Battlefords Union Hospital is located in North Battleford. (photo/ BUH website)

By Kenneth Cheung

TEST. TREAT. SAVE LIVES

BUH Radiothon returns May 9 with $400K goal to boost diagnostic care

May 7, 2025 | 2:15 PM

When it comes to diagnosing infections faster and improving patient outcomes, every second counts, says Leanne Ducommun, executive director of the Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) Foundation. This year’s Radiothon is focused on helping health-care teams do just that.

The annual “On Air for Health Care” Radiothon takes place Friday in the lobby of Battlefords Union Hospital, with a $400,000 fundraising goal for the BUH Foundation’s new capital campaign: Test. Treat. Save Lives. The funds will go toward purchasing critical laboratory equipment.

“What these machines do is they determine and pinpoint infections and they can speed up early detection to improve diagnostic workflow and enhanced culture and capabilities for test samples, along with rapid identification for bloodstream infections such as sepsis,” said Ducommun.

The equipment includes a blood culture identification system, microbial identification and susceptibility system, a blood culture incubator, a microbial detection system and an O2 incubator.

Radio host Nic Fransoo of 93.3 Beach Radio. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

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Radio host Nic Fransoo of 93.3 Beach Radio said the new systems will be a game changer in detecting and treating serious conditions like sepsis, allowing lab staff to identify infections faster and match them with the most effective treatment.

“It can pinpoint it, and we can get to the bottom of it and bring somebody back, maybe from the edge of death with this type of technology,” he said.

The Radiothon is a partnership between the BUH Foundation and Pattison Media — a collaboration that’s been ongoing for nearly a decade.

“Basically we saw an opportunity where we could use the power of radio to enhance healthcare, which is gonna affect so many people,” Fransoo said.

“And in the world of radio, I like to say that I do my show and I talk to 80,000 of my favorite friends, right? It’s the long distance runner of all sorts of advertising, so why wouldn’t we use that power to do something incredible for our community by raising funds for the hospital?”

Ducommun said past Radiothons have helped the hospital meet major equipment goals ahead of schedule — including a campaign for Pyxis Med stations that reached its two-year target in just nine months.

“It has such an impact to the community and to the hospital itself and having this type of equipment is just so important for our healthcare workers to really ensure that quality healthcare is there,” she said.

Throughout the years, the event has helped the hospital purchase a wide range of equipment — from a LUCAS chest compression unit and a new CT scanner to ENT surgical tools and a mammography machine.

BUH serves as a centralized hub for patients across northwest Saskatchewan — a role that makes the fundraiser even more important, Ducommun said, as it helps keep life-saving services like dialysis, chemotherapy and physical therapy accessible closer to home.

A scene from a previous BUH Radiothon, held in the hospital lobby. (File photo/ battlefordsNOW staff)

As the main event, the Radiothon’s live broadcast from the BUH lobby provides a chance for listeners to connect with stories from doctors, nurses and patients in real time — and understand the impact of local health care.

One story that stood out for Ducommun came from Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie, who publicly shared his cancer journey during a previous Radiothon.

“He really spoke about how grateful he was to be able to have the chemo treatments available that were done locally and not having to go to Saskatoon,” she said.

“The way that he spoke, it was just so heartfelt and so sincere. You could just see the sincerity and the appreciation and it’s stories like that that we hear on a daily basis.”

Fransoo said all three local stations — 93.3 Beach Radio, Q98 and CJNB/CJNS — will be broadcasting live from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.

“We got our signs everywhere. We got the radio playing, and of course, we’re going to be inviting you to come and make your donation live in person,” he said.

Ducommun said she’s optimistic the community will once again step up.

“This is going to be another fantastic year and I am confident that the community is once again going to step up and help us reach our goal and we are very grateful for that.”

Fransoo agreed.

“I know that in our community, when there’s a need, we step up and that’s all there is to it,” he said.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com