funds for maternity Equipment

Krista Whyard gave birth shortly after this photo was taken

The Powell River Hospital Foundation is raising funds to update the hospital’s maternity room. To date, the Foundation has committed to purchase two new infant incubators, an obstetrical ultrasound unit and an electronic fetal signs monitor. The old incubator, in the photo above, has been in service since 1996.

Foundation and hospital staff are also discussing renovations to improve the maternity room’s environment for both nurses and moms. Please consider
making a donation to the Foundation to help bring this project to fruition.
The new incubators have several important advantages that give infants born prematurely a good start in life, and support clinical care at the bedside, in keeping with the Foundation's mandate, which is to improve the quality of patient care in our hospital.
Incubators provide a safe environment for the new arrival by controlling the heat,
humidity, oxygen, light and noise around this little being, while monitoring its heart
rate, breathing, and the oxygen levels in its blood on a constant basis. This is especially important for a baby who is critically sick and may require transfer to a higher level of care elsewhere.
The incubator plays a vital role in such cases, maximizing the care clinical staff are
able to provide until transport is arranged.
The obstetrical ultrasound machine uses sound waves to create a real-time visual
image of the baby during pregnancy, thus helping medical staff make clinical decisions regarding the care of both mother and baby.
The electronic fetal health monitor shows the frequency of contractions in the mother during labor and assesses the well being of the baby before and during labor – critical information for making timely care decisions.

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