 1988 to an average of 1 day now. There is also much less scaring and less chance of infection.

It would be a tremendous shame if we have to revert back to the Õ80s and do these procedures the old way just because the equipment that has worked so well is worn out and we donÕt have the money to replace it.Ó

DR. GRAZYNA JACKIEWICZ Paediatrics

Dr Grazyna Jackiewicz graduated in the same year as her husband from medical school in Warsaw. After immigrating to Canada, and learning to speak English, she completed her internship and Paediatric residency at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. In 1988, both of the Drs. Jackiewicz joined the staff of the Greater Niagara General Hospital.

NEED Neonatal C Pap

ÒC Pap is a piece of equipment that is used primarily for premature babies who are having trouble breathing. The C Pap will allow us to treat these babies here instead of sending them off to other hospitals.

That will make it a lot easier for our mothers and fathers in the future Ð they wonÕt have to go elsewhere for the treatment and care their babies need.Ó

COST $14,000 5

DR. TOM LI Medical Imaging

Dr. Li grew up in Niagara Falls where he attended A. N. Myer Secondary School. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario, interned at Lion's Gate Hospital in Vancouver and then completed his Radiology residency at the U of T. He joined his father on the GNGH staff in 1995 where he is now Chair of the Medical Imaging Department.

NEED General X-Ray Machine COST $180,000 6

ÒItÕs the workhorse of the department. X-rays of all parts of the body from patients young and old are taken with this equipment.

The new equipment will replace a machine that was bought in 1988 and thatÕs been giving us lots of problems lately Ð mechanical break downs and a broken table-top control that wonÕt allow us to adjust the machine to make it more comfortable and easier for our patients.Ó

DR. LEONARD MAKEREWICH Otolaryngology After obtaining his degree from the University of Toronto, Dr. Makerewich interned and completed his Ear, Nose and Throat residency at the U of TÕs teaching hospitals. He received additional training in general surgery, neurosurgery and plastic surgery in Vancouver. HeÕs been on the staff of the GNGH since 1978. Dr. Makerewich is Senior Responsible Physician for Otolaryngology in the Niagara Health System.

NEED Xenon Light Source for esophagoscopes and bronchoscopes

ÒThis is basically a box that provides a very, very bright light that we can send down a cable to see anything that is lodged in the throat or lungs.

When we can see something thatÕs stuck in the throat like a chicken bone or a safety pin, then we can remove it.

This light source is three times as bright as anything we have now and it will make a big difference.Ó

COST $12,000 7

DR. CHRISTOPHER OFFIERSKI Orthopaedics

After graduating from medical school at QueenÕs, Dr. Offierski completed his Orthopaedic Surgery training at the University of Toronto. He joined the staff of the Greater Niagara General Hospital in 1982. He is also the Chair of the Regional Department of Surgery and Dental Medicine in the Niagara Health System.

NEED Infrared Laser System COST $7,500 8

ÒThe infrared laser system will allow us to assess the blood flow through a traumatised limb. It will help us to determine if thereÕs adequate blood flow to the tissues.

If we find that the injured limb isnÕt getting enough blood we can act earlier, deal with it, and reduce the risk of the tissue dying or not healing properly.Ó

DEBBIE SMITH, RN Trillium Unit

After graduating from Fanshaw College in 1984 with a diploma in Nursing, Ms. Smith returned to school to earn her Nursing degree. She is currently working on her Masters degree in Gerontology. She has been with the Niagara Health System for the past 12 years and is currently the Manager of long-term care at GNGH.

NEED Patient Monitoring System

ÒA patient monitoring system is like a security system. It would lock doors for any patients that are a high risk for elopement, patients with dementia or Alzheimer patients who are here waiting for a long-term care facility.

We have the alarm on the back door that we can hear, but they could wander off through any of three exits while our staff is busy providing care for other patients and we wouldnÕt know they were gone until the next hourly check.Ó

COST $12,000 9

DR. ROSEMONDE TANNOUS Cardiology and Internal Medicine Dr. Tannous did her early medical training in Egypt. She interned at Women's College Hospital in Toronto and completed a residency in both Internal Medicine and Cardiology in Montreal. She has been on the staff of the Greater Niagara General since 1986.

NEED ECG Machine COST $32,000 10

ÒWe need an ECG for patients who come in with chest pains of any kind. We also need one for all pre-op patients over the age of 40 before any surgery. ItÕs important in the diagnosis of heart attacks.

ItÕs also important for patients who faint or collapse. ItÕs a very vital piece of equipment. We have 4 of them and 2 have broken down several times in the last year.Ó

DR. ROBERT WERHUN Respirology

Dr. Werhun grew up in Thorold. He attended McMaster where he obtained his undergraduate degree and his M.D. specializing in Internal Medicine and Respirology. He completed his residency at the University of Western Ontario and joined the staff of the GNGH in 2001.

NEED Video Bronchoscope

ÒThe video bronchoscope is state of the art technology that will allow us to diagnose and treat various chest illnesses such as: lung cancer, pneumonia and interstitial lung diseases.

ItÕs the same technology as theyÕre using in the teaching hospitals in Toronto and Hamilton. That means that our patients will be getting the best treatment available and they wonÕt have to travel to other hospitals anymore to have this procedure performed.Ó

COST $100,000 11

DEBBIE WILLIAMS, RN Charge Nurse, Rainbow Family Health Centre Debbie Williams has been a nurse for more than 30 years. After receiving her Registered Nurses Diploma from Toronto East General Hospital in 1971, Debbie joined the staff of GNGH in 1973. In 1985 she was promoted to charge nurse of paediatrics and took on the responsibilities of obstetrics and NICU as these departments merged.

NEED Transport Incubator COST $25,000 12

Ă’We use the transport incubator to move our babies whenever they leave the Unit. When a baby is born by Caesarean section in the OR we use it to bring the baby down from the first floor.

We use it when we have to take babies upstairs for xrays or ultra sounds and if we have to send babies up to McMaster, we put them in the incubator and it goes into the ambulance with the nurse to be safely transported on the highway.Ă“

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