Heart Beat
FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER
Help Our Community Breathe Easy
on raise Hello folks, VJH Foundati e th s lp e h o elf wh Long-term happy little our Hospital, t a t n e m I’m Lars! The ip u tives. ch needed eq health initia y funds for mu it n u m m s and co an elf Care facilitie ot because I’m e N r. a e y f o e te tim me visit th ly my favouri chance to co y m ’s it Winter is easi se u e perfect cted but beca North Okanagan. It’s th and it’s expe the eople here in rth Pole. wonderful p th ing at e No rk o w m o fr k st, along brea friend Mr. Fro y M . ift g y rl ea and bringing an signed, built e I’m d r e a v e a y h is l, h u T it at Pa of. Watch for rs Brent and e ro l lp e a h it is sp h o h h away. wit g new on the your breath in e k th e ta m n e so v e d t e install d it migh ite special an the last night! It’s qu nt topic over a rt o p im n a en ortant reath. It’s be fires. So imp b d il t u w o e b a th g d n in Talk ID-19 a t at VJH. etween COV ry equipmen to a ir sp re 20-months b e u see to enhance th the a little easier – do yo a that we need bre w we will all support. Check out ho y h – wit our ? re e th id d I what ore! to find out m rg .o n o ti a d .vjhfoun Head to www
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ive the gift of breath this holiday season.
The usage of lifesaving equipment such as ventilators has increased seven-fold over the past year due to COVID-19 and the wildfires. When you’re struggling to breathe it’s challenging for our systems to focus on healing the other sick parts of the body. A ventilator gives patients the additional support required to focus on getting healthy. They help keep patients breathing as their bodies work towards recovery. Respiratory Therapy at VJH is in need of two replacement ventilators – one for patient rooms and one for transport. They also need the vital equipment that tests these critical machines. As patients in the hospital continue to suffer from COVID-19 it's an important time to acquire these top-of-the-line machines.
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“Having the best equipment available to support our patients gives our team of respiratory therapists all the confidence we need to provide the best care we can.” Kerri Guest, Respiratory Therapist
Yes…I want to Light a Bulb for healthcare excellence! CREDIT CARD:
ONLINE: www.vjhfoundation.org/donate
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Thank you in advance for your kindness, support and generosity.
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CHEQUE: Made payable to VJH Foundation 2101 32 St. Vernon B.C. V1T 5L2
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Please consider giving generously towards the Light a Bulb campaign this year. A gift of $35 purchases an individual bulb and a gift of $500 purchases an entire string of lights.
To learn more about the technical functions of the ventilators and our holiday campaign please head to vjhfoundation.org
In Memory of
Donations received in excess of equipment costs are directed to the areas of greatest need. As a fiscally responsible charity, 9% of every gift supports our Growth & Sustainability Fund.
Charitable Registration Number 11928 3372 RR0001
VERNON JUBILEE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER FALL 2021
Additional Support for Emergency Patients
Virtual Golf Tournament Success The Charity Classic golf tournament planning was well underway with players set to return to the greens for a sold out event when, unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans. Although there were many last minute changes to the event one thing did not change – the support of everyone involved. Their generosity resulted in the purchase of enhanced information gathering equipment for use in the VJH Emergency Department (ED).
8 New Physiological Monitors and a New Central Monitor
Alleviating Financial Worries of Cancer Patients
On a daily average over 150 people visit the ED at VJH. During these visits constant beeping and alarms are an ongoing reminder of where you are and that vital signs are being checked at all times. The sounds don’t always mean that something is wrong but when a serious situation occurs hospital staff need to be alerted so they can react quickly.
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Some of the most vocal machines are physiological monitors. This equipment offers a real time snapshot of vital functions of the body by continuously measuring parameters such as heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure and bloodoxygen saturation.
For some in our community the financial struggle of dealing with a cancer diagnosis is all too real. That’s why, with the cancer care comfort fund, the team at the McMurtryBaerg Cancer Centre can help ensure that life’s basic necessities are taken care of.
Eight new bed spaces will soon be fitted with these essential pieces of equipment, giving medical teams access to immediate decision making data even when they aren’t by a patient’s side. Additionally, a new central monitor at the nursing station will give the ED staff the ability to track and identify changes and complications in acute patients’ conditions. This centralized station will help shorten response times, significantly enhancing the ability of nurses and physicians to better support their patients.
Patient Comfort Fund
ancer. When you hear the word you automatically fear the worst. What you shouldn’t have to worry about it is how you will afford to proceed with treatment options.
“The comfort fund has been a true lifeline for many of our vulnerable patients. Providing them with access to essential medications, or equipment required to monitor for important side affects helps ensure our clients are both cared for and able to proceed with cancer treatment successfully.” Stacey Creak, Social Worker
Radiothon Achieves Record Success
Over $100,000 raised for Women’s and Children’s Health Services If a baby or labouring mother is in distress, lifesaving decisions need to be made quickly. Having the equipment needed to help make critical decisions is essential. This year, Pure Country 105.7 radio station once again hosted 12-hours of fundraising support resulting in a record breaking amount raised for much needed new equipment for moms and babies.
“In some way, shape or form every patient in our care will use the pieces we fundraised for this year. With an average of 800 babies born in our hospital each year the unit has been full of activity which has highlighted the need for upgraded equipment.” Kristen Megyesi, Interim Manager, Clinical Operations, Women’s and Children’s Health Services vjhfoundation.org
The newly purchased specialty fetal heart monitor will enable nursing staff to continually evaluate the fetal heart rate pattern both inside and outside of the womb during labour and birth. Additionally, the new wireless patient modules will allow moms to move freely during labour while monitoring her heart rate and contractions, often helping decrease the length of labour. Once baby arrives, having a new panda warmer equipped with resuscitation equipment, oxygen and a scale in the mother’s rooms will allow pediatric teams to assess and evaluate the infant without leaving mom’s side. Our future generations are receiving the highest quality of care thanks to the incredible donors who supported the annual Have a Heart Radiothon.
Supported by local donors, this vital fund allows patient's needs to be met while maintaining their dignity and focusing on what’s most important – their health.
VERNON JUBILEE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER FALL 2021
Armstrong Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary Gives Generously
New Equipment for Lumby Increases Patient Care
The Armstrong Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary (ASHA) has been a fixture in the community for more than 85 years, raising funds to enhance the quality of healthcare in the North Okanagan. As operators of the popular Bargain Bin thrift store in Armstrong, the store is run by a team of more than 65 dedicated volunteers. All funds raised through their sales go directly to support local healthcare initiatives.
Living in a remote area can sometimes prove challenging when a loved one requires medical attention. With over 3,000 patients being supported out of the Lumby Health Centre, having diagnostic tools that provide immediate patient care is essential.
Community Health Centre Patients Benefit From New Equipment
Reducing Mammogram Procedure Times New Trident Breast Specimen Unit
When it comes to breast cancer, early detection, a more certain diagnosis and accurate treatment are essential. For patients waiting to hear results from appointments, time can seem immeasurable. That’s why when the current x-ray machine in the mammogram unit at VJH was recently down for two weeks, both the Medical Imaging team and the Cancer Centre team made replacing the 10-year-old piece of equipment a top priority.
"The goal of screening mammography is to detect pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions early. The new equipment detects abnormalities which are either deep in the breast or too small to be felt. This machine quickly and accurately provides biopsy information while the patient is still in the mammography suite or in the OR allowing for further biopsies or tissues to be taken immediately without the need to arrange another procedure. This saves time, increases accuracy and reduces the anxious "waiting for results" time which is so hard on patients and their physicians." Dr. Ed Hardy, Medical Oncologist
Increased Comfort for Enderby Patients Thanks to the funds generously provided by the ASHA, staff at the Enderby Health Centre now have the ability to safely move patients with even more care and attention with a new ergonomic stretcher. Fully equipped and highly configurable, the new stretcher is designed to reduce physical strain on clinicians and also to enhance patient comfort. Additionally, it has the ability to move into the recovery chair position, reducing unnecessary patient transfers and lowering the risk of injury for them and their caregivers.
Portable Ultrasound for Health Centre
The purchase of a new ultrasound machine for this facility will immediately help support Lumby residents by extending critically needed health services to this underserved area. This precision tool has already been used for cardiac, lung and abdominal scans as well as musculoskeletal imaging, giving medical professionals the ability to complete essential treatment without having to send their patients to a larger centre.
Faster Results for Armstrong Residents Due to the incredible donations from the ASHA, the Foundation recently stepped forward and purchased a replacement for one of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in the Armstrong lab, a centrifuge. Used in the preanalytical phase of blood samples, staff use the machine to spin sample tubes, separating red blood cells, platelets and plasma for testing. In order to obtain the best sample material, centrifuge time, speed and temperature are critical. The new machine not only helps obtain the best sample material for the lab but also cuts down the specimen preparation time by up to ten minutes. As a result, staff at the centre can now spend more time with patients and deliver their test results in a timely manner.
“The portable ultrasound provides accurate and quick diagnoses of patients in a non-invasive way. It truly will assist us in determining if patients require a higher level of care." Barbara Dyck, Executive Director Lumby & District Health Services Society
vjhfoundation.org
VERNON JUBILEE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER FALL 2021
TB Vets Grant Supports VJH Respiratory Testing Now More Efficient Residents in the North Okanagan who are burdened by pulmonary challenges now have access to a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that assists their specialists in diagnosing and treating lung conditions.
The data acquired is used to assist physicians in diagnosing and treating patients with pulmonary issues and to help develop and modify care plans for patients. The new lab is incredibly user friendly and patient centric while supporting the therapists need to perform tests more efficiently, resulting in reduced wait times, ensuring patients get into appropriate treatments and therapies faster.
The TB Vets Charitable Foundation recently granted VJH Foundation the funds to purchase a new pulmonary function lab for the respiratory team, replacing an outdated pulmonary function body box. The new lab is a very specific piece of high-tech machinery that’s used to test various aspects of the lung functions of patients by having them breathe into an instrument that measures real time lung data. Staff then compare the readings with the norms for patients in that same age, gender and body composition in order to determine if the patient has any lung deficiencies.
Community Donations We are constantly inspired by the bequests, donations, grants, and community support that all make a significant impact to healthcare in the North Okanagan. We're grateful for the incredible support the Foundation receives to improve lives in our community.
Bannister Gives Back
Move 4 Mom
Each month Bannister GM donates a percentage of sales for every vehicle sold to a local charity. In May they presented the Foundation with a cheque for $2,750 to kick off the 18th annual Have a Heart Radiothon to support Women’s and Children’s Health Services.
Oliver Stankiewicz presented the Cancer Centre with a cheque for over $30,000 in honour of his mom, Laura. Stankiewicz raised funds by running 100 km on Mother’s Day on the Rail Trail.
Gambrinus Malting Tim Hortons
Since 2003 local Tim Hortons Owner/Operators Dan and Jamie Currie have supported the Foundation through the Smile Cookie initiative. With $1 from every cookie sold impacting excellence in healthcare, local donations from the campaign totalled over $15,000 this year.
Ken Smith, Director of Operations for Gambrinus Malting and his daughter Eliza presented a cheque for $4,000.
Zeke Martyn
Seven year old Zeke wanted to show his support for healthcare workers and designed a COVID-19 super hero shirt to honour his dad who is a doctor at VJH. Zeke sold his specially designed shirts to fellow classmates, family and friends, raising an outstanding $1,902 for the Foundation from his efforts. vjhfoundation.org