Donations Fund Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
THUNDER BAY – HEALTHBEAT – $3,023,348.99. It’s a big number. Almost too big to conceive. And yet, it’s the amount of money that was invested in 2012 by the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation to enhance healthcare in Northwestern Ontario.
Of course, none of it would have been possible without the generous contributions of donors.
“We have incredible donors across Northwestern Ontario,” said David Knutson, Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “We meet so many people who want to give back because they have been impacted by the healthcare they or their family received at the Health Sciences Centre. It’s a real tribute to the doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals in our community that donors feel so passionately about making a gift.”
Donations Are Critical
Donations are critical in ensuring that funding is available to purchase life-saving equipment for healthcare across the Northwest. “Many people may not realize that the Health Sciences Foundation supports programs of the Health Sciences Centre that take place in sites other than Thunder Bay. For instance, we provide funding to update chemotherapy equipment in 13 satellite sites across the Northwest so patients have the option of closer-to-home care,” commented Knutson.
Other areas where significant contributions were made in 2012 include:
– $883,000.30 to support the angioplasty expansion project
– $689,822.70 to support purchases for general healthcare needs (i.e. paediatrics, renal services)
– $343,865.00 to enhance cardiac care
– $193,832.25 to provide exceptional cancer care
Not all funding is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, however. There are a multitude of areas within the Health Sciences Centre that benefit from donor support; many of which have smaller funding needs. In fact, donors can choose to direct their gift to any area of the Health Sciences Centre, from the ICU, to Palliative Care, to Trauma, or to the Stroke Program.
“We are committed to ensuring gifts to the Health Sciences Foundation are used for the purpose the donor has indicated. We take our donors wishes very seriously,” said Knutson.
Past donor support also ensures that the Foundation can continue to make significant investments. “We are able to use interest generated from endowment funds (i.e. long-term investments) to enhance our spend,” commented Glenn Craig, President & CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “Money that has been invested for a significant period of time allows us the opportunity to fund projects that require considerable capital.”
For a complete breakdown of money spent in 2012, please visit our website at www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/dollarsatwork
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