Grant Allows 16 New Beds in
Telemetry Unit

While heart disease isn’t something most people like to think about, it seems that no matter who you talk to, they have either been personally affected by the disease, or know someone who has.

This shouldn’t be a big surprise, however, since according to the American Heart Association, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States every year since 1900, except during the 1918 flu epidemic.

Each year at Salem Hospital, thousands of people are treated for some form of heart disease. And that number is growing.

Recently several new cardiologists joined the Salem Hospital medical staff, which means more patients with heart problems are spending time in the hospital’s progressive care unit. With the increased volume of cardiac patients, there are fewer beds for noncardiac patients who need continuous monitoring. So in order to help provide space for more patients, the Salem Hospital Foundation has granted $140,000 to create a new 16-bed unit.

This specialized area, called a Telemetry Unit, allows staff to continuously monitor patients with conditions such as sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory disorders.

“This unit not only allowed us to expand our services to cardiac patients, but also gives us 16 more beds where we can monitor other types of surgical patients,” says Susan Christensen, director of medical/surgical nursing.

“We are grateful to the Foundation for providing the funding to help meet an important, yet unforeseen and nonbudgeted, expense,” says Christensen.

In addition to purchasing equipment, 18 nurses and six unit clerks received specialized training and certification in advanced life support. For more information about the Foundation, call 503-561-5576.

Lamport Fund Meets a Need
Funding for the Telemetry Unit came from the Foundation’s Lamport Fund.

In 1981, Fred Lamport, a lawyer and former state senator, passed away leaving the Foundation a $1.1 million estate gift. This fund is restricted, and may only be used on capital remodeling or equipment purchases.

THANK YOU!
Thank you, donors. To see the current donor list online, visit www.salemhospitalfoundation.org and click on “Learn More” and then “Donor List.”

For a copy of our current annual report, call us at 503-561-5576.