January 11, 2021
Dr. Glen Burton, an anesthetist at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre, demonstrates new operating room lights, which were funded by donations to the Rocky Mountain and Area Health Services Foundation. Photo supplied.
Story by Amelia Schofield
Upgrades to the operating room and equipment at Rocky Mountain House Health Centre will ensure patients continue to receive the best possible surgical care in their home community.
Funded by the Rocky Mountain and Area Health Services Foundation, the improvements include operating room lights, a modernization to give surgeons a better line of sight during procedures.
Other additions include an adjustable medical-instrument stand with trays to hold sterile instrument sets as well as laparoscopic instruments for surgeries such as gallbladder removal, hernia repair and uterine removal.
“This new equipment is the latest in technology and will provide high-quality support to our surgeons at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre,” says Shirley Hope, site manager.
“Having access to equipment like the laparoscopic instruments will also allow us to improve the patient experience by performing procedures through smaller incisions, which minimizes the discomfort to our patients and accelerates their recovery process.”
The Foundation’s contribution toward the new operating room lights came as part of their Operation Healthy Hospital campaign. The recently completed fundraising campaign brought in $250,000 for the OR upgrades and the maternity and endoscopy programs at the centre.
The most recently funded portion of the campaign — the operating room lights — was made possible after the foundation received numerous donations, including an anonymous gift from a patient whose cancer had been diagnosed and surgically removed at the centre. The total cost of the lights, including installation, came to $37,368.
“We have been extremely blessed with the generosity of our community members over the years and the continual financial support received by the Rocky Health Foundation,” say Phyllis Loewen, foundation chair.
“Our achievements with fundraising campaigns continue to humble us. Each campaign enhances the care and procedures patients receive close to home. We have received many positive comments from our healthcare professionals as well.”
Hope adds: “We are so grateful to the Rocky Health Foundation for their commitment to the Operation Healthy Hospital campaign and to their donors for the support they have provided to community.
“We thank them for going above and beyond for our team at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre — and for the remarkable work they do to enhance care for our patients and families.”
For more information on the Rocky Health Foundation, visit rockyhealthfoundation.ca.
