Postal strike could compromise hospital fundraising

(BELLEVILLE, Ont. 06/14/11) Dr Andrew Samis, lead physician at Quinte Health Care’s Intensive Care Unit, is pushing to get an ultrasound machine for the ICU. The machine would be used in daily procedures, such as finding veins in critically ill patients who need needles. Photo by Ashliegh Gehl

By Ashliegh Gehl

The sporadic nationwide postal strike might seriously compromise Belleville General Hospital Foundation’s annual fund-raising campaign.

Drew Brown, executive assistant of the foundation, said they altered their strategy when they realized a postal strike might disrupt their mail-in donor campaign.

“We guessed wrong,” said Brown. “We thought there was going to be a general strike. So we modified very radically the way our letters are being delivered and how donations can then be returned to us.

“It has the potential to have a very serious impact on the campaign, but we’re hoping that people will rally around and drop their donations at one of the drop box points around Belleville.”

Brown said the foundation receives the majority of its donations via mail, followed closely by donations over the phone.  They offer an online option but it’s the least popular.

The rotating 24-hour postal strike started June 2 in Winnipeg and has made its way to Montreal and Toronto.

In the past, the foundation has used Canada Post to get campaign information to every household.

Belleville residents will be opening their mailboxes on Thursday to discover a letter from Dr. Andrew Samis, lead physician at Quinte Health Care’s Intensive Care Unit. Samis is asking residents to support the foundation’s efforts to obtain a portable ultrasound for the ICU.

Donors may not realize that the letters can’t be mailed to the foundation.  Instead, donors are asked to bring the letters to various drop boxes around town.

The foundation is hoping to raise $131,000 for the portable ultrasound, a device that is will be used almost daily in an area servicing the more critical patients.

“Because we have the sickest patients, the most ill patients in the corporations, donations that people give make a huge impact in life or death situations here in the ICU.”

The ultrasound device helps physicians locate veins in the neck or groin to deliver life saving medication, using needles.

Samis compares the procedure to blindly picking clothes out of a closet.

“It’s like picking a shirt out of your closet, but just reaching through a small crack in the door and feeling around to find the right shirt.”

The ultrasound device gives doctors a greater chance of locating veins more accurately, especially on patients with complicated vein placement.

Samis said he realized the need for the device when, over a course of a week, there were three or four occasions where patients had tricky line placements.

“Patients who, because of their illness, or because of medications they were taking have extremely thin blood that doesn’t clot well. So the consequences of missing, and perhaps getting another blood vessel, or something that might bleed becomes extremely important. “

Those interested in donating to the Belleville General Hospital Foundation can leave donations at Quinte Mall Guest Services, the Empire Theatre, McDonalds, BGH Foundation Office and 95.5 Hits fm and Cool 100.1 fm on Dundas St. West.