Kamloops resident donates modern equipment to hospital

KAMLOOPS – Local businessman and philanthropist Ken Lepin has donated $300,000 and an important piece of medical equipment to Royal Inland Hospital.

Lepin helped procure a piece of laser assisted technology used to help identify bacterial infections known as a MALDI/TOF Mass Spectrophotometer.

Bacterias like meningitis, staphylococcus or even the flu continue to be deadly infections and their diagnosis is time sensitive. Currently, it takes doctors 24 hours to grow cultures in order to test for bacterial infections and this new piece equipment cuts this time by two-thirds, taking only six to eight hours to grow cultures.

Dr. Lisa Steele, a pathologist at the hospital, explains the equipment will also help physicians decide how strong of antibiotics to prescribe.

This machine could also help with patient and bed flow, meaning the quicker a person is diagnosed the shorter the wait in the hospital emergency room.

“In another life I was in a construction-related business. I quickly learned that modern equipment, in good condition, resulted in increased productivity and more contented workforce,” Lepin said in a speech explaining why he donated to the hospital.

The $300,000 donation will be directed specifically to the hospital’s lab. Over the years Lepin has contributed over one million dollars to Royal Inland Hospital, making him the largest individual donor to the hospital in Kamloops.

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