After hitting its $1.6 million target in the Lights, Camera, DIAGNOSIS! campaign this past July, Riverside Health Care is launching a new funding drive, the ECHO Initiative, which aims to raise $200,000 to bring echocardiography services back to the district.
An echocardiogram, commonly known as an echo, is an ultrasound of the heart that allows health care professionals to assess the structure and function of the heart and identify or monitor certain heart conditions. The service plays an important role in diagnosis, treatment planning and the ongoing monitoring of patients who may require regular echocardiograms as part of their continuing care.
“An echocardiogram provides valuable information about the structure and function of the heart and can help health care providers identify and monitor a range of cardiac conditions,” Andrea Faragher, director of diagnostic services, said in a press release.
“Having this service available locally will give our teams access to an important diagnostic tool and, for many patients, mean one less trip away from home for care. That can make a meaningful difference for patients and their families.”
Riverside performed its last echocardiogram in 2022. Since then, patients requiring the service have had to travel to communities such as Kenora and Thunder Bay. For those who require regular echocardiograms as part of their follow-up, those trips can become a recurring part of managing their heart health.
Riverside said that bringing echocardiography back will reduce travel for patients and families, provide greater access to cardiac diagnostic care closer to home, and return a much-needed service to our communities.
Moneys raised will go toward the purchase of an echocardiography machine and the specialized equipment needed to provide the service at La Verendrye General Hospital, including specialized cardiac ultrasound probes, a patient stretcher designed for cardiac imaging and an ergonomic chair for the echocardiography technologist.
“Our approach to strengthening local health care is about more than investing in equipment,” said Riverside President & CEO Henry Gauthier. “It is also about strategically investing in our people and building the skills and expertise that allow us to provide more services. Bringing echocardiography back is another example of that approach, with Riverside investing in specialized staff training and the ECHO Initiative supporting the equipment needed to provide the service locally.”
Riverside currently provides ultrasound, general radiography, CT, and mammography, with ongoing investments in new technology, equipment and service capacity helping to enhance the diagnostic care. The Lights, Camera, DIAGNOSIS campaign raised funds for the district’s first MRI machine and new digital X-ray technology at both La Verendrye General Hospital and Rainy River Health Centre.
“Our community came together in an incredible way to help bring MRI services to the district, and we’re excited to build on that momentum with the ECHO Initiative,” said Riverside Director of Fundraising Holly Kaemingh. “While this is a more focused initiative, the goal is very much the same: helping make important diagnostic services more accessible to the people we serve.”
The community will have several opportunities to be part of bringing echocardiography back. Proceeds from the Riverside 50/50 raffle are currently supporting the ECHO Initiative, alongside community donations, with additional fundraising opportunities planned in the months ahead.
Find information on how to support the ECHO Initiative and ways to donate at riversidehealthcare.ca/donate or by calling (807) 274-6635.
