In an effort to improve patient care, the Friends of the Moncton Hospital Foundation has launched an $8 million dollar capital campaign.
To date, $5.6 million has been raised to create two new units – one of which is a new maternity and newborn unit.
As chair, Robert Irving addresses crowd at Friends of the Moncton Hospital Foundation campaign launch. $8 M goal is most ambitious yet with $5.6 M already raised to create maternity/newborn unit and expand cardiac care unit. #Moncton #MonctonHospital #nb #nbnews #healthcare pic.twitter.com/DaRWHMz5xL
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) November 8, 2018
Obstetrician Dr. Ken Gillespie says the current maternity unit serves the eastern half of New Brunswick including referrals from the Dumont Hospital.
“If you look at babies born under 32 weeks… these are our sickest patients, these are our sickest babies. We deliver more of those babies here at the Moncton Hospital than the rest of the province put together,” he notes.
The funding will also be used to expand and relocate the cardiac care unit to compliment treatment at the New Brunswick Heart Centre in Saint John.
Cardiologist Dr. Ron Bourgeois says in the current cardiac area, patients have no privacy and there is minimal space available.
“In the new units, all of the patient rooms will be single rooms. They will have their own bathroom and more space to care for the patient as well as have room for the family,” he says.
The two units will eventually be housed in a new building on MacBeath Avenue between the Professional Arts Building and the hospital’s main entrance which is currently a physician’s parking lot.
