MINDEMOYA—With a substantial donation from the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary through funds raised in the 24th annual Tour de Meldrum Bay ride, the Manitoulin Health Centre has now met its ‘Smart Infusion, Smarter Care’ fundraising campaign.
“With this generous donation of $13,000 we have met our fundraising goal of $350,000,” stated Paula Fields, president and chief executive officer.
“Thanks to the generosity of our community members, First Nations communities and municipalities, local businesses, MHC auxiliaries, corporate partners, summer visitors, and long-standing fundraising initiatives, MHC is now able to purchase and implement smart fusion pumps at both hospital sites,” the MHC said.
Smart infusion pumps are vital tools in modern healthcare, significantly reducing medication errors and improving patient outcomes by ensuring the precise delivery of their medications. Their integration into care practices at MHC will provide greater safety, particularly for critically ill patients while strengthening the hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care close to home.
“This is an incredible achievement for our community,” said Ms. Fields. “Reaching this goal shows the true spirit of Manitoulin; when we come together, we make extraordinary things happen. These pumps will not only improve safety and accuracy but will also support our healthcare teams in delivering the very best care possible.”
Dennis McGregor, chair of the MHC board of directors added, “We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed, whether through donations, supporting the MHC auxiliaries, attending fundraisers, or supporting annual events like the Tour de Meldrum. Your efforts directly impact patient care on Manitoulin Island, and this success belongs to the whole community.”
Next steps include the installation of the pumps later this fall, followed by comprehensive staff training to ensure a smooth transition to best practice use.
“We raised $13,000 through this year’s ride,” stated cyclist Dale Scott of the ride held in September. A total of 17 riders along with three support staff took part in the ride, from Evansville to Meldrum Bay return.
“We are grateful to all of you in the auxiliary, Dale and all the riders (in the Tour de Meldrum Bay),” said Ms. Fields, who along with Paula Ferguson, vice-president of the clinical services, chief nursing officer took part in the ride.
“The Tour was a lot of fun,” said Ms. Fields, noting two of the riders were youngsters, 11 and 12 years old.
Karen Noble provided lunch for all the riders at the Meldrum Bay Marina, it was pointed out. “We would like to thank Dale for again organizing the ride,” said Ms. Fields. “We also appreciate all the volunteers and all the participants for taking part in this community event.”
It was Dr. Scott, from Mindemoya, who, 24 years ago, as a challenge to himself, rode his bicycle from Mindemoya to Meldrum Bay and return in the same weekend.
While he completed the ride, Dr. Scott acknowledged at the time that it was a lot of work and that if he was going to carry out the ride again, he would ride to support a good cause. What came of that was the Tour de Meldrum Bay, which has continued since, with over $220,000 in funds being raised over the years, that go to the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC, through the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary) toward needed hospital equipment.
“There were three of us who took part in the ride the second year of the tour,” said Dr. Scott.
“This year’s ride was about 100-110 kilometres in total,” said Dr. Scott.
With the MHC fundraising milestone being reached, MHC celebrates not only an advancement in medical technology but also the collective commitment of the Manitoulin community to keeping healthcare strong and close to home.
