August 22, 2024

Generous donations boost big upgrades to Skiff endoscopy suite

By Newton Daily

Rachel Knudson, general surgeon, is shown with the upgraded equipment now in the Skiff endoscopy suite, thanks to a large number of donations. (Submitted photo)

The purchase of new, leading-edge equipment and technology has made possible a major update of the Skiff Medical Center endoscopy suite. This suite, a surgical area which provides care to nearly 1,000 patients annually, is where vital, life-saving endoscopy procedures, such as colonoscopies, are completed.

The new Fujinon equipment provides many benefits to the physicians who complete these procedures, including:

· Better picture and visualization, allowing physicians to detect abnormalities sooner

· New scopes with adjustable stiffness, making it easier to advance into the colon and make possible a more complete examination

· Irrigation through a foot pump delivery system

“I’m particularly pleased with the benefits of the foot irrigation option,” said Skiff general surgeon Rachel Knudson. “Previously I would have to flush manually using ahand-operated syringe; now, I can irrigate while still using both of my hands for the scope.”

Another update coming in the near future is state-of-the-art endoscopic software which will create a complete post-procedure report to be utilized by all future providers.

“This will be a great addition,” said Sonja Ranck, Skiff’s Chief Clinical Officer. “It will produce a seamless document directly after an endoscopic procedure, so that anyone who sees the patient after the fact, even if they were not the one who performed the scope, will have direct access to the associated images, findings, etc.”

This project was made possible through a fundraising campaign which spanned more than two years.Thanks to the generosity of the community, the project was almost fully funded through donations to the Skiff Foundation and Auxiliary. Significant contributions to the campaign include a $50,000 grant from the Fred Maytag Family Foundation, a $20,000 donation from Dr. Dominic and Ashli Formaro and a $10,000 grant from the Jasper Community Foundation. In addition, the funds from three Skiff Galas, totaling almost $129,000, supported this important project. Several other businesses, community members, employees and physicians also contributed to this campaign.

To learn more about Skiff, call 641- 78-SKIFF (787-5433), visit www.skiffmed.com or "like" Skiff at www.facebook.com/skiffmed.