Headwaters hospital auxiliary to raise $680,000 for upgrades, equipment

September 26, 2019 · 0 Comments

Written By MIKE BAKER

The Headwaters Health Care Auxiliary (HHCA) has committed to providing $680,000 to support facility upgrades and equipment purchases at the local hospital.

In a release to media on Monday, Susan Fletcher, President of the HHCA, said the Auxiliary was proud to work alongside the Headwaters Health Care Foundation (HHCF) to contribute to the hospital. Since 1986, HHCA has gifted more than $4.7 million to the hospital.

“The community has been so supportive of our fundraising efforts. Through donations to, and purchases from Seconds Count, to patronizing the coffee and gift shop at the hospital, to attendance at our biennial House Tour, the community has allowed us to support the hospital at this level,” Ms. Fletcher noted.

This particular donation will be used to fund several significant projects currently ongoing at the hospital, including the renovations to the lobby and main entrance area, purchasing of new equipment and the upcoming renovation to the facility’s emergency department.

Beginning last week, the renovations to the front lobby will feature a new accessible entryway, a new information desk, expanded waiting areas, a therapeutic and fully accessible outdoor space, re-designed gift shop and café and a new, safer and more accommodating central staircase.

Regarding equipment, each year the hospital prioritizes approximately $2 million in specialized medical equipment, facility upgrades and infrastructure needs. These priorities, according to Headwaters Health Care Foundation President Dora Boylen-Pabst, are independent from other special projects and are integral to keeping the hospital’s programs and clinics running.

“This is a critical time in the hospital’s, and the foundation’s, evolution. The size and scope of our community, as well as their needs, have changed and grown. None of these projects receive government funding, and, as an organization, the hospital is dependent on the support of our community,” Ms. Boylen-Pabst said. “The Auxiliary has always stepped up to help this hospital, whether through financial contributions, or the over 21,000 volunteer hours they provide within the facility every year.”

She added, “Quite simply, the hospital and the Foundation are incredibly indebted to the Auxiliary for all of their efforts.”

On the equipment side, the Auxiliary’s commitment this year will support new urology equipment for the reintroduced urology program at the local hospital, a new anaesthesia machine for the surgical unit, a cast saw for the orthopaedics department and a new ice machine for the emergency department.

The hospital’s current emergency department is in dire need of upgrades, says outgoing Headwaters Health Care Centre President and CEO Stacey Daub. Originally, the department was built to handle approximately 22,000 patients per year. Today, the hospital’s ER sees over 42,000 patients each year.

To improve patient experience, improve overall flow, increase capacity and improve wait times, a redesign of the department is currently in the approval phase with the Ministry of Health. It is hoped, upon approval, that work will begin on the redevelopment in 2020.

HHCA has committed to supporting two dedicated areas within the emergency department – one for patients experiencing addiction, dementia and other mental health challenges, and the other specifically for cardiac patients.

“The contributions to the hospital through the Auxiliary are critical to our ability to provide to provide care to our patients,” Ms. Daub said. “We are fortunate that people in our communities have been so generous for so many years. It certainly reflects our purpose statement as a hospital of ‘One Community, Caring Together’.”