acw22admin, Author at YARMOUTH HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

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 Matches Monthly Giving to 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!

Maple Grove students fundraise for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

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.

Spring Appeal 2023: to bring a new Women’s Health service to 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 (AGM) 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

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.”

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!

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.

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

After totaling 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!

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