The Dorchester General Hospital Cardiopulmonary Services Department has an additional ventilator thanks to a donation from the Dorchester General Hospital Foundation. The VIASYS Vela critical care ventilator, with a price tag of more than $15,000, was purchased for use in the Emergency Department.

Ed Liske, RRT, lead respiratory care practitioner, comments, “This new machine is a great asset for Dorchester General Hospital. We never know when someone who is brought to the Emergency Department will need this type of life support. We now have a ventilator always on stand by for when a patient needs it.”

The full color touch screen gives consistent and immediate access to data used by respiratory care practitioners to monitor the breathing rate, oxygen level and other vital signs of children and adults. Because it is compact, the ventilator can be easily moved when a respiratory care practitioner accompanies a patient who needs to be transported to another healthcare facility.

The gift from the Dorchester General Hospital Foundation was made possible by a bequest from a donor, who indicated that a portion of the income from her donation be used to purchase diagnostic equipment for the hospital.