Emergency

From Arleen’s Desk – April 2022 Blog

Categories: News Bytes, From Arleen's Desk

As I move back into the Health Services Foundation’s office at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital and see signs of Spring, I’m amazed by the tremendous generosity we see in our rural communities; it always adds a sense of hope to the air.

Alison, Melissa, Marta, Danielle, and I are so proud to work toward the generational change to local health care by supporting the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project. This redevelopment will increase the footprint of our regional hospital by 30% while adding a long-awaited MRI and twelve dialysis beds. My family and I have used South Shore Regional more than once – many, many times in fact. I’m proud as well to make my own family pledge like many of our Foundation staff, Board members and community members who are leading the way. 

Tim O’Regan and David Himmelman have jumped into the Health Services Foundation’s fundraising efforts for this project as Co-Chairs with their own family donations of a tremendous $500,000 each.  The South Shore Regional Hospital Auxiliary pledged an astounding $1,000,000 donation in support of the Day Surgery expansion (we think this is the largest donation of its kind in the province, if not the Atlantic provinces by a hospital auxiliary). The Queens General Hospital Foundation not only displayed an incredible act of philanthropy but also that it understands that this is truly a “regional” project by dedicating $725,000 specifically for South Shore Regional’s MRI. I am so grateful for such a strong base of community support.

While the SSRH Redevelopment Project is key to the future of health care on the South Shore, the investment in equipment for both South Shore Regional and Fishermen’s Memorial will continue – the needs never end.

Events like the West Nova Fuels Curl for a Cause (which just completed its 22nd year of fundraising for Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital) and the Gift From The Heart Radiothon will continue. Work to help welcome and settle new physicians in our community continues as the Health Services Foundation works to build on the fantastic work of NOW Lunenburg County. Our Physician Settlement Committee is working closely with our Nova Scotia Health physician recruiters and our Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) program to see how the Foundation (and its wonderful donors) can support in their efforts.

So much great work is happening on the South Shore.

What a fantastic way to step into Spring!

From Arleen’s Desk: Falling Into a Refresh

Categories: From Arleen's Desk

As I sit here and type my first blog post on my porch, it’s hard to miss the first bit of Fall crisp in the air. Changes are indeed on the horizon, and not just for the leaves.

Not to wish time away but the changes on tap for health care on the South Shore are exciting, especially after hearing and talking about them for so long.

Over the summer, the Health Services Foundation team and I have been diligently working to learn more about the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project and how we (as one of the fundraising arms of the hospital) can support it.

We used the summer months to align a volunteer group of business and community leaders to help guide the Foundation in a campaign to support this redevelopment; a project that is going to enhance local health care for generations to come. We look forward to bringing you more information on our efforts soon.

If you are hungry for more information, the Health Services Foundation has a newly refreshed website with lots of information on the redevelopment, as well as other wonderful initiatives and ways to give to either Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital or South Shore Regional Hospital.

You can still find our website at www.healthservicesfoundation.ca.

As we look to Fall, we also look at the traditional start of the Foundation’s event season with the Charm Diamond Centre’s Women’s Giving Circle. The Foundation’s Board Executive have had several discussions about the pros and cons of having another year of in-person or virtual events.

The 8th Women’s Giving Circle will retake the virtual stage this year with four fresh projects. We are certainly excited to learn more about what our local health care teams need, while spending time together, perhaps in our pajamas!

Here’s to a healthy and generous Fall.

Stay safe & healthy,

Arleen Stevens

Executive Director – Health Services Foundation of the South Shore

South Shore Regional Emergency Department Set to Triple in Size

Categories: News Bytes

Excitement is continuing to build around the redevelopment of South Shore Regional Hospital, specifically the upcoming transformation of its Emergency Department.

On any given day in the 33-year old hospital’s Emergency Department you may find an elderly patient who has suffered a fall, a young child spiking an unexplained fever, a patient suffering from mental health challenges, or someone who has been transported by ambulance as the result of a vehicular accident.

The current Emergency Department was built to care for considerably fewer patients than the almost 20,000 annually that it sees today. Staff and doctors now face cramped spaces for triaging and isolating patients, ambulance offloading, diagnostics, patient treatment, and storage of medical supplies.

The $115.7-million redevelopment project announced by the Province in 2020 will see South Shore Regional’s Emergency Department approximately triple in square footage. The expanded capacity will help support improved wait times for patients while both patients and families will benefit from a much larger, state-of-the-art facility that is streamlined and designed to support patient-centered care.

Dr. Greg McNally has been at the helm of the regional Emergency Department for well over a decade and says the emergency health care team is really excited for this project.

“Our team’s goal is always to provide timely quality care to meet the wide range of needs of our community. The new Emergency Department will help us continue to achieve this.”

The plan for the expanded Emergency Department includes a functional new space for triage, examination, trauma, mental health, decontamination, negative air pressure and isolation, and other critical health services. It will also see the number of exam rooms increase from 14 to 20. Patients arriving by ambulance will also benefit from four weather-protected ambulance bays, which will improve patient comfort and privacy.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is very excited and committed to supporting the South Shore Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising effort in the coming months.

 

Media Contact:

Alison Clements

Manager, Strategic Engagement

Health Services Foundation of the South Shore

902-521-9522

alison.clements@nshealth.ca

SSRH MRI Addition Shines New Light on Foundation’s Campaign Commitment

Categories: News Bytes

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore’s Board of Directors and staff are thrilled with today’s announcement of a MRI for South Shore Regional Hospital.

The MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner will be a part of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project, announced in April 2020 by the Nova Scotia government, which will include the expansion and renovation of the emergency department, endoscopy and day surgery units, physical plant and the addition of a dialysis unit.

“Access to a MRI is a service our community, and the entire South Shore, have been wanting for a long time,” said Eric Whynot, Chair of the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore’s Board of Directors.

“The Health Services Foundation is very excited to see this project come to fruition through the ER Redevelopment at South Shore Regional Hospital, as it will be an integral part of our forthcoming capital campaign.”

The addition of the MRI to the SSRH Redevelopment Project brings the Health Services Foundation’s capital campaign goal to $5-million.

“The announcement of the MRI for South Shore Regional Hospital has definitely added another level of excitement as we continue to plan and prepare for what will be the Foundation’s largest campaign to date,” said Arleen Stevens, Executive Director of the Health Services Foundation.

“We are currently organizing our leadership team for our capital campaign,” Stevens adds, “and will have details to share in the months to come.”

Since 1993, the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore has raised funds to support healthcare equipment and services at South Shore Regional Hospital, Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital and associated healthcare sites.

Healing Our Community – Doctors Day 2021

Categories: Your Stories

After volunteering at a local church, Graham Rains came home feeling unwell.

“I developed chills and a fever. Of course the first thing I thought was ‘uh-oh I got COVID’.”

As the Crousetown man’s symptoms worsened, Rains found himself in the Emergency Department at South Shore Regional Hospital, facing some life-altering decisions.

“Dr. Paul Soloman let me explain my story and after examining me and my leg, he returned with a surgeon and explained my options. I had a flesh eating disease that could have been the end of me or my leg.”

A short time later, Rains was in recovery after surgery to his leg. “The next thing I knew there was a nurse telling me to look down at my leg. I didn’t want to as I didn’t know if it was there or not but then I saw my toes sticking up and I was pretty sure the leg was still attached!”

“I specifically remember my surgeon, Dr. Edward Joy, asking me to do one thing for him. He told me I couldn’t just sit there and feel sorry for myself, that I had to make a plan to occupy my mind and heal. He was right and I appreciated that advice.”

Rains spent a total of 90 days at South Shore Regional Hospital recovering, gaining insight and respect for all the staff in the hospital. “From the housekeeping staff to the food services staff (honestly the hospital has the best pizza on the South Shore) to the nurses and doctors; the care in Bridgewater is as good of care as you can get anywhere.”

Rains is continuing to heal at home, where he lives with his wife Myrna. He still returns to Bridgewater to be cared for by Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lisa Dickson.

“I would like to thank Dr. Soloman, Dr. Joy and Dr. Dickson. They are so professional and competent yet still very caring. I really do respect what the front line staff are going through these days. I thank them for all they have done for me and they have my greatest respect.”

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore would like to recognize and thank all the physicians who serve the South Shore. The Health Services Foundation and NOW Lunenburg County’s partnership helps support the physician recruitment and retention efforts of Nova Scotia Health.