Caring Spirit: Nurse Kim Monkman
Congratulations to Nurse Kim Monkman at Island Health’s rTMS Clinic at Royal Jubilee Hospital, a recent recipient of a Caring Spirit award for outstanding patient care! Thanks to her remarkable conscientiousness, one donor wanted to honour her with a Caring Spirit award and a gift toward mental health equipment at Royal Jubilee Hospital. This cycle of gratitude goes a long way to ensuring patients have continued access to quality care.
Globally, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from major depressive disorder. A new form of mental health treatment, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive treatment method that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. Applied once a day, five days a week, for four to six weeks, it alleviates symptoms of depression for patients who don’t respond well to or cannot tolerate psychiatric medications. The rTMS Clinic where Nurse Monkman works was opened in October after generous donations to Mental Health Services at Royal Jubilee Hospital made possible the purchase of the innovative equipment required and additionally supported training. The therapy is used for clients in Psychiatric Emergency Services, Adult and Senior’s Mental Health In-Patient units, and a variety of Outpatient and Community Outreach units. Currently there is only one other Health Authority in British Columbia offering this treatment.
“Bringing rTMS treatment to Vancouver Island has helped treat neuropsychiatric conditions for clients where other treatment options have not worked,” said Dr. Wei-Yi Song. “Providing patients with this additional option for treatment enhances access to mental health services, improves flow, increases quality of care and allows more personal choice of care for service users.”
The Victoria Hospitals Foundation would like to thank the Caring Spirit donor for his generous gift and congratulate Kim Monkman on the well-earned distinction! Service like hers immeasurably improves quality of life for patients on Vancouver Island.
[title size=”2″]HOW TO NAME A CARING SPIRIT AND SUPPORT YOUR HOSPITAL[/title] The Caring Spirit program gives grateful patients and their loved ones the opportunity to pay tribute to doctors, nurses and other hospital caregivers by making a donation of any amount in their name. Please remember to tell us your Caring Spirit’s first and last name and which hospital and department they work in.
- Click Donate Now
- Call 250-519-1750
- Stop by the hospital cashier
- Visit us or send us cheque. Here’s our contact information
Caregivers are so touched when they are named as Caring Spirits. They will receive recognition from their supervisors and peers, a special Caring Spirit pin and a letter of congratulations that doesn’t disclose the amount of your gift. [title size=”2″]HOW DOES YOUR DONATION HELP?[/title] Your gift will be used for priority medical equipment that improves care for other patients. Caring Spirit has funded hundreds of important pieces of medical equipment throughout Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals. It’s a wonderful way to support our hospitals and recognize excellent care. Read about all our latest Caring Spirits!
