LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thanks to generous donations from the community and staff, Sutter Lakeside Hospital will get two new ventilators by the end of this year.

The hospital received more than $24,000 in donations from community members and employees, including the medical staff and volunteers.

Sutter negotiated a reduced price and contributed the remaining funds.

“We’re grateful for our donors’ generosity, which will help us provide optimal care to patients with severe respiratory complications,” said Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “We generally see many more of these cases during the flu and pneumonia season from October through April.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicts this may be one of the worst seasons yet due to the enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).

There are no available vaccines or treatments for this virus, making mechanical ventilation crucial.

“Sutter Lakeside Hospital serves a large retired community and we’re generally hit hard during the flu season,” said Chief of Medical Staff Fred Johnson, M.D. “The new ventilators will make it possible for us to serve our patients instead of transferring them to other facilities.”

Dr. Johnson led the effort to raise funds for the ventilators and rallied unprecedented support from hospital employees and volunteers.

The medical staff donated $8,000 and administrative staff members donated another $1,500.

The Sutter Lakeside Auxiliary was the largest contributor; this dedicated group of volunteers donated $10,000 raised at the hospital gift shop.

“After we heard Dr. Johnson’s presentation about why we needed the ventilators, it was a unanimous decision,” says Auxiliary President Sharon Brash. “It was clearly a priority for the health of our community and we were pleased to help.”

To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ .