By Norm Park
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Two groups with major fundraising goals are zeroing in on their targets with the expectation of reaching them within a few months.
The Hearthstone committee has been engaged in the fundraising game for three years and they want to wrap up their campaign this fall. They have accumulated over $7.5 million of their $8 million objective, said their chairman Don Kindopp. The ultimate goal is to construct a new Estevan Regional Nursing Home to replace the aging 80-bed structure that currently serves the purpose of housing and caring for residents who require higher level assistance for their everyday needs.
The other team is gunning for $2 million and although they've only been in fundraising mode for a little over a month, they're already at the $1.5 level and hoping to close the deal this fall as well. Their objective is the purchase and installation of a computed tomography (CT) scanner at St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan.
"We want to close out our program and get out of the way," said Kindopp, referring to his committee's desire to leave the fundraising stage for the CT scanner team, to enable them and the public to focus on one major fundraiser at a time.
Once the $8 million is raised, the Hearthstone committee can dissolve and the new ERNH committee takes over to lobby and push the board of directors and administration at the Sun Country Regional Health Authority to move them closer to a start of construction date that can only be approved by the provincial Ministry of Health.
"The government says that's the protocol and that's how it's got to be done," said Kindopp.
A promising canola crop that is being pledged to Hearthstone, has yet to be combined, but when it is, those funds will be added to the $7.5 million collected or pledged so far, said the Hearthstone leader.
"When we get that $8 million, it's in the hands of Sun Country and we want to wrap it up by the end of this fall," Kindopp added. "We're still looking and appealing to some corporations and local businesses. There is still some potential out there. We haven't been that active this summer, but we'll be back at it soon."
Individual donations of the $20, $50 and $100 variety may be made online by visiting ERNH.ca where donation directions are available or a mail-in donation may be directed to Hearthstone at 1201- Second St., S4A OM1.
Kindopp said Hearthstone would like to send the project into Phase 2 by handing the project over to the ERNH committee and Sun Country within the next few months with the expectation that they'll take it to Phase 3, which includes approval, planning and construction dates set by the Health Ministry.
On the CT scanner issue, Greg Hoffort, executive director of St. Joseph's, sees a much shorter target date both for fundraising and construction start since approval for the CT machine has already been granted by the provincial government.
All funds for the scanner and it's installation will be borne by the local committee which is also leading the fundraising charge.
"We have identified the space in the hospital that will undergo renovations to accommodate the CT scanner," said Hoffort. "We'll be ready to call for a request for proposals to supply and install the scanner and for renovations. We expect to do that within the $2 million budget. Our goal is April 1 of 2015."
Hoffort said the new scanner will he housed in a newly reconfigured 15' x 30' space that will accommodate not only the scanning device but also the viewing room for the technician and the computer hardware.
"It will mean re-locating the ultra-sound imaging to a different area to ensure we don't have to add on to the building at all. It's an ideal location really since it's next to the emergency ward and the other imaging services and laboratory."
Hoffort said St. Joe's already has one imaging technician on staff who is fully trained on CT scanners and they would require at least three for start-up to ensure full coverage of service with the entire imaging staff to eventually be trained in its operations. They expect to recruit two more imaging technicians. They might already be trained CT operators, or they will be technicians willing to be trained. Fully trained technicians require up to two years to complete the process and gain certification.
"So I believe it's important that we recruit at least one more technician who has already been trained," said Hoffort. The service will probably be eased into the hospital's schedule with typical 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. coverage daily and on-call service for night time emergencies.
Hoffort said the local physician pool, which currently numbers 10 and will soon be up to 13, is completely on board with the project as they see it as being a crucial addition to the services they'll be able to supply.
Hoffort added that the local physician recruitment and retention committee is close to making further announcements regarding incoming physician and specialist services in the local hospital.
