The Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation announced the arrival of a much anticipated ECHO Ultrasound in Vanderhoof on Thursday that will soon be in full use at St. John Hospital — providing cardiac diagnostics for the Omineca Region in northern B.C.
St. John Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Rebecca Janssen said the new ultrasound will make all the difference for patients in need of cardiac treatment.
“For quite a long time now patients have had to go to Prince George. It was a service that was really busy in Prince George and so it was quite a long wait,” Janssen said.
“I remember points in my career where we waited five or six months for this test — and that’s a long time… Sometimes in rural medicine there’s a lot of kind of doing our best with what we have. If you have more information, you do better.”
Janssen said long-distance travel to receive the test in Prince George has been difficult for patients, especially in the winter-time, and even more so for those living further away like in Fort St. James and Fraser Lake.
Janssen said an ECHO Ultrasound is an irreplaceable piece of equipment.
“It gives us really important information about the plumbing, if you will, of the heart and its structures. So, it’s really important clinical information.”
“This means that we can provide service to Vanderhoof people right at home, and then to the surrounding Omineca region as well.
In one situation she said a test was ordered in November and it didn’t become available until the end of February. By that time the patient was in an urgent condition.
“We actually learned that the patient had surgical valve disease. That patient got sent urgently to a cardiac surgical centre for treatment. I mean, it would have been really nice to have had that information months sooner.”
What started out last fall as a request to have an ECHO Ultrasound in the region drew support and funding, with half of the money coming from an applied grant.
Dr. Shu Ho, general practitioner and physician lead for the campaign to fund the ultrasound machine said the new equipment will make his job much easier.
“As a local physician performing cardiac stress testing at St. John Hospital, I am thrilled at the prospect of performing echocardiography in Vanderhoof,” Ho said. “We can now reduce travel times, shorten regional waitlists, and provide better care.”
Integris Credit Union stepped in with a donation of $50,000 in memory of Rosalie Nichiporuk, a long time resident who was passionate about healthcare.
“Rosalie was a committed and staunch member of the Hospital Auxiliary for years. I knew her quite well, and she was just a lovely human being. I’m really pleased that she’s being recognized with this machine being named after her,” Janssen said.
Donations from residents poured in to support the memorial for Rosalie — that included $10,000 from the St. John Hospital Auxiliary. A $12,000 grant from the Four Rivers Co-op through their Community Support Fund that completed the funding needed.
Judy Neiser, CEO of Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation said the impact on the future of cardiac health for the area west of Prince George is “immeasurable.”
This campaign was funded in record time, Neiser said, adding that there are many in the community that support the health and wellness of their fellow residents.
“This is community helping community.”
RELATED: Fundraising campaign put in motion for cardiac ultrasound machine at Vanderhoof hospital
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