Last December, Tsawwassen residents Jay Gebrail and his wife, Anna, were excitedly preparing for a visit from their son’s family, including their new grandson, from the United Kingdom.
Then, just three days before Christmas, Jay was out with his walking group when he felt a crushing pressure on his chest. “I stopped walking, and then I dropped to the ground,” Jay recalled. An ambulance rushed the 79-year-old to Delta Hospital’s Emergency Department (ER).
Upon his arrival at Delta Hospital, the healthcare professionals determined that he was in urgent need of an angiogram. Jay had several arteries with blockages up to 90 per cent, including one completely blocked artery that required two stents. Once surgery was completed, Jay spent several days recovering on Delta Hospital’s medical floor. “Even though I had to spend the holidays in the hospital, the staff were great,” he recalled. “They did everything they could to keep me comfortable and well cared for.”
The COVID-19 pandemic’s ripple effect has caused staffing shortages, and a dramatic rise in patient visits, as well as in severity of patient illnesses. Delta’s Emergency Department is seeing up to 145 patients a day — almost double last year’s numbers.
This year, this hospital has critical equipment needs for its Emergency Department, and urgently require more advanced equipment through the Delta Hospital Campus of Care.
“Today, please consider making a special gift in support of our Holiday Wish List,” says Lisa Hoglund, Executive Director, Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation. “Now, more than ever, you will be helping to ensure that our healthcare professionals have the resources they need to provide the best possible care for our community.”
The Delta Hospital Campus of Care needs the community now, more than ever before. “Delta Hospital’s ER has seen a steady increase in visitations and admissions over the past two years, averaging over 30,000 visits per year. During the holiday season, the ER typically experiences increased patient visitations, causing stress on already taxed staffing and resources,” Hoglund says.
The Holiday Wish List reflects the critical needs of many areas of the Delta Hospital Campus of Care, including its long-term care facility, Mountain View Manor, and the Irene Thomas Hospice. For instance, the Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Voice and Swallowing exam for stroke patients could be done at a patient’s bedside to assess aspiration risk; however, due to outdated equipment, patients are currently being transported to another site to receive this test.
Also on the Holiday Wish List is the LUCAS CPR Chest Compression System. This enables medical professionals to best save lives of sudden cardiac arrest and avoid neurological damage during an event by supplying a steady supply of oxygen to both the heart and brain.
The Irene Thomas Hospice needs a Sorrento Therapeutic Chair for patients with low mobility and extended stays in bed. It reduces pressure injuries and prevents sliding and falls.
“Your gift today matters. By providing staff with the very best equipment and resources you help to strengthen the entire Delta Hospital Campus of Care,” Hoglund says.
“Jay told me, ‘Delta Hospital is woven into the backbone of this community. Supporting Delta Hospital is important to me because it means that we don’t have to travel through the tunnel to get emergency medical attention.’
“On behalf of the entire Delta Hospital Campus of Care family, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season, and a healthy New Year.”
To support quality healthcare, close to home at Delta Hospital, donate today at dhchfoundation.ca/donate-now