PRHC Foundation Launches $60 Million Campaign Publicly For Enhancing Healthcare

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation has officially launched its $60 million campaign publicly to enhance healthcare which was announced at the facility on Tuesday morning.

(Left to right) Dr. Heather Cox, PRHC vascular surgeon; Dan Moloney, PRHC Foundation Board Chair; Jennie Ireland, PRHC Foundation campaign ambassador and grateful patient; Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President & CEO; Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC President & CEO and David Morton, PRHC Foundation campaign ambassador. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The money is to ‘reimagine healthcare delivery at the hospital, propelling innovation and elevate care for patients from across the region' according to Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President and CEO.

“Our hospital is at a crossroads,” she said. “Our hospital and the communities we serve are facing severe problems. We need creative, inspired, efficient solutions to tackle them. Without advancements in technology and increased capacity, we risk leaving our patients behind. Today, we choose to design our healthcare future.

The following are the PRHC’s campaign key objectives:

• Empowering World-Class Care: Bringing advanced medical care closer to home

• Fuelling Innovation: Introducing new lifesaving services and pioneering treatments

• Attracting Top Healthcare Professionals: Cultivating an environment that attracts the brightest minds in medicine

• Inspiring Solutions: Addressing critical hospital challenges head-on

“The hospital, they identify for us the hospital's priority needs that link to their annual planning but also link to their strategic plan and their bold vision for the future,” said Heighway.

“The Foundation and the hospital work really closely,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC President and CEO. “We're in conversation all the time about what are the needs of today, what are the needs of the future and what do we need to fundraise for in the immediate term and then what can we do in the middle of the road. It's that kind of collaborative planning with the needs of our community and our patients at the forefront that lead to the goal that has been set.”

The campaign started in 2020 and the funds were acquired through donor support. Already, the Campaign has totalled $45.5 million of its $60 million goal.

The money has already seen improvements in the hospital, such as upgraded Cath Lab suites, state-of-the-art CT scanners, a second MRI machine, the new Scotiabank Youth Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program, and ongoing renovations to enhance patient care facilities.

According to Heighway, the campaign will be heavily marketed to attract attention and garner donations to complete the final 25 per cent.

“Over the summer months, you'll start to see some additional awareness being raised and as we head into the fall, we'll have a large community kick off and we'll be hoping to inspire people through third-party events,” she explained. “We'll be appealing to the community in a variety of ways: digitally, by mail, TV, radio. Just a number of different ways that we hope people will engage with us.”

The following is a list of the investments of the $60 million:

• $11 million for cardiac care, unlocking new opportunities and ensuring the people, infrastructure, systems and programs are in place to allow world-class cardiac care across the spectrum

• $12 million for cancer care so our experts can treat more patients with more types of cancer, supporting earlier diagnosis, and ensuring safer, more effective treatments are available close to home

• $14 million in minimally invasive surgical and interventional radiology services to treat more urgent and chronic conditions – safely, quickly, so patients can go home sooner

• $4 million in support for mental health will help address the surge in demand for emergency mental health services in our region, while making hope & recovery possible through new, innovative therapies and modern, healing environments

• $2 million endowment fund to support the Physician Innovation Accelerator, fostering a culture of innovation and empowering PRHC to invest in physician-driven research and ingenuity that will result in game-changing advances in patient care

• $17 million will continue to fund PRHC’s top emerging priorities as they’re identified by the hospital, with many millions of dollars in lifesaving investments already made

The remaining money, once obtained, will be used to fund projects such as expanding PRHC’s cardiac labs to include the introduction of electrophysiology, improving the Emergency Department’s mental health and addictions Crisis Response Unit, establishing a hybrid operating room for vascular disease, and introducing digital pathology to expedite cancer diagnosis.

“Our community has stepped behind us,” said Heighway. “They've really rallied and has supported us across the spectrum of care, Our donors have helped us fuel innovation, bring new life-saving services to PRHC and really help the hospital attract the best physicians and staff for our hospital.”

“One of the reasons I am so honoured to be the CEO of this hospital is because this community is unbelievable in their support, in their generosity and their willingness to engage with us and looking to the future,” said Dr. Mikula. “There's no community I'd rather be working in as a hospital CEO and I'm so proud of Peterborough and the region.”

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