Dr. Heather Abramenko donated a portable ultrasound to the Almonte General Hospital.

Equipment Campaign

When Dr. Heather Abramenko decided to support the Almonte General Hospital/Fairview Manor (AGH/FVM) Equipment Campaign, she knew exactly what she wanted her donation to purchase - a portable ultrasound machine.

"It's very versatile," explains the local family physician. "All of our doctors can use it in all our departments."

About the size of a laptop computer, the portable ultrasound has proven to be an invaluable tool at AGH.

"I've used it during anaesthesia for epidurals and spinal taps, in the Emergency Department for ruling out aortic aneurysms, in the Obstetrical Unit to see if babies are head first or feet first and in the Medical-Surgical Unit," says Dr. Abramenko. "It's as useful as a stethoscope."

Between April 1, 2008 and January 31, 2009, close to $500,000 was raised for equipment. This year, AGH is seeking $919,000 for much-needed equipment for the Emergency Department, Obstetrical Unit, Medical/Surgical Unit, Operating and Recovery Rooms, Rosamond Unit, Pharmacy, Radiology Department, Physiotherapy and Lab.

Items on the 2009-10 capital equipment list include:

Emergency Department

Defibrillators - $3,000 each
It is time to upgrade and replace the Hospital's existing defibrillators. The Emergency Department requires three defibrillators at $3,000 each.

Marnie Bruce of Almonte recently made a donation that purchased a defibrillator for the Hospital. "My family and many other families have been grateful for the live-saving value of defibrillators," she says. "It is important that we support our Hospital, by donating our time or money. We all benefit."

The Emergency Department also requires a $6,000 vital signs monitor for triage and an $8,000 I-Stat machine that increases the Hospital's ability to obtain immediate blood test results.

Obstetrical Unit

Labour and Delivery Room Bed - $30,000
Beds specifically designed for labour and delivery optimize patient comfort. The ability to remove sections of the bed ensures rapid and safe delivery of babies in any room in AGH. Having sufficient state-of-the-art equipment in the Obstetrical Unit increases the availability of obstetrical care in our community.

Fetal Heart Monitor - $10,000
This valuable piece of equipment permits staff to monitor a baby's heartbeat prior to birth.

Med Cart - $6,000
Medication carts permit nurses to take medication to each patient rather than having to leave the patient to get medication. Medications are stored in locked drawers in these wheeled carts, which also enhance staff's ability to monitor medication delivery and ensure safe distribution.

Cautery - $5,000
The cautery is a medical instrument used to stop tissues or arteries from bleeding. AGH currently has only one cautery, which is relocated between operating rooms as needed. Having a cautery in each operating room would increase the efficiency of the surgical team in optimizing control of bleeding during surgical procedures.

Vital Signs Monitor - $6,000
The OBS unit needs one portable vital signs unit permitting continuous monitoring of a mother's vital signs, if necessary, both during and after delivery.

Medical-Surgical Unit

Cardiac Telemetry System - $75,000
One of the important pieces of needed equipment is a Cardiac Telemetry System for the Medical/Surgical Unit. This system, valued at $75,000, monitors the activity of cardiac patients during their hospital stay.

Wall-mounted Blood Pressure Cuff - $6,000 each
These cuffs permit the monitoring of patients' blood pressure. Plans call for one of these units to be installed at each of AGH's 21 medical/surgical beds.

Operating and Recovery Rooms

Autoclave - $100,000
An autoclave is a pressurized device used to heat aqueous solutions above their boiling point for sterilization of surgical instruments. Because the number of surgeries per week at AGH has increased, existing sterilization equipment is being used at its maximum capacity. In order to continue to offer surgical procedures close to home for the local residents, additional equipment to sterilize instruments is required. As the only small rural hospital in the area offering 24-hour c-section availability, AGH must have sterile instruments on hand at all times.

Laparoscopic Tower - $52,000
Acquisition of a laparoscopic tower will enable surgeons to employ up-to-date and less invasive technology when performing surgical procedures.

Rosamond Unit

Electric Beds - $7,000 each
There is a need to purchase 20 beds on the Rosamond Unit. These beds would ensure that all beds on the unit function is the same manner, improving staff efficiency and patient comfort. The benefits of a proper bed and mattress for complex continuing care patients and staff range from the prevention and treatment of bed ulcers to the decrease in musculoskeletal staff injuries.

Replacement Floor Lift - $13,000 and Ceiling Lift - $7,000 each
The floor lift helps move Rosamond Unit patients. The Unit also requires two ceiling lifts, which are used to move heavier patients, optimizing their skin care and reducing nursing injuries.

Pressure Relief Mattress - $1,250
Pressure relief mattresses help prevent and treat pressure ulcers in chronic care patients. Pressure relief mattresses are extremely beneficial as a pain reduction strategy for palliative care patients. Two mattresses are needed.

The Rosamond Unit also requires two medication carts at $6,000 each.

Pharmacy and Radiology

Pharmacy Information System - $75,000
This is a fully computerized medication dispensing, tracking and utilization system that will optimize medication dispensing and tracking throughout the organization.

Radiology Information System - $75,000
This computerized booking system optimizes the scheduling and quality management of diagnostic imaging procedures.

Scanner for Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) - $12,000
Thanks to the introduction of the PACS system in partnership with hospitals in Arnprior and Winchester, the radiology department at AGH no longer uses film, eliminating the use of potentially harmful chemicals previously used in film processing. The system improves patient care by allowing scans to be read off-site via secure electronic transmission, by radiologists located in Ottawa, Arnprior or Winchester. As a result, the time required for X-rays to be analyzed has decreased from 48 hours to less than 24 hours.

Physiotherapy

Replacement Traction Package - $12,000
This equipment assists in a variety of strengthening exercises.

Recumbent Bike - $2,500
This bike allows patients to improve their cardiovascular status and mobility.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulator - $1,200
This device is increasingly used for pain relief in rehabilitation.

Laboratory

Lab Information System (LIS) - $75,000
This computerized system books and monitors the quality of lab tests, and ensures that results are immediately available to doctors. This system is crucial to AGH's transition to the Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association.

Haematology Cell Counter - $30,000
This equipment is used in haemoglobin testing.

Coagulation Analyzer - $20,000
This analyzer tests blood-clotting capacity.

Small Centrifuge - $30,000
This equipment is used to separate elements of blood specimens.

Chemical Analyzer - $30,000
The chemical analyzer tests for electrolytes.

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