Edenhope Lions Club funds laser vein-finder for hospital
No longer can difficult veins shy away from Edenhope clinicians, thanks to a new laser device partly funded by the Edenhope Lions Club.
Grampians Health Edenhope’s newest equipment uses near-infrared (NIR) to enhance superficial veins, valves and bifurcations that are not visible to the naked eye. It was a need identified by Edenhope Lions Club president Kerry Hausler, who witnessed clinicians struggling to locate his wife’s veins.
“The nurses always find it hard to get blood out of Kate’s arm,” he said. “I was talking to the staff about these vein-finders and thought we might be able to do something about it.”
Conversations with local nurses led the Edenhope Lions Club to allocate $5,500 to the purchase, which was co-funded by Grampians Health.
Edenhope Campus Manager Tricia McInnes said the equipment was a game-changer.
“Our team is collecting blood and inserting IVs every day, so it will certainly get a lot of use,” she said. “There are a lot of things that cause difficult venous access, especially in a hospital setting, and it’s wonderful to access modern equipment to address this.
“We are so grateful to Kerry and the Edenhope Lions Club for this generous donation, which will benefit a large portion of the community.”
Tamara Reynolds, Acting Chief People Officer Grampians Health, said community donations were vital for innovative projects.
“In an ideal world, all of our hospitals would be fitted with the latest ground-breaking technology, but unfortunately that’s just not possible,” she said. “This donation is such a great example of an Edenhope community group identifying a need and taking ownership of its health service.”
The Edenhope Lions Club has donated more than $20,000 over the past 12-months, largely funded by the volunteer-run Opportunity Shop.
“We have about 17 people come in at different times, to keep that running and raise money for projects like this,” Mr Hausler said. “Not many people realise how much the club does, or where the money goes.”
Mr Hausler hopes to see an influx of committee members, to continue the club’s vital work.
“One of the biggest pressures is trying to get bums on seats and attract more committee members,” he said. “It’s not a big commitment – we have a business meeting once a month and a social dinner-meeting once a month.
“We would love to welcome some new members, to make sure we can do more of this.”
