The Victoria Hospital Foundation is asking for the public’s help to raise money for a new-and-improved intensive care unit patient monitoring system at Victoria General Hospital.
The ‘More than Just a Monitor’ campaign kicked off on Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) and aims to raise more than $500,000 for the equipment, which includes 10 bedside monitors, associated unit monitors and software upgrades.
A local couple has stepped up to double the impact of community donations, matching donations up to a total of $50,000.
Island-based GAIN Group has also committed to donating $50,000 to the initiative.
“The patient monitoring system that we use in the ICU at Victoria General Hospital is over 17 years old,” Susan Butler, VGH intensive care manager, said in a release. “This is a vital system that we use daily to monitor the most critically ill patients from all over Vancouver Island – and it needs to be updated. As healthcare professionals, we need access to the leading edge tools that enhance our work and ultimately benefit our patients.”
A critical tool, patient monitoring systems provide caregivers with real-time information on a patient’s status and vital signs like blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and heart activity.
The new patient monitors will have larger display screens and new software to reduce interference, as well as improved settings to mitigate alarm fatigue. They’re even Wi-Fi enabled, allowing healthcare workers to keep an eye on patients from anywhere within the hospital.
“Whether we are updating our own personal cell phones or the television in our homes, we often take these upgrades for granted. But technology must be prioritized in our Victoria hospitals – especially in our critical care units – to ensure our care teams have the most up-to-date tools to care for their most vulnerable patients,” Victoria Hospitals Foundation chief executive Avery Brohman said.
Last year, the foundation’s ‘It’s More than Just a Bed’ campaign helped fund nine hospital beds in Royal Jubilee Hospital’s emergency department with community donations totalling more than $114,000.
To learn more or make a donation that will be matched, call 250-519-1750 or visit victoriahf.ca/givingtuesday.
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