Proceeds from this years Festival of Trees will help to fund
A Dedicated Molecular Diagnostic Lab
“The creation of a dedicated molecular lab at UHNBC will allow increased testing capacity for COVID-19 and influenza. Turn around time for test results will improve significantly and allow front line clinicians to make important treatment decisions rapidly and ultimately provide the best care possible to patients in the North.” - Randall (Randy) Dumont, MD, FRCP(C) Pathologist - University Hospital of Northern B.C
Through the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation we are excited to offer Donors the opportunity to support better health outcomes for patients right here at home in the North where we live, work, and play. This year we have chosen to work collaboratively with Northern Health and our physician Lead, Dr. Randy Dumont, to support funding the expansion of molecular diagnostics at UHNBC and the purchase of new molecular testing platforms and creation of a dedicated molecular lab. This will allow increased testing capacity for COVID-19 and influenza and provide more rapid test results to help front line clinicians make important treatment and management decisions that ultimately will provide the best possible care to patients in the Region. Increasing capacity will also allow assistance to smaller sites throughout the North with testing when needed to allow for a more rapid turnaround time rather than shipping the specimens out to be tested in the Lower Mainland.
Molecular diagnostics is a rapidly expanding field and is considered the gold standard of testing, providing more rapid and accurate results than traditional methods such as cultures, microscopy, etc. In the future, this service could potentially be expanded to allow molecular testing of infections such as HIV, diarrheal illnesses, malaria, as well as many other infectious diseases.
We hope you feel as excited as we do about funding this new and innovative addition to the continuum of care for residents of the North.
“The creation of a dedicated molecular lab at UHNBC will allow increased testing capacity for COVID-19 and influenza. Turn around time for test results will improve significantly and allow front line clinicians to make important treatment decisions rapidly and ultimately provide the best care possible to patients in the North.” - Randall (Randy) Dumont, MD, FRCP(C) Pathologist - University Hospital of Northern B.C
Through the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation we are excited to offer Donors the opportunity to support better health outcomes for patients right here at home in the North where we live, work, and play. This year we have chosen to work collaboratively with Northern Health and our physician Lead, Dr. Randy Dumont, to support funding the expansion of molecular diagnostics at UHNBC and the purchase of new molecular testing platforms and creation of a dedicated molecular lab. This will allow increased testing capacity for COVID-19 and influenza and provide more rapid test results to help front line clinicians make important treatment and management decisions that ultimately will provide the best possible care to patients in the Region. Increasing capacity will also allow assistance to smaller sites throughout the North with testing when needed to allow for a more rapid turnaround time rather than shipping the specimens out to be tested in the Lower Mainland.
Molecular diagnostics is a rapidly expanding field and is considered the gold standard of testing, providing more rapid and accurate results than traditional methods such as cultures, microscopy, etc. In the future, this service could potentially be expanded to allow molecular testing of infections such as HIV, diarrheal illnesses, malaria, as well as many other infectious diseases.
We hope you feel as excited as we do about funding this new and innovative addition to the continuum of care for residents of the North.
