Royal Canadian Legion grant benefits laboratory services at RMH
The RMH Foundation is exceptionally grateful for the caring support of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command Branches and Ladies’ Auxiliaries Charitable Foundation. Thanks to its generous grant of $3,927.00, the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation was able to purchase an inverted blood bank microscope for the RMH Laboratory.
On September 16th, Howie Johnston (President) and Jim Richardson (Past President) of the Lindsay Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion visited the RMH Laboratory to see the new microscope and hear how it helps patients at the Ross.
The inverted microscope is a vital tool that enables the RMH transfusion team to assess the compatibility of blood products to safely transfuse patients. For example, a trauma patient relies on the precision readings from this tool to determine blood type before a transfusion. Receiving the wrong blood group can cause a dangerous reaction in blood cells. Similarly, the microscope is used to test the level of antibodies in an expectant mother’s blood to determine the potential for harm to the baby’s health.
“This microscope is the only one of its kind in the Lab,” said Pam Sleep, RMH Blood Bank Charge Technologist. “It’s an invaluable piece of equipment to have in the blood bank and we’re very grateful for this donation.”
“We’re so thankful for the support of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command Branches and Ladies’ Auxiliaries Charitable Foundation,” said Dr. Bert Lauwers, RMH President and CEO. “Our lab team works very hard to support patient care at the Ross, and they proved that in their recent Laboratory Accreditation. Having the right tools at hand is vital to the service they provide. We’re grateful that the Ontario Command recognized the importance of the inverted blood bank microscope and the lives that are impacted by its use here at the Ross.”
The Ontario Command Branches and Ladies’ Auxiliaries Charitable Foundation is a partnership of the branches of the Royal Canadian Legion and their Auxiliaries in Ontario Command. Branches and Auxiliaries fund the Foundation through activities such as poppy tagging, bingos and raffles. These funds support veterans programs, as well as not-for-profit organizations associated with hospitals and healthcare initiatives.
