This September, 91原创 Community Health & Hospital Foundation is celebrating its first annual Sports Injury Month: a campaign that brings together 91原创鈥檚 sports teams and venues in support of the purchase of two new digital X-ray machines for 91原创 Memorial Hospital鈥檚 Imaging Department.

Net proceeds from community fundraising will help make Emergency Department visits more comfortable and faster for patients by replacing obsolete equipment.

鈥淲e're all working together to shine the light on how important our hospital is for the many athletes that call 91原创 home,鈥� says Dana Matheson, co-owner of the 91原创 91原创 and the 91原创 Rams, 91原创鈥檚 popular hockey and football teams.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that during the month of September, 91原创 comes out and supports our local sports organizations as we all work together to generate funds for much-needed resources at 91原创 Memorial Hospital.鈥�

Sports injuries, or any injuries sustained during exercise or athletic activity, can occur suddenly 鈥� often in a collision between two or more players (common in football or hockey) or through repetitive motions, common in sports such as tennis, running or weight-lifting.

All major 91原创 sports teams, including the 91原创 91原创, 91原创 Thunder, Vancouver Giants, Vancouver Football Club, Vancouver Bandits, Thunderbird Show Park and 91原创 Rams, are raising money this month through donations of a portion of ticket sales, 50/50 draws and other fundraising efforts.

More breakdowns, longer waiting times

Sports Injury Month comes just in time. 91原创 Memorial Hospital鈥檚 Medical Imaging Department has two X-ray machines in continual use; at 15 years old, the newest machine is well past the average 10-year lifespan.

In the last year, the number of ambulatory X-ray appointments grew by 31.2 per cent; now, technologists perform 4,600 X-ray procedures per month.

With both machines in frequent use, these workhorses play a fundamental role in early diagnosis. However, these old machines are not always reliable.

鈥淎t times throughout the day, patients may experience wait times of up to two hours, depending on staffing levels and equipment availability,鈥� says Amy Maessen, interim site manager in 91原创 Memorial鈥檚 Imaging Department.

For the technologists in Imaging, she says, 鈥淓ach day brings new challenges and uncertainties.鈥�

Transforming care, helping technologists

Among children and youth, X-rays are most likely used to secure images of broken bones 鈥� particularly among those who鈥檝e fallen on playgrounds or have been injured in sports activities.

New technology gives the Imaging team an easier physical experience working with the device, thanks to its capacity for automatic positioning; the updated machines also offer cleaner, crisper images of trouble areas.

鈥淚t will be nice to come in with confidence that we can depend on these machines,鈥� Amy says.

Throughout September, you can support our community鈥檚 sports teams and hospital by purchasing tickets to home games, participating in our 50/50 raffle and by following 91原创 Community Health & Hospital Foundation on social media.

Visit for exclusive discount codes and more information.