EQUIPPED FOR TOMORROW

Norman Regional Health Foundation Raises Money for Life-Saving Tools

The Norman Regional Health Foundation recently announced the public phase of their Equipped for Tomorrow campaign, aimed at raising $4 million to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment for patient care in four areas: cardiovascular, cancer care, perinatal care and rehabilitation.

“The healthcare focus areas of Equipped for Tomorrow are funded based on several factors,” Erin Barnhart, the foundation’s executive director, explained. “First, heart disease and cancer kill more Oklahomans than any other diseases. Secondly, Norman Regional’s commitment to have these health services designated as Centers of Excellence was also a factor.”

At the time of press, the foundation had already raised $2.7 million of the $4 million goal.

Norman Regional physicians, nurses and leadership collaboratively requested the equipment included as part of the campaign. Dr. Archana Gautam, an interventional cardiologist, said the campaign will provide life-saving tools that will allow doctors and nurses to treat critical patients even faster.

For example, inside the newly renovated Healthplex, Norman Regional will have five cardiac catheterization labs. Gautam explained that, previously, instru- ments were brought in and set up as needed. With the new equipment to be purchased through the Equipped for Tomorrow campaign, the instruments will be integrated into each lab.

“Rolling in an instrument and setting it up when needed consumes time during critical emergencies such as heart attacks,” Gautam said. “Having instruments integrated in each cath lab allows cardiologists to work in a parallel manner, allowing us to treat more emergencies simultaneously.

“For patients at Norman Regional, it will reduce the lead time to get in a room.”

Former OU women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale is the chair of the campaign and she said that it is “an opportunity to invest in the future of healthcare and education excellence.”

“The Equipped for Tomorrow campaign will take us to the next level by providing equipment that doctors and nurses know they need to be able to heal people at the highest possible level and that is exciting to me,” Coale said.

Coale believes that a thriving community hospital is “integral in any community.”

“You don’t often think about your community hospital until your father has a stroke, your sister has a car accident, or your neighbor has a premature baby, then nothing matters more,” she shared. “When you live in a community with a fantastic hospital like we do, that gives you great peace of mind knowing you and your family can get the care they need close to home.

“We needed the beautiful buildings to house care, but we also need the best equipment to save lives.”

Two pieces of equipment to be purchased through this campaign will be firsts in Oklahoma. Norman Regional’s inpatient physical rehabilitation service will include a robotic body-weight support system called ZeroG Gait and Balance System. ZeroG helps therapists care for patients who are recovering from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other physical conditions, reducing the need for additional mechanical aids.

The second piece of groundbreaking technology is the addition of the CT (3D) Breast Specimen Imaging System – the Clarix Imaging VSI-360. This new technology will transform the way surgeries are per- formed by creating 3D images of the breast tissue, giving doctors a clear view of what’s happening inside the body.

“When surgeons can see every tiny detail of cancerous and/or healthy tissue during surgery both the patient and surgeon benefit,” Barnhart said.

In addition to these devices, the campaign will also fund other minimally invasive cancer diagnostic and treatment tools, infant warmers and state-of-the-art labor beds for the 2,500 plus babies born at Norman Regional each year. The final piece of the campaign is a renovation of the health system’s education center.

To learn more about the Equipped for Tomorrow campaign or to give, visit nrhfoundation.org/equipped_for_tomorrow.html – BSM

Have fun while doing good at the City of Norman's four-person scramble supporting the United Way of Norman!

The cost is $100 per person or $400 per foursome, and includes green fees, cart, range ball token, t-shirt, gift bag, breakfast, and lunch. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE!