Freemasons donate ‘treasured’ chest to Oncology Unit

Six people stand side by side. A man in the centre of the image is holding a giant cheque. At either end of the line, a nurse in dark blue BRHS scrubs hold a training device - a realistic human arm and a realistic human chest - that will be used to train nurses to give intravenous oncology treatments.

East Gippsland Freemasons Victoria members have donated more than $21,000 to Bairnsdale Regional Health Service’s Oncology Unit for new equipment to improve staff skills and enhance patient care.

The donation of $21,203.60 has allowed BRHS to buy a new IntelliVue wireless portable cardiac monitor, a Laerdal Medical Chester Chest Advanced Arm training device and a Laerdal Medical Multi-Venous Intravenous Training Arm Kit.

The Chester Chest kit is a realistic model of a person’s chest that features a port, a device placed under the skin that replaces an external cannula and provides intravenous access for patients who require long-term chemotherapy or other infusion treatments.

The intravenous arm does the same job. Both devices allow nurses to practice accessing a port so patients undergoing treatment do not feel undue discomfort.

Darrell Traplin, secretary of the Lakes Entrance Freemasons Lodge and coordinator of the Freemasons’ East Gippsland district, is a former patient at the BRHS Oncology Unit.

“I have been touched by cancer a couple of times, and a lot of our members have as well. The hospital is a place that we’re all going to visit sooner or later, so we thought it’s a very good purpose to help the Oncology ward to look after us,” he said.

Five people stand side by side. A man holds a realistic model of a human chest and a woman holds a realistic model of a human arm. Both apparatus are used to train nurses to administer intravenous oncology treatments.

Oncology nurse Megan Barwick,  Jim Jolly (Secretary Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge), BRHS CEO Vicki Farthing, Paul Brooks (Secretary, Union Lodge of North Gippsland) and Cancer Care Coordinator/Survivorship Nurse Jodie Campain.

As part of Freemasons Victoria’s philanthropic role, Darrell said he rallied Freemasons lodge masters from East Gippsland to arrange a fundraising district dinner for BRHS. “We thought that we would charge lots of people lots of money to come, but then we thought, ‘No, we’ll make it free to come in and then then make them donate. That’s a better idea’,” he laughed.

The dinner raised more than $6,000, with the Freemasons Victoria Foundation donating a further $15,000. “I’m never satisfied, but I am happy with that outcome. You’re always satisfied to see something come off that’s desperately needed for a small country town like ours. And I’m now planning the next one,” Darrell said.

This is the Freemasons’ first donation to the BRHS Oncology Unit, but previously they have raised money for portable bladder scanners for the health service.

BRHS CEO Vicki Farthing thanked the members of Freemasons Victoria for supporting the health service with another generous donation. “Donations like this mean that we can improve the education that we can provide to our clinical staff. It allows staff to upskill without harm to patients, and they can upskill at any time of the day,” she said. “It makes a real difference for our staff and our patients.”

A nurse in dark blue BRHS scrubs demonstrates how nurses will use a realistic model of a human chest to train in administering oncology treatments.

Jodie Campain demonstrates how to use Chesty.

More from our Latest News

Got Something To Say? We're Listening.

If you have a compliment, a complaint, or a suggestion on how we can improve our service, we’d like to hear it. Use our feedback form to send us your message.