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Vernon hospital respiratory team breathing easier with new ventilators

VJH Foundation Light a Bulb campaign raises funds for two new pieces of respirator equipment and more
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Vernon Jubliee Hospital respiratory therapy team members Carrie Garrod (from left), Paula Mawryczew, Evan Tilt and Alesha Miller are overjoyed to have received two new ventilators courtesy of the 2021 Light a Bulb holiday campaign. (VJH Foundation Photo)

The Christmas tree on the roof of Vernon Jubilee Hospital is no longer lit but the impact of the 2021 Light a Bulb campaign is still shining bright.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of residents in the North Okanagan the hospital is acquiring two new ventilators for the respiratory department as well as much needed testing equipment. Additionally, because the holiday fundraising campaign was so successful, extra priorities within the hospital are also being supported.

The 34th annual Light a Bulb holiday campaign raised more than $441,500.

“It is with great excitement and gratitude that we’re receiving two new portable digital X-ray units. These machines will be used on all wards throughout the hospital on patients who are too sick or injured to be transported to the imaging department,” stated Travis Thompson, professional practice lead, medical imaging.

“With traditional X-rays a technologist has to leave a patient’s bedside to have an image processed in the department which can take up to 10 minutes. However, digital X-rays only take five seconds to process and can be done at the bedside, resulting in higher efficiency and more patients being imaged per day.”

These state-of-the-art units, which offer higher resolution and more detailed images for physicians to make their prognosis from, are replacing older outdated machines throughout the hospital.

One will be used exclusively in the Intensive Care Unit department, helping to expedite X-rays on the most critically ill patients, with the other machine being shared across all patient wards.

“Expediting patient care is our priority and the efficiencies for our medical teams makes this news doubly exciting,” said Michael Kinghorn, VJH Foundation president and 2021 Light a Bulb campaign chair.

“Thanks to the generous support from our North Okanagan communities we’ve had the most successful Light-A-Bulb in the history of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation. We couldn’t have done it without the amazing community that I am so proud to call home.”

READ MORE: New tree signals start of VJH Light a Bulb campaign

READ MORE: Vernon hospital welcomes new elf for Light a Bulb campaign

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