Making progress: still time to make radiothon donation for BUH lab upgrades

Donations continue to come in for the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation radiothon raising money for lab upgrades at BUH. pic.twitter.com/EKwlulTe3T

— battlefordsNOW (@battlefordsNOW) May 9, 2025

“We started off in a big, big way with an incredible donation that came right off the hop from Territorial Dental Clinic professionals,” said 93.3 Beach Radio host Nic Fransoo. “They donated $1,000 to get things rolling, and that really set the tone.”

River Valley Eye Care matched donations up to $5,000 during the 7 a.m. hour, followed by Innovation Federal Credit Union and Eternal Memories pledging to match $2,500 each in the following hours.

Fransoo said large individual contributions have also come in, including a combined $3,000 from Josh and Larry at Guy’s Furniture.

With a $400,000 goal in sight, Fransoo said the community’s continued generosity could make it happen.

“It seems like it’s a long ways away, but if any community can do it, this one can.”

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Make your donation at Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) today and help bring vital lab upgrades to life.

The annual “On Air for Health Care” Radiothon kicked off this morning with a $400,000 fundraising goal to enhance diagnostic care at BUH.

The 12-hour event, a partnership between the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation and Pattison Media, is being broadcast live from the hospital lobby on 93.3 Beach Radio, Q98, and CJNB/CJNS until 6 p.m.

Funds raised will support the foundation’s “Test. Treat. Save Lives.” campaign, focused on improving services in the hospital’s microbiology lab. The priority is replacing aging equipment and introducing new technology that can help identify infections like sepsis faster.

“We’re looking at refreshing our blood culture readers as well as our ID and susceptibility platform,” said Allison Schneider, director of lab medicine for Northern Saskatchewan.

“And we’re also fundraising to add a blood culture identification system that will give us really rapid results up to 24 hours sooner than our current method.”

Schneider said faster results will allow physicians to make quicker treatment decisions for some of the sickest patients in the region.

The new equipment includes both upgrades to existing systems and entirely new additions. Schneider said it will provide “those bells and whistles” needed to produce the most accurate and timely results possible.

The hospital’s microbiology lab processes about 25,000 tests each year and serves a large catchment area. That includes communities such as Meadow Lake and Turtleford, whose samples are sent to North Battleford for analysis.

She also noted that if equipment breaks down, testing would need to be transferred to another site—something they hope to avoid with the new investment.

The equipment plays a critical role in identifying infections and determining which antibiotics will work best for treatment. Whether it’s a throat swab, blood culture, or urine sample, she said lab staff are working to detect the bacteria or yeast causing the infection and report results to physicians.

“We want to be able to provide the best possible results to your physician so he can make those best treatment options for you,” Schneider said.

Donations can be made in person at BUH or online throughout the day. Live updates and totals will be shared during the broadcast.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

by battlefordsNOW Staff

Making progress: still time to make radiothon donation for BUH lab upgrades

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