We are happy to bring you the following news and updates from the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

Updated Laparoscopic Suites

An Exciting Upgrade

The new laparoscopic suites at Yarmouth Regional Hospital (YRH) are to the ones installed a dozen years ago as smart phones are to flip phones. Almost everything in the two operating rooms is brand new  — lights, monitors, screens, beds, cameras and all of the other technology and specialized equipment our surgeons need to do their work, says Gina Leaman, nurse manager for Perioperative Services. (Perioperative is the term for the whole process from admitting to procedure to recovery.)

An Upgraded Laparoscopic Suite

One of YRH’s two upgraded laparoscopic suites.

The new minimally invasive surgical (MIS) suites were made possible thanks to the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, which covered the full cost of $1.5 million. “The old suites were a big improvement but the new suites are a thousand times better,” says team leader Deborah Janke. “The technology is so much better for patients, as well as the staff.” It allows the surgical staff easy visual access to x-rays, CT-scans and MRIs, and that improves accuracy and speed, Deborah says.

Since Yarmouth Regional is a teaching hospital, medical residents and student nurses often attend and the camera system and monitors can shift around to get the best views for the surgeons and nurses and to help them teach. About half of all surgeries are laparoscopic, but the equipment is also a major asset for open surgeries, making detailed visual information available at the push of a button.

What is Laparoscopic Surgery?

Gina Leaman (Nurse Manager for Perioperative Services)

Gina Leaman — Nurse Manager for Perioperative Services

Laparoscopy is a less invasive surgery than open surgery and requires less recovery time. A laparoscope, a thin lighted tube that has a video camera, is inserted via a tiny incision to examine and treat the organs of the abdomen. Hernias, gall bladders, appendixes and bowels are the four most common surgeries performed in Yarmouth. Often five or six procedures are performed in each of the suites daily, but some surgeries, like bowel surgery could take a whole day, Gina says.

Laparoscopic technology is also used to give physicians a clear and detailed picture of a patient’s condition, to allow the physician to determine how that condition should be treated. For example, many of the scopes for hip and knee problems are done here, which frees up OR time in Kentville where the more complex surgery is done.

Besides the surgeon, each operation requires an assistant, an anesthetist and three OR nurses. YRH has four general surgeons, two gynaecologists, one ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist, one ophthalmologist, five visiting urologists two days a week and six visiting orthopaedic surgeons. They are assisted by 22 OR nurses, plus part-time and casual RNs.

 

 

Community Fundraisers for the WE CARE Radiothon

Fundraising for the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WE Care Radiothon starts long before we hit the airwaves on Feb 29th.

One of the most ‘talked about’ events for the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is just around the corner … the WE CARE Radiothon!  2024 is a leap year and on Thursday, February 29th, we, along with presenting sponsor Y95, invite you to take a leap forward with us in support of your regional hospital once again.

The entire Tri-County community of Yarmouth, Digby & Shelburne will benefit from the new cardia rehab program coming to your regional hospital, so we are calling on the entire Tri-County community to support this important fundraiser!

Community fundraisers in support of WE CARE Radiothon:

Bruce Group Yarmouth: Honda, Chrysler & Kia are offering a donation to the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation for every test drive and vehicle sold during the month of February.

Next time you are in Wilson’s Home Hardware in Barrington Passage or Carleton Country Outfitters in Carleton, drop your loose change into one of the WE CARE Radiothon red jugs.

Here’s some other ways you can be part of WE CARE Radiothon 2024:

  • Friendly competition is one of the best motivators out there! Challenge a co-worker to meet or beat your fundraising total or throw a company-wide collection challenge.
  • Give a donation instead of exchanging Valentine or birthday gifts.
  • Sell secret valentines or candy-grams.
  • Host a“trivia night” and ask friends to make a donation to attend.
  • Have a bake sale, a craft sale or a cake walk.
  • Save all of your loose change and donate it – Little Chevrolet has once again pledged to match all coin donations on Radiothon day up to $5,000!

Show us how much YOU CARE! It’s community support that will enable your regional hospital to provide the best health care possible to the residents of  Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.  Every bit helps!

WE CARE Radiothon Trivia is back!

You loved it last year, and it’s back again!

WE CARE Radiothon Trivia is back!

How much do you know about Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and Yarmouth Hospital Foundation?

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation and our presenting partner Y95 – CJLS radio station are once again jointly hosting a trivia contest in the lead up to this year’s WE CARE Radiothon with prizes donated generously by Rayanne and Aldric Robicheau (thank you so much!).

Every (business) day from Wednesday February 14th to Wednesday, Feb 28th (not including the Feb 19th stat holiday) there will be two opportunities to win a gift card worth $25 for gas at the PetroCan station at the corner of Starrs Rd. and Haley Rd.

Each day, Y95 – CJLS will ask one trivia question and pick their daily winner. YHF will be posting a different trivia question each day at 8am on our Facebook page.

To win on Facebook, you must —

1) Answer the trivia question correctly!

2) Agree to the contest’s terms and conditions.

All contestants who answer correctly will be entered into a random draw to win, and the winner will be notified the same day! We will then message you to make arrangements to get you your prize.

By answering the trivia question on our Facebook page, your agreement to the following terms is implied.

Terms & Conditions

  • The daily Facebook trivia closes at 3:30pm Atlantic Time every business day from Feb 15 – 28. Business days do not include weekends or the statutory holiday on Monday, February 19. Entries posted after 3:30pm Atlantic Time will not be entered into the daily contest.
  • The daily winner will be randomly selected and posted here no later than 5pm Atlantic time the same day.
  • Only one winner will be selected each day on Facebook, and one additional winner will be selected through Y95 and their version of this contest.
  • The trivia contest is limited to residents of the Tri-Counties of Yarmouth, Shelburne & Digby, Nova Scotia.
  • Facebook/Meta is not affiliated in any way with this contest and by participating in this contest, you agree to fully release and hold Meta harmless from liability.

Four new state-of-the-art radiant infant warmers are on their way.

The newest, littlest residents of the Tri-Counties will have a ‘warm start’ in life thanks to YOU!

Once again we at Yarmouth Hospital Foundation are in awe of our donors and are delighted to announce that the Christmas Appeal in support of the Women & Children’s Health unit was a great success because of you!

Our regional hospital touches the lives of many individuals and families from the Tri-County region every single day of the year. Health care equipment is expensive, and the technology is continually updating. Your donations, like the ones that are funding these radiant infant warmers for Women & Children’s Health, continue to provide our care teams with the essential resources they need to provide the best care possible in keeping our families and our community healthy.

It is you that is making a big difference in health care and for that, we are extremely grateful. THANK YOU!

Why I give to the foundation

“It’s good to give to the foundation. I see what donors’ dollars do every day, for our doctors and nurses, and even for us ward clerks. It’s important. It helps the hospital. And it honours our beautiful little boy. We still miss him so much.”

 

Lynette Hayward-Byrd has worked for Yarmouth Regional Hospital for 22 years. She’s a ward clerk for 4B, Complex Care. She’s also a regular donor to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation through our memorial program and has a very special reason for her donations.

Six years ago, Lynette’s step-grandson Mason, along with three other children, passed in a tragic house fire in Pubnico. “Mason was the sweetest little boy ever.” she said. “He was a kind old soul in a little, adventurous body! He loved going fishing with his dad and travelling with family. We all adored him and many, many people miss him.”

Since the tragedy, Lynette has donated to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s memorial program three times a year: for Mason’s birthday, at Christmas (she loves to see his name on our memorial tree) and for the WE CARE Radiothon since it falls close to the anniversary of the fire. “I give to the Foundation to keep his name out there. I love that you put the names up on social media every month, and love seeing it on the tree: it keeps his name alive. He was so loved and it’s good to see his name out there.”

Also, since she works in the hospital, Lynette said, “It’s good to give to the foundation. I see what donors’ dollars do every day, for our doctors and nurses, and even for us ward clerks. It’s important. It helps the hospital. And it honours our beautiful little boy. We still miss him so much.”

You Bought This!

Your donations at work at Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Last Fall, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation held our first-ever Sou’West Walkathon to raise money towards the purchase of eight specially designed Broda tilt and recline wheelchairs for the ICU.

Well, here’s the exciting news: you bought them!

With the contributions made from the walkathon, as well as the ongoing generosity of donors like you, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation purchased all eight Broda chairs, and they’re already in use at your regional hospital! Sharon Harvie, Health Care Manager – ICU, Acute Care 3B/3C told us, “I am very appreciative of the support of the community in providing much needed equipment for our patients.  The staff, patients and families truly appreciate it!”

Because our walkathon walkers were so instrumental in making this purchase happen, we invited the highest fundraising team and individual to come and see these exciting new wheelchairs, and to meet some of the staff who will be using them. Team ‘Lumberjack Legacy’ was comprised of Denise Nickerson and Angele Scott, and our highest fundraising walker was Yarmouth Hospital Foundation board member, Jim Smith.

Angele Scott, a NS Health employee, has seen the impact of the foundation’s donors around the hospital, but she and Denise had a more personal reason for supporting the walkathon. Rob Kane, Denise’s partner, spent three weeks in the ICU last November. “It really brought it home,” Denise told us, “how much we all need the hospital. We wanted to give back.”

Angele, Rob’s cousin, agreed: “Helping the hospital is always a good cause, but this was personal since we had Rob in the ICU last year. That kept us walking, even on the rainy days.” She also noted that the online fundraiser format meant that other members of their extended family who they might not see in person were able to donate towards their fundraising efforts.

Hannah Wray, Team Lead for Acute Care 3B/3C was enthusiastic about the equipment: “These wheelchairs hugely improve care and comfort and are so much safer for our staff! Many thanks to everyone who donated to help make this a reality for our patients!”

Jim Smith, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation board member is an avid walker on an ordinary day, and he took the foundation’s walkathon as a personal challenge. “It meant that I couldn’t miss a day, not even for the rain,” he told us. “Ultimately, the needs of the hospital are so great, and fundraisers like this are a good ‘exercise’ towards helping meet unlimited needs,” Jim said.

Kathy Ogden, Team Lead for the ICU, knows just how ongoing and unlimited the needs of the hospital are. She’s worked for Yarmouth Regional Hospital for 45 years, and the ICU specifically for 25 years. “I’m always excited when the foundation brings us new equipment, like these chairs or our recent ceiling lifts! I could name every piece of equipment that the foundation’s donors have bought for us, the new equipment, the updates and the upgrades. Hospital technology is always advancing, and your donors are so generous and so appreciated!”

Thank you so much for making a difference in health care in the Tri-Counties!

Yarmouth Regional Hospital’s Women and Children’s Health Unit needs 4 radiant infant warmers for Christmas

Thanks to donors like you, over the last ten years Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has purchased almost than half a million dollars worth of equipment for the Women’s and Children’s Health Unit, the regional maternity site for Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne counties. Much of the equipment is designed specifically to improve the birthing experience for mothers and their newborns, and this Christmas we are reaching out for community support to purchase four infant radiant warmers — a crucial piece of equipment for every single baby born in the Tri-Counties.

Dominique Lacroix, who lives in Brooklyn, gave birth to her beautiful daughters, Blake and Andi, at the Women’s and Children’s Health Unit in 2022 and 2023. Like all newborns, both girls spent time in radiant infant warmers as part of their immediate care as needed, including over Blake’s initial two-day stay in the unit.

Dominique only has lovely things to say about her experiences at Yarmouth Regional Hospital. “Both times I had a great labour and delivery,” she says. “The nurses were awesome and the doctors were super calm. They explain everything and were very kind.”

Immediately after birth, during their first critical hours of life, all newborns spend some time in a radiant infant warmer as they adjust to living and breathing on their own. They are also used for vulnerable infants who have returned to the hospital for care. The maternity ward has five radiant warmers but four of them are nearing end-of-life and urgently need replacing. Will you help us help the Women and Children’s Health Unit give children like little Blake and Andi Lacroix a ‘warm welcome’ to our community this Christmas?

2023 Nursing Scholarship Winners Announced

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation awards scholarships to first year students accepted and enrolled full-time in the Dalhousie University Bachelor of Science Nursing Program at the Yarmouth Campus (Direct Entry or Advanced). Preference is given to candidates who, upon graduation, plan to seek employment at Yarmouth Regional Hospital. This year, eight scholarships were awarded.
“Nurses are the most-frequent touchpoint for patients in our regional hospital. Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is honoured to be able to support them from the very beginning of their careers,” says YHF Board Chair Angela Greene.
This year’s winners are:
YHF SCHOLARSHIP $5,000: Erin Smith
DAVID R. HALL SCHOLARSHIP (in memory of Dr. Margaret Churchill) $5,000: Katherine Gilliat
SCHOLARSHIP A $3,000: Sarah Warner
SCHOLARSHIP B $3,000: Andrea Ferguson
SCHOLARSHIP C $3,000: Erin Amirault
DRs. RAJENDER & ASHA PARKASH SCHOLARSHIP $2,500: Jilliann Hatt
EILEEN R. MORISSET SCHOLARSHIP $2,000: Gracie Nickerson
LINA & ALPHIE COMEAU MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP $1,500: Chaley Surette

Tusket Toyota Matching Monthly Giving for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

This Giving Tuesday, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is thrilled to announce the incredible expansion of our Heart of the Hospital Monthly Giving program as Tusket Toyota have stepped up for health care in your community! Thanks to the generosity of Tusket Toyota, our new Matching Partner, your dollars just doubled. If you sign up today to donate monthly to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, Tusket Toyota will match your monthly donations every month! This means that your money will go further — twice as far, in fact! — and it will have even more impact for Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Tusket Toyota have supported Yarmouth Hospital Foundation for over eighteen years, and are featured in the Leaders category on our Wall of Honour. In fact, we consider them one of our loyal Corporate Partners in Healthcare — and now they’re your partner, too, doubling your monthly gift to your regional hospital, and multiplying your impact.

Monthly Giving donors are a special kind of donor, which is why we call them the Heart of the Hospital. Their reliable, regular contributions provide an invaluable resource of sustained funding for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, allowing our regional hospital to invest money where it’s needed most and to plan for long-term projects that will change patients’ lives for generations to come. That’s the power of monthly giving.

Last year, our Monthly Giving Donors’ funds went towards the purchase of a PhysioGait Dynamic Unweighting System. The equipment is an essential piece for the Rehabilitation department as it allows patients to safely mobilize without having to fully bear their own weight. Natalie Bourque, manager of Yarmouth Regional Hospital Rehabilitation Services told us that “this equipment allows patients to work on their gait while having their weight supported. It decreases the risk of falls and creates a safe environment for both the patients and the staff member. Without this equipment, staff would be unable to safely mobilize patients who require a higher level of physical support.”

Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to join the Heart of the Hospital program as a monthly donor. It’s easy and convenient to set up a regular monthly contribution that works within your budget. You can give in any amount of your choosing and may adjust your amount or cancel your donation at any time. A little money every month goes a long way for local health care, right here at home.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Managing Director Mary Surette says, “Monthly giving is a simple and powerful way to have a significant and long-term impact on health care in the Tri-Counties: that’s why I’m part of the Heart of the Hospital Program, too. The impact of monthly giving is very real, and now it’s only going to be greater thanks to Tusket Toyota.”

 

Maple Grove students STOMP over to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation with a generous donation!

When Grade 8 students — now graduates — Leila Ben Mohamed and Chris Coggins arrived at the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation office at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital to present a cheque for $759.15, the Maple Grove students were excited to share how they came to raise the money and why they chose to donate to the foundation. They were part of STOMP, a pilot project aimed at helping students in grades 7 to 12 develop an understanding of the factors influencing tobacco use and vaping and the consequences.

STOMP stands for Students Together Moving to Prevent Tobacco Use, explained faculty adviser and Grade 7 teacher Max Taylor. The group consists of student council members, athletes and kids who have experienced vaping themselves. Vaping is pretty common among students especially in the bathrooms, Leila and Chris agree. Smoking not so much. Kids perceive that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking and don’t appreciate the dangers, their teacher pointed out. It’s more accessible and “you’re not walking around smelling of it.”

“It’s a program where you’re helping the community, you’re helping kids and your friends be aware of vaping and it’s a powerful message,” said Chris.

Leila explained that they made presentations to each class, followed by making posters inspired by the STOMP message. Leila and another student, Faith Lewis, were interviewed about STOMP on Y95. They also had donation jars in each classroom, Chris added. “If you raised a certain amount of money, Mr. Taylor would get pied in the face.” He wasn’t the only teacher to volunteer to get up close and personal with a whipped cream pie. And there’s video — lots of video!

Chris said the program has had a good response and made at least one convert. A friend of his stopped after hearing their presentation.

“We chose the foundation to donate to because most people affected by smoking or vaping have to come to the hospital if they are having problems,” Leila said. “Everyone needs the hospital one time or another.”

“We love to see donations from student groups and schools,” said foundation managing director Mary Surette. “We really appreciate their generosity at a young age. A huge thank you to these extraordinary young people!”

Maple Grove is one of about a dozen test locations across Canada for STOMP, an initiative of Physical Health and Education Canada. The two-year pilot project was launched at Maple Grove for the 2022-23 school year.

YRH Spring Appeal 2023 to bring a new service for Women’s Health at Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Imagine for a moment, a woman suffering with pain and abnormal uterine bleeding symptoms caused by polyps or fibroids is told that these tissues must be removed. Well, thanks to advances in medical technology, this can be done in a safe, efficient and accurate way with the MyoSure® tissue removal procedure. This procedure is an alternative to major surgery, it typically doesn’t last more than half an hour, causes minimal trauma to the uterus and surrounding area and, incredibly, most patients can go back to their daily routine in one to two days!

But here’s a bit of shocking information – Yarmouth Regional Hospital is the only regional hospital in the province that does not have a MyoSure® device! This means that women in our community requiring this medical procedure need to travel two to three hours to Kentville or Halifax to have this done!

Together we can change that! This Spring, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has committed to fund the purchase of a MyoSure® device for Women’s Health at a cost of $76,912.50, bringing this new service here at your regional hospital. The MyoSure® tissue removal procedure will revolutionise hysteroscopic treatments, especially those for uterine fibroids and polyps. Uterine fibroids, in the past, could lead to abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, painful cycles and infertility.

Dr. Elissa Cohen, the OB/GYN physician in Yarmouth Regional Hospital, told us: “The MyoSure® device would also allow us to identify and resect (surgically remove) cancers and thus reduce the morbidity and mortality among the women that we serve. Additionally, this instrument not only helps identify and resect lesions under direct visualization, it helps diagnose malignant and benign conditions that impair the quality of life and function for the women of our community.”

Will you join us in supporting your regional hospital with a donation towards this important equipment?

You can donate by e-transfer to info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca or online at yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca.

“The women in our community deserve the safest, most up to date standard of care treatment, and that includes MyoSure® for management of their gynecological concerns,” Dr. Cohen added, and we couldn’t agree more! Together, we can make this a reality for the women of the Tri-Counties.

YHF AGM 2023

The Annual General Meeting for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation will once again be held virtually, on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023 at 5:00pm via ZOOM.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is pleased to support Virtual Care @ Yarmouth Hub. Please join us and our guest speakers to learn more about this new exciting project that provides assistance to those who need help accessing virtual care.

For more information and to register: 902-749-1669 or info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca

Everyone is welcome to attend, however, only members are eligible to vote. Eligible voters/members are those individuals who have made a donation since last year’s AGM.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Charity Art Auction 2023 to raise money for Women’s Health

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is hosting an online auction as part of our fundraising drive towards a new service for Women’s Health this spring! We are raising money towards the purchase of a MyoSure® system, which will provide an alternative to major surgery or travel for many gynecological conditions: we’re very excited about this, because Yarmouth is the only regional hospital in the province that doesn’t have this equipment —YET!

Local artists and artisans have donated their paintings, pottery, sculptures, and stained glass towards this endeavor, and you can see all of these treasures at the Yarmouth Mall before you bid!

Help raise money for your regional hospital, and take home something beautiful and unique! Our 100% online auction can be found at www.32auctions.com/2023YHFArtAuction and runs from May 20th until June 20th!

Good luck and happy bidding!

Your contribution will help provide the safest and most up-to- date standard of care treatment for the women of the Tri-Counties, right here at your regional hospital.

New service launched to improve access to virtual care at Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Introducing a new service launched to help patients access virtual care!The Emergency Department at Yarmouth Regional Hospital has been facing increased challenges, due to staffing shortages and overcrowding. Complicating this further is the fact that so many of us don’t have a family doctor, so many folks have to come to the E.D. for primary care — especially if you’re someone who may have barriers to booking or accessing virtual care appointments via Department of Health and Wellness approved applications.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has partnered with Nova Scotia Health to reduce barriers to accessing virtual care through the Virtual Care @ Yarmouth Hub six-month pilot project, a free public service. This was announced in a press release last week — but what does it mean, in practical terms? It means that, thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we have been able to provide broadband internet-connected computers and mobile devices that have been set up in a safe room at Yarmouth Regional Hospital Learning Centre, for confidential virtual appointments from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, supported by Lacey d’Entremont, the new virtual care technician. Lacey is trained on virtual care technology and processes and will help people who are not comfortable or struggle with using the technology.

“Everyone is very excited about this project because it is an opportunity to provide personal help to people who may have trouble or questions about accessing virtual care options,” said Tracey Watkins-Allen, site leader at Yarmouth Regional Hospital. “We also expect this to relieve some pressure on emergency departments by providing an option to people who have primary care needs but can’t otherwise access services.”

Meet Lacey d'Entremont, the virtual care technician ready to assist you

With the assistance of Lacey, the new Virtual Care @ Yarmouth service can assist patients with any digital health needs where patients have access barriers, such as:

  • scheduling virtual appointments (i.e. Zoom)
  • attending VirtualCareNS registration and appointments
  • accessing mental health and addictions apps
  • accessing patient portals

in a safe, secure space.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation managing director, Mary Surette, said: “In response to the increased urgent need of ways to access primary health care, we are only too pleased to be a partner in the Virtual Care @ Yarmouth Hub project. Helping those in our community who experience challenges or have limited access to technology to use virtual care is important. Because of our donors, this is one way that we can assist in closing that access to health care gap.”

Everyone on the Need a Family Practice Registry is eligible to sign up for and use VirtualCareNS to access a family doctor or nurse practitioner online. Yarmouth area residents can book space and the technology for virtual appointments at Yarmouth Regional Hospital by:

Telephone: 1-833-394-1832
Email: VirtualCarePatientSupport@nshealth.ca

Radiothon Reflections, 2023

So, it almost goes without saying that we were extremely excited that the 2023 WE CARE Radiothon was planned to be open to the public again, thanks to Yarmouth Mall for hosting Radiothon Headquarters once more and the Y95 radio station being able to host visitors again. Last year’s virtual Radiothon was a unique experience, but the entire committee, under the leadership of our co-chairs Joy Gillespie and Peggy Green, was absolutely enthused at the thought of getting to bring the public into Radiothon again!

And what a year to do it: the YHF board selected three pieces of equipment (a portable ultrasound, a bladder scanner & an electrocardiogram machine) for the Yarmouth Regional Hospital Emergency Department as our fundraising focus! If there’s anything that we can all agree on, it’s that the Emergency Department needs our help! It was the second year for the online auction, which was, in itself a great fundraiser with generous donations from businesses and artists throughout the Tri-County area. Everything was building to a perfect day…

And March 2nd came in ‘like a lion’: it started out snowy, and it got snowier! But that didn’t stop the Tri-Counties for coming out for the Emergency Department in a big way: we raised over $160,000! This included $18,000 to purchase the bladder scanner outright from the Yarmouth Professional Fire Fighters Assoc. Local 2094, and over $11,000 from our auction!

With the day turning out like that, even with the weather going the way it did, all we can say is THANK YOU, TRI-COUNTIES for showing, once again, just how much you CARE!

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Christmas Appeal was a great success: Thank you!

The Christmas Appeal in support of Medical Device Reprocessing (and additional urology services) was a great success!THANK YOU: Once again we at YHF are in awe of our donors and are delighted to announce that the Christmas Appeal in support of Medical Device Reprocessing (and additional urology services) was a great success!

Yarmouth Regional Hospital will gain the capacity for low-temperature sterilization! This means that, for example, our urologists will be able to offer a 10-minute cystoscope procedure that patients in the Tri-Counties previously have had to travel to Kentville or Bridgewater to undergo. Imagine the relief for these patients!

Our regional hospital touches the lives of many individuals and families from the Tri-County region every single day of the year. Health care equipment is expensive, and the technology is continually updating. Your donations, like the ones that funded this V-Pro Low Temp Sterilizer for Medical Device Reprocessing, continue to provide our care teams with the essential tools they need to provide the best care possible in keeping our families and our community healthy.

Christmas Appeal 2022: V-Pro Low Temperature Sterilizer for MDR

This season of giving, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has announced that the focus of our annual Christmas Appeal is a V-Pro Low Temperature Sterilizer for the Medical Device Reprocessing Department. The total cost of the equipment is $138,000.

This equipment is urgently necessary at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital, says Medical Device Reprocessing Department manager, Danny LeBlanc. “Low-temperature sterilizers are the most efficient and effective way to sterilize items that are heat sensitive, items such as cystoscopes,” LeBlanc explains.

Gaining the capacity for low-temperature sterilization means Yarmouth Regional Hospital can now offer the 10-minute procedure that patients in the Tri-Counties previously have had to travel to Kentville or Bridgewater to undergo.

Urologist Dr. Trevor Butler, explains that “the addition of the flexible cystoscopy service at Yarmouth Regional Hospital will be critical in providing timely investigation and management of patients with bladder cancer and other bladder conditions.”

That’s welcome news to patients like Linda from Carleton, who has made the five-hour return trip to Kentville twice a year for the past seven years.

With this purchase of state-of-the-art sterilization equipment, turn-around time needed for reprocessing necessary equipment will be reduced, meaning more procedures can be conducted. Every medical department in your regional hospital is impacted by the work of the Medical Device Reprocessing Department.

“Your donation is a gift to your regional hospital, and a gift of accessible health care for our communities,” says YHF Board Chair Neil LeBlanc. “Purchasing this equipment will mean a very Merry Christmas at Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Will you help us?”

You can donate by e-transfer to info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca or online at yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca.

Together, we can improve patient care and invest in our collective future by keeping Yarmouth Regional Hospital and the Tri-County area at the cutting edge of modern medical technology.

Start the (Hockey) Season a Winner with YHF’s Raffle

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce our Start the Season a Winner hockey raffle!

  • Grand Prize: One Yarmouth County Minor Hockey Association registration* + $500 Canadian Tire gift card
    • Value $1,100 (*winner will have their pre-paid YCMHA registration refunded)
  • 2nd Prize: $100 Yarmouth Junior A Mariners gift certificate (good for game tickets, canteen, or merchandise)

This raffle is fundraising towards the $16,921 cost of a brand new Airwave Oscillometry System for Respiratory Services at Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Oscillometry is a fast, easy and safe way to assess small airway function. It is innovative technology that helps monitor respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD or sleep apnea. It measures lung function without strain, requiring only normal breathing; as such, it is especially beneficial for use with children, the elderly and those with neuromuscular diseases or impaired intellect.

Tickets are online only:   1 for $5, 3 for $10, 8 for $20.

Sales end at 11:59pm on November 10, 2022 with the draw taking place at Yarmouth Regional Hospital at 3pm on November 15, 2022.

Thank you for your support. Purchasing your raffle ticket(s) makes a real difference to respiratory patients in the Tri-Counties!

 

Players must over 19 years of age or older and must reside in Nova Scotia.  Full terms & conditions available on our Rafflebox site.

Licence # AGD-319200-22

 

 

Hometown Hero Graves cares about Yarmouth Regional Hospital

It was a busy July afternoon at the Mariners’ Centre, on and off the ice, when the small group from Yarmouth Hospital Foundation finally made their way around more than a hundred students with hockey sticks to connect with NHLer Ryan Graves. The plan was to make good on a winning bid from the WE CARE Radiothon auction held all the way back in February and everyone was excited to do it.

One of the items listed for our inaugural WE CARE Radiothon Auction was a hockey jersey signed by Ryan Graves— an item that came with a small leap of faith. The shirt wasn’t signed back in February, and the winner would have to wait until the summer to meet Graves and get the shirt signed then. Winning bidder Dr. Brian Moses was content with the conditions and only too happy, once summer came, to collect.

Graves, fresh off his first season with the New Jersey Devils and representing Team Canada in the World Hockey Championship, was back in his hometown to run the Ryan Graves Hockey School — a weeklong hockey summer camp program like the ones he grew up going to, or like the ones that Jody Shelley previously hosted. “I would like to follow in his footsteps for doing good things here,” said Ryan. “I’m super proud of being from here. The community is awesome here.”

The Ryan Graves Hockey School is his way of giving back to the local community and he was only too happy to take a little time out to support Yarmouth Regional Hospital. “It’s awesome to get home and to support my hometown, for sure,” Ryan said, meeting with Dr. Moses to sign and hand over the jersey. “The hospital helps everyone so it’s a big positive to get to help raise money for them.”

Thanks again for your support, Ryan! We wish you the best for your upcoming season!

Rolling out to the beach at Bayside

Sometimes, the impact of a project or a donation can be hard to see immediately and only makes itself known over time — especially in health care, where the impact of new equipment and services often takes time to become apparent. And then sometimes, the impact is easily spotted. Bay Side Home, one of last year’s YHF Commitment to Health Care Community Fund recipients, submitted a grant proposal for a project where the impact was as plain as the smiles on their service-users’ faces.

Bay Side Home in Barrington is a long-term care facility for sixty-two residents, providing care at its best by working to meet the needs of the whole person and helping maintain a quality of life. Many of their residents require mobility assistance or are dependent on a wheelchair and these needs can limit their access to community or outdoor spaces. They applied to and were awarded a YHF Commitment to Health Care Community Fund grant last year, and the delightful results are so plain to see in the photographs from their Facebook.

The purchase of the Hippocampe all-terrain chairs allows their residents to access the beautiful area in which they live, and to visit places they once were able to go prior to residing at Bay Side Home. It enables visits to the beaches and seaside trails alongside the Atlantic Ocean, allows for the opportunity to travel and participate in activities around the province and to other outdoor attractions. Along with the physical benefits of time spent in nature, it supports mental health and well-being. Bayside’s Recreation Manager, Megan Lemoine noted, “Being outdoors attributes to better moods, decrease the chance of depression, reduced stress, provide opportunities for socialization and improve cognitive function.”

If you are a part of a registered charity or recognised non-profit in the Tri-County area, please take the time to look over our grant application today. Applications close 30 September, 2022.

Keep the love going!

The last two years have been challenging for all of us, but we have never stopped working for you. Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s work with your regional hospital has never been so important as it has been during the pandemic and during this time of crisis in Canadian health care. Through the generosity of donors like you, new services become available each year to help reduce the burden of travel on Tri-County residents. Your donations also enable major contributions to initiatives around recruiting and retaining doctors in our area, and fund nine scholarships to the Dalhousie School of Nursing, Yarmouth Campus.

Our resolve to do more to improve the provision of health care in the area served by Yarmouth Regional Hospital has made us look for ways to do things differently. This is why we continue to partner with Will Power, a national movement inspiring Canadians to think differently about charitable giving, and support the causes they care about through a gift in their Wills.

Most of us spend a lifetime contributing to a cause that’s close to our heart. But more and more Canadians are going one step further to leave a gift to charity in their Will. You can make a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible, without using any of the money you need now. It’s also important to consider that a charitable gift in your Will can go a long way towards reducing the amount of taxes to be levied against your estate after you pass. You can read about some of the tax advantages of giving through your Will here, and how some clever financial planning may actually empower you to do more with your estate than you might have realised possible.

You’ve always found ways of giving back. Keep the love going. Support Yarmouth Hospital Foundation in your Will.

September is Will Power Month

We are lucky. Supporters of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation are thoughtful individuals who share a concern for health care in the Tri-Counties now and for generations to come.
Often people think about contributing to the causes they care about with monthly donations or volunteering time, but there is a growing number of people who are going one step further to leave a gift to charity in their Wills. Did you know the Canadian government has created some of the best tax incentives in the world to encourage more giving to charity, especially from your estate? You can make a powerful contribution that will last for generations to come, without taking away from the resources you or your family needs.
When you look into it, you may be surprised to learn that a donation of as little as a 1% of your estate can result in a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible. You are still leaving 99% of your estate to support your loved ones, and you’re not using any of the money you need now.
You can find out more on our Will Power site or you can contact us at (902)749-1669 to find out more.

Spring Appeal (for two multiparameter patient monitors for your Emergency Department) is going well!

Thank you for your response to our Spring Appeal

After totalling up all the very generous donations received for our Spring Appeal (to raise money towards the purchase of two multiparameter patient monitors for your Emergency Department), we are delighted to announce that one of the monitors is fully funded! Thank you so much, Tri-Counties!

If you’ve not had the chance to donate yet, see our ‘Ways to Give’ page for details as to how!

Giving from her big red heart: the nine-year-old donor inspiring Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

Sophia Moulaison is just 9 years old — 9 and a half, actually — but she’s already learned how to be kind and generous.

A few weeks ago, a hand-written letter arrived in the office of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation signed by Sophia with her name and a big red heart. “You have done so much for our community,” she wrote. “A big thanks to you, Yarmouth Hospital.”

Sophia was visiting her grandparents — Lorna and Brian Amirault — when they opened their mail, including Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s Spring Appeal newsletter. The letter described our goal, to raise money towards the $70,000 purchase of two multi-parameter vital signs monitors for the Emergency Department. The monitors provide information on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, cardiac activity and more. “I thought I should probably send something back and I didn’t have a lot of money, so I wrote the note and Grammy put some money in there,” Sophie explained.

“Sophia’s letter and contribution have been an inspiration,” said Mary Surette, managing director of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, when she met with Sophia to bring her the charitable receipt for her gift. Sophia’s letter has been framed and proudly displayed on Mary’s office wall.

This fall, Sophia will be entering grade 4 at Meadowfields, but she already has big plans for her future. “I want to be a nurse when I grow up,” she confessed. In the meantime, she is enjoying day camp and looking forward to a trip to Disney World in August, particularly the roller coasters.  (Mom Melissa Moulaison, a teacher at Maple Grove, said Sophia is a thrill seeker by nature.)

Our young philanthropist has said that she intends to continue to support the foundation and other worthwhile charities in the future. If you’d like to follow Sophia’s lead, you can do so in the following ways:

YHF announces three new nursing scholarships for a total of nine to be awarded this academic year

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is delighted to announce the creation of three additional scholarships for students entering the Dalhousie University Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN) program (Yarmouth Campus) beginning this fall. Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, intended to support education, an endowment has been created that will provide for additional $3000 School of Nursing scholarships every year. This addition brings our scholarship total to nine.

Mary Surette, Managing Director of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, notes that she is “Simply overwhelmed by this most generous support and the wonderful opportunities that these scholarships will give to our future health care providers and leaders.”

These scholarships join four other endowment-created scholarships provided by donors from the Tri-County area, and two that are funded directly by Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, including the new for 2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity scholarship named for local heroine Sara Corning. “With the current rising need of healthcare workers there is an opportunity for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation to assist in our community,” notes Board Chair Neil LeBlanc, “and to invest in the future of health care in the Tri-County area.”

This year, approximately 36 new students will begin their training; with nine scholarships available, that means scholarships will be awarded to about 25 percent of this year’s entering class.

For more information and to apply, see http://yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca/nursing-scholarships/

Pictured: 2021’s Nursing Scholarship winners:  (L-R) Faughne Stewart, Brett Reeves, Montana Millet, Savana d’Entremont and Alexa Jeffery