Colleen Sawyer – Courtenay Royal Bank Branch Manager and Amy Dugas- Commercial Banking Courtenay Representing RBC Foundation, pictured with Lynn Dashkewytch – St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, Jane Murphy – President/CEO St. Joseph’s.
Because of the outpouring of generosity from the Community St. Joseph’s can make the changes needed to ensure our friends, families and loved ones battling cancer continue to have the best available care Here and Now at St. Joseph’s General Hospital.
Quote from Jane Murphy “We continue to be amazed and extremely grateful for the generosity shown by the community to our local hospital. “This Christmas season was truly an outpouring of support. !!! The donations were from $5.00 to $50,000 and came from so many individuals, businesses, organizations and service clubs”. These donations will provide the support needed for Cardiac care, other specified areas of care and now we have the funds needed for the Cancer Care expansion.
RBC Foundation was one of the organizations that supported this expansion. They made a very generous donation of $20,000 to support the purchase of new equipment for the unit.
RBC Foundation and RBC Royal Bank have donated over $595,000 since 1996. The donations over the years have provided funding for new medical equipment and project support throughout the Hospital. “ Cancer affects everyone, our families, friends and co-workers. Says Colleen Sawyer. “Expanding the cancer care unit will ensure that the exceptional level of care can continue at St. Joseph’s.”
Since 2007, after undertaking a much-needed upgrade and expansion to support cancer care, the hospital has continued to provide a suitable location equipped with all the modern technologies for patient care and treatment. But there are limitations in the number of patients that the Cancer Care Unit can comfortably and efficiently care for.
When the cancer care unit opened in 2007, St Joseph’s had over 1,400 cancer care patient visits. Today, approximately 4,700 cancer care patient visits will be supported annually.
Faced with the reality of a growing and aging population that will continue to give rise in the number of cancer related cases and the fact that acute care services, which includes the testing for cancer diagnosis and treatment, will move to the new Island Health Comox Valley Hospital by 2017, St. Joseph’s still remains steadfast in its commitment to the delivery of safe quality care to this community in the years leading up to the transition.
The modest expansion would involve securing a small area from the rehabilitation services department to allow more space to comfortably accommodate five treatment areas, a patient center area and the room for the additional equipment necessary to care for patients efficiently.
The Comox Valley is very fortunate to have a specialized cancer care team in our community. This renovation will provide the space needed to help ensure cancer patients can be treated in a comforting environment, free from overcrowding.
The budget for the cancer care renovation and equipment was $130,000. The renovation has started and is expected to be complete late spring.
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