THUNDER BAY – It all began as a discussion by staff about what more they could do for their patients on the 3A Surgical Inpatient Unit at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).
This turned into a hugely popular 80s-themed community party titled “The Hippest Party in Town”.
3A is a surgical inpatient unit, which houses the Total Joint Center where patients recover after hip and knee replacement surgeries.
“The staff wanted to buy equipment to help improve patient care and the patient experience,” says Crystal Edwards, Manager- 3A & Endoscopy. “With the money we raised at the event, we will be purchasing some basic equipment like vital sign machines and thermometers, but we also plan to purchase other specialized equipment, such as walkers and raised chairs to provide a more comfortable recovery for our post-operative patients.”
The Hippest Party organizing committee didn’t have a fundraising goal in mind, so the members were amazed when the tally from the event came to $28,118.48!
There were other surprises as well. “We knew we would get support from our staff and physicians at TBRHSC,” says Edwards, “But we didn’t expect that so many people from the public, who weren’t employees of the hospital, would support and attend the event. This was a nice surprise.”
Overall around 500 people, the majority of which were decked out in 80s fashions and as 80s characters, boogied down at The Hippest Party in Town. “People really put a lot of thought and effort into their costumes. The event was far more successful than we had ever imagined,” says Edwards.
The success of this year’s event was so inspiring, the organizing committee is already making plans for another 80s-theme Hippest Party in Town in 2015 which is set for Saturday March 21st at the Victoria Inn.
So mark your calendars and keep those leg warmers and huge earrings handy!
The Total Joint Centre sees upwards of 650 patients per year who have undergone joint replacements in order to regain their functional independence and ultimately improve their quality of life. This dedicated unit has a multidisciplinary team which includes nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and orthopedic surgeons who work together to provide consistent, evidence-based care to our orthopedic surgical population.
