Annual Report 2021
2021 Equipment in focus: ceiling lifts
Yarmouth Regional Hospital serves the Tri-County area of Yarmouth, Shelburne and Digby counties: it is a regional hub and essential to our greater community. However, prior to 2021, it was the only regional hospital in Nova Scotia without a truly critical piece of equipment: ceiling lifts.
Yarmouth Hospital Foundation started to fundraise for the purchase of 13 ceiling lifts for the ICU unit with our 2020 Christmas Appeal after the urgent need was highlighted. The incredible utility of the lifts and the pressing need for them beyond just the ICU led to the inclusion of more ceiling lifts for additional areas of the hospital on our 2021 equipment list.
Board member Joy Gillespie was a strong supporter of this initiative: “I was thrilled by the purchase of ceiling lifts for the inpatient units. As the former health service manager for the cardiovascular units, I saw first hand the struggle nurses had trying to move patients without this vital equipment. These lifts provide safe, comfortable ease of transfer for patients as they are moved from bed to chair, etc. They protect the patient, they protect the care providers: it’s a win/win situation!” she said.
Holly Foster, team lead for 3-CV East, one of the first wards to have its ceiling lifts installed, was as delighted by them as Joy had anticipated. “We love our new ceiling lifts and appreciate the foundation supplying them so we can provide top-notch care to our patients while avoiding injury to ourselves. Thank you so much!”
In total, $399,950 was spent on 41 additional ceiling lifts in 2021, and that was entirely funded by foundation donors — so thank you, once again, for your generosity!
Inpatients By the Numbers, 2021
- % Occupancy: 88.37%
- ICU Occupancy: 67.35%
