Left to right: Bonnie Wilkie, NICU Nurse Educator Dr Jill Boulton, Neonatologist Doug Rankmore, CEO KGH Foundation Christine Johnson.
Image Credit: Contributed/KGH Foundation
September 01, 2016 - 2:45 PM
KELOWNA - Pacific Blue Cross presented a cheque for $10,000 to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation recently to support a very special piece of equipment designed to ensure the safety of the region’s smallest, most vulnerable infants.
The donation, presented by Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation board member Christine Johnson, represents the organization’s commitment to supporting the health care needs of British Columbians across the province.
In this case, the funds will be directed towards the purchase of a new digital imaging plate for Kelowna General Hospital’s Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This state-of-the-art piece of equipment fits in an incubator and allows the medical care team to instantly view a baby’s lung development, a critical indicator of a premature infant’s vitality. Without this plate, an x-ray can take up fifteen minutes to process, a long wait for a fragile newborn facing respiratory distress.
“We are thrilled to be able to support the recovery of these tiny babies in a meaningful way,” Johnson said. “As a mother, I know how helpless it feels when your baby is sick. Our hope is that this equipment will provide for a safer environment for premature babies, and increased peace of mind for their parents and families.”
“New technology is vital to modern neo-natal care,” Doug Rankmore, KGH Foundation CEO said. “The impact of the Pacific Blue Cross gift is really immeasurable; it will literally save lives.”
The NICU is part of the newly expanded Perinatal unit at KGH, which opened March 6, 2016 on the fourth floor of the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre.
The NICU provides care for acutely ill and premature infants born as young as 30 weeks. Through its Giving Giggles campaign, the KGH Foundation continues its commitment to raise $3 million in funds to transform the unit into the most advanced in the region.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016