New ambulatory blood pressure machine reduces travel for west county residents

The group reached the $4300 price of the unit through fundraising.

Local doctors can now refer their patients to the cardiac satellite clinic at Parson’s Mall in Barrington on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to noon for testing, which saves time and money.

The test requires the patient to wear the blood pressure cuff and computerized unit for 24-hours through normal daily activities. Information is stored and downloaded to a central processing system by a technologist when it is returned.

“We can only do small things in a small area but it makes a difference to somebody’s life,” said committee member Donna LeBlanc-Messenger.

The society is working towards bringing Dr. Stan Kutcher, an internationally renowned expert in the area of adolescent mental health, from Dalhousie Psychiatry to the area for a forum on the topic.

They are also investigating other types of equipment that can benefit the area, for example equipment to measure lung or breathing capacity.

“Our whole new charitable foundation is to complement Roseway and Yarmouth hospitals and to do things that make a difference here,” said LeBlanc-Messenger.

“We are open to input from stakeholders in our community as to what projects we can identify and explore.

“Growing a new foundation is like a small group of well intentioned people pushing a big snowball uphill; however our commitment is firm: our mandate is a good one and our community deserves it.”