P R O M O T E D C O N T E N T
Going from
Great to Exceptional
Innovations in equipment and technoloy are transforming
the delivery of care for B.C.'s tiniest, sickest babies at
BC Women's Hospital; public and private support is vital
Mari Shimada (left) and Sean Muggah
are indebted to BC Women's Hospital for
providing the specialized care that saved
the lives of their twin daughters.
W
ith over 7,000 babies
born annually, BC
Women's Hospital is
primarily a maternity
hospital speciically
organized to deal with
high-risk pregnancies
and babies requiring
specialized intensive care, as parents
whose newborns have been saved by the
facility's 60-bed Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit (
NICU) will attest.
But as the only hospital in B.C.
with a provincial mandate to meet
the comprehensive healthcare needs
of women, BC Women's is also a key
referral centre for breast screening and
diagnostics, and a teaching facility for
medical students.
Research undertaken by its world-class
doctors is shedding new light on diseases
such as cervical cancer and issues such
as fetal brain development, and medical
innovations spurred by research beneit
other hospitals across the province and
beyond. Some research has produced
startling results: BC Women's Oak Tree
Clinic has achieved a zero transfer of
HIV from mother to baby for pregnant
women treated by the Clinic's maternity
care specialists.
Despite its remarkable record
of success, BC Women's faces real
challenges. New technoloy is crucial to
saving lives—especially in the
NICU—but
a lot of equipment is nearing the end
of its lifespan. "While the government
is the primary funder for all hospitals,
donations from the private sector and
individual donors make it possible for
BC Women's to remain at the forefront
of newborn intensive care," says Laurie
Clarke,
CEO of the BC Women's Hospital +
Health Centre Foundation. "The purchase
of new equipment and technoloy, and
investments in education and research
help to ensure the hospital is able to fulil
its specialized mandate."
Since coming to BC Women's three
years ago, Clarke and her colleagues
determined that $17 million is needed
for a irst phase of funding for the
NICU.
The $10 million raised to date has gone
to the purchase of new, state-of-the-art
B C W O M E N ' S
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