REPORT TO DONORS:
your gift is critical to the care we provide With the help of donors like you in 2016-17, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has been able to purchase equipment for a number of hospital departments, including the following:
In tune The sound of music brings comfort to Royal Columbian Hospital’s young patients, thanks to help from Variety – The Children’s Charity. A $20,000 contribution is funding the work of a music therapist in the hospital’s pediatric unit. By working with children who are admitted to the hospital, the music therapist is helping elevate the mood, encourage communication and reduce anxiety. Music therapist Michelle Choi sings lullabies to a weekold girl as family looks on.
Critical care to go A medical team from Royal Columbian Hospital that is called upon by the region’s other hospitals to take over the care of critically ill patients is now travelling much lighter thanks to donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. Generous support has allowed the hospital’s Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) team – the only mobile retrieval team of its kind in the province – to become the first in British Columbia to acquire the CARDIOHELP system, a portable machine that takes over the function of the heart and lungs when a patient’s health is rapidly deteriorating. The system was purchased because of a generous donation to the Foundation from Jeannette and Stan Hrescak. Maquet-Getinge Group, the company behind the CARDIOHELP system, also made their own gift, which allowed the hospital to obtain two of these machines. The CARDIOHELP system is the world’s smallest portable heart-lung support system.
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YOUR HEALTH MATTERS I ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Helping BC’s busiest cardiac care team Because of the generosity of our donors, BC’s busiest cardiac care team now has access to completely upgraded technology inside the cardiac catheterization lab. The $3.3 million project included all-new imaging and monitoring equipment. The donor-funded upgrade allowed for the introduction of new software and systems that provide a safer, more reliable delivery of care both for patients and staff. Those suffering from heart attacks across the health region are regularly rushed straight to Royal Columbian’s cath lab for immediate, emergency care. Annually, the interventional cardiology team performs 2,300 angioplasties and 3,100 diagnostic catheterizations – the most in the province.
