Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston has acquired the latest vein visualization technology to assist in the placement of IVs and blood draws courtesy of a donation by area resident Catherine DiMino.

LEWISTON — Thanks to the funds provided by a donation from Catherine DiMino of Niagara Falls, Mount St. Mary's Hospital has acquired the latest vein visualization technology to assist in the placement of IVs and blood draws. The newly acquired system was unveiled in May at a luncheon as part of the hospital's celebration of National Nurses Week.

The technology, called AccuVein, allows hospital staff to digitally display a map of a patient's veins on the surface of the skin in real time to make it easier to place an IV in patients.

AccuVein uses infrared technology to display the patient's veins on the skin. This device is especially helpful for infants and the elderly population. They can feel where the veins are and see them with a hand-held device to increase accuracy and reduce the number of attempts for blood draws and IV starts. The system makes it possible to accurately find veins in a fast, noninvasive manner.

"Vein visualization doesn't cause the patient any pain or discomfort, said Jessica Visser, vice president of patient care services at Mount St. Mary's. "It helps improve accuracy and decrease the number of attempts required to successfully start and IV or do a blood draw."  

Visser said the technology benefits both nursing and laboratory staff as well as patients. "It's a tool that helps us provide excellent patient care every day," she commented.

Mount St. Mary's was able to purchase the technology thanks to a donation DiMino made to the Mount St. Mary's Hospital Foundation. She is a member of the DiMino family that operates the Tops Market in Lewiston and has been a long-time supporter of the hospital.

"We are thankful for this gift and the impact that it will have on our associates and patients," said Julie Berrigan, executive director of the Mount St. Mary's Hospital Foundation.