A fundraising effort aimed at bringing pain-saving equipment to Peace Arch Hospital is nearing its goal.
Peace Arch Hospital Foundation officials say the cost to purchase and install a new fluoroscopy unit – an imaging tool that will help expedite diagnosis and treatment options for those suffering from chronic pain – at the White Rock facility is expected to reach $3.2 million.
“Projects like these are a community collaboration where everyone works together to achieve the common goal of helping their local hospital,” PAHF executive director Stephanie Beck said Wednesday (Nov. 23), in a news release.
“Residents are taking steps and fighting back against chronic pain, and we’re almost at the finish line!”
The generosity of donors including area residents Gary and Anne McPhail – who recently gave a “major gift” – “has had a transformational impact on the status of the overall campaign,” said Beck, adding she is optimistic the campaign goal will be reached by the end of the year.
A challenge by local philanthropist Manjit Lit in early October – who pledged to match donations up to $100,000 – had a notable effect, the release notes.
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Beck said such gifts “help us take the next step forward while inspiring others to give, too.”
Dr. Hamed Basseri, a radiologist at Peace Arch Hospital, said imaging tools like the fluoroscopy unit “are continuously revolutionizing” patient care.
Currently, thousands of patients are living with chronic pain due to long wait times caused by outdated equipment in the medical imaging department at Peace Arch Hospital, the release notes.
Such delays can lead to functional impairment and reduced quality of life, an earlier release adds.
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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