You’ll find the impact of the Hospital Foundation in every department and ward at Saint Joseph’s, but will you recognize it? Chances are that if you or one of your family members have been to Saint Joseph’s in the past 15 years, your medical care has been enhanced by a donation of medial equipment, or, a capital improvement the Foundation contributed to the Hospital.

Every year the requests for funding for equipment that Saint Joseph’s makes to VIHA is only partially funded. Many pieces of medical equipment that are critical to the quality of patient care are left off the approved purchase list. The role of the Foundation is to raise funds to assist Saint Joseph’s make the purchases critical to the provision of the best quality medical care.

Quite often the purchases the Foundation funds go under the radar of the patients and public. Even some of the medical staff utilizing the equipment may not be aware the Hospital Foundation funded it. This becomes a bit of a challenge for the Foundation as how do our donors know that their contributions provided the benefit they so deeply wished for when they made a donation. It is a lot easier to show the value of their donation when they can see it or touch what was purchased with it. A building or wing with a plaque denoting the role the Foundation and its donors contributed to, is something easy for all to make the connection from donation to final outcome. However, since most of our donations are towards medical equipment directly used for patient care, there are no plaques or other notices highlighting the Foundation’s role. The Greenlight Laser will greatly benefit our community as procedures are less intrusive and allow for a quicker recovery. Future patients may not know that the Foundation purchased the Laser, but you can be assured that your generous contribution is making a real positive difference in the care for your family and neighbours.

We hope that through the stories in these newsletters, we are better able to assure our friends that their donations are making a valued contribution in assisting Saint Joseph’s General Hospital provide the highest quality medical care to the residents of the Comox Valley.

You’ll find our Executive Director Lynn Dashkewytch in the Foundation office in the Hospital lobby. Lynn would be pleased to answer any of your questions and assist you in making a donation if you wish.

Sean Doran,
President