The Foundation is thrilled to update you on the progress being made on the annual Spring Appeal. As you know, this year's appeal is raising funds to help the Hospital purchase cardiac monitors.

The Appeal letters have now arrived at every household in the City of Kawartha Lakes, and in only one month, we've already reached 70% of our goal!

"We're so pleased with the response we're getting in the community," said Erin Coons, Executive Director of the Foundation. "We're glad that people understand the importance for cardiac monitors at the Ross. By contributing to meet this need, people really can make a difference in the life of a patient."

A cardiac monitor provides a constant measure of a patient's vital signs, the pulse, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and the heart's rhythm. If a patient's heart rhythm becomes critically abnormal, we use electricity to bring the heart back to a normal rhythm, using a defibrillator.

It's useful in three ways: it's the most important item on a crash cart when we respond to a "code blue", which is the call that goes out when a patient is in cardiac arrest. The monitor is rushed to the patient's side and hooked up to help us see where the problem lies. When we're transferring a critical patient to the Intensive Care Unit, we rely on a cardiac monitor so we can tell immediately if his or her status is changing. It's also an essential item when a patient is being transferred to another hospital.