Current and former members of the Prince George Cougars hockey team will trade in their sticks for golf clubs today/Thursday for the second annual Northland Dodge Prince George Cougars Alumni Hospital Charity Golf tournament.
In 2012 the tournament raised more than $25,000 for Spirit of the North at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia. One of the items purchased with the money was a Level 1 rapid transfuser for the emergency room.
Judy Neiser, the CEO of Spirit of the North, said after the explosion at Lakeland Mill in April 2012, last year's sponsor of the golf tournament, Telus, wanted the money from the event to go to something that would help in a trauma.
UHNBC received the new Level 1 rapid transfuser early in 2013, giving the hospital emergency room two machines. A Level 1 rapid transfuser warms the fluid, blood products or normal saline, as it's being put into the person to replace what they lost in a trauma. It's especially helpful for burn victims.
"One of the impacts from having a large burn is you lose the protective measure of your skin, which prevents heat loss and [the burn] also allows a lot of fluid to be lost," said Jim Fitzpatrick, manager of critical care services, including the E/R and ICU at UHNBC. "If you put cold fluid into a burn patient it can lead to more complications. So the rapid infusion of warm fluid into a burn patient is one of the quickest ways to get on top of that type of care."
Last weekend, the two rapid transfusers came in handy when the hospital received two trauma patients at about the same time.
"It provides a higher quality of care for both the patients that require it because you can't really use it on one patient and then move it over to the other one. It has to be cleaned," said Fitzpatrick. "Last year, when we just had one, if we couldn't get the one from the operating room (OR), we would prioritize and the person who needed it the most would get the Level 1. Now that we have two it just provides a bigger blanket of support for traumas that can come in with five minutes notice."
Meet Canucks D-man Dan Hamhuis
This year's charity golf tournament is today/Thursday and Friday at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. On Thursday there's a silent auction and bidding on Cougars' alumni to golf in a foursome with the highest bidder. Alumni in attendance will be Dan Hamhuis, Brett Connolly, Nick Drazenovic, Garrett Thiessen, Dan Gibb, Brock Hirsche, Spencer Asuchak and many more.
The current Cougar players will also be in attendance as they enjoy a fun day of golf before getting down to business at Western Hockey League training camp starting Aug. 23.
All the alumni and current Cougars will be on the patio of the PGGCC today/Thursday between 4-5 p.m. for a meet and greet with the general public. The event is free and everybody is welcome.
Neiser said the support from the Cougars' organization to raise money for Spirit of the North Foundation is invaluable.
"Events like this shows incredible support from our sponsors, players and volunteers all resulting in Northern Health's goal in bring the best of care closer to home," said Neiser.
