Message from Kyle Shaen
Published Monday, November 23, 2020
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is heading into a crucial time. The Christmas season is our prime fundraising time of the year. As you know, our need for quality healthcare doesn’t stop, especially in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. You can ask anyone with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or one of the many other chronic diseases and conditions. They will tell you that their healthcare simply cannot be put on hold.
I’m encouraged though by our region’s continuing generosity. Case in point: our Hospital’s new medication cabinets. We asked you to help fund these incredible pieces of equipment earlier this month. I know, you’re probably thinking, “A medicine cabinet? What’s so special about that?” Well, let me tell you...
As you can imagine, providing safe medications quickly is one of the most important things our Hospital does. The wrong medication or the wrong dose can be extremely dangerous. We need to ensure patients get the medications they need, when they need it. For example, when your loved one is in pain, the faster they get those pills, the faster they get relief.
Our Hospital’s special medication cabinets use a barcode system to make all this happen faster and more easily. The pharmacist can enter the order into the system and the medication cabinet in that unit will receive it immediately through the network. These “smart” cabinets automatically dispense the right medication at the right dose when an authorized healthcare professional (such as the patient’s nurse or doctor) asks for it. All other medications stay safely locked up.
The high-tech cabinets, which hold about 400 medications, are helping our Hospital’s healthcare team provide faster, safer patient care. They have made a huge difference in the Hospital units that have them. However, not all Hospital units have them yet. There is still time to give to this amazing program to ensure all patients at our Hospital can benefit from fast, accurate medications.
One last thing. If you are able, please consider giving a little more this year knowing that there are those who cannot. Your generosity this year will make a bigger difference than ever.
I know patients across Northwestern Ontario will thank you, as do I.
Thank you, and stay safe.
Kyle Shaen