During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital staff on Vancouver Island have been pushed to the breaking point.
“It has been an incredibly stressful time here in our hospitals and for local health care,” says Victoria Hospitals Foundation executive director Avery Brohman.
They’ve also received an outpouring of support from the community.
“It really is uplifting to realize that everything that we’re working so hard for is being acknowledged and recognized by the community,” says Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospital emergency physician Dr. Jill Kelly.
“Last year we welcomed so many new donors and 5200 people came to our aid,” added Brohman.
The rise in donors is why the Victoria Hospitals Foundation is launching its largest campaign ever.
Emerge Stronger aims to fund over 200 pieces of new equipment for the Royal Jubilee, Victoria General and Gorge Road Hospitals.
“The equipment that is older needs replacement, we’re going to start there first,” says Brohman.
“Then we’re going to go to local care…and then finally innovation, really new tools and technology that can advance care here locally.”
“A lot of the sort of upgrading and replacement of equipment will make us much more efficient,” says Dr. Kelly.
One of the main areas the foundation is eyeballing for improvement is a new chemistry line for blood testing at Royal Jubilee’s lab.
“The money from the foundation would help us immensely because the new instruments are state of the art, they’re much quicker,” says Royal Jubilee’s chief technologist Wilson Louie.
“The processing time is much faster and it allows us to get the results to the patients and physicians that much quicker and then treatment can happen right away.”
The donations are aimed at improving all facets of care.
“Whether it’s from our housekeeping staff to our food services, everyone has had changes and everyone is going to benefit from improvements,” says Dr. Kelly.
To learn more about the Emerge Stronger campaign or to donate, visit the Victoria Hospitals Foundation website.
The foundation hopes to raise $10,000,000.
Cole Sorenson
