Recouping at home is the best medicine post surgery.
But treatment and after surgery care for certain urological patients including those with urological cancers hasn’t been available at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH)- that is, until now.
Since winding up a $400,000 Urology Campaign ahead of schedule and with an additional $89,000 for the cause, not to mention a second highly trained Urologist on site - more than 100 urological patients as well as 34 urologic cancer patients didn’t have to travel to Vancouver or beyond for their care.
The KBRH Health Foundation’s campaign officially drew to a close last Wednesday with organizations, local charities, volunteers and individuals being recognized for raising $489,000 in 10 short months.
“Through your donations we were able to get state-of-the-art equipment,” said Dr. Roy Livingstone.
“Our equipment now is as good as anywhere … thanks to your generosity. As important as the equipment, in fact more important because the equipment is no good sitting on the shelf, we were able to recruit Dr. Mike Robinson to our hospital,” he added.
“I don’t think people realize how fortunate we are to have somebody of such high caliber as Dr. Robinson. I’ve been operating with him for a year and he’s introduced many new surgeries to this hospital, and the equipment we now have has changed the way urology is done in this hospital.”
Donor wall unveiling
The Urology Campaign, projected to last up to two years, launched in March 2015 with a goal of fostering progressive urological services for both men and women living in the region.
With sizable donations from the offset, including $60,000 from the Trail Hospital Auxiliary ($45,000 up front) the foundation was able to purchase updated equipment such as endoscopes, in advance of Dr. Robinson’s July 2015 arrival.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I landed here,” said Dr. Robinson, mentioning his family has happily settled in. “Reviewing with our operating manager, we’ve done over 110 laser cases for stones, that’s 110 patients who haven’t had to go to Vancouver - they stayed here. I think that’s a great number and a great accomplishment.”
Now able to treat urological diseases such as bladder, prostate and kidney cancers at KBRH, Dr. Robinson pointed out those patients were saved many trips to the coast for care.
“Again that’s patients that aren’t having to go to Vancouver for that high level of care,” he continued.
“And that’s not having to go for their consultation or follow ups … this really centralizes the care and I think as a group, as a community, we should all take responsibility … to those significant patient gains in terms of delivering high quality of care, locally,” Robinson concluded.
“It’s really set the bar and allowed me to compliment what Dr. Livingstone has done here for so many years, and I think has laid a fantastic foundation moving forward to continue delivering high quality urological care to everyone in the Kootenays and I would like to express my gratitude to everyone here, the foundation and the communities in the West Kootenay for making this possible.”
Donor wall
The complex health profile of older adults entering an acute care hospital is at the forefront of the KBRH Health Foundation’s current fundraising efforts.
The foundation’s $325,000 Elder Care Campaign launched in March and looks to minimize the vulnerability of frail patients with improved comfort through supportive equipment, ultimately increasing safety to ensure the elderly can return home successfully.
Since 1988, the foundation has raised over $14.5 million through donations from private and corporate donors. Funding priorities include raising endowed gifts and annual funds to support health care equipment needs, staff education, and special initiatives to enhance health care through the Trail hospital and other Kootenay Boundary facilities.
Major campaigns completed over the years include the Ambulatory Care Wing ($1.1 million) finished in 2002 and the Children’s Health Care Initiative ($1.14 million) completed in 2010. After wrapping up its Urology Campaign in January, it tackled a mini-campaign in support of a $795,000 airborne isolation room (mostly covered by Interior Health and the West Kootenay-Boundary Regional Hospital District) with $57,000 in top-up funds.
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