Interior Health (IH) says it received overwhelming support for health care in the Elk Valley through this year’s Feast For A Cause in Fernie.
IH officials say over 200 people attended the event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Fernie, and raised over $35,000 for the Elk Valley Hospital.
The money will be used in partnership with the Rotary Club of Fernie and Interior Health to purchase diagnostic equipment, including a fetal monitor.
“Our maternity providers, nurses, anesthetists, surgical team, and all our allied health care workers have worked very hard, resulting in a 50 per cent increase in babies born at Elk Valley Hospital in the last six years,” said Dr. Tara Chalmers-Nixon, Chief of Staff at Elk Valley Hospital.
“Donations like this help families deliver their babies in Fernie with confidence. Our health care team is committed to the best patient care, and we appreciate all our donors who believe we can do big things in a small community.”
The East Kootenay Foundation for Health also pitched in and matched every dollar raised through Feast for a Cause.
“As you can imagine, health care equipment is forever modernizing and outdating and can be quite costly to replace,” said Leala Tomlinson, director of clinical operations.
“This is where the East Kootenay Foundation for Health and events like this are so critical to ensure that our community hospitals, like the Elk Valley Hospital, can purchase the equipment needed to provide the level of care that we strive for.”
The fetal monitor will help during pregnancy and labour by measuring uterine contractions and a baby’s heart rate.
The device has wireless capabilities, giving healthcare workers more freedom of movement with the machine.
“Interior Health is proud of the maternity program at the Elk Valley Hospital and its growth over the past ten years. Last year, 124 babies were delivered at the Elk Valley Hospital,” said Tomlinson.
“This has been supported through many developments in the hospital’s rural maternity program, including increased surgical programs allowing for 24/7 c-section capabilities, hiring and training nurses who specialize in hospital maternity care as well as primary care, and continued efforts toward establishing sustainable physician coverage in the community.”
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