The Sechelt Hospital Foundation has declared Sechelt Hospital fit for the Sunshine Coast’s little superheroes.
Foundation executive director Jane Macdonald said generous donations allowed her organization to purchase two pieces of much-needed hospital equipment for kids who need ultrasounds or X-rays on the Sunshine Coast.
“A few months ago, the director of the hospital came to us with the need to adapt some of the machines in our medical imaging department, to ensure our X-ray and ultrasound machines are equipped to properly accommodate children,” Macdonald said.
The two medical imaging units were part of a larger purchase for the department, worth approximately $25,000, that also included an X-ray stair platform.
To celebrate the upgrade, the foundation invited local families to bring their children – dressed in superhero costumes – into the hospital to check out the equipment, and had a videographer follow them around. Macdonald said it allowed the foundation to put together a short video demystifying the equipment for families who may need to bring their children in for imaging services.
“We wanted to demonstrate a familiar environment that’s friendly, that’s safe, and that fit for superheroes. Some of these experiences don’t have to be so scary, and truly, they can be conquered with a little help from your friends,” she said.
Medical radiographer Nicole Warren said she feels grateful her department has been given this equipment, which she describes as efficient, safe and easy to use.
“The new updated equipment allows us to bring the child in, put them in a piece of equipment that holds them safely with safety belts, and holds them very still. Ideally we only want to take the essential images, and holding still is really important. This equipment allows us to get them comfortable, safe, still, create the image, and then provide that to the doctor.”
Warren said she sees about three children per week come through her department at the hospital, but those numbers go up during cold and flu season, and in the summer months when population increases on the Sunshine Coast.
The new equipment names are a bit of a mouthful – the “Pigg-o-stat” positioning device is for younger children up to about two years old, and the “Pedio Poser” is for children two years and older – but Macdonald said it’s all about the impact. She has already heard from staff that both pieces of equipment make the imaging process more comfortable for little ones, and allow imaging technicians to do their jobs more effectively.
– Submitted by Angelina Theilmann, Sechelt Hospital Foundation
