CHRISTMAS APPEAL 2023
Dialysis Patients to Benefit from new Point-of-Care Ultrasound
The staff of the Dialysis Unit at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre with patient Boyd Higgins of Grand Falls-Windsor, who began dialysis six months ago. L-R: Stephen Kennedy, Care Facilitator, Home Dialysis; nurses Natalie Brophy, Brenda Mae Blake, Stephanie Bursey and Jodina Cook, Care Facilitator, Dialysis Unit.
Dave Gray of Gander had his first dialysis treatment on November 30th at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre. Once he is released from hospital he will receive dialysis closer to home in Gander. Mr. Gray was joined by Stephen Kennedy, Care Facilitator for Home Dialysis and Jodina Cook, Care Facilitator at the Dialysis Unit.
Dear Friends of Healthcare;
As the season of giving nears I want to share with you a pressing need for patients receiving Dialysis at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre.
The Dialysis Unit is where as many as 100 patients with kidney failure, spend much of their day - at least three days of the week, every week, all year long! Some drive for hours from as far away as Baie Verte and the South Coast for their Dialysis treatments.
As the Chair of the Board of Directors with the South and Central Health Foundation, I am proud to tell you that YOUR charity is focusing its fundraising efforts this Christmas season on the need to replace the aging Portable Ultrasound used by clinicians at the Dialysis Unit at your regional health centre.
Kidney failure means your own kidneys no longer take care of your body's needs to remove waste or extra fluids from your blood. Having kidneys that do not work properly can place a significant strain on the body. Dialysis is used to try to achieve balance by imitating the fluid and toxin removal functions of healthy kidneys.
That’s where the Point-of-care Ultrasound System can help. At the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre Dialysis Unit our clinicians perform ultrasound examinations of patients' fistulas on a regular basis, using the Doppler feature to check blood flow. We feel having this technology readily available is an important part of the overall care package for patients with kidney disease.
In the spirit of giving, the South and Central Health Foundation is asking for your help to complete this very special project this Christmas season. I have little doubt that each of us knows someone personally that will benefit directly from this equipment. It is our hope to have it available to patients very early in the New Year.
On behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors and the patients that are assisted, I thank you for your support of previous projects. In the past, by giving to the South and Central Health Foundation, you have helped to ensure that your hospital is prepared to give the best care whenever it is needed.
Thank you so much for your dedication to our charitable Health Foundation. On behalf of our Board and staff I wish you a Merry Christmas and send best wishes to you and your loved ones.
Merry Christmas,
James Evans, Chair
PS. Every donation, large and small, is much appreciated
and will help us quickly provide this new technology
or the benefit of Dialysis patients!
​
​
​
​
​