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Final preparations underway for the 17th annual Spring Ball

NEWS RELEASE TIMMINS AND DISTRICT HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ************************** Final preparations underway for the 17th annual Spring Ball Porter Airlines onboard as patron sponsor to raise funds for TADH Surgical Program TIMMINS - Preparations are

NEWS RELEASE

TIMMINS AND DISTRICT
HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

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Final preparations underway for the 17th annual Spring Ball

Porter Airlines onboard as patron sponsor to raise funds for TADH Surgical Program

TIMMINS - Preparations are well underway for the Foundation’s 17th Annual Spring Ball taking place on May 2 at the Days Inn and Conference Centre.

Porter Airlines representative Mitchell Cockburn, Account Executive, Corporate Sales attended the OR at Timmins & District Hospital to meet with Dr. Harry Voogjarv, Surgeon and Chief of Staff at Timmins and District Hospital.

The fundraising goal for the 17th Annual Days Inn Spring Ball and Lottery is $250,000 - including $85,000 to be raised from the lottery.

Funds will be directed to the Surgical Program at Timmins and District Hospital for the purchase of the following equipment: Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation Laser (ECP), Nerve Integrity Monitor (NIM) and Orthopedic Power tools.

The Surgical Program at Timmins and District Hospital comprises a wide range of clinical specialties including General Surgery, Orthopedics, Gynecology, ENT, Ophthalmology, Urology and Dental. Services are offered in the Inpatient Surgery Unit, Operating Room, Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, Day Surgery including Endoscopic Suite, and Pre-Admission Clinic.

Day Surgery/Endoscopy sees approximately 2800 same-day surgery patients annually and an additional 2700 endoscopic/ambulatory patients annually.

Three modern, state- of-the-art operating theatres performed 4772 operative procedures in 2014.

The ECP laser is a new piece of equipment that is needed to treat medically-controlled glaucoma and comes with a $65,000 price tag.

It will be used by Dr. Oliver, Ophthalmologist, who provides a highly specialized range of ophthalmology services that, until his arrival at TADH, were only available in centres such as Toronto and Ottawa.

The intraoperative NIM nerve monitoring system enables surgeons to identify, confirm and monitor motor nerve function to help reduce risk of nerve damage during various procedures.

This $35,000 piece of equipment is used mainly by Dr. Ethier, Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon, for ENT surgeries such as neck dissections, thyroid surgeries and mastoid surgeries.

Replacement and additional orthopedic power tools, valued at $150,000, are required due to increasing patient needs.

These power tools are required by an increased number of orthopedic surgeons for joint replacements, trauma surgery and other surgeries.

Orthopedic Surgeons performing these surgeries at TADH are Dr. Harding, Dr. Lafontaine, Dr. Mahmoudi and Dr. Steyn.

“Last year’s event raised $343,000 for the relocation of the Endoscopy suite which increased space and has allowed the program to expand and accommodate new operators,” stated Dr. Harry Voogjarv, TADH Chief of Staff. “The modernization allowed for pooling of resources and assisted in the development of an out-patient clinic area to accommodate out-patient services offered through the surgical program,” continued Voogjarv. “Our surgical specialists are very grateful to have the funds from this year’s Spring Ball go toward the purchase of equipment for the OR.”

“Since the inception of this black-tie gala, an impressive $2.2 million has been raised in support of the purchase of much-needed medical equipment,” stated Janna Burke, Executive Director, Timmins and District Hospital Foundation.

“We are very grateful for the generosity of our sponsors whose contributions are integral to the success of this event year after year,” added Burke.

The Presenter Sponsor for the 17th Annual Spring Ball is the Days Inn and Conference Centre.

Porter Airlines is onboard as Patron Sponsor once again, and PearTree Financial is the Benefactor Sponsor for the first time this year.

Associate Sponsors include Aramark, Davidson de Laplante Insurance Group – A division of PBL Insurance Limited, Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines, and Lake Shore Gold Corp.

Supporting Sponsors include IAMGOLD Corporation, Katelyn Malo Photography, Midnight Express Production and DJ Services, Minuteman Press, Perfect Settings by Estelle Demers, RBC Dominion Securities, and Typo-Press Printers Ltd.

Porter is a Patron Sponsor for the Days Inn Spring Ball for a fourth consecutive year.

They are generously donating over $40,000 in trip packages to the Foundation.

“Being able to purchase equipment for the hospital’s Surgical Program will have such a meaningful impact on literally thousands of people,” stated Mitchell Cockburn, Porter Airlines Account Executive, Corporate Sales.

“We at Porter are very proud to contribute towards such a great cause that will help so many people in Timmins and its surrounding communities," continued Cockburn on behalf of Robert J. Deluce, President of Porter Airlines.

From the James Bay coast to Engleheart, from Hearst to Kirkland Lake, Timmins and District Hospital is the beating heart of a vast, beautiful and vibrant region.

We hold the well-being of over 115,000 people in our hands...and they, in turn, hold our fate in theirs.

As the largest hospital in this region, TADH is poised on the brink of a new era in healthcare.

To meet the growing and changing needs of the families we serve, the facilities and equipment of our hospital must be renewed.

Not years from now, but now. Outdated, cramped, with an aging building and obsolete equipment, TADH is long past due for a revitalization that will enable us to take our District’s healthcare into the future.

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