Trauma bay upgrade complete
Renovations to the sole trauma bay in the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital are officially complete.
This week, the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation announced the project was capped off with a $100,000 donation from Herb and Pat Wycherley.
The gift is a family affair, made in celebration of Pat’s mother, Bea Becker, who served for 10 years on the former SOGH hospital board, including seven years as its chair.
The donation recognizes the amount of time Pat’s parents generously dedicated through volunteerism in healthcare.
The SOGH trauma room was originally built in 1972. Over time, technology for trauma patients has drastically advanced. With new ventilators, defibrillators, and crash carts, medical staff were restricted in the space when trying to access the equipment. The problem was compounded with medical gas lines hanging overhead, partially blocking patient access.
With the upgrade, medical gases now are in a bulkhead in the wall, therefore being able to position the bed against the back wall instead of in the middle of the room. The upgrade included the addition of a storage room onto the side of the room. Without the storage room, the trauma room clutter would challenge infection standards as there was too much equipment and materials in the room that would need to be wiped down.
A new door was outfitted to the room, allowing an airtight seal and further enhancing infection controls. With all the equipment medical staff need now at arm’s length, this efficient configuration saves precious time.
While the amazing staff at the SOGH do everything they can for the trauma patient, occasionally, a patient cannot be saved. The trauma room comes with new lighting that increases the visibility for medical staff, and it can also be dimmed for when it is time for families to view their loved one who has passed.