The Ottawa Hospital and the Queensway Carleton Hospital today jointly announced two $1-million gifts from Roger Greenberg and the Minto Foundation, and Dan Greenberg.

The two cousins are volunteer leaders in separate fundraising initiatives for critical cancer care projects now underway at each hospital. Dan Greenberg, Chair of the Queensway Carleton Foundation’s Building on Our Strengths Campaign, pledged $1 million towards The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20-20 Campaign to expand The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre. In turn, the Minto Foundation, headed by Roger Greenberg, who is also Honorary Co-Chair of the 20-20 Campaign, pledged $1 million to the Queensway Carleton’s Campaign. The Minto pledge will help build the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre.

Staff and volunteers from both hospitals were on hand to celebrate the donations.

“We’ve reached an important milestone for cancer care in our community today,” said Dr. Jack Kitts, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital. “We are so grateful for Dan and Roger Greenberg’s donations. Their contribution is crucial to an expansion of cancer care in the region, which, once complete, will allow us to provide more timely and effective care for Eastern Ontario’s citizens.”

“My cousin and I have both witnessed first hand the devastating effects of cancer on our family and friends”, says Roger Greenberg. “I know that our contributions to these two critical institutions will go a long way toward improving cancer care for everyone in our community.”

“Today’s gift truly reflects not only the ongoing commitment of Dan and Roger Greenberg and their families to support and improve cancer services, but the partnership between our two hospitals,” added Tom Schonberg, President and CEO of Queensway Carleton Hospital. “The expansion of cancer services in our community will bring cancer treatment closer to home for those who need it and will allow our two hospitals to provide more services and improve access to the care and treatment. We are very grateful for their support and their leadership.”

”Announcing these gifts together is our opportunity to celebrate and encourage the teamwork of these two hospitals in addressing cancer care in our region. Our respective campaigns need the support of the entire community – it is our privilege to provide our gifts and our volunteer leadership to these great organizations”, says Dan Greenberg.

“Both Roger and I are committed to this community and we want to make a positive difference here in Ottawa to ensure the best care is available in the fight against cancer.”

The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre at the General Campus is undergoing the largest expansion in its history. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20-20 Campaign aims to raise $20 million in 20 months for the project, which will double the current size of the Centre. The expansion of The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre is critical. The Ottawa Hospital is the hub of cancer care in our region and this year alone, more than 21,000 patients will rely on its fully integrated outpatient centre for treatment. This represents more than 190,000 patient visits.

Today’s event also celebrated the topping off of the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre building at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. Guests and staff signed the final steel beam which was hoisted to the roof of the building. This tradition marks the start of a new phase of construction on the cancer centre which is scheduled to open November 2009.

The Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre is a new treatment centre which will provide radiation and systemic cancer treatment, specializing in breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. Located and linked with Queensway Carleton Hospital, the centre will be operated by as a satellite of the Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Program. The Centre will serve more than 3,000 patients in its first full year of operation, representing more than 50,000 patient visits annually.

Both facilities are part of a regional cancer program. The Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Program is an integrated cancer program that aims to improve cancer treatment by expanding outpatient services including radiation and systemic therapy at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre at the General Campus (TOHCC), and the Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH).

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 boasts specialty centres in cancer, heart, kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation services. 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 The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Web site at www.ohfoundation.ca.

Queensway Carleton Hospital is a patient and family-centred, urban community hospital providing a broad range of acute care services to the people of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley. Employing over 1,700 health care professionals, the 264-bed, Queensway Carleton Hospital is the secondary referral centre for the Ottawa Valley. Hospital staff focuses on maintaining and enhancing their cornerstone programs – Emergency, Childbirth, Geriatrics, Mental Health, Medical and Surgical Services and Rehabilitation. Grounded on an environment of lifelong learning, the Queensway Carleton Hospital is a teaching partner with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and other healthcare programs and is committed to delivering a new standard of care for our community. Visit the Queensway Carleton Hospital’s Web site at www.qch.on.ca

The Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation is a registered charity with the mission: To improve and save lives by working with our donors, our hospital and our community to encourage philanthropic gifts in support of patient care. The Foundation and its volunteers are responsible for raising and distributing philanthropic gifts in support of the programs and projects of Queensway Carleton Hospital. For more information on the QCH Foundation, visit www.qch.on.ca

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