By Cecilia Nasmith

Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation has launched its 14th annual Angels of Care campaign with the goal of replacing the hospital’s aging Cardiac Telemetry System.

The hospital’s current Telemetry System is old and has limited patient monitoring capacity. Investing in a new system it will expand in-patient and emergency department monitoring to ensure better and more immediate treatment.

Cardiac Telemetry is a way of monitoring your heart, blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in your blood while you are in the hospital. This vital data transmits directly to a monitoring station, alerting the medical staff immediately of any problems.

This year's Angels of Care campaign aims to raise $300,000 of the $500,000 needed to purchase this equipment.

Letters to donors and former patients contain chief of staff Dr. Bruce Bain's thanks for their previous support and asks them to consider a gift this year as well.

“Right now CMH has an urgent need for the new Cardiac Telemetry Monitoring System – a machine that can save lives,” Dr. Bain said.

“Given that over 80% of our inpatients are 65+ years of age and heart issues remain one of the top reasons for Emergency Department visits and Admissions, purchasing a new Telemetry System is an excellent – and urgently needed – investment. And as I’m sure you can imagine, when cardiac issues arise, every moment counts.”

Dr. Bain kicked things off himself with a generous $10,000 gift to the campaign, and he encourages members of the community to show their support as well.

More than 42,000 area residents are treated at CMH each year. If not for the financial support of the community, many of the critical services and medical equipment they require might not be available as the provincial government does not provide funds for the purchase of new equipment. That responsibility is in the hands of the donor community.
To learn more about the campaign, and show your support, visit www.givetocmh.ca