Auxiliary donation buys $10,000 smart bed for County’s hospital

Pictured with the new SMART bed on August 28 at PECMH from left at back: Auxiliary members, Liz Jones, Jean Algar, Eugenia Venchiarutti, Pam Strachan, Sarah Monroe, RPN on PECMH’s inpatient unit, Auxiliary member Helen Hotston, Barbara McConnell, chairperson of PECMHF, Pat Evans, PECMH Auxiliary past president and PECMH Foundation vice chairperson and Auxiliary volunteer, Sharon Morcom. At front, Briar Boyce, senior development officer with the PECMH Foundation. Lawrie Ackerman photo

It’s not just a hospital bed.

It’s where a family member may have held a loved one’s hand for the last time. It’s where patients spend the majority of their time, waiting for a diagnosis, or healing, in preparation for going home.

Thanks to a donation of just over $10,000 from the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, another new Hill-Rom Centrella Smart bed is ready for service on the inpatient unit at the County’s hospital.

Last year there were more than 960 inpatient stays at PECMH with the average length of stay being between five and six days.

The Centrella Smart bed is fully adjustable with electronic controls. Raising or lowering the bed makes it easier to get into or out of, reducing the risk of a fall and further injury.

The new beds offer a supportive and therapeutic surface to optimize healing. The mattress is designed to reduce the incidence of pressure injuries and is built with a high weight capacity.

The bed is also able to read vital signs through a sensor beneath the mattress and can alert staff when changes occur in a patients condition.

It also offers easy to understand verbal safety prompts such as, ‘the care team has been called’ or ‘brake not set’ and a built-in USB port makes charging electronic devices more accessible for the patient.

This is the third Smart bed to be added to the fleet on the PECMH inpatient unit.

“In our inpatient unit, our patients spend the majority of their time lying on the bed. What could be more important to their comfort?” said Lisa Mowbray, patient services manager at PECMH. “Beds might not sound exciting, but they are so important both to the care provided and our patients’ overall experience.”

The Auxiliary raises its funds each year through a mix of activities, including the operation of the Second Time Around Shop, Coffee Cart, Coffee Shop and several community events including Tag Day and the Festival of Trees, which will usher in the holiday season the weekend of Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2019 at Isaiah Tubbs in Picton.

“The Auxiliary is dedicated to helping improve the patient and family experience in as many ways as possible, so it feels great to be making this donation to the Hospital Foundation and purchasing this new bed for our Hospital,” said Art Hewer, PECMH Auxiliary president.

The contributions the PECMH Auxiliary make to fund this type of equipment greatly benefits the well-being of patients,” said Shannon Coull, Executive Director for the PECMH Foundation.

“Our patients are fortunate to have such a committed team of volunteers working on their behalf. Last year our County Hospital staff managed over 40,000 visits. Thanks to our donors, including the PECMH Auxiliary, our dedicated medical team continues to have access to the equipment and tools they need. Community support is so important because medical equipment is not paid for by the government. Your donations support the skilled and compassionate care that is happening every day inside our hospital.”

Supporting patient care is the Foundation’s priority, and thanks to our generous partners, the Hospital Auxiliary, this bed will make a huge difference in patient care, said Barbara McConnell, chairperson of the PECMH Foundation.

“We don’t often think of beds as being central to medical care and yet they play a vital role in the treatment provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Every area of care within the hospital – from Emergency to Day Surgery and beyond – has unique bed requirements. This Smart bed offers many safety features for both patients and staff, and will provide the best rest and recovery this hospital can offer.”