Newsletter Articles:
• CHEO Launches $25 Million Research Campaign
• Former Patient Steps Up For Kids Who Need CHEO Now
• Taking Huge Steps Forwards In Lifesaving Research
• CHEO Employee Inspires Others by Giving Back
• The Best Care for Kids Requires The Best Equipment
The Best Care for Kids Requires The Best Equipment
If CHEO ran on super human powers alone, then there would be no need to budget or concern ourselves with dollars and cents. The reality is that while the hospital functions, on a daily basis, with an outstanding team of medical professionals and support staff, their expertise and success is also a reflection of the tools available to them. For a pediatric hospital, those tools must include state-of-the-art clinical and diagnostic equipment and clinical information systems used to provide the best possible care to children. The best, however, comes at a cost.
Each year, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care provides CHEO with a specific amount of money to fund its operations. For CHEO, the amount of funding from the MOHLTC represents approximately 70% of the hospital’s operating costs compared to the provincial average of 83%. Regardless of the growth in services over the years, that number has essentially not changed in over 10 years, except for indexing. “The funding has been historically set and that is one of the problems,” explains Jerry Bisson, CHEO’s Senior Vice President and CFO.
CHEO’s annual equipment budget in 2008-2009 was $5 million and it remained the same for the 2009 - 2010 fiscal year. “The demand is always $18 to $20 million more than what we have available to spend,” explains Bisson. As a result, difficult decisions must be made. The hospital must constantly prioritize and stretch an already thin budget. “This is a very difficult and frustrating exercise as we know some kids will not get the best care available because we cannot afford the latest technology.”
“We have not been adequately replacing equipment over the years because of funding constraints and we have reached a crest,” explains Bisson. “Equipment is becoming obsolete.”
The BIG STEPS Campaign will address this growing void. From the $25 million campaign goal, BIG STEPS will invest $10 million to add, upgrade and integrate new devices and systems that will greatly enhance our ability to provide optimal care for kids.
A few examples of where the BIG STEPS money will be invested:
- Infant Care Centres – state-of-the-art open beds which maintain a stable environment and protect premature babies from changes of temperature and in risky transportation systems. X-rays, minor surgeries and procedures can even be performed on the beds, reducing the need to move the patient.
- Internventional Radiology – a technology that shows doctors what’s happening inside a young patient, often avoiding the need for surgery to deal with a problem.
- Operating Room CO2 Surgical Lasers – technology that will allow CHEO surgeons to operate on young patients, remove tumours and coagulate blood vessels without the use of a scalpel.
- Computerized Patient Monitoring – wireless technology that provides continuous monitoring of a child’s condition and alerts staff to changes.
The are many more areas where money will be invested in upgrading equipment and technology. For a full list, please visit here.
If CHEO wants to remain a leader in health care and recruit and retain the brightest minds, we must find the resources to make the necessary equipment and technology purchases. BIG STEPS will allow CHEO to take BIG STEPS forward in technology and equipment that will result in better care for kids.