SPRING 2019 ISSUE
our community is our foundation.
Emergency care campaign on track Last fall, the Emergency Care Campaign was launched to raise funds for the Emergency Department (ED) as well as the other departments that support emergency care. The South Muskoka Memorial Hospital has one of the busiest EDs in cottage country, seeing more than 20,000 patients a year, with a quarter of those visits occurring in July and August. Our most exciting update to the campaign is the announcement that Minett resident and philanthropist Brock Napier will double any donations received in 2019, up to $300,000. When other donors participate, Napier’s initiative could leverage a potential $600,000 toward the total campaign goal of $2.1 million. Napier’s commitment for the Emergency Care Campaign was sparked by his interest in ensuring patients at risk are provided with secure safe rooms during admission and diagnosis.
Safe room construction underway in emergency Emergency health care can be challenging work without the added stress of workplace violence. Last year alone, more than two dozen physical assaults were committed against doctors, nurses and staff at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital (SMMH). Safe rooms help people on both sides of the stethoscope. When patients are agitated or aggressive in a hospital, they can endanger themselves and others, including other patients. With the ongoing rise of these incidents, installing two safe rooms in the emergency department became a top priority for SMMH and the Foundation.
The importance of safety meant these speciallydesigned rooms became the cornerstone of the current $2.1 million Emergency Care Campaign. Construction is underway and will hopefully be completed before the busy summer months. " Although the cornerstone of the campaign is the safe rooms for the ED, funding is also being sought for the departments that support emergency care. Six out of ten patients who come to the ED require additional testing, such as x-rays, other imaging modalities and lab work. Some examples of items to be purchased include a vital signs monitor, crash carts, and an anesthesia machine. Although the government funds the operations of the hospital, it is up to the community to raise funds for equipment. To contribute to this year’s Emergency Care Campaign and qualify for the matching grant, please contact the Foundation office.
"We are grateful for our community's support in this campaign," said the Foundation's Executive Director Colin Miller. "The need for secure rooms designed to protect patients from hurting themselves or others, has become essential in hospitals across Ontario, and we're no exception." The specially-designed rooms have a protective metal encasement that separates potential dangers (such as medical gases and other implements) from the patient. Other equipment in the room is designed to help prevent the patient from harming themselves. Also included in the project is a specially-designed washroom constructed with tamper proof stainless steel fixtures. For further information, please call or visit the South Muskoka Hospital Foundation office, or go online to healthmuskoka.ca