NEWS RELEASE
ROYAL VICTORIA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
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Mapping the route to timely heart care
Barrie-based digital creative agency, Tyger Shark, has teamed up with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) to raise funds for an Advanced Cardiac Centre with an innovative and interactive web-based platform.
The Heart of Gold website (www.rvhheartofgold.ca) demonstrates to area residents how far they are from an Advanced Cardiac Centre should they have a heart attack and encourages donations to bring this service closer to their homes.
Currently, North Simcoe Muskoka is the only region in the province without an Advanced Cardiac Centre. That means every year more than 3,600 heart patients must travel to centres outside the region for lifesaving heart procedures. RVH’s Advanced Cardiac program, which was given the green light by the provincial government, will provide diagnostics and interventions such as angiograms and angioplasty, giving patients access to faster treatment, a shorter hospital stay and less travel time.
“That will be a game changer for heart patients in our region. Simply put, it will save lives," says Janice Skot, president and CEO, RVH. “North Simcoe Muskoka residents will have the same gold standard of heart care as those in the rest of the province — treatment within 90 minutes of a heart attack. That’s critically important because when it comes to the heart, time is muscle. Soon, all but the most complex heart patients will be able to receive care at RVH, closer to home.
On the Heart of Gold website, use the ‘heart’ pin to navigate the map, moving it to your town, or street. Once you have found your location and drop the heart pin you will find out how near, or far, you are from an Advanced Cardiac Centre and the associated risk level. Donations can be made through the website and you can share through Facebook, Twitter, challenge your friends and even share your own cardiac story.
“Our aim at Tyger Shark was to put site visitors into a real life scenario by asking them a simple question: If you had a heart attack right now, how much time would it take you to receive to life saving care?” says Jimmy Furlano Co-Founder, Business Development. ”Through our application, we integrate with Google Maps technology to measure in real-time to find out how much time you would have now versus how much time they will have the new RVH Advanced Cardiac Centre is built. We’re also providing donors the ability to create awareness for themselves and the ones closest to them by embracing technology to exercise their philanthropic giving in a way they’ve never done before.”
RVH first identified the need for comprehensive cardiac services in 2007 and has since built the foundation to ensure it is well positioned to provide safe, quality heart care. RVH now boasts a team of nine cardiologists which provides 24/7 cardiology coverage to ensure patients from throughout the region have access to specialized care day or night. Meanwhile, a regional Urgent Cardiology Clinic provides speedy assessment and testing for patients who come to RVH’s Emergency department or surgical pre-admission clinic and are found to be at high risk for a heart attack. Funding for the program was announced by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Dr. Eric Hoskins on May 13.
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