Delta Hospital is getting two new pieces of critical equipment — one to help repair cataracts, the other to help kill harmful micro-organisms — thanks to a $335,000 donation from The Cowell Foundation.
The generous first-time gift from the Richmond-based foundation — created and funded by the Cowell Family, owners and operators of Cowell Auto Group — will be used to purchase a new Sentry Vision System, which is used by the hospital’s busy surgical services department for cataract surgery. The procedure, called phacoemulsification, uses ultrasound vibrations to remove cloudiness over the eye lens. Over 950 cataract surgeries have been performed at Delta Hospital this year, and the current Sentry Vision System has reached the end of its life.
The foundation’s donation will also go to purchasing a new ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) unit for the hospital. The device provides an additional layer of infection control on top of standard cleaning procedures by emitting pulses of ultraviolet light, killing harmful bacteria and viruses that can spread quickly throughout the hospital and put vulnerable patients at risk. Delta Hospital will be the first site in Fraser Health to own and operate a UVGI device.
“We are humbled to have received this incredibly generous gift from The Cowell Foundation,” Lisa Hoglund, executive director of the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation, said in a press release.
“Delta has one of the fastest growing senior populations in Fraser Health, and it is critical that our medical staff have the most state-of-the-art equipment to ensure the very best patient care. We could not do this without the generosity of donors, and we feel very fortunate The Cowell Foundation has chosen to support Delta Hospital.”
editor@northdeltareporter.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter