Read an e-version of the PRHC Foundation’s Summer 2021 issue of The Pulse newsletter to find out more about how you are making great care possible at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Summer 2021 issue of The Pulse newsletter
Ushering in a new era of healthcare at PRHC
So much has been happening at Peterborough Regional Health Centre! We’re sharing a few of the highlights as we reflect on the last year and look ahead to the future of healthcare at PRHC…
For so many of us, the pandemic highlighted just how fortunate we are to have outstanding healthcare available in our region when we need it most.
Throughout COVID-19, your hospital’s role in our region became increasingly important, especially during the third wave when a critical care surge threatened to overwhelm Intensive Care Units across Ontario.
PRHC served as the lead for the five hospitals in our region and was the receiving hospital for patient transfers. The Health Centre ramped up its critical care capacity and over five months, accepted 76 patient transfers from outside our region to support the system-wide response to the surge.
As vaccination rates rose and case counts trended downwards, PRHC began ramping up non-urgent services and adjusted its visiting policy. No matter what comes, however, your hospital continues to manage and carefully allocate resources within this challenging healthcare landscape while continuing to advocate for the current and future patient care needs of PRHC, our community and our region.
Peterborough has become one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, with one of the oldest populations. During the past five years, PRHC has seen increases in its patient volumes and the level of care those patients need. In response, the Health Centre has expanded and enhanced programs and services as both a community hospital and a regional referral hub for our surrounding communities. Their goal and ours remains the same: to continue to bring specialized care closer to home for patients. That’s a mission that’s never been more important.
One exciting project underway is the launch of PRHC’s Clinical Information System (CIS), Epic. Launching a CIS is one of the most important transformations a hospital can make. It’s been almost a decade in the works at PRHC. Epic will enable seamless access to health information across the Health Centre and six other hospital organizations, enhancing patient safety and quality of care. This collaboration represents the largest number of individual organizations joining together on the Epic system in Ontario. It will transform the way healthcare is delivered for generations to come.
Looking ahead to the next five, 10 and 20 years of the hospital’s evolution, PRHC is in the early stages of its Master Planning process.
In its bold vision for the future, PRHC will be the go-to large acute care hospital between Kingston and the Greater Toronto Area for patients to receive care. We and our donors will be by their side, helping fund essential equipment and technology, and exciting innovations, to support this transformation.
Thank you for your continued support as we usher in the next era of healthcare in our region!
Learn more about “the best kept secret in medicine”
Dr. Fady Abdelsayed is an Interventional Radiologist at PRHC. We asked him to tell us about interventional radiology, known as “the best kept secret in medicine,” and how an upgrade and expansion to PRHC’s IR facilities will improve care for thousands of patients in our region…
What is interventional radiology?
In interventional radiology we use real-time imaging – radiology – to find and correct, or intervene in, health conditions. We use CT scans, fluoroscopy or ultrasound to steer needles, guidewires and catheters into tiny incisions in the skin or through blood vessels to perform a procedure.
What kind of procedures use interventional radiology?
Interventional radiology is becoming integral to patient care. We use it during scheduled procedures and in emergencies. It’s helpful for a wide range of health conditions and patients. If a patient has an infection, we might use interventional radiology to drain it. With cancer, we might use it to do a biopsy. Bleeding – we might use interventional radiology to stop the hemorrhage. And if surgery is too high-risk for a patient, this kind of procedure could be a safer, faster option. Some days, no two procedures are the same or an everyday procedure needs a new ‘twist’ to get the best result for that patient.
How does interventional radiology support great patient care at PRHC?
It helps us innovate and push the boundaries of what we can do for patients. It often lets us quickly give a patient relief from discomfort or help get them a diagnosis. Because it’s minimally invasive, patients have less pain, shorter hospital stays, and face less risks than with surgery.
If PRHC has this service now, why should donors invest in it?
Right now, interventional radiology is used for almost 6,000 patients at PRHC every year, but the two interventional radiology suites were built 13 years ago. They’re too small to fit the number of medical personnel and state-of-the-art equipment we need to expand and offer this care to more patients. We can do this with renovated suites, a new step-down unit and cutting-edge equipment. We’ll also be able to introduce new methods to treat things like stroke and cancer. We all want to give our patients the best care possible, but the government funds only a portion of the hospital’s costs. So, we’re very grateful to our community for helping us by donating to the PRHC Foundation. Thank you, donors!
For more information or to support this exciting investment, please click here or call 705-876-5000.
Impact Spotlight: Orthopedic Surgical Camera
Last year when your hospital needed help to fund a new, top of the line camera to facilitate orthopedic surgeries, our community responded with enthusiasm. As a result, the PRHC Foundation was able to fund this state-of-the-art camera. It’s been on site and in use since early this year.
Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Crawford Dobson and his colleagues are grateful for your support. The high definition camera is helping them perform minimally invasive arthroscopic knee and shoulder repair for hundreds of patients a year, so they can quickly get back to living their lives with less pain and more mobility.
“Our new high definition camera allows us to see very subtle differences in tissues to diagnose and treat conditions that we might not otherwise have been able to treat or done so easily,” says Dr. Dobson. “Thank you for all your generous donations. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to function in the same capacity.”
Haircare in support of healthcare!
Thank you to Blank Canvas Hair & Art Studio in Millbrook! For the month of July, the Studio donatedg $1 from every haircut and $2 from every colour service to the PRHC Foundation in support of Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s hardworking healthcare workers. Plus, for those who wanted to support the initiative, but couldn’t get in for a hair appointment, the Studio sold wildflower arrangements in an assortment of glass vases with all proceeds being donated the PRHC Foundation.
Chemung Lake District Lions Club supporting pediatric cancer care with a takeaway dinner
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers at the Chemung Lake District Lions Club who are hosting a curbside pick-up fundraising dinner, Saturday, July 10, in support of pediatric cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Dinner is $12 per person and includes ham, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, cornbread muffins and cinnamon knots in a microwave-safe container.
Call to reserve: 705-657-2671
Pickup 3:00-5:00pm July 10: Lions Park, Ward St., Bridgenorth
July bottle returns to The Beer Store will support your hospital!
During the month of July, proceeds from all bottle returns at Peterborough and area The Beer Store locations were in support of the efforts of the dedicated healthcare workers at Peterborough Regional Health Centre through the PRHC Foundation.
“We are thankful to the incredible hospitals and community organizations that are helping Ontario navigate through COVID-19. We recognize the tremendous efforts your organization is making to support your community during these extraordinary times.” -Peterborough and area The Beer Store employees
Thank you to The Beer Store for making us one of your charities of choice for July! Cheers to you all!
Reimagined 2021 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival celebrates 20 years of fun and fundraising!
On Saturday June 12, 2021 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival officially celebrated its 20th anniversary.
We’re so grateful for this beloved event! Over 20 years it has raised more than $3.6 million to help ensure world-class breast and other cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment are available to patients from across our region. Proceeds from the points-based 2021 Festival that promoted friendly competition for all ages through fun activities and fundraising will help fund a new, state-of-the-art diagnostic ultrasound for PRHC’s Breast Assessment Centre.
The primary use of the ultrasound is to help diagnose breast abnormalities such as a lump and to characterize potential abnormalities seen on mammography. The new ultrasound technology comes with many advancements that will improve image quality, increase its accuracy and make the patient experience more comfortable.
To date, the virtual Festival has raised $48,591.10!
On behalf of everyone at PRHC, especially patients and their families, thank you to the organizing committee, Survivors Abreast and all of the passionate sponsors, volunteers, participants and donors who make the Festival a success every year!
Your support of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival will help to ensure that breast cancer patients have access to the latest, customized treatments, leading-edge technology and world-class care at your regional hospital.
Learn more about the Festival and how you can still donate here!
Impact Spotlight: Wireless ECG Machines
Thanks to donors, six new ECG machines with advanced, wireless technology have been added to PRHC’s fleet. This means that cardiologists can access an ECG from a secure server quickly and on the spot to diagnose heart conditions, especially in urgent situations such as a Code STEMI where diagnosis begins in the ambulance on the way to PRHC’s Cardiac Cath Lab.
PRHC Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Katy Shufelt explains how these new machines are impacting patient care at your hospital:
“Having wireless technology for our ECGs has really advanced care at PRHC. When patients have an ECG, it’s immediately uploaded to a secure server and cardiologists can log on and access that ECG immediately. In the past, that process would have been much slower. And that five or ten minutes more can be the difference for a patient’s life.”
PRHC’s Laboratory Medicine Technicians (pictured) and Dr. Shufelt want to say “thank you” for making such an impact on patient care at your hospital!
If you’d like to make an impact, please donate online, or for more information, please call 705-876-5000.
Photo by Mary Zita Payne.
Summer Sizzle raises $9,000 in support of the Cath Lab!
A huge thank you to Kawartha Clean Air & Burning Sensations Home Comfort Centre for their Summer Sizzle Raffle, which raised $9,000 in support of reinvestment in Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s Cardiac Cath Lab!
We’re grateful for this generous donation, and everyone who supported this initiative – by buying tickets, helping with ticket printing and sales, and getting the word out. And congratulations, Dawn, winner of the Napoleon gourmet grill valued at $1,800!