Update 5:00pm:
The total at the 16th Annual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon reached $321,427 Saturday.
Through the eight hours, pledges were made over the phone and through different events to help raise money for eight foundations and their respective goals to purchase equipment to help modernize care across the region.
But even though the radiothon itself ended at 5:00pm Saturday, there is still time to donate by calling your local hospital foundation.
For Palmerston the goal is to raise money for a mobile x-ray machine.
Nurse Jen Weltz says the new machine is not only ergonimcally designed for easier use for staff, it supports the patient with quicker results
"It is now digital so our new machine will have a monitor right on the machine so at the bedside we can see the x-rays."
Goderich is looking to raise money to help purchase Intravenous Infusions Pumps for medication, pain relief, hydration & transfusions.
Lori Merner is the ER and OR manager at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich and says the new pumps will help patients in a variety of ways.
"They can run a specific amount of pain medication at a specific rate. But also the patient can press a button and a small amount of pain medication can be delivered."
For Wingham and Listowel, the foundations are raising money for an anesthetic machine.
Sandra Albrecht is the manager of surgical services and emergency for the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance and says it comes down to patient care in a timely manner.
""If we didn't have these types of machines in Listowel and Wingham hospitals, patients would have to travel to Stratford, London and Kitchener to have the same type of surgery done that could have done locally."
In Mount Forest, the foundation is raising money for a Centralized Cardiac Monitor System.
Patient care manager Gianni Accetola says one benefit is the system can automatically upgrade a patient's file.
"With our current system we have to print or write down the numbers that we see or print off a strip and add that to a chart. This one will feed the information right into an electronic system."
You can donate online HERE or download the pledge form HERE.
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Eight hospital foundations are gathering for the 16th Annual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon today and each one has a different goal.
Chesley – Two defibrillators Clinton – New sterilization equipment for the Ultrasound Department Goderich – Intravenous Infusions Pumps: medication, pain relief, hydration & transfusions Listowel – Funding towards an anesthetic machine with vital signs monitor Mount Forest – A Centralized Cardiac Monitor System Palmerston – A Mobile X-Ray Machine Seaforth – Money towards a five-year capital equipment project of $1.5-million Wingham – Funding towards an anesthetic machine
The day starts Saturday at 9am with various ways to donate. You can donate online HERE or download the pledge form HERE.
And the phone lines will be open 9:00am to 5:00pm at 519-357-1310 or toll free at 1-877-CARE 4 U 6 (1-877-227-3486).
The 16th Aannual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon will be broadcast in its entirety on CKNX AM920, and 101.7 The One and Classic Rock 94.5 listeners will also be able to tune in for parts of the day.
“On behalf of CKNX and Blackburn Radio, Inc. we are excited for another year of inspirational fundraising and quality entertainment on Saturday, October 21,” says John Marshall, program director of CKNX. “I hope you will plan to join us!”
Since its inception, the Health Care Heroes Radiothon has raised over $10-million for local hospital foundations.