November 20, 2019
Registered Nurses Karine Blais, left, and Marvic Dorado and Dr. Anaam Karim, right, show off the Panda infant warmer, one of several pieces of new medical equipment donated to Cold Lake Healthcare Centre by Hearts for Healthcare.
Story by Amy Crofts
COLD LAKE — Rachelle Baker gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Rush last Sept. 7.
But Rush, in fact, was in no rush at all. Baker endured labour for more than 48 hours.
“It was stressful, but from the moment I got to the hospital I knew I was in good hands,” she says.
Upon his arrival, staff used a fetal heart monitor to check her baby’s heart rate. Following an emergency caesarean section, Rush was placed in a Panda infant warmer right in the operating room.
These pieces of equipment — in addition to the labour and delivery birthing bed Baker used — were all made possible by a generous donation from Hearts for Healthcare, a non-profit charitable organization in Cold Lake.
This year alone, Hearts for Healthcare has donated more than $165,000 in new medical equipment to the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre, including:
“Without these donations, our staff and physicians wouldn’t otherwise have access to some of this state-of-the-art technology and equipment,” says Cathi Garon, site manager in Cold Lake.
Over the past five years, Hearts for Healthcare has raised $475,000 toward the purchase of new equipment for the hospital.
In 2018, a gift of $105,000 went towards the installation of cardiac monitoring in Acute Care. This system is linked to heart-monitoring screens in the Emergency Department, allowing Emergency nurses to monitor patients located two floors up.
“This helps us provide evidence-based care, improve diagnostics, precision and patient outcomes. It has also elevated the healthcare centre’s appeal when new physicians tour the facility and consider practising in the community,” adds Garon.
“At Hearts for Healthcare, our goal is to ensure that everyone has access to proper care. Our initiatives are driven by the love and support we receive from the whole community and we hope everyone feels the pride in these accomplishments,” says Kari Leiper, hearts coordinator for Hearts for Healthcare.
This non-profit has proven instrumental in its support for the programs and services offered in Cold Lake, as well as in the recruitment and retention of physicians and the high quality of care provided to patients.
“The nurses, physicians and staff are incredible; they were so compassionate and patient,” says Baker. “I have an older child as well, and this was the most thorough and attentive care I’ve received for me and my baby.”
Hearts for Healthcare has raised more than $2 million for local healthcare services since its inception in 2005.
“The collective gratitude and appreciation from patients and staff for Hearts for Healthcare’s philanthropy is palpable,” says Garon. “The words ‘thank you’ are simply not enough.”
