News Room
For immediate release - April 12, 2007
Ottawa Hospital Foundation Reaches $93-Million Mark of its Legacy
Campaign
(OTTAWA, ONTARIO) – The Ottawa Hospital
Foundation today announced that it has reached the $93-million mark
of its Legacy Campaign, leaving only $7 million to go in the next
year to reach its $100-million goal. The announcement was made during
the Foundation’s fifth annual President’s Report to
the Community at the Westin Ottawa.
These funds will help complete the General Campus’ Critical
Care Wing, with its 17 state-of-the-art operating rooms and new
Intensive Care Unit. It will also go toward expanding and modernizing
the Civic Campus Intensive Care Unit.
This morning’s event was an opportunity for leaders from
The Ottawa Hospital, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)
and the Foundation to report back to the community on the past year’s
achievements and future plans for health care. (Read
Dr. Kitts' speech)
Other highlights from 2006-07: the Civic
Campus Emergency Department expansion was completed; the Sprott
Centre for Stem Cell Research opened at the General Campus;
the innovative Cancer Assessment Clinic partially opened its doors
(the Clinic will be fully operational in the next few weeks); and
the Foundation launched its highly successful Guardian
Angel Program, which has allowed grateful patients or their
families to donate almost $150,000 in honour of a doctor, nurse
or other Ottawa Hospital staff who made a difference in their stay
at the Hospital.
“It’s been an incredible year, and those achievements
were only made possible because of our partners in the community,
our volunteers and, of course, our generous donors,” said
Susan Doyle, President and CEO of the Foundation. “Their efforts
and support are helping us achieve the very best health care.”
Today’s speakers included Dr. Jack Kitts, President and CEO
of The Ottawa Hospital, and Jackie Holzman, Chair of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Board of Directors.
Surgeon Dr. Robin Boushey spoke about how minimally invasive surgery
(MIS) has changed the outcomes for many of his patients with colon
and rectal cancer. Recovery times for this type of surgery are much
faster with minimal pain and scarring compared to traditional surgery.
Dr. Boushey told the audience how he turned down job offers from
other prestigious medical institutions to practice at The Ottawa
Hospital, a national leader in MIS.
The Foundation also handed out awards to some volunteers and donors
for their outstanding contributions. The Volunteer of the Year Award
went to Bruce Wolfgram, Vice-President of J.J. Barnicke, a national
commercial real estate firm. Mr. Wolfgram was recognized for his
tireless work with the Foundation’s highly successful President’s
Breakfast fundraiser, which has raised over $2.8 million since 2002.
Philanthropic Group of the Year was awarded to a group of volunteers
from the local construction and development industry, who raised
$7.5 million so far in support of the Legacy Campaign. This group
is chaired by Robert Merkley of Merkley Supply Ltd.
The Inspiration Award was given to Helen Zipes, Clinical Director
of the Rehabilitation Centre, for her energetic volunteer work in
support of a variety of fundraising activities at the Foundation.
The Ottawa Hospital is a multi-campus, academic
health sciences centre, serving 1.5 million residents of Ottawa
and Eastern Ontario, both in English and French. It provides care
for more patients than any other hospital in Canada, and is one
of the largest acute care hospitals in the country. It boasts specialty
centres in cancer, heart, kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation
services. Working together with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute,
the University of Ottawa, and other partners, TOH is gaining national
recognition for high-quality patient care, teaching and research.
It ranks as one of the most efficient teaching hospitals in the
country. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Web site
at www.ottawahospital.on.ca
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission
is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality health
care at The Ottawa Hospital and lifesaving research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information, visit
www.ohfoundation.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Robin Percival
Media & Public Relations Officer
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Tel.: 613-798-5555, ext. 18718
Cell: 613-614-8755
rpercival@ottawahospital.on.ca
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