Health Service Foundation reaches equipment goal

    HOULTON, Maine — Officials with the Health Services Foundation have announced the completion of another very successful campaign goal — this one to purchase or upgrade nine pieces of equipment in several different departments for Houlton Regional Hospital.   “There was a wonderful array of items that were very much needed by Houlton Regional, equipment that would otherwise not have been attainable, and we are always delighted when at the end of our efforts we can say, ‘We made it.’ During the course of any campaign, in addition to donor/grant asks made, we strive to have events or other fun ways people would want to participate in and enjoy all the while helping us to reach the goal for keeping our hospital operating at optimum levels,” said Elizabeth Dulin, Foundation executive director.
The departments benefiting from the Foundation’s campaign were: Emergency, blanket warmer and bladder scanner; Laboratory, hematology microscope and camera; Operating Room, anesthesia machine; Cardiac Pulmonary Rehab, Holter and event monitors; Pharmacy, PCA pumps; Dietary, carts for patient food delivery; Obstetrics, fetal electronic monitor; and Clinic Services, EMG (electromyogram).
“When you think about the overall scope of these pieces, we covered quite a bit of territory,” Dulin said. “Most cases involved providing departments with much needed new equipment to replace aging items and upgrading others due to fast changing technology for those items. The cost of purchasing larger pieces of hospital equipment continues to rise steadily only adding to the burden rural hospitals face in seeking to maintain the best possible patient care.
“Technology keeps moving faster and faster which in turn may not require purchase of a new piece of equipment, but merely an upgrade to the current item in order to continue meeting the high standards of use,” Dulin continued. “All these things are needed on a daily basis to keep our communities healthy and strong while giving anyone using our facility confidence in our ability to provide for their needs every time they walk through the door.
“While most of us prefer not to think about a hospital visit, and certainly not one of a serious nature, we want everyone to know that competent, and caring personnel are able to handle the situation presented to them. There is no better feeling in our part of the health care world than knowing hospital staff and equipment make a difference everyday for all the services they provide,” Dulin added.
Over the years Foundation supporters have conducted many fund-raising efforts mostly assisting with one large need for health care providers, however, this past year was a unique challenge to bring in so many new items.
“It was pleasure to conduct this campaign, see the results and have the departments tell us how much it meant to them to have this new or upgraded equipment,” Dulin said. “It makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Each year, Foundation officials announce to the communities a new drive in support of the best in health care options, and every year all those communities continue to support the Foundation in those efforts.
“We are extremely grateful for the level of commitment everyone makes within their ability to help either financially or with their time,” Dulin said. “Were it not for that we would never be able to do what we do, without what they do.”
For more information, call 521-2147 or visit www.healthservicesfoundation.org.