BGH Auxiliary HELPP Lottery donation purchases vital Lab equipment

A $9,000 donation to BGH Foundation is matched, enabling purchase of a new blood gas analyzer for the Medical Laboratory at Quinte Health, Belleville General Hospital.

Belleville General Hospital Foundation was thrilled to accept and match a $9,000 donation from the Belleville General Hospital Auxiliary (BGHA), to purchase a new blood gas analyzer for the Medical Laboratory at Quinte Health, Belleville General Hospital. BGHA’s donation comes from proceeds of their HELPP Lottery (Hospital Equipment Lottery Project for People).

Leah Johnson, Convenor, BGHA HELPP Lottery, was proud to announce the donation, stating “This gift represents two years of ticket sales by our volunteers at the BGHA Aroma Café. At 50 cents a ticket, that’s a lot of tickets! I’d like to extend my gratitude to every patient, staff and visitor who participated. Our motto is: ‘Helping us, help others’, and your ticket purchases certainly accomplished that. Thank you once again.”

The BGHA HELPP Lottery started in 1993 and has raised a total of $199,000 to support critical equipment purchases at BGH to serve the community.

“I’m incredibly thankful for Leah, the BGHA Aroma Café volunteers and the entire BGHA’s support,” said Steve Cook, Executive Director, BGHF. “The Lab is one of the busiest places at BGH, performing over 1 million tests every year, but because it operates behind the scenes, it’s equipment needs aren’t always front and center. A blood gas analyzer is used over 100 times a day, critically, whenever someone is having trouble breathing. BGHA and BGHF share a deep commitment to supporting our local hospital, so it’s fitting we’ve partnered to purchase this piece of equipment, while also raising awareness about the importance of the Lab’s work.”

Quinte Health Laboratory Services, based at BGH, provides a wide variety of testing for all four of Quinte Health’s hospital sites to diagnose, treat and monitor thousands of health conditions for 190,000+ patients each year, from Picton to Bancroft.

To learn more about the BGHA, including volunteer opportunities, please visit: quintehealth.ca/belleville-general-hospital-auxiliary

Pictured L-R: BGHA Executive members: Marlene Corfield, Sharon Ostman, Paul Reesor, Angela Ford, Heather Smith, Leah Johnson; BGHF Executive Director, Steve Cook; Dr Max the Medical Moose, BGHF mascot.