The Health Foundation had a busy summer with a number of events that were very well attended. These events raised funds toward the equipment needed for the Yorkton Regional Hospital lab.
Why is Lab Equipment Important
Lab tests are a fundamental part of modern healthcare. Lab tests will often be the first indication if something is wrong, or needs to be looked into.
The Yorkton lab is extremely busy; last year 332,241 tests and procedures were conducted. The Yorkton lab does the 4th highest number of tests and procedures in the province and they need state-of-the-art equipment in the lab to do the best job possible you and your family.
We are raising money to upgrade some of the current equipment and also to put in place a completely new piece of equipment that will provide a new service. This equipment is called a digital microscopy system. Currently, if one of our lab technologists sees something suspicious, like cancerous cells, we package up a sample and send it off to a specialist in Regina. With the new equipment we won’t have to do that because the digital system will allow a specialist in Regina to look at the blood sample at the same time as our local lab technologist. It will mean we don’t have to send out those samples anymore, it will speed up diagnosis.
The equipment has other benefits: it will allow the view of the sample to be put on a large monitor so it is easier to see; it has computer assisted diagnosis which should increase accuracy of diagnosis, and it will increase the number of tests that can done daily. It is a very good piece of equipment for our lab and will make a difference in our local healthcare.
Gala Evening in Yorkton
The Health Foundation’s annual Gala night is coming up on October 20th at St. Mary’s Cultural Centre. This fabulous evening features a wonderful meal from St. Mary’s, exquisite decorations, and a live band to keep you dancing all night. There is also a silent auction with a wonderful array of items donated by our business community. Gala is a big part of our annual fundraising. Please call the office at 786-0506 for your tickets.
