Donation helps purchase “breathing box”
Labour Day arrived early for Richmond Hospital with a $95,000 donation Monday morning from United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of Canada and the United States Local 170 (UA Local 170) to help purchase new state-of-the-art medical equipment for the hospital’s Pulmonary Function Lab. The new “breathing box” will help assess and diagnose lung disease and monitor changes over time.
“Whether it’s for an emergency or for any other health care needs — we all want our highly skilled health care professionals here to be equipped with the latest, most advanced tools for the best possible care for our community,” said Natalie Meixner, president & CEO of the Richmond Hospital Foundation. “We sincerely thank the brothers and sisters of UA Local 170 for their leadership and generous donation to address the serious and growing problem of lung disease and provide patients in Richmond with state-of-the-art medical equipment right here at home.”
“Our union members are dedicated to ensuring public health and safety through using proper procedures and complying with all applicable codes to support the highest standards in our industry,” said Joe Shayler, business manager and financial secretary, (UA 170). “This donation to Richmond Hospital is a further demonstration of our commitment to the health and safety of the communities we serve.”
Richmond Hospital’s Pulmonary Function Laboratory performs complete evaluations of a patient’s respiratory system through a host of on-site diagnostic tools. According to the World Health Organization, lung disease is the fourth most common cause of death worldwide and is estimated soon to become the third most common.
“Both worldwide and locally, lung disease is a serious and growing cause of illness and death,” said Dr. Iqbal Ahmed, Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at Richmond Hospital. “We are extremely grateful to the entire UA Local 170 membership for the generous donation to help improve our team’s ability to diagnose and treat lung disease right here in Richmond.”
UA 170 represents members in the high-demand piping trades which include plumbing, sprinklerfitting, steamfitting and welding.
For more than 25 years, Richmond Hospital Foundation has raised more than $40- million to help purchase vital medical equipment, improve patient care programs and upgrade facilities at Richmond Hospital.