Royal Canadian Legion grants for PEC hospital equipment tally $65,000

PECMH Foundation board members Leo Finnegan and Sherry Tait are shown with Diane Kennedy, president of RCL Branch 78 and Tom McCaw, second vice-president and Barbara McConnell, chairperson of PECMHF. – Briar Boyce photo

Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 78 in Picton have come forward to help the County’s hospital get the priority medical equipment it needs to help save lives.

Branch 78 members presented $7,500 to the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation – funds awarded through the Legion’s Ontario Provincial Command. The grant will help complete the purchase of a picture archiving system currently in use in the endoscopy unit at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital.

The Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command Branches and Ladies’ Auxiliaries have been helping to fund the $101,890 picture archiving system for the Endoscopy Department since April 2017.

Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital is the low-risk endoscopy centre for Quinte Health Care. Each year, more than 3,500 individuals travel to Picton from across Southeastern Ontario for cancer screening and scope procedures.

Since the Endoscopy Unit at PECMH screens for cancer, Quinte Health Care was required by Cancer Care Ontario to install a specialized picture archive system. The Endo Works picture archive stores images captured during endoscopic or gastroscopic procedures from specific regions within the body. Those images can then be shared and used to confirm diagnoses.

“We are grateful to the Royal Canadian Legion for helping us complete the purchase of the picture archiving system in use at PECMH,” said Barbara McConnell, chairperson of the Foundation. “It’s vital for our community to continue to ensure our County hospital is equipped with the latest technology to keep it state-of-the-art. We hope our stakeholders will see this as another sign that we are committed to providing exceptional care while building a vibrant future for Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital.”

The generosity of individuals, organizations and community partners helps to ensure caregivers can continue to deliver great care, close to home, said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation.

“Over the years, the four local Legion branches, Picton, Wellington, Consecon and Deseronto have contributed to excellent care at PECMH. We are pleased to know their contributions and those of Provincial Command are not only helping ensure the best care for veterans, but for everyone in Prince Edward County.”

PECMHF has received nine grants from the Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Command since 2005 totaling $65,000.

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to raise money to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County.