The care within the walls of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital’s (PECMH) walls changes lives.

Donors and donations are at the core of the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s (PECMHF) ability to help keep our County hospital one of the best rural hospitals in Ontario. As soon as a visitor in need of care passes through our hospital doors, they know they are in a place where they’ll receive the best care possible. That’s why every dollar counts and every donor makes a difference.

Approximately 43,000 patient visitors are treated at our hospital annually. Our healthcare professionals treat over 20,000 patients in the Emergency Department alone. Close to 850 people are admitted annually for care, many for conditions such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and heart attacks.

Medical equipment to diagnose and treat our patients is expensive and has a short five to 10-year lifespan. The government does not help pay for these devices, which is why donor support is so important.

Rarely does a day go by that we don’t hear about the outstanding care provided by a hospital team member: a doctor, nurse, technologist, support staff or a helpful volunteer. Our Care Champions provide extraordinary care daily and make a difference in many people’s lives.

If the Care Champions working in our hospital didn’t have access to leading-edge medical devices paid for by donors, patients would have to travel to other facilities to receive care.

This year, the hospital foundation is raising funds for over $690,000.00 worth of medical equipment, including a Philips IntelliVue MX500 Monitor for PECMH’s Emergency Department.

An updated MX500 monitor is critical to caring for patients experiencing cardiac symptoms and respiratory concerns. This monitor is estimated to cost $144,000.00.

The MX500 Monitor is a powerful portable patient monitor that can:

·       check blood pressure and temperature

·       check oxygen saturation

·       provide electrocardiogram

·       check airway flow

·       monitor pulse rate

·       connect to the central monitoring station at the nursing station

Having this monitor available in our Emergency Department allows our Care Champions to properly assess, monitor, and diagnose patients at the bedside and promptly provide appropriate treatments to some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients.

Thanks to a strong GivingTuesday result in November that raised $77,884.00 for the MX500 monitors; the hospital foundation has $66,116.00 left to raise to purchase this vital equipment.

You can be a part of bringing this lifesaving equipment to our hospital. It’s needed now more than ever – especially as the demand for health care increases.

We know that compassionate care, paired with essential equipment and resources, makes people more comfortable and keeps them connected to loved ones – and that is crucial for their health outcomes.

Investing in medical equipment at our County hospital ensures our Care Champions have the tools and devices they need to care for our residents, visitors, family, and friends.

The hospital foundation is grateful to the many donors, volunteers, and community members who tirelessly support our mission to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County and the hospital's patients. You are partnering with us to guarantee the future of healthcare in our community remains bright!

If you are grateful for the care you or a loved one has received while visiting the hospital, consider giving to the foundation to help ensure the hospital and our care teams have the tools they need, like the MX500 monitor, to provide exceptional care.

For information about our hospital or to donate, call 613-476-1008 ext. 4502 or visit our website at www.pecmhf.ca.