Fifth Anniversary of Shriners Outreach Clinic
in Bathurst, New Brunswick (Canada)

December 12, 2007

Officials at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, New Brunswick announced yesterday that the Shriners Hospital for Children—Canada Outreach Clinic has seen 509 children since its implementation in the fall of 2002. Thanks to the specialized services provided to children at this clinic, parents throughout New Brunswick have been able to save more than $513,000 in travel expenses.

The outreach clinic at the Chaleur Regional Hospital has a health care team made up of a physician and a nurse from the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montréal who travel to New Brunswick four times a year to provide follow-up care to children in their region. “We are particularly happy to have forged this partnership with the Shriners Hospital for Children—Canada, as this affiliation allows us to improve access to quality specialized care and helps to reduce costly travel expenses for patients and their families,” said Mr. Gabriel Godin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ABHA.

The Luxor Shriners Club also donated $36,000 to the Chaleur Regional Hospital Foundation. These funds will be used to purchase new equipment and improve the quality of care provided at the Shriners Outreach Clinic. The new equipment includes a digital radiography unit, a Impax orthopaedic workstation, and an electric lift examination table. The equipment will also used by the orthopaedic surgeons at  Chaleur Regional Hospital.

The donation from the Shriners will allow for the purchase leading-edge radiology equipment, thereby improving the quality of care. The lift table will ensure easier access for patients, while being ergonomically correct for the health care staff. "What a wonderful way to mark the 5-year anniversary of the Shriners’ Outreach Clinic in Bathurst,” said Dr. François Fassier, chief of staff at Shriners Hospital for Children— Canada.

“We are very proud of the work we do to raise funds to help with the expenses of families who need to travel to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montréal or the Shriners Outreach Clinic in Bathurst," said Darryl Stohard, coordinator of the outreach clinic. "Through special projects, the Shriners of New Brunswick have raised funds to purchase the equipment needed to ensure better services to patients."