Thanks to Red Deer Regional Health Foundation’s generous donors, the organization has recently purchased new Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) systems that will soon be arriving at the Red Deer Regional Hospital and other healthcare facilities across the Central Zone.

EFM systems monitor fetal heart rates during pregnancy, labour and birth to assess a baby’s well-being. Sandi Sebastian, Director, RDRHC and Zone Lead Women’s & Children’s Services, is looking forward to this long-awaited upgrade. “The old system printed fetal heart rates on a paper strip, only viewable by staff physically present at the bedside monitor,” she stated. “Moving to an electronic record of the baby’s heart rate allows healthcare providers to consult and make informed decisions from remote locations and expedite transfer when appropriate.”

The Foundation raised funds for the new EFM systems during Festival of Trees in 2020, as well as the Red Deer Hospital Lottery in 2021. “We could not have done this upgrade alone,” said Manon Therriault, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation’s CEO. “We depended on the community and support of Foundation donors to purchase these devices and are very grateful they came through.”