Submitted by Christine Hudder of SFVHF
BARRY’S BAY – The Medical Unit at St. Francis Memorial Hospital is a special place for so many people.
It’s a place where loved ones have recovered from illness, or even a life-saving surgery, close to home. While it can be easy to underestimate the importance of recovering locally, having a loved one by your bedside in trying times, or seeing a familiar face tend to you, can truly make all the difference in the world.
Healing so close to home would not be possible, however, without specialized medical equipment. Things like a VAC Therapy System for wound healing, a proper medication dispensing unit, bedside chairs and overbed tables are all essential to the healing process at the Medical Unit.
Mary-Ellen Harris is the Director of Patient Care Services at St. Francis Memorial Hospital. She said each item plays a crucial role during the healing journey, and that all of these pieces of equipment need to be replaced/updated at St. Francis.
Harris explained that the VAC Therapy System works as a negative wound pressure treatment system.
“It applies negative pressure to a wound or a surgical incision that we are trying to heal,” Harris said. “It’s a vacuum technology. It pulls away infectious material and it helps to reduce swelling. It promotes healing because it removes any fluid that might be sitting on the wound bed. It promotes healthy tissue growth within that system.”
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