This year’s Moose Jaw Health Foundation radiothon is focusing on fundraising for cardiac care equipment to ensure the hospital has the most current technology because “life can change in a heartbeat.”
The 18th annual 800 CHAB Family First Radiothon occurs Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3, at the Town ‘n’ Country Mall, with all funds supporting the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.
This year’s goal is $140,000; last year’s event raised more than $593,000, mainly due to a large planned giving gift. Overall, the event has raised over $5.4 million to support the Old Union Hospital and — since 2015 — the Wigmore.
The five machines the health foundation wants to purchase include:
- A LUCAS automated CPR machine for $16,000, which provides consistent, high-quality automated chest compressions and reduces the physical strain on the medical team, allowing them to focus on other aspects of patient care
- An ECG Mac 5500 machine for $22,000 to evaluate and understand heart health by recording the electrical activity of a patient’s heart and help medical professionals identify arrhythmias, heart attacks and other heart diseases
- A Holter monitor, which is a small, portable ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) device that continuously records the heart’s rhythms for 24 hours or longer while patients conduct their daily activities; this machine costs $14,000
- Medication carts for staff to organize, store and have quick access to life-saving medication for cardiac care patients’ needs; the hospital needs four totalling $50,000
- Patient stretchers that are comfortable, adaptable, lightweight and offer advanced mobility to ease physical strain on health professionals; the hospital requires six, totalling $30,000
“The radiothon has deep meaning for so many people … (because) it has affected tens of thousands of people in this community,” said Kelly McElree, executive director of the health foundation.
The event has benefited every square inch of the Wigmore hospital, while doctors, nurses and other health-care providers appreciate the donations residents make because that money supports patients, he continued.
“And this year, we’re focusing on cardiac care because life can change in a heartbeat … ,” McElree said. “And cardiac care is something only a hospital can deal with when life hangs in the balance like that.”
Every year, health-care professionals help more than 2,900 patients who experience a cardiac incident at the hospital, which translates into one episode every three hours, he pointed out. Other statistics show that heart disease is the No. 1 annual killer of Canadians, while nearly 3,000 Saskatchewanians die annually from heart attacks and strokes.
These incidents put a tremendous strain on staff attempting to address those needs while equipment wears out through continued usage, McElree said.
However, the LUCAS automated CPR machine — which doctors suggested the foundation purchase — is entirely new to the hospital and will be a “game-changer” for addressing the community’s needs.
“With every generation of technology, it gets a little better and it gets a little more precise, and that way, clinicians can make the best possible decisions to help people when they have the most accurate information (and) accurate monitoring,” said McElree.
Technology — and by extension, patient care — is always changing, which means the medical field must constantly remain vigilant to ensure it has the most cutting-edge equipment because those changes help save lives, he continued.
The health foundation appreciates all the donations — big or small — it receives from residents, clubs, businesses, corporations and other organizations because that support helps their friends and neighbours, said McElree.
“Everything at the radiothon will be (used) to the fullest extent to help cardiac patients and those experiencing cardiac issues … ,” McElree added. “The need is there; it’s always there.”
