Submitted by April Patry, BPHF Executive Director
This past March 31st marked the end of our fiscal year, and I am really pleased to report that thanks to our amazing donors, Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation provided a total of $910,452 in funding for medical equipment, technology, and facility improvements. On behalf of my Board of Directors, hospital staff and the thousands of patients who have benefited from your generosity, THANK YOU for continuing to support local healthcare.
In the past year, we have financed the purchase of patient room furniture, patient lifts with swings, a mobile trauma cart, a panic alarm system, an ultrasound machine, a bariatric bed, and supported the Emergency Department renovation, all at GBHS –Wiarton, and a slit light table for emergency eye care, new physiotherapy equipment, and completed our x-ray fundraising campaign for GBHS-Lion’s Head. Additionally, both Wiarton and Lion’s Head Hospitals will be outfitted with a new software called Powerchart for Oncology, a technology that will better assist patients who need local urgent care, and who are also fighting cancer. Our donors have also funded much needed equipment and technology for our Regional Stroke Centre, which has recently achieved the Stroke Distinction Award by Accreditation Canada.
Thank you again for continuing to give, even during this challenging time. Together, we have played a crucial part in making exception rural healthcare happen right here, close to home.
Making a Lasting Impact on Local Healthcare
By Kevin Walsh, BPH Foundation Chair
You may have heard about a new, nation-wide Campaign called Will Power. I know I hear it on our local radio stations frequently. Will Power is a Campaign to encourage Canadians to leave a donation to a favourite charity or two in your Will. About 50% of Canadians have a Will and about 8% have included a gift to charity.
You can leave the bulk of your estate to your loved ones and give a small portion to your favorite charities. With the proper planning you will find that leaving a donation to charity will provide tax relief for your estate. Any size gift is awesome……it will make a difference!
My wife Sandra and I made the decision to leave a portion of our estate to Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation in our wills. It feels good to know that we will continue to support outstanding local healthcare.
Like most people, we felt we needed more information before making such a big decision. We went to the BPHF website and clicked on the Will Power link. Once directed to Will Power, it was as simple as giving them our email address and they sent us an easy-to-understand guide to giving.
You might be surprised to see what an impact just 1 or 2% of your estate left to charity can make.
Would you like your donation to be invested in an endowment that makes an impact over time, or would you like it to be used all at once to substantially advance a cause? Maybe you’d like your gift to commemorate someone you love, or encourage your children and grandchildren to become involved in supporting your community. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to shape your gift into a legacy that is personally meaningfully for you.
If you are considering leaving a gift in your Will and have any questions please contact the Foundation office at 519-534-5856 or call me 519-270-3637. I’d love to chat. Healthcare is near and dear to my heart. Together, let’s use our Will Power to keep it LOCAL!!
Excellent Rural Healthcare A Reality Here At Home
By Dr. Brian Taylor, BPH Foundation Director
Our two hospitals (in Lion’s Head and Wiarton) serve our permanent, seasonal and tourist populations 24 hours a day. Most minor illnesses can be diagnosed and treated on site by our very capable healthcare professionals. Major illnesses requiring more complex care can still be diagnosed and stabilized here, and then transferred to our regional hospital in Owen Sound or a tertiary care centre. Even in our small emergency departments and wards, our staff must have state of the art equipment to work with.
As a physician and a “local”, I find it exciting and reassuring to be a part of a leading regional healthcare network which prioritizes innovation, community partnerships, and excellence in care. For example, our region has seen a significant increase in opioid-related hospitalizations, and our Emergency Department visits have tripled in the past few years. GBHS has been bold enough to confront this enormous problem by opening a brand new 45 bed facility dedicated to supporting individuals with addictions and mental health needs in Grey Bruce. Based on a proven Western European model, we are one of the first centres in the country to develop this special treatment centre!
Concurrently, we are raising funds for a second MRI, which will benefit patients in a host of ways, but perhaps most importantly, it will offer shorter wait times for our patients.
As a donor myself, I feel gratified in knowing that my financial support, in concert with all of the support provided by our wonderful donors, is truly making excellent rural healthcare a reality here at home.
