Light a Bulb Continues to Shine With New Portable X-Rays

The Christmas tree on the roof of the hospital is no longer lit but the impact of the 2021 Light a Bulb campaign is still shining bright. Thanks to the incredible generosity of residents in the North Okanagan the hospital is acquiring two new ventilators for the Respiratory Department as well as much needed testing equipment. Additionally, because the holiday fundraising campaign was so successful, extra priorities within the hospital are also being supported.

“It is with great excitement and gratitude that we’re receiving two new portable digital X-ray units. These machines will be used on all wards throughout the hospital on patients who are too sick or injured to be transported to the Imaging Department,” stated Travis Thompson, Professional Practice Lead, Medical Imaging. “With traditional X-rays a Technologist has to leave a patient’s bedside to have an image processed in the Department which can take up to ten minutes. However, digital X-rays only take 5 seconds to process and can be done at the bedside, resulting in higher efficiency and more patients being imaged per day.”

These state-of-the-art units, which offer higher resolution and more detailed images for physicians to make their prognosis from, are replacing older outdated machines throughout the Hospital.  One will be used exclusively in the ICU Department, helping to expedite X-rays on the most critically ill patients, with the other machine being shared across all patient wards. “Expediting patient care is our priority, and the efficiencies for our medical teams makes this news doubly exciting.”

“Thanks to the generous support from our North Okanagan communities we’ve had the most successful Light-A-Bulb in the history of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation.  We couldn’t have done it without the amazing community that I am so proud to call home!” enthused Michael Kinghorn, VJH Foundation President and Chair of the 2021 Light a Bulb Campaign.