One evening, while her husband made supper, Maxine Roness looked down and saw a pool of blood on the floor by her bed.
She had had a knee surgery a few days before, and now there was a complication.
An ambulance rushed them to Moncton and staff got the bleeding under control. Roness waited overnight in a reclining chair in the hall but never saw a doctor.
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In the morning, they got a taxi to the Sackville Memorial Hospital.
In the waiting room, the bleeding started again. But this time, it wasn’t long before she was shown into a room to meet with emergency department physician Dr. Bruno Chiasson. And there was even a meal waiting for her.
“ I didn’t even ask. It was there. They just brought it,” said Roness. “The care was phenomenal. Bruno was great. I had seen him a few times in emergency but this time I got to see the warmth. The other times it was short, (so) I didn’t realize it, but he was so warm and the nurses were phenomenal.”
Roness spoke about her experiences at the launch of this year’s Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation’s new $120,000 fundraising goal.
The kind of care Roness received is just the kind of emergency care the foundation hopes to support with the purchase of new emergency department equipment, like a new trauma bariatric stretcher, which will allow staff to move and weigh larger patients more comfortably, said Bill Evans, chair of the foundation.
“ So it gives people dignity. It gives people comfort. And, as Maxine said in her comment, there’s more to it than just the medical condition.”
| Item: | Price: | Purpose: |
| ECG machine | $22,000 | For rapid heart monitoring and diagnosis |
| Glidescope | $28,000 | Faster, safer airway management |
| Bladder scanner | $14,000 | Reduces unnecessary catheterization and improves comfort |
| Portable vascular doppler | $600 | Assess blood flow and circulation |
| Transport chairs | $4,000 x 6 | Improve mobility, comfort and efficiency |
| Weight-compatible stretchers | $6,000 x 2 | Accommodate a broader range of patients |
| Trauma bariatric stretcher | $14,000 | Ensures dignity, safety and proper support for all patients |
In his remarks to those in attendance, Dr. Chiasson said the equipment will help with his team’s ever-present goal of offering the best care they can.
“ Some, like the bariatric stretcher for example, will help tremendously with the comfort of patients. And the other equipment is more on the acute care side, which would make physicians feel a little more comfortable in dire situations, which don’t happen every day, but when it does happen it would be helpful to have this type of equipment.”
Those looking to donate can do so by visiting the foundation’s website.
