Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (Soldiers’) is able to purchase new equipment and increase patient care, thanks to a successful community fundraising campaign.
Giving Tuesday is an annual celebration that encourages communities to give back in support of organizations in need. The community exceeded all expectations and raised a total of $65,210, surpassing this year’s fundraising goal.
“Giving Tuesday is a great example of how we come together as one community to improve health and wellbeing,” said Carmine Stumpo, President and CEO of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. “The donations we’ve received help the patients we serve, their families, and caregivers.”
A total of $40,165 was raised through community donations. Donations were collected online, in person and over the phone. 89.1 MAX FM dedicated the day to Soldiers’ and dedicated hospital staff members spoke about their experiences.
Orillia Home Hardware Building Centre gave Soldiers’ $25,000 to match donations, as well as collecting $1,000 in donations at their cash registers.
A portion of the money raised will be used to purchase five new sleeper chairs for the Hospital. The reclining chairs will be given to the IMRS, PAEDs, and Obstetrics departments to provide comfort to extended visitors.
The sleeper chairs will be especially helpful in the Paediatric department. The unprecedented surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Influenza (the flu) patients has affected capacity.
These new chairs will provide parents and guardians with a place to rest while staying with their children.
“The ability for families to actually be able to stay and be here with their children is so important,” said Audra Jesso, Manager of Paediatrics at Soldiers’. “We always want to be providing the best care.”
Soldiers’ will also be able to purchase five new Holter monitors for the Cardio-Respiratory department.
A holter monitor, also known as a heart monitor, is a wearable device that measures and records your heart’s activity for 24 to 48 hours. They detect a slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat, which can lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses.
“We can never have enough Holter monitors,” said Becky Chenery, Frontline Leader of Cardio Respiratory & Diagnostics at Soldiers’. “The new monitors are more comfortable for our patients.”
The new Holter monitors have a longer recording time, are more lightweight, and can be worn in the shower.
Remaining funds will be dedicated to the purchase of new central patient monitors, used all throughout the Hospital by nurses, doctors, and other team members.
“The central patient monitors really give us timely and accurate information about a patient’s condition,” said Jill Colin, Vice President of Patient Care & Chief Nursing Executive at Soldiers’. “They make sure that we know when something is abnormal and help us measure the effectiveness of a treatment.”
Investing in healthcare services helps lead our community to a healthier future. Through fundraising initiatives like Giving Tuesday, Soldiers’ is able to upgrade and enhance their equipment and services.
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