Endoscopy dept. will have nine dedicated bays for patients
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of the “PRH: Making A Difference” series of articles appearing daily in the Penticton Herald until Nov. 3, highlighting Penticton Regional Hospital as it moves towards the opening of its new patient care tower in the spring of 2019.
For someone about to undergo a “scope,” privacy can be important.
Penticton Regional Hospital’s new patient care tower will include brand new facilities for the endoscopy department – which includes colonoscopy, gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, and sigmoidoscopy procedures.
Colonoscopy involves a total examination of the colon, a gastroscopy is when a tube is inserted through your mouth for an examination of the stomach area, while a bronchoscopy involves inserting a scope in the lung.
Pat Breakey, nursing manager for ambulatory care and oncology, says some 4,300 procedures a year are performed at PRH – up from some 2,500 annually a decade ago. The South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation has played a key role in keeping their equipment up to date.
“We have approximately 30 scopes,” she said. “The endoscopy unit has benefited greatly from the generous support of the foundation which has purchased many of the scopes and video equipment for the program.”
Each scope costs about $20,000 and is replaced about every five years. The SOS Medical Foundation also acquired two large stainless steel storage cabinets for the department which also cost $20,000 a piece.
“That has helped us a tremendous amount,” Breakey said.
On an average day, up to two dozen scope procedures are performed. There are eight staff members for endoscopy and another six for the ambulatory care recovery area.
“I am very proud of our endoscopy program and they will thrive in their new space, that’s for sure,” she said.
The April 2019 move into the new David E. Kampe Tower at PRH could allow for further expansion, Breakey added. The new facility will include nine dedicated bays for endoscopy. Each new recovery bay will have walls on three sides for increased patient privacy. Currently, the bays only have curtained partitions.
The prospect of moving into the new tower brings an immediate smile to Breakey’s face.
“I’m over the moon. It’s so exciting,” she said. “We were using day surgery recovery beds and then it was slowing the flow of the operating room because we were combining endo patients with day surgery patients, so having dedicated beds for endoscopy is huge. It will be tremendously better space-wise.”
Dawn Noble has been involved in the endoscopy/ambulatory care unit at PRH for the past 20 months, after serving as a general surgery nurse for nine years.
“It’s a good change,” she said. “I like the procedure aspect (of medical care) a lot more.”
Noble said she, too, is excited about their department’s pending move.
The new endoscopy area will be located on the second floor of the new tower, with direct access from the adjacent parkade.
The department will have its own admitting desk.
The scope cleaning area, currently located in the basement, will be right next door, thus allowing for a quicker turnaround time for the equipment.
PRH is currently undergoing a $312-million expansion and the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation is raising $20 million to provide the medical equipment required.
To donate, contact the SOS Medical Foundation at 250-492-9027 or visit our website sosmedicalfoundation.com.