Medical Continued - St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation
Medical Continued - St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation
Medical Continued - St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation
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Special Thanks to Our<br />
to Our<br />
Presenting<br />
Presenting<br />
Sponsors<br />
Sponsors<br />
Agfa HealthCare is extremely proud to sponsor the Niagara Health System Spring 2005 Campaign.<br />
As a long time partner, Agfa has assisted Niagara Health System deliver x-ray films and information<br />
to support the high quality care your patients have come to expect. In the near future, Agfa will be<br />
working very closely with Niagara Health System to design, install and implement a leading edge<br />
Picture Archive and Communications System (PACS). This regional solution will allow the partner<br />
<strong>Hospital</strong>s to seamlessly store x-ray images and information digitally and distribute this information<br />
throughout the network on display stations for review by caregivers. The benefits of the system will<br />
allow these caregivers to easily and securely review images and patient information, regardless of<br />
location. The improved access to images, reports and information will provide quicker exam results<br />
and increased efficiencies. Agfa believes strongly in the vision of the Niagara Health System and is<br />
excited to participate in this Campaign. For additional information, please refer to<br />
www.agfa.com/healthcare.<br />
Medtronic of Canada Ltd. is proud of its association with The <strong>St</strong>.<strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> to<br />
provide products, therapies, and services that enhance or extend the lives of people in the community.<br />
Medtronic's mission is to contribute to human welfare by the application of biomedical engineering<br />
in the research, design, manufacture and sale of products that alleviate pain, restore health and<br />
extend life. To find out more about our technology used to treat conditions such as heart disease,<br />
diabetes, spinal, urological, gastric and neurological disorders, ear, nose, throat and vascular illnesses,<br />
please visit www.medtronic.com.
Share<br />
our<br />
our stories<br />
“Lacking the necessary tools causes a huge snowball effect.”<br />
“We need to embrace technology if we’re going to keep up with<br />
patients needs.”“My nursing student can’t learn when we’re<br />
busy looking for equipment.”<br />
“Our monitors seem to be wearing out.”<br />
“I couldn’t tell you how old these family overnight cots are.”<br />
“It all comes down to money.”<br />
In a perfect world, everything we need would be at our fingertips.<br />
But sadly, this isn’t always the case in our hospitals. At the <strong>St</strong>.<br />
<strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>, 167,104 patients for the 2003/2004<br />
fiscal year walked through our doors (including Newborns,<br />
Inpatient & Outpatient Surgical cases, ER and Outpatient<br />
visits). Our health care professionals are making Niagara a better<br />
place to live utilizing best practices and advanced care<br />
techniques. Keeping up with the health care needs of our<br />
community isn’t easy. Having the right tools available at the<br />
right time is essential to their success and our well being.<br />
It remains a fact that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term<br />
Care does not provide funding for capital equipment needs. So,<br />
the generosity of the people who live in Niagara is our only<br />
hope of continuing to provide compassionate care. Our dedicated<br />
professionals may have cared for your friends, parents, siblings, and<br />
children. Someday, they may be caring for you too. Let’s hope they have<br />
what they need to provide you with the treatment and care you’ll need.<br />
We asked our nurses and allied health care workers for their views on health<br />
care provision. What we discovered was surprising and expected: they do<br />
the toughest job in the world, but handle us with gentle kindness when<br />
we’re in their care. They’re human too – sometimes frustrations show. But,<br />
they are pillars of strength when we need it most.<br />
Take some time to read about their stories of life, death, celebration, and<br />
sorrow. Not just the stories of their patients, but their own. The people in<br />
this booklet possess an instinctive knowledge that they’re needed in their<br />
work. The drive that comes from within isn’t something they question – that<br />
is who they are and what they do.<br />
We’re proud of our health care professionals, and we want you to be proud<br />
of them, too. Please help them care for us the best way they know how by<br />
helping to fund important equipment costs for the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
site of the Niagara Health System.<br />
Your gift does make a difference.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Sandra Wilkes, Executive Director<br />
The <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong>
Palliative<br />
Palliative<br />
Cathy Schwenker<br />
Some of us believe children choose their mothers long before they’re<br />
conceived. If that’s true, Katie Schwenker was one smart kid.<br />
Katie was only six when she died from a rare childhood cancer seven years<br />
ago. At four, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the<br />
nervous system. Mom, Cathy, and dad, Paul, “entered a nightmare.” Cathy<br />
had been a nurse for almost 20 years when she learned of her daughter’s<br />
terminal illness, but being a mother to a child with cancer opened her eyes<br />
wider than she ever imagined.<br />
“Before Katie got sick, I thought I was a good nurse, but today I’m a better<br />
nurse on a floor where I’m needed most.” Cathy feels her little girl’s<br />
presence strongly, and believes without a doubt that Katie guided her in her<br />
new role as a palliative care nurse. “I really feel her sending me a clear<br />
message that I’m supposed to work with the terminally ill.”<br />
Cathy embodies a spirit of compassion with her patients in the OMU (oncology<br />
medical unit), which also cares for a more general palliative care population.<br />
“End-of-life care is an important specialty,” she explains. “Pain control is the<br />
number one priority in making those last months or days as comfortable as<br />
possible.”<br />
PHOTO: Sonia Shennan & Cathy Schwenker<br />
She says when people are hurting emotionally and physically, it doesn’t help<br />
to see your nurse fiddling with equipment to make it work. “Equipment<br />
shouldn’t even be noticeable to the patient. They’re already worried about<br />
how everyone around them is dealing with their illness. The last thing they
should be concerned about is whether or not they’re getting<br />
enough pain medication through their IV.” “Katie used to say<br />
to me, ‘don’t be my nurse, be my mother,’” she laughs, admitting<br />
that was tough. “Paul and I have been blessed with the best<br />
kids in the world.” Their seasonal family business, a market on<br />
their grape farm, keeps them closely knit. “My ten year old,<br />
Haley, works the cash, and my 15 year old, John, is a huge help.”<br />
Her littlest, five year old Carley, diligently holds the responsibility<br />
of eating as much ice cream as possible.<br />
A uniquely strong and positive woman, Cathy knows Katie’s<br />
death wasn’t in vain. “In her short life, she made such a difference.<br />
She sends me peace and warmth that I feel on the inside.”<br />
People ask Sonia Shennan why she does it. “I build<br />
friendships with some great people,” she replies. Her job as a<br />
Registered Practical Nurse on <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong><br />
palliative/oncology unit can be draining to say the least. While<br />
the rewards may seem elusive to some, she reaps them with<br />
every patient and family she comes into contact with. “We<br />
even swap recipes,” she laughs.<br />
The kids will admit, sometimes mom gets a little grumpy after<br />
a long day at work. “But my daughter, Krystin, will tell me she’s<br />
proud of me, and I know she and her little brother,<br />
Cameron, understand how much energy goes into my job.” A single mother,<br />
Sonia’s been working hard for a year and a half toward earning her RN<br />
certification. She has another year-and-a-half to go.<br />
She says people open up to her easily. “There’s a more intimate contact on<br />
our unit,” she explains, “and it’s important for patients to be able to voice<br />
concerns and fears regarding their future and their family. We don’t see just<br />
an elderly population; in palliative/oncology we have a vast group of people<br />
of all ages needing end-of-life care. It can really hit home,” says Sonia.<br />
Recently, she cared for a co-worker during her last four days of life. That<br />
assignment was difficult at first, “but it was important to me to do my best<br />
to help keep her as comfortable as possible.” Caring for women of her own<br />
age requires strength, too. When she sees contemporaries with children<br />
and lives like hers, it awakens her compassion.<br />
“We try to make the family comfortable too,” she says. “I couldn’t tell you<br />
how old some of the overnight cots we use for family members must be.”<br />
Newer cots, electric beds with new mattresses to prevent pressure sores for<br />
patients, and blanket warmers would go a long way in providing quality<br />
end-of-life care.<br />
Between Super-momming and sympathetic nursing, Sonia says her children<br />
and her studies are a good distraction when things are tough. “But,” explains<br />
Sonia, “I truly love what I do.”<br />
Our region is home to the largest retirement population in<br />
the Province of Ontario and increasingly is a destination<br />
of choice for retirees looking to relocate.
Operating Room<br />
Joanne Harapiak<br />
Every day, Joanne Harapiak and a team of operating room personnel<br />
become the eyes, ears, and voice of their patients.<br />
A registered practical nurse since ’86, Joanne says she always knew she<br />
wanted to be a nurse. A native of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, from a large<br />
family (her grandmother had eighteen children), Joanne came to Ontario in<br />
search of work and began working on the medical and surgical units. She<br />
then transferred to a job preparing surgical instrumentation for the operating<br />
room. Seeing and handling the expensive hardware caught her attention<br />
and she pursued further education to become an RPN/OR technician.<br />
Joanne was fascinated by the array of tools, from the absolutely large to the<br />
practically microscopic. “You’d think we were building a house,” she laughs,<br />
“and you couldn’t begin to imagine the incredible numbers of everything<br />
needed.” Anticipating a potential sudden change in plans during surgery<br />
means having even more instruments nearby. “You need to focus in<br />
emergency situations in order to tune into the surgeon’s needs – and be<br />
ready to jump.” She explains it took her a long time to find her comfort<br />
zone, but now she’s confident and constantly gaining knowledge in the field.<br />
PHOTO: Joanne Harapiak & Jan Melville<br />
As an operating room nurse, Joanne has learned some unique intuitive<br />
skills, including picking up on the anxiety of the patient. “On a medical unit,<br />
you’re usually one-on-one with the patient. But here, you meet them, and<br />
soon they’re under anaesthetic. So you need to take the time before hand to<br />
connect with them and give them reassurance.” She says it’s surprising to<br />
see how much better the experience is for each patient when the effort is
made to introduce their healthcare team and say “we’ll take<br />
great care of you.”“In the OR,” says Joanne, “our primary<br />
concern is patient safety. It is a big responsibility caring for<br />
someone during surgery, plus we need more and more surgical<br />
equipment every day. The equipment suffers wear-and-tear<br />
just like anything else and with each new procedure we do, the<br />
need for new instruments and equipment is a growing concern.”<br />
She loves being part of a fast-moving, hardworking team. She<br />
says “we really work well together to provide the safest and<br />
best patient care possible in Niagara.” Joanne lives in <strong>St</strong>.<br />
<strong>Catharines</strong> with her husband David and their six year old son,<br />
Liam.<br />
Jan Melville<br />
“Roll with the punches. Laugh. <strong>St</strong>ay well-grounded at home.”<br />
That’s Jan Melville’s custom-tailored stress management<br />
program when it comes to achieving balance as an operating<br />
room nurse at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>.<br />
“I like the dynamics of the job, the people, the continuous<br />
change….you never know what’s coming.” While Jan, a<br />
registered nurse with peri-operative certification and a diploma<br />
from the Mack School of Nursing back in ’73, admits “a routine<br />
pace is nice once in awhile,” you can tell she’s the kind of lady<br />
who thrives in a fast-paced environment. “When you work in<br />
the OR, it’s important to realize your patients are feeling<br />
vulnerable prior to surgery. They’re very aware that their<br />
wellbeing is in your hands, and they need your reassurance as a health care<br />
professional.”<br />
Three years ago, the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> took on all Hotel Dieu’s general<br />
surgery. The impact on Jan and her colleagues in OR can seem overwhelming.<br />
“We realized we didn’t have enough elective time for our doctors to do<br />
surgeries from both sites. Besides time constraints, equipment was and is, a<br />
growing issue.” Searching for equipment delays the patient’s recovery and<br />
puts staff behind.<br />
And who gets caught in the crossfire, explaining to patients that what’s<br />
needed isn’t available? Nurses, of course. Arrangements have been made:<br />
kids stay with a sitter, employers provide time off work, family is enrolled to<br />
help out. Having to say “sorry, you’ll have to wait for your surgery,” is<br />
disappointing to the patient and frustrating for medical staff.<br />
“To be efficient we need the proper tools. Beds, laparoscopic equipment,<br />
and all kinds of instrumentation are a problem.” Jan often refers, with<br />
gratitude, to the decontamination room staff, those behind-the-scenes<br />
workers who clean and supply the OR with those tools as fast as possible.<br />
Jan knows more surgery is on the way, adding to a hefty workload. “As a<br />
nurse, you have to ask yourself, ‘what then?’” Right now, Jan and her<br />
colleagues do their best with the tools available, but the need is increasing.<br />
Jan has a healthy sense of humour which she cites as her strongest personal<br />
weapon against work-related pressure.<br />
“You need to keep your wits about you,” she says. “That way, there are no<br />
surprises and you’re able to second guess any potential challenges.”
<strong>Medical</strong> Assistant<br />
Tiffany Jadwiszczak is an energetic young woman. Good thing,<br />
because she needs to be on her toes, ready to perform a brand new juggling<br />
act every day.<br />
Tiffany got her medical terminology certificate and began working at the <strong>St</strong>.<br />
<strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> in 2003 as a registration clerk in the emergency<br />
room. The following year, she moved up to the surgical unit. The quick pace<br />
of the ER was good preparation for what lay ahead. “My job is big on<br />
multi-tasking,” she says. “I’m constantly up-and-down from my desk and my<br />
senses need to be attuned to what’s happening around me.”<br />
She processes physician’s orders for their patients both pre and post<br />
surgery. Electrocardiograms, x-rays, and CT scans on the technical end of<br />
patient care, and dietary, physiotherapy, and home-care planning on the<br />
more personal end of the scale. “I’m lucky to work as part of a highly-skilled<br />
team. Most of my time is spent working along side the charge nurse, and<br />
together we keep all the other departments informed on behalf of our unit.”<br />
While Tiffany acknowledges she thrives under pressure, she doesn’t enjoy<br />
the inconvenience of searching for appropriate job tools for herself and her<br />
colleagues. “Patient situations all come with their own dynamics, and sometimes<br />
your job involves addressing unique needs – calling in a Reverend in a<br />
life-threatening circumstance or finding counseling for the family. Their<br />
emotional health needs proper care, too.” She’d love to cross begging,<br />
borrowing, and stealing hospital equipment off her job description.<br />
PHOTO: Tiffany Jadwiszczak<br />
But her job, like almost every other multidisciplinary team member, is<br />
running a race against time. “When we lack enough of any piece of equipment,<br />
it causes a huge snowball effect. But the bottom line is, I love my job!”
Specials<br />
Specials<br />
Jean Diggins has an odd wish list. A new digital fluoroscopy machine,<br />
automatic blood pressure cuffs, and newer, lightweight lead aprons.<br />
When you’ve been a nurse for this long (Jean graduated in 1978) you quickly learn<br />
how important it is for the medical profession to remain on the cutting edge of<br />
advances in health care technology. “I work in the special procedures/breast<br />
screening unit at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong>,” she explains, adding that most of her<br />
work consists of procedures like angiograms and angioplasties which diagnose and<br />
clear life-threatening blockages for patients with peripheral vascular disease.<br />
“We know it can be scary, so we always do a lot of talking with the patient, answering<br />
questions and providing support.” She believes patients pick up on your confidence<br />
as a nurse. The comfort level Jean enjoys in her job helps ease anxious nerves and<br />
the concerns of friends and family. She says it’s critical to explain the procedure in<br />
detail, because the more the patient understands, the better the overall experience<br />
for all involved.<br />
The <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> is the only health institution in Niagara providing<br />
special procedures to the community. As an attractive location for retirement,<br />
Niagara brings an aging population. Jean says she’s seeing an increase in vascular<br />
procedures through that unit. That means that any technological needs of the<br />
special procedures/breast screening unit must include the newest, fastest, and best<br />
equipment. Precious time is lost – with significant impact on the patient’s outcome<br />
– when the machine depended upon doesn’t work properly, or isn’t available.<br />
PHOTO: Jean Diggins<br />
Like many nurses, health care is a vocation woven heavily throughout her family.<br />
“My kids will be 13 and 15 this year,” she says, “and they’re talking about becoming<br />
doctors.” She says she’s fully prepared to support them if they do pursue the medical<br />
profession. If they’re anything like mom, they’ll play an important role in the future<br />
health of the people of Niagara.
Special Care/Paediatrics<br />
Helene Wiinholt decided in grade six she’d be a nurse, period.<br />
That little girl spent the next 15 years in anticipation of what she always<br />
knew she was meant to do. In 1974, she finally realized her dream and began<br />
her nursing career.<br />
She gets to care for little bundles of joy every day. “I love ‘em. I always feel<br />
the appreciation of new moms and dads,” she says. Her ward, the Special<br />
Care Nursery at SCGH, takes care of babies “who aren’t one hundred<br />
percent,” she explains. “Preemies, generally unwell, unstable at birth – the<br />
healthy babies are with the best caregiver suited to them – their mom. To<br />
me, every single one is precious.”<br />
Helene is one of eight full-time nurses. “Like any workplace, it isn’t always<br />
perfect, but we get along well together. We know we need to depend on<br />
each other to provide the best care.” Unfortunately, the technical needs of<br />
their unit aren’t always met. “Our monitors are wearing out. We spend far<br />
too much time trying to get them to work. If the machine isn’t working right,<br />
you’re nursing the machine not the baby, and it sets you back when you<br />
could be comforting another child, or helping a new mother learn to breastfeed.”<br />
PHOTO: Beth Farr & Helene Wiinholt<br />
A true nurturer at heart, Helene has chosen her life path wisely. “I always<br />
joke, ‘to think I get paid to do this!’ I get to hold these tiny little babies -<br />
they’re perfect.” But the job is frustrating when time is spent searching for<br />
proper tools that should be at her fingertips - “like the radiant warmers<br />
(open beds with a heat source at the top) we put all new admissions in,” she<br />
says. “Once a baby is stabilized, it’s moved to an isolette, but those radiant<br />
warmers are sometimes in short supply when admissions are high.”
She’s enjoyed friendships with families over the years, too.<br />
“I’ve watched some of the babies grow, and I’ve seen loss.” She<br />
continues a special relationship with a family who lost one<br />
child, but Helene was fortunate to share the birth of the<br />
couple’s next two children. “I’ve learned grief and love through<br />
my relationship with the family, and I feel lucky to have been<br />
able to support them through the difficult times.”<br />
Beth Farr<br />
“I see my job as making the tough times a little more bearable,”<br />
says registered practical nurse, Beth Farr, who works in the<br />
Paediatrics Unit at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>.<br />
She was happily working on a medical unit when the opportunity<br />
was presented to join the Paediatric Unit. “I felt really out of<br />
my element in paediatrics at first,” she says, “but I get so many<br />
rewards from the kids. It’s great when you hear them call you<br />
‘their’ nurse or give you a hug.” She says if she can’t completely<br />
alleviate their fears, she knows she can at least be there to listen<br />
or provide support to them and to their parents. “Bedside manner,<br />
kids and parents; professional care – it’s all one package.”<br />
Beth, who graduated in 1969 and left nursing between ’75 and<br />
’84, remembers one family that had a permanent impact on<br />
her. “The little girl had spina bifida,” she explains, “and we<br />
nurses always babied her. But her stepmom and father treated<br />
her just like anyone else – including punishment for poor behaviour if<br />
necessary. It took strength for them to raise her that way, but in the long<br />
run it made her stronger.” Beth believes families who experience the illness<br />
of a child develop a greater closeness and an indestructible support unit.<br />
“Their network is so strong and they built it all on their own.”<br />
Knowing the ordeal families experience when a child is hospitalized, Beth<br />
tries to complete all tasks in as few visits to the child’s room as possible.<br />
“Unfortunately, when equipment is in short supply, I waste time walking<br />
around, searching for it. I should be able to do a head-to-toe assessment in<br />
one visit,” says Beth. If the child falls asleep, I have to wake him/her up to<br />
complete the assessment.” Beth knows it can reflect badly on her and her<br />
profession, while making moms and dads more anxious.<br />
“I love my work,” she laughs. “but the list of needs is only growing – from<br />
cardiac monitors to sleep-chairs for parents. We could be so much more<br />
effective with the right equipment.”<br />
<strong>Hospital</strong> buildings across Niagara are old and out-dated.
<strong>Medical</strong><br />
<strong>Medical</strong><br />
Chris Watterson has been a nurse on the same ward for 26 years.<br />
She’s just one shining example of hundreds of men and women who’ve made<br />
the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> the lucky recipient of their dedication to<br />
nursing.<br />
Fifty nurses work on C3E, a combined medical unit caring for a wide population;<br />
stroke survivors, people with diabetes, palliative care. Everyone<br />
knows everything about everybody here,” she laughs. “Children, family,<br />
sometimes our troubles…we’re a pretty tight group.”<br />
Most of us know at least one nurse in our circle of friends and family. But<br />
do we really understand what nurses face on a day-to-day basis as we leave<br />
our cherished loved ones in their hands? What drives a nurse to excel when<br />
the possibility of sorrow and loss looms?<br />
“I learn so much from patients and families,” explains Chris, who’s been the<br />
unit charge nurse for the past 15 years. “If there’s one thing I could help<br />
others appreciate, it would be that while nurses share your concern for<br />
quality of care, we have a professional understanding of patient needs,<br />
including solitude, rest, or medication.”<br />
PHOTO: Julie Hunter, Chris Watterson & Jennifer Newhouse<br />
Too frequently, Chris takes precious time out to look for IV poles, monitors<br />
and blood pressure equipment. “Every minute we spend away from the<br />
patient impacts his/her health,” Chris says. “Automatic beds that rise and<br />
lower easily, with IV poles attached, would make a world of difference to<br />
everyone – to nurses, because we don’t have to take time away from pressing<br />
tasks to adjust the bed; to the patient, because he/she rests better; and
to the family, because they can operate the controls easily.”<br />
She’s seen the helpless expressions on the faces of family who<br />
want to do something – anything – to help. Making the patient<br />
comfortable without ringing the nurse makes visits much easier.<br />
Chris remembers hundreds of special experiences, but one in<br />
particular stands out. Years ago, she cared for a terminally ill<br />
patient for a great length of time. She became close to the family<br />
through the ordeal of watching their loved one suffer and she<br />
continues a rewarding relationship with them today.<br />
“Observing how families pull together during tough times is so<br />
inspiring,” she says.<br />
So is watching a nurse like Chris Watterson do her job with the<br />
compassion and care the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> is known for.<br />
Jennifer Newhouse<br />
You’de better catch Jennifer Newhouse on the fly, because<br />
that’s the only way to reach her unless you’re a patient on her<br />
ward.<br />
At 33, Jennifer, a busy mom working as a registered practical<br />
nurse on the medical ward at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
<strong>Hospital</strong> since graduating in 1994, says she and her colleagues<br />
“see it all on this unit – psychiatric patients, pregnant women,<br />
children, the elderly” – and this description only skims the<br />
surface of the population.<br />
“I can enjoy a good, productive day when I’m able to do my job properly.”<br />
But if Jennifer doesn’t have the right equipment (and very often it’s the little<br />
things that she spends valuable time looking for) she is unable to perform to<br />
the best of her professional ability; a frustration for a dynamic woman like<br />
Jennifer.<br />
“Even things like thermometers and pillows are in short supply,” she<br />
explains. She’s often busy searching for the proverbial needle-in-ahaystack<br />
when what she really wants to do is provide compassionate care to<br />
her patients, while concerned family and friends do what they can to<br />
provide physical comfort for their loved ones.<br />
Initially, Jennifer had very different career ambitions. “I was set on pursuing<br />
the sciences – chemistry and forensics – and I used nursing as the first step<br />
toward my goal.” But she says she got sidetracked eleven years ago when<br />
she began working for the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>, where she’s been<br />
ever since. “I still have ambitions to go back to school, but right now, nursing<br />
is what works best for me.”<br />
It doesn’t take long to realize Jennifer’s a get-to-the-point kind of person.<br />
One could easily imagine her being a strong advocate for her patients, offering<br />
strength and an honest approach to patient care when it’s needed most.<br />
“For me, the biggest reward is seeing our patients go home. Then, I know I’ve<br />
done my job.”<br />
Niagara residents’ rate of dialysis 30% higher than provincial average.
<strong>Medical</strong> <strong>Continued</strong><br />
Julie Hunter<br />
It’s always the little things that make the biggest difference.<br />
<strong>Medical</strong> unit RN, Julie Hunter, will attest to that. “Helping an<br />
elderly person bathe, brushing a patient’s hair, helping with<br />
oral care….for me, that’s a good day at work.” Unfortunately,<br />
it’s a rare occasion for her and a luxury for the patients on the<br />
medical unit where she works. While her initial plan was to<br />
teach (“I love kids,” she says repeatedly), she followed in her<br />
mother’s footsteps and pursued nursing as a compromise, hoping<br />
to find employment on a pediatric unit. Her previous<br />
experience in long-term care is important to her in her present<br />
position. “We see all kinds of patients here and the patient<br />
turnover can be quick.”<br />
Ideally, Julie would spend more time with her patients, listening<br />
to their concerns and simply providing companionship. But the<br />
administrative responsibilities keep her hopping all day long.<br />
“The workload is heavy and equipment is in short supply.” She<br />
says simple items like manual blood pressure cuffs,<br />
stethoscopes, and new medical carts would make the day so<br />
much more productive. “I have a nursing student working with me<br />
right now,” she says, “and the amount of time we spend looking for equipment<br />
gets in the way of her training!”<br />
A mom with two small girls at home, Julie emphasizes the importance of<br />
children in her life. She thinks back to an experience with a little boy who<br />
had cerebral palsy. “I cared for him at home for more than a year. That boy<br />
and his family became special to me,” she says. Another reward for Julie<br />
involved seeing a single mother give birth to a baby boy, possibly heading<br />
into a life of uncertainty. Now, she sees them around town from time to<br />
time, both thriving and happy.<br />
A thank you card or gift from a patient….a little boy with special needs or a<br />
new baby entering the world….those are the “little things” that make nursing at<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> worthwhile for Julie Hunter.<br />
Niagara’s socio-economic status clearly demonstrates that<br />
we are a population at risk of poor health status.
Emergency Room<br />
Jeff Farquharson calls himself a “weekend worker.” Talk about an<br />
understatement.<br />
Jeff is referring to his job as a registered nurse in the emergency room at the<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>. But if you take a look at a week in the life<br />
of Jeff, you’ll see he’s a dedicated professional caregiver every single day.<br />
With his hands full on weekdays with his daughters, 18 months and four<br />
years old, his wife is able to work full time as a high school teacher while Jeff<br />
works Friday to Sunday every single week. “It’s an arrangement that works<br />
really well for us right now,” he says.<br />
Days at work are like snowflakes. “No two days are ever the same,” Jeff<br />
explains, “and we’re incredibly busy. Services recently transferred to <strong>St</strong>.<br />
<strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> from the Hotel Dieu have resulted in an increased number<br />
of patients, many of whom are very sick people with severe needs.” For Jeff,<br />
it means tighter timelines and juggling of regular duties while continuing to<br />
provide compassion and comfort at the bedside. “We don’t see an end in<br />
sight just yet,” he says.<br />
“Recently, we were given the gift of some superior equipment, but there’s<br />
still an enormous need. I’d like to see new mattresses for one,” Jeff says.<br />
“Wheelchairs have parts missing, stretchers are often in short supply, and IV<br />
pumps are a never-ending need.” Jeff says while he likes his job, it’s tough<br />
to provide the highest quality of care when the tools aren’t available.<br />
PHOTO: Jeff Farquharson<br />
“I think my strength is connecting with people. My colleagues will come to<br />
me for help with special patient situations, because I’m pretty personable,”<br />
explains Jeff. “Whenever I can help save a life as part of the team, I’m<br />
inspired.”
IntensiveCareUnit<br />
People say Garry Navin-Barker has “a way” with patients.<br />
He’s often sought after by colleagues to handle situations where the patient<br />
could benefit from his unique personal approach. Laughter comes easily to<br />
him, and when you hear it you can’t help but laugh yourself. “I think I’m a<br />
positive person,” he says. “I see being personable as an integral part of the<br />
job.” Of his twenty years in nursing exclusively for the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong>, he says “it doesn’t seem possible I’ve been here that long! I love my job.”<br />
Garry knows he can’t afford to be frustrated while on duty - it carries<br />
through to patient care. “When that happens, you don’t get to know the<br />
person. I make it a practice to make simple conversation and ask ‘how long<br />
have you lived here? Got any kids?’ That type of approach helps the nurse<br />
and the patient, one hundred percent.”<br />
His work in the ICU involves caring for critically-ill patients hooked up to a<br />
myriad of tubes, monitors, and other apparatus. Looking past the equipment<br />
to the person behind it helps Garry connect with patient and family. “It’s<br />
hard for people to see their loved ones like that. If they’ve been in a coma<br />
or ill for a long time, they might not look like they used to.” His sense of<br />
humour has helped ease many heavy hearts, whether it’s the person receiving<br />
care or someone who cares about them.<br />
PHOTO: Maryke Durrant & Garry Navin-Barker<br />
He wishes there were more glucose monitors, IV pressure lines with<br />
pressure bags and cables to help him do his job more efficiently. “I can’t say<br />
I’ve never had a day when I’ve become outwardly frustrated. Sometimes it<br />
has to show.” But his naturally positive attitude gives the impression that<br />
any bad mood Garry has will not last long. <strong>St</strong>ill, not having adequate<br />
supplies or tools is a daily dilemma.
“I had the opportunity to take employment elsewhere last<br />
year, but at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>, I enjoy<br />
twenty-year friendships,” he laughs. This fall, he’ll travel to<br />
Europe with twelve friends, some of them colleagues.<br />
We’ll all be in hospital someday. Wouldn’t a nurse like Garry<br />
Navin-Barker be a perfect prescription for what ails you?<br />
Maryke Durrant<br />
“How do we achieve life-work balance? We are good to – and<br />
with – each other. I’m very sincere about that,” says Maryke<br />
Durrant, a CCRN (critical care registered nurse) in the intensive<br />
care and progressive care units at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong>. “I’m<br />
proud of our team and its strength. You go where your help is<br />
required by your colleagues and pull together.”<br />
Maryke is one of two charge nurses on her unit. She says the<br />
field of healthcare in ICU has “broadened and deepened. The<br />
nurse’s role in intensive care is larger than ever, with medications<br />
constantly changing and remaining abreast of best practices”<br />
she explains. “We all take workshops and courses on our own<br />
time. All our nurses are incredibly dedicated.”<br />
Maryke says when you’re on an ICU team, you have more<br />
control over the patient’s care than in other areas of the hospital.<br />
“The nurses are very involved with the physicians and the rest<br />
of the team.” <strong>St</strong>rides in ICU research have impacted the jobs of healthcare<br />
professionals in a way that’s made people like Maryke busier than ever<br />
before. “For example, we know now and more than in the past, that it<br />
benefits the patient when we ventilate them earlier,” she says. That, and<br />
similar evidence, translates into more regular duties to be done in the same<br />
12-hour shift.<br />
But when emotions are running high in a unit where the patients are<br />
critically ill, it’s important to keep tabs on any messages you might be<br />
inadvertently giving to the patient or visitors. “If a monitor goes down and<br />
you can’t assess the cardiac rhythm, the family can feel your stress.” If<br />
you’ve ever had a loved one in hospital and heard a mere beep, you<br />
understand how such a tiny noise can wreak havoc with your nerves. “We<br />
try to be professional, and not give the impression that the situation is a bad<br />
one.” Ideally, Maryke and her staff would like to have enough of the best<br />
monitors to eradicate the problem.<br />
She can’t say enough about her team. “I really have to express my gratitude<br />
for the dedication of staff. The whole multidisciplinary team approach –<br />
physio, social workers, dieticians, and of course nurses and doctors – that’s<br />
what makes it work as well as it does. It all results in very well-rounded<br />
care.”<br />
Cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death for residents<br />
of Niagara with age-adjusted mortality due to heart disease<br />
19% higher than provincial average.
Laboratory<br />
Laboratory<br />
SharonMcMillan’s passion is blood.<br />
Don’t be spooked – she’s just one of those people who really enjoys her job.<br />
“There’s nothing more rewarding in the midst of a trauma – accident,<br />
surgery, or whatever the situation – than to know you’ve made a difference,”<br />
she says. “There’s no margin for error. You either get it right or it’s<br />
wrong.”<br />
To say Sharon’s job as a medical laboratory technologist (MLT) for the past<br />
33 years is important is just a tad understated. “In transfusion medicine,<br />
we’re regulated beyond any other department. There’s a huge lack of<br />
knowledge of what we do and the role we play,” she says, explaining 70<br />
percent of the average patient’s chart consists of laboratory results. “Our<br />
unit is very heavily depended upon, and if we couldn’t provide service in a<br />
timely fashion, the impact on the patient could be deadly.” She says a good<br />
day includes having time to think about what you’re doing and give it your<br />
best. “The bad ones,” she says, “are when it’s so busy the day is a blur. I go<br />
on auto-pilot and after I get home, I think, ‘how did I get through the day’?<br />
In transfusion medicine, a “centrifuge,” those machines that spin tubes of<br />
blood to separate its components, gets an inconceivable amount of daily<br />
use. Sharon says new, state-of-the-art centrifuges are a critical need in her<br />
lab. “New advances in centrifuge technology use a gel system for antibody<br />
screening,” she explains. “It eliminates subjectivity and offers a much more<br />
standardized approach.” It’s this calibre of capital equipment that makes the<br />
difference in the patient’s experience while in hospital.<br />
PHOTO: Sharon McMillan<br />
“If the technology isn’t working right,” Sharon says, “it’s easy to be embarrassed.<br />
We all want to do a good job, and the skills of our multidisciplinary teams at<br />
the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> are exemplary. But it all comes down to money.”
iopsies), and biochemistry (serum, blood, urine, and all other body fluids<br />
including spinal fluid). It sounds cold and clinical, but Patricia’s work ethic<br />
involves the same compassionate care SCGH health professionals are known<br />
for. Alleviating feelings of helplessness by keeping patients informed, and<br />
embodying the “do unto others” philosophy is Patricia’s style.<br />
Continually upgrading equipment, a necessity in order to treat patients in a<br />
timely and thorough manner, means continuing education for Patricia and<br />
her colleagues. “Sometimes we travel a fair distance to get the best training<br />
possible. Two of our staff will visit the U.S. in the near future to learn how<br />
to operate some of our newer tools.” She loves the fact that there’s no<br />
opportunity for boredom. “Every day presents new challenges” she says.<br />
PHOTO: Patricia Lumyoung<br />
Patricia Lumyoung never forgets what it’s like to be a<br />
patient.<br />
She’s a registered general medical lab technologist at the <strong>St</strong>.<br />
<strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong>. Her specialization includes<br />
phlebotomy and hematology (blood work), transfusion<br />
medicine, microbiology, histology (tissue samples from<br />
Words like flame photometry and atomic absorption have been replaced<br />
over time with more progressive equipment names like “fusion” and<br />
“enhanced chemilluminescence immuno-technology” (ECI). Regular<br />
upgrades are a reality, and so are rising capital costs. Higher testing<br />
capabilities for measurement and diagnosis get more patients through the<br />
laboratory more efficiently. “Without lab work completed as per the<br />
doctor’s orders, no treatment can be administered,” explains Patricia “We<br />
need to communicate clearly and move quickly.”<br />
“Our whole society has become all about speed,” notes Patricia.<br />
“Healthcare’s certainly no exception. We need to embrace the future of<br />
technology if we’re going to be able to keep up with the needs of our<br />
patients and our community.”<br />
Niagara residents are over-reliant on local hospitals<br />
due to inadequate access to primary care.
Laboratory<strong>Continued</strong><br />
JuanitaCuizon<br />
It’s obvious you can’t get blood from a stone. But you’d be amazed how much blood<br />
can be taken from a single human being.<br />
Juanita Cuizon is a medical laboratory assistant in the core lab at the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong>. “Sometimes after taking the fourth or fifth sample people ask ‘why do you<br />
need so much blood?’ If they’re already nervous about needles, it helps to keep up<br />
friendly conversation and they appreciate the distraction.” She graduated in 1974<br />
back home in the Philippines, and in ’86 arrived in Canada wide-eyed and anxious<br />
to start fresh.<br />
Juanita’s young daughter, thirteen year old Carmelle is interested in becoming a<br />
doctor. If she follows that path she’ll be one of many in Juanita’s family who have<br />
entered the medical field.<br />
Juanita’s job is two-pronged. “One part of the job involves taking samples on the<br />
units as ordered by the physicians. The other part is ‘benchwork’ – sorting blood to<br />
send to other laboratories for further testing.” While she doesn’t work closely with<br />
physicians, her role is integral to the course of treatment for each patient.<br />
For Juanita’s department to excel, she says “we need to maintain the equipment we<br />
have. Repairs are costly and can’t always be done in a timely fashion.” Replacing<br />
machines can be even more expensive. “Recently, one of our centrifuges broke<br />
down. We simply can’t work without it, so while we scramble to get the problem<br />
fixed, we fall behind.”<br />
PHOTO: Juanita Cuizon<br />
“It’s all about the patient,” explains Juanita. “We’re always looking for ways to<br />
refine the testing process – less discomfort, fewer repeat tests – they need their<br />
rest. Sometimes, I really feel for them.”
Capital Equipment Wish List 2005/2006<br />
List<br />
Cardiac Monitored Care<br />
1) Intravenous Infusion Pumps (12 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000<br />
Operating Room<br />
2) 70 degree Cystocopes (2 @ $3,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000<br />
3) Electric Operating Room Radiolucent X-Ray Table . . . . .$65,000<br />
4) Infusion Pumps for I.V. Anaesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000<br />
5) Paediatric Fish Mouth Esophagoscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000<br />
6) Tourniquet System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,500<br />
7) Complete Set of Telescopes for Nasal & Paranasal Diagnosis . . .<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
8) Epidural Pump (4 @ $5,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,200<br />
9) TVT Introducer and Catheter Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000<br />
10) Digital Mobile C-Arm Vascular Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000<br />
11) Dental Fracture Set (3 @ $5,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000<br />
12) Fluoroscopic Image Intensifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$200,000<br />
13) Adult Flexible Bronchoscope & Biopsy Forcep. . . . . . . . .$30,000<br />
14) Arthroscopic Knee Set (3 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000<br />
15) Dental Drill (2 @ $5,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000<br />
16) Endoscopic Bi-Polar Suction Cautery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000<br />
17) Facelift Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000<br />
18) Padded <strong>St</strong>irrups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
19) Endovascular Surgical Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000<br />
20) Hemoglobin Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
21) Thermal/Microwave Ablation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$18,000<br />
22) Laparoscopic Instrumentation (3 @ $150,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$450,000<br />
Recovery Room<br />
23) Pump for I.V. Anaesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000<br />
24) Gomco Suctions (2 @ 2,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000<br />
25) Monitors (3 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000<br />
26) Pain Pumps (4 @ $5,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,200<br />
27) Portable Nerve <strong>St</strong>imulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
Mental Health<br />
28) Spot Vital Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200<br />
Day <strong>St</strong>ay Surgery<br />
29) Abbott Pump (2 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000<br />
30) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200<br />
31) High and Low <strong>St</strong>retchers (2 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000
Capital Wish List 2005/2006<br />
List<br />
Endoscopy<br />
32) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff (2 @ $5,200) . . . . . . . . . . .$10,400<br />
33) Paediatric Gastroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
34) Video Colonoscope (3 @ $36,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$108,000<br />
35) Video Gastroscope (2 @ $33,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$66,000<br />
36) Dual Access Video Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$43,000<br />
√Intensive Care Unit<br />
37) Intravenous Infusion Pump (12 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000<br />
38) Automatic BP Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200<br />
Special Care Nursery<br />
39) Air Shields Isolette (6 @ $30,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$180,000<br />
40) Hill-Rom Radiant Warmer (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
41) Sigma I.V. Pump (9 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36,000<br />
42) SpaceLab Cardiorespiratory SP01 & BP Monitor (2 @ $20,000) . . .<br />
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
Labour /Delivery/Peri-Natal<br />
43) Anaesthetic Machine (2 @ $115,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$230,000<br />
44) Birthing Bed (4 @ $25,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000<br />
45) Electric Thermometer (19 @ $500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,500<br />
46) Glide Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,800<br />
47) Fetal Monitor (4 @ $15,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000<br />
48) I.V. Pump (4 @ $3,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,000<br />
49) I.V. Pump (10 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
Paediatrics<br />
50) I.V. Pump (10 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
51) SpaceLab Cardiorespiratory Monitor (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
52) Resuscitation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500<br />
Emergency Room<br />
53) Air Puff Tonometer (4 @ $1,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000<br />
54) Double I.V. Infusion Pump (2 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000<br />
55) Double I.V. Infusion Pump with Poles (4 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,000<br />
56) Glidescope Video Intubation System (2 @ $7,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,600<br />
57) I.V. Infusion Pump (6 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,000<br />
58) Mechanical PT Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,500<br />
59) Single I.V. Infusion Pump with Poles (6 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,000<br />
60) <strong>St</strong>retcher (8 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000<br />
Laboratory<br />
61) Blood Fridge with Monitor for the OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000<br />
62) Centrifuge for Cytology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,000<br />
63) Cytospin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000<br />
64) Freezer for Main Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,000<br />
65) Immunohematology System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,600
66) Microscope for Hematology Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000<br />
67) UPS for Coagulation Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000<br />
68) Plasma Thawing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000<br />
69) Pathologists Microscope (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
Diagnostic Imaging<br />
70) Digital Gastric Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$700,000<br />
71) Portable Fluoro for OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$110,000<br />
72) Portable X-Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$55,000<br />
73) <strong>St</strong>retcher (5 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000<br />
74) Digital Fluoro Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$850,000<br />
Nuclear Medicine<br />
75) Dose Calibrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000<br />
76) <strong>St</strong>retcher with Hydraulics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000<br />
Cardiology<br />
77) Echocardiography Machine with Probes/Transducers . .$300,000<br />
78) Echo-<strong>St</strong>retcher (3 @ $15,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000<br />
79) Electrocardiography Machine, Cart, Cable/Electrodes etc. $15,000<br />
80) Event Recorder, Cables & Monitor Recorder & Cables . . .$17,000<br />
81) <strong>Medical</strong> Grade VCR and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,000<br />
82) Regional ECG Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$400,000<br />
83) Echo Unit, TEE probe, Digital Workstation . . . . . . . . . . .$300,000<br />
Respiratory<br />
84) Bipap Machine (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000<br />
85) Defibrillator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
86) Infant Ventilator, Blender, Heated Humidifier, Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
87) Portable Ventilator, <strong>St</strong>and, Circuit, Batteries, Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$300,000<br />
88) Pulmonary Function System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000<br />
89) Oximeter and Printer with Appropriate Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy<br />
90) Ultrasound Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000<br />
91) Wheelchair (12 @ $2,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000<br />
92) Space Saver <strong>St</strong>aircase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000<br />
<strong>Medical</strong>/Palliative/Oncology<br />
93) IV Infusion Pump (20 @ $ 4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$80,000<br />
94) <strong>St</strong>retcher with up/down capabilities (2 @ $7,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,000<br />
95) BP Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000<br />
96) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff (4 @ $5,200) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,800<br />
97) External Pacemaker Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,600<br />
98) Electric Bed (5 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000
The <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong><br />
<strong>Foundation</strong> is a non-profit fund raising<br />
organization that supports the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong> site of the Niagara Health System, in<br />
its efforts to secure innovative health care<br />
equipment, state-of-the-art technology and<br />
modern facilities. Special thanks to Ashley<br />
Harris, Aleigh Jensen, <strong>St</strong>ephen Dominick<br />
<strong>St</strong>udio, Spiral Graphics and to all who have<br />
participated.<br />
THE ST. CATHARINES<br />
GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION<br />
Inquiries please call 905-323-FUND (3863)<br />
The <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong><br />
142 Queenston <strong>St</strong>reet<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Catharines</strong>, Ontario L2R 7C6<br />
Website: www.scghfoundation.com • Email: info@scghfoundation.com