THANKS to the generosity of local supporters, Lions Gate Hospital is home to a new endoscopy suite, viewed as a major step forward for cancer screening on the North Shore.
The three-room unit, having been relocated, renovated and equipped with new and state of the art equipment, was made possible through a successful fundraising campaign undertaken by the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation over the last two years, raising $3.5 million from more than 4,200 donors.
"The goal for this was to establish a new three-room unit where we do endoscopy, by the general surgeons, by the gastroenterologists, by the bronchoscopists - these are people who do lung examinations - and pediatric gastroenterology as well. So it's a multi-functional unit," says Dr. Michael Hahn, director of endoscopy and head of the division of gastroenterology at Lions Gate Hospital.
The foundation supports a variety of aspects of medical care, from one specialty to another.
"I think they chose this because of need," says Hahn, explaining Lions Gate Hospital already had a suite dedicated to endoscopy, however it was "very ancient."
"There are safety issues about patients, and assurance of cleansing of equipment. As we go on and on, we were becoming a little concerned that our place, currently, was a bit aged and needed an uplift and at the same time, needed an enhanced delivery of how we provide care to the patients," he says.
The new unit is hoped to provide increased access for patients, allowing more people to be served, as well as to get their required examinations done in a more timely manner, thereby decreasing wait times.
Lions Gate currently performs approximately 45 endoscopic procedures per day and they're hoping to be able to increase that by 12-15 per day with the new unit.
Other intended advantages of the new unit include enhanced safety, privacy and an overall better quality of care and experience for patients in their encounters with the health care team.
"The advantage of the new unit is they will come into their own private cubicle, they'll have their own place to change, they'll have their own place to discuss in private with their admitting nurse. From that point of view it's a much better way of
delivering, I think, personalized care to patients in a more private setting," says Hahn.
The unit comes on the heels of a new provincial Colon Screening Program (screeningbc.ca) promoting early detection and prevention of colon cancer (the second deadliest cancer in B.C.) launched in April. The program follows a successful pilot trial, Colon Check, launched in 2009. As part of the new program, doctors will refer B.C. residents between the ages of 50 and 74 to complete a FIT (fecal immunochemical test), which can be completed in the comfort of their own home, every two years, according to the B.C. Cancer Agency.
"By doing what we've done to change the way that endoscopy is going to be done, it just means an increased efficiency in being able to attend to all these extra needs of the higher load of patients," says Hahn.
Currently, Lions Gate performs approximately 6,700 colonoscopies a year. With the new unit, they hope to be able to complete an additional 2,600.
"Without the foundation we would never be able to do any of these things. Without the people who support the foundation we wouldn't be able to do these things either. We're very fortunate to have a very strong foundation that are very committed to enhancing the care and delivery of health care to our regional citizens," he says.
An opening event was held June 8, with more than 100 guests in attendance. The new unit will begin serving patients June 24.
One of the North Shore residents who supported the foundation's endoscopy campaign was North Vancouver resident and notary public Katy Roohani. She did so in honour of her husband, Soheil, a well-known North Shore Realtor, who passed away July 2, 2012, at age 67, following a diagnosis with lung cancer.
Soheil received his diagnosis in 2006, underwent surgery and was believed to be cancer-free.
"About a month or so before it came to the five-year period, it came back and unfortunately, he fought very hard, but they couldn't save him," says Katy, 52.
"He was the love of my life. We were married for 30 years. He wasn't only the love of my life, every single person that he came in contact with loved him. (No one) has one bad word to say about him. He was the most considerate, nice, loving, kind person that you can imagine," she says.
As Soheil had been a patient at Lions Gate and out of an interest in honouring the kindness and generosity he'd shown to others, Katy rallied she and Soheil's friends, colleagues and family members and raised more than $30,000 in support of the new endoscopy unit. In gratitude, a patient admitting space has been named in honour of Soheil. "This way his memory is going to be there and anybody who goes to the hospital will see that because of him, something good was done," she says.
Interested in continuing to honour her husband's memory, Katy has organized the inaugural Persian and Canadian Walk for Cancer, Sunday, June 23, with proceeds benefitting Lions Gate Hospital Foundation's oncology fund. "I'm hoping this will bring the Persian and Canadian community more together," she says.
"Cancer knows no boundaries. It affects all of us. All of us have been touched by the loss of a loved one. So if you want to be part of the fight to end it, join us," she adds.
The Persian and Canadian Walk for Cancer will start at the Centennial Theatre parking lot at 10 a.m. and participants will proceed to Mahon Park. Registration ($25, however community residents are encouraged to attend whether they pay or not) will begin at 9: 30 a.m. Live music and other festivities will follow.
For more information, contact Katy Roohani at 604-988-5556. For more information on or to make a donation to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, visit lghfoundation.com.
