On Dec. 2, as part of the newly launched 2011 Light Up Campaign, the Castlegar and District Hospital Auxiliary donated $8,000 to the Castlegar and District Hospital Foundation (CDFH) towards the purchase of a new Life Pak 15 Crash Cart Monitor/Defibrillator. The equipment will be used to defibrillate a patient in the event of a cardiac arrest or other cardiac event. That total cost of the Monitor/Defibrillator is $25,000.
The members of the Auxiliary have also pledged to the Emergency Department of the Castlegar Health Centre to purchase one of the Space Lab Cardiac Monitors upon its arrival. One cardiac monitor costs $18,000.
The monitors can be linked to other Interior Health Authority (IHA) sites. Real time data can be viewed by specialists which augments treatment options for Castlegar physicians.
The money is raised through the Castlegar Hospital Auxiliary Treasure Shop (thrift store) located at 210 - 11th Avenue in Castlegar, and the gift shop located at the Castlegar Health Centre. The community donates to the Treasure Shop and the Auxiliary donates back to the community.
From 2007-2011, the auxiliary has donated $43,850 to CDHF which has helped purchase several important items such as a therapy mattress, ventilator, two stretchers, child's oximeter, and heart monitor for the Castlegar Health Centre and Talarico Place.
The foundation still needs to raise $53,000 for new equipment which includes three Space Lab Monitors for the Castlegar Health Centre Emergency Room, Life Pak 15 Crash Cart Monitor/Defibrillator, and CADD Prism Pump, which is used in emergency and home and community care nursing. The pump is used to deliver IV medications for ambulatory patients.