Modern technology at the bedside is as important as good old fashioned bedside manners.
As the Critical Care Campaign (CCC) nears its $500,000 goal, the region's sickest patients are already benefitting from the project with new equipment that ups the point-of-care by lessening pain and stress.
The ongoing campaign used $60,000 from money raised to purchase a Sonosite Ultrasound, which is a portable machine that can literally see inside a patient right at the bedside.
“I have used this a lot in the past couple of days,” explained Dr. Scot Mountain, ICU director at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH). “It gives us instant information without needing to move patients, in an easy and pain free method.”
One probe allows the practitioner to see a patient's blood vessels so large intravenous lines, that can be critical for resuscitating patients, are inserted much quicker and more safely than the previous by-feel method.
Additionally, the ultrasound allows physicians to examine how organs, from the heart to the lungs and abdomen, are functioning. The immediate diagnostics help the doctor and care team make quick decisions in critical situations.
“Just this morning, I used the cardiac probe right at the bedside to look at the patient's heart,” Mountain noted. “The patient is on life support and removing him from ICU is a life threatening experience. Not having to do that because we have equipment at the bedside, makes a huge difference in our quality of care.”
After monitoring the patient's heart function, Mountain later used another probe to see inside that same patient's chest wall and abdomen to monitor for collections of fluid.
“There's less risk with causing damage if we can see exactly where the fluid is. Images we get from this ultrasound have much better clarity and are more concise, which improves our standard of care.”
The new ultrasound has already had a significant impact on the care team's ability to provide the best possible intervention for the facility's sickest patients.
“We are excited to be able to continue using it to work toward the best outcome for our critically ill patients.”
The Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Health Foundation launched the Critical Care Campaign in August 2013, with a goal to provide a higher quality of sustainable care to critically-ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Room and for the High Acuity Response Team.
The CCC was expected to last about two years, but donor generosity has the campaign at 85 per cent of its fundraising goal, or about $425,000 to date.
“The campaign is expected to be complete in January,” said Lisa Pasin, the health foundation's director.
“But we need your help during this holiday season to help us to reach our fundraising goal,” she continued.
“This campaign has been very positive for KBRH and the entire Kootenay Boundary as we have been able to purchase equipment throughout the campaign. Thus, providing immediate benefits for patients and health care workers receiving and administering care in the critical care departments.”
There's about $160,000 of new equipment on site and another $145,000 on order, said Pasin, noting that if donations exceed $500,000, all additional funds will remain in critical care to further purchase additional life saving equipment.
For more information and to donate, call the KBRH foundation at 364.3424 or email info@kbrhhealthfoundation.ca.
Formerly called the Trail Regional Hospital Foundation, the KBRH foundation is in its 26th year of raising money to advance health care in the Kootenay Boundary.
Foundation revenue, over $12 million to date, is generated through private and corporate donors.
Funding priorities include raising endowed gifts and annual funds to support health care equipment needs, staff education, and special initiatives to enhance health care through the Trail hospital and other Kootenay Boundary facilities.