Campaigns

Current Campaigns

2013 – Endoscopy Project – $300,000

2012, the Northwest Health Foundation committed to raise funds for the purchase of Endoscopy Equipment for the Northwest Health Center. An Endoscope allows physicians the ability to obtain a clear view of a patient’s digestive system, allowing for more accurate diagnosis of diseases and ailments; including cancer screening. More than 500 or our area’s residents travel south each year to obtain this service. With the cost of a trip averaging $1000, residents are spending nearly double the cost of this equipment in travel each year. As well, time away from family and time away from work, make the real cost much higher.

The Foundation has raised approximately 30% of the funds required to purchase this equipment and is hoping to meet our fundraising goal with our current campaign; allowing this equipment to be purchased as soon as possible.

The Northwest Health Foundation’s purchase of medical equipment not only benefits the region’s residents directly by providing medical services locally, it also makes it easier to attract physicians and medical specialists to our region.

Past Campaigns

2010 – CT Scanner

In 2010, the Northwest Health Foundation began raising funds to purchase a CT Scanner, to establish the Northwest Health Centre as a primary stroke centre. A CT Scanner is required to send electronic images to a neurologist, who can prescribe the necessary treatment in a timely manner. This is essential in the early treatment of a stroke to save lives and prevent permanent damage. The CT Scanner is also an important tool for many other medical assessments.

Early in this fundraising campaign, the Northwest Health Foundation and the True North Health Advisory Council had the opportunity to present our business case for this equipment to some key government representatives. The Government of Alberta agreed to purchase the CT Scanner and, in cooperation with Alberta Health Services, has installed this life saving equipment at the Northwest Health Centre in High Level. This equipment is now performs approximately 2000 scans each year, allowing our area residents to avoided 2000 trips to obtain this service “down south”.

2009 – Stress Testing Equipment – $24,000

In September of 2009, the Northwest Health Centre was able to open a Stress-Testing Clinic with funds raised through the Northwest Health Foundation’s Annual Comedy Festival. Patients no longer need to travel 8 hours to Edmonton for testing. Cardiologist, Dr. Brian Tyrell holds a 2-day clinic every 6 weeks in High Level.

2008 – NST Machine – $20,000

With funds raised through our 2008 Comedy Festival, the Northwest Health Foundation was able to purchase a NST Machine. This machine gives high performance monitoring for fetal and maternal obstetrical care. Medical Staff at the Northwest Health Centre use this equipment in the labour and delivery rooms to monitor mother and baby’s vital signs and produce high quality ultrasound images.

2008 Toe-Pressure Kit – $2500

The Northwest Health Foundation helped fund the cost of a Toe Pressure Machine for the Occupational Therapy, Primary Care Network Chronic Disease Management and Home Care departments

The toe-pressure machine is used to easily assess arterial circulation. It is painless, and involves putting a blood pressure cuff around the big toe and taking a reading from a sensor taped to the end of the toe.

Patients with diabetes, foot wounds, kidney disease, swelling in the lower limbs and the elderly can be assessed. Some of these conditions cause hardening of the arteries which cannot accurately be assess without this assessment.

The toe-pressure machine is very portable and therefore, can travel to all of our health care facilities as well as with home care to home visits.