Because of You

Because of you...

university Hospitals Kingston foundation community Report – June 2012

Because of you

2 university Hospitals Kingston foundation / community Report – June 2012

I first became involved with fundraising in support of Kingston’s hospitals in

2001, after being approached to join the Board of the Kings-ton General Hospital Founda-tion. For me, this has been an incredible opportunity to learn more about the dedicated women and men who are com-mitted to providing you with outstanding care. I have also learned about the incredible needs that exist in our hospi-tals such as equipment, up-dated technology, day-to-day needs for patient care, research and education.

Over the course of the past 11 years, I have witnessed incredible change to our healthcare landscape. From the fundraising perspective, a key enabler to support future fundraising efforts at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston Gen-eral Hospital and Providence Care was the creation of the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation. By combining the fundraising efforts of our university hospitals by working together, we knew we could best support redevelopment of our healthcare system.

The most significant change, of course, is with the massive redevelopment at KGH which included doubling the size of the cancer centre, the transfor-mation of Hotel Dieu Hospital

into a leading ambulatory care site and approval to build a new hospital at King West for Providence Care. To begin the largest hospital construction project in history, the founda-tion had an incredible task; it needed to raise $70 million to support the local share of costs. Many said we could never raise that amount in our community.

But, together, we did. A significant amount of credit goes to Campaign Chair Ian Wilson’s tireless efforts and the wonderful volunteers and staff members supporting him.

As my two-year term as chair of UHKF comes to an end, I want to thank you for your tremendous support and remind you that many daunting tasks remain. Health care is evolving as technol-ogy and techniques improve. Our buildings are also aging. Equipment, education and research are not fully paid for by the government. It is up to all of us to ensure that we have the best health care available for our families, friends and loved ones when we need it.

It’s because of you our hospitals will continue to grow stronger in the future.

Thank you,

Richard KizellChair,

UHKF Board of Directors

Please join us in thanking

for their sponsorship of the community celebration June 20, 2012

your hospitals, your health, your future are stronger Because of you

Because of you...from the Chair, Board of Directors

Cover photo: One year ago, Spencer Hope’s life was on the line. Today, at 78 years of age, he knows just how lucky he is to live in a community with access to wonderful hospital services.

universi ty Hospitals Kingston foundat ion / community Report – June 2012 3

Because of you...

I’m proud to be a part of a community that has ac-complished so much in the

past several years. Everywhere I look, I see signs of progress and of an enhanced quality of life for all of us.

But nowhere is our prog-ress more evident than in our hospitals.

This year, we celebrated the opening of our newly expand-ed Cancer Centre of South-eastern Ontario, as well as our regional inpatient dialysis unit. We saw the new outpatient clinics at Hotel Dieu take shape and plans announced for the move of clinics from Kings-ton General Hospital to Hotel Dieu later this fall. We saw the new Providence Care Hospital move one step closer to “shovel in ground” and we expect that this long-awaited project will go to tender before the end of the calendar year.

These historic milestones were reached because of the generous support that you and others gave to our hospitals. In fact, your contribution of the “local share” for these projects helped to secure hundreds of millions of dollars of invest-ment in our hospital buildings and our regional economy by the Province.

But more importantly, your kind contributions have had a profound impact on pa-

tients from our community, such as Spencer, the Hassans, the Smiths and others, whose stories we share in this report. Chances are someone close to you has already benefitted from one of these new and improved care environments.

On behalf of all the patients who have been touched by your generosity, thank you. Because of you, our entire region has access to better care environments and better care experiences.

In the years ahead, there will be new opportunities for us to step up and invest again in our quality of life and health through our gifts. New build-ing projects, new and advanced patient care and diagnostic equipment, and an exciting new initiative to help expand our local capacity to participate in world-class medical research all lay ahead on the path.

But for the moment, I invite you to pause and reflect on the good that you have accom-plished through your gifts. Because of you… we all enjoy a better quality of life and health. And we thank you.

our entire region has access to better care

environments and better care experiences from the Executive Director

Denise Cumming Executive Director

University Hospitals Kingston Foundation

Proudly supporting

Because of you...


university Hospitals Kingston Foundation places a high value on

our relationship with you, our donors. Without your sup-port we would not be able to achieve our mission to support excellence in patient care, teaching and research at Kingston’s hospitals by raising funds through partnership and philanthropy.

We thank you for your com-mitment to us. We believe that transparency and accountabil-ity are essential to our success. With this in mind, we are members of Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code Program.

The Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code lays out a set of standards for charitable organizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly. By adhering to these standards, we are complying with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars. This is important because you, our supporters, are entitled to transparency and the great-est impact possible for your investment in us.

Turning your investments into improved health care

your gifts to programs, equipment, research and

education are already making a difference in

Kingston’s hospitals, improving the experience

for local patients and residents

How were those funds directed?

At Kingston General HospitalRedevelopment 28.9%Research 26.7%Equipment 20.7%Where needed most 17.6%Education 6.2%

At Providence CareRedevelopment 49.1%Research 0.1%Equipment 19.6%Where needed most 30.5%Education 0.7%

Providence care foundation $2.2 million

At Hotel Dieu HospitalRedevelopment 32.4%Research 0.1%Equipment 37.1%Where needed most 29.6%Education 0.8%

University Hospitals Kingston Foundation Spending 2011/12

Disbursed to hospital foundations 82.3%Salaries 11%Other 6.7%

Funds disbursed to member foundations in 2011/12

Jeanne Mance foundation (Hotel Dieu Hospital) $1.3 million

Kingston General Hospital foundation $8.4 million

Because of you...


Just like so many other people in our commu-nity (and in the pages of

this report), I give to our local hospitals because they were there when I needed them most. Today I have the pleasure – on behalf of the hard-work-ing men and women in our hospitals and their fundraising arm, the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation – to share my thanks with you, the donors who contribute to leading-edge care, equipment, research and education. It is through your generosity that we all benefit from high quality care, right here in Kingston.

My own story with the hos-pitals began on February 18, 2011 when I was playing hock-ey in the Old Timers’ league at the Invista Centre. I felt a terrific pain in my chest and I skated off the ice. I stumbled into the dressing room and collapsed.

I don’t remember much more about the day. I was told that an off duty paramedic was playing hockey on an adjacent rink and came over to provide first aid until the ambulance arrived. I was taken to Kings-ton General Hospital and had emergency surgery to repair a tear in my aorta, and then was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). I was heavily

sedated (it was like a drug-in-duced coma) and was in a very fragile state for six weeks. My surgeon, Dr. Dimitri Petsikas, prepared my sons for all po-tential outcomes. My progno-sis was rather grim.

Six hours after my first surgery, I needed another to address a complication. I spent nearly two months in the ICU, and then was transferred to Providence Care’s St. Mary’s of the Lake site for further recovery. After a month at St. Mary’s, I was discharged home. I was a member of the fantastic cardiac rehabilitation program at Hotel Dieu Hospital for four months and now work out at the Kingston Family YMCA.

The quality of care I received in Kingston’s hospitals was excellent. I couldn’t believe how seamless it was to move between hospitals during my recovery. Staff were highly pro-fessional, extremely competent and very compassionate at every step.

It’s because of the great health system we have here that I am alive today. The support I re-ceived from surgeons, cardiolo-gists, neurologists and nurses is beyond comprehension.

Because of support provided to the hospitals by other people in the past, I am here today. Because I am here today, I can continue to contribute. My

experience was not only life saving, but it was life giving. At 78, I wake up in the morning and I see the flowers and I hear the children.

Thank you.

Donors like you help our hospitals provide quality care

“We give thanks” – spencer Hope

Spencer Hope on the ice at age 77.

Because of you...


Larry Phipps has always been a man who knows what he wants and who

does the right thing. When someone asks why he has been such a strong supporter of Kingston’s hospitals, he gets right to the point: “I don’t have

a bucket list. I have enjoyed my life and I appreciate what the hospitals in Kingston have done for me and mine.”

A long time donor to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, Larry wants to en-sure a strong future of health care in our community. And he is doing something about it.

After spending many years in the Canadian military, working for the long-term health and well-being of our country, he chose to settle in Kingston.

He is committed to support-ing our hospitals because he and his family have received

outstanding care. He also knows that someone helped to buy the equipment that those talented caregivers used to provide him and members of his family with quality patient care. “I also know that equip-ment wears out, becomes obsolete or is invented and so now it is my turn, and perhaps

yours, to help.” “I know that this equipment

costs thousands of dollars and that it is unlikely that me or you on our own can step up to the plate and pay the whole cost, but if we all do our share, these things can be done.”

Larry started out as an an-nual donor to the Foundation, he made a generous pledge to the Together We Can campaign and has made outright major gifts to a named endowment to support cancer research in honour of his parents, Will and Ethel Phipps. Now, in planning for the future, he has made arrangements to add to that fund through his will.

“It’s important to me to leave a legacy that will make a difference; it’s the right thing to do,” he says. Larry represents many donors who contrib-ute to the hospitals through planned gifts. Their generosity will provide vital funding for patient programs, equipment purchases, redevelopment, research and educational ac-tivities for our hospitals in the years to come.

“Not only are you helping the hospitals and everyone who uses them but you get a really nice feeling and a tax de-duction for your donation,” he adds. “I hope you will join me in making our hospitals even better than they are now.”

Building your own legacy Make a difference in the lives that follow

Making a gift to Kingston’s university hospitals ensures a brighter future for years to come. One of the best ways to leave a legacy is to improve the health of your community. Health care programs, equip-ment, research and education in Kingston’s hospitals can all benefit from your legacy gift.

Here are some of the ways you can leave your legacy:

• Plan a bequest to the Uni-versity Hospitals Kingston Foundation in your will

• Create an endowment fund• Transfer ownership of life

insurance• Donate the proceeds of

RRSPs/RRIFs• Make a gift of securities

For more information on planned giving, contact Liz Dobbs Jones at 613.549.6666 ext. 4953 or email [email protected] .

Doing his share – and more

Larry Phipps of Kingston knows every dollar counts.. “Because I know there is a need.”

“I know there is a need”

– Larry Phipps


every dollar counts and ev-ery supporter of our hospi-tals makes a difference.

Among the most heart-warming stories we hear are those from our tribute program.

This is where people like eight-year-old Keegan Vallier (see his story on page 15) cel-ebrate a birthday, anniversary or other momentous occasion in a meaningful way by asking for donations instead of gifts.

Want to say thank you to a care giver?We know fruit baskets are always welcome, but the Foundation’s Honour Your Caregiver program is a lasting tribute. Help us honour those who cared for you or your loved one. Make a donation in honour of the physician, nurse, volunteer or other caregiver who made a differ-ence in your care. They will receive an acknowledgment letter informing them of your gift (the amount will not be disclosed) and a certificate that my be displayed in their office, waiting room or home.

How do I make my donation?You can donate in person

or via mail to our new loca-tion: 55 Rideau Street, Suite 4, Kingston, ON K7K 2Z8 (after

June 26th); online at www.uhkf.ca or over the phone at 613.549.5452.

Seeing is believingBob Thomas knows the difference donations make

Bob Thomas is no stranger to philanthropy – he is well versed in the needs of the charities that he supports financially. That is why he gives to our hospitals through the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation through a variety of measures, including dona-tions of securities.

He is also familiar with the business side of our hospitals, having served on various com-mittees in the 1990s. But it is his first-hand experience with the hospitals that plays the big-gest role in his philanthropy. “I donate in memory of my late wife,” Bob says. “My wife was diagnosed with cancer. She received wonderful care, compassionate care, but it was clear through that whole treat-ment period that the facilities needed a serious upgrade. And I’m very happy to see this has been achieved.”

His relationship with UHKF grew and flourished during the $70 million Together We Can campaign for redevelop-ment, which included almost doubling the size of the

Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston General Hospital.

“Certainly the chemo treat-ment room ten years ago was a very depressing place to go and I’ve now seen what’s been done, with the view over the

lake. It’s a bright cheery space and it just makes it that little bit easier for those undergoing treatment.”

Because of you...Giving to your hospitals is a great way to pay tribute

“We’re able to renew our hospitals”

– Bob Thomas

Bob Thomas is often on the go, living an active lifestyle. He also is an active supporter of Kingston’s hospitals.


Because of you...

The prestigious Davies Awards for Philanthropic Leadership are awarded

annually by University Hospitals Kingston Foundation on behalf of Kingston’s hospital founda-tions for outstanding philan-thropic leadership benefiting Kingston’s health sciences centre, and the provision of health care for the people of Kingston and Southeastern Ontario.

Presented by Kingston philanthropists Michael and Elaine Davies, the first award was offered through the Kingston General Hospital Foundation in honour of its 25th Anniversary in 2005. The inaugural recipient was the late Justice William J. Henderson.

Over the past several years, the awards have traditionally been presented to two recipi-ents: an Outstanding Individual and an Outstanding Organiza-tion. Last year, an exciting new category was added, Outstand-ing Community Group.

Nominations for the awards come from Kingston’s hospital community – staff, board and committee members, patients, volunteers and donors.

Award recipients are individ-uals or organizations who have demonstrated outstanding phil-anthropic leadership benefiting our hospitals, and ultimately, the care of our families, friends and neighbours.

Saluting past winners of the Davies Awards

2005 Bill Henderson2006 Sylvia Burkinshaw2006 RBC Financial Group2007 Doug Hogeboom2007 Homestead Land

Holdings and Brit & Sally Smith

2008 Religious Hospitalers of St. Joseph

2008 Sisters of Providence2008 Sally & Percy

Robinson and Samuel Robinson Foundation

2009 KGH Auxiliary2009 Volunteer Services

Hotel Dieu Hospital2009 Larry Gibson2010 Rose of Hope2010 Geraldine Tepper2011 Kids for Kids2011 BMO Financial

Group2011 Dan and Debbie

Corcoran

Davies Awards salute outstanding donors, groups and organizations

L-R Michael and Elaine Davies and KGH President & CEO Leslee Thompson present the 2011 Davies Award for Outstanding Individual to Debbie and Dan Corcoran.

L-R Michael and Elaine Davies and KGH President & CEO Leslee Thompson present the 2011 Davies Award for Outstanding Charitable Organization to Garry McColman on behalf of Kids for Kids.

L-R Michael and Elaine Davies and KGH President & CEO Leslee Thompson present the 2011 Davies Award for Outstanding Corporation to Bob Myers on behalf of BMO Financial Group.

“Because of your outstanding

philanthropic leadership”

Outstanding Individual

Outstanding Charitable Organization

Outstanding Community Group

Because of you...


The first annual Ian Wil-son Award for Volun-teerism in Fundraising

was presented to Mac Voisin, Chandra Davies and Tanya McDonald in June 2011.

The award is granted annu-ally by University Hospitals Kingston Foundation on behalf of all three of Kings-ton’s hospital foundations, to individuals who have demon-strated outstanding volunteer efforts in the solicitation of donations benefitting our hospitals through an event, or-ganized campaign or informal activity.

The award honors those who, like our much-loved Together We Can campaign chair Ian Wilson, set them-selves apart by their incredible commitment, their undying enthusiasm, and the sheer number of hours they devote to their volunteer roles on behalf of UHKF and the hospitals.

Any volunteer, hospital staff member, hospital board or committee member, or third party event organizer may be nominated. Nominations are accepted from anyone within the hospital community.

Winners are selected based on their demonstrated align-ment with the following quali-ties, as characterized by Ian Wilson throughout his volun-teer tenure with the hospitals:

• Unwavering positive attitude• Exemplary financial support

within personal means• Clear commitment to sup-

porting the hospitals in our community

• Obvious enthusiasm for hospital fundraising

• Tangible positive results of volunteer efforts

• Good humored determina-tion

• Ability to convey empathy and compassion for patients and their families

• Above and beyond attitude and commitment

Saluting past winners of the Ian Wilson Award

2011 Mac Voisin2011 Chandra Davies &

Tanya McDonald

Mac Voisin accepts the first-ever Ian Wilson Award for Volunteerism in Fundraising via video.

Tanya McDonald accepts her Ian Wilson Award for Volunteerism from Hotel Dieu Hospital President & CEO Dr. David Pichora.

“Because of your selflessness in helping others” Ian Wilson Award recognizes incredible voluntarism

Because of you...


Region’s biggest ever hospital project ends early and on budget What’s new at KGH?• new pediatric inpatient unit• new kidney dialysis unit• new medical/oncology inpa-

tient unit• new inpatient mental health

unit• expanded intensive care unit• expanded central processing

unit• doubled size of cancer centre

Thousands of people from across the region and beyond who gave to the Together We Can campaign were front and centre in the minds of many on April 10th at the official opening of the new Can-cer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston Gen-eral Hospital (KGH) and the celebration of the completion of the phase 1 redevelopment project at KGH.

Chris Cunningham, Chair of the Board of Directors at KGH, thanked donors to the University Hospitals Kings-ton Foundation campaign — which has also raised the community share of funding for the outpatient clinics at

Hotel Dieu Hospital and to support the building of a new Providence Care Hospital.

“More than $70 million was raised from people who care deeply about our hospitals and their health care,” Cunning-ham said. “These people have chosen to give of themselves so others can benefit in genera-tions to come.”

It’s that generosity and goodwill that also caught the attention of Deb Matthews, Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care who was on hand for the celebration.

“What I didn’t know was how much love there is in this place. No matter where I’ve gone, I have been blown away by the commitment and the attention to care — by the love that permeates this organiza-tion,” she said.

The cancer centre is the regional hub for complex, acute and specialty cancer care in the southeast region. Every day, 350 people receive treat-ment there. It is also the sole provider of radiation therapy, stem cell transplants, genetic screening for cancer risk and complex cancer surgery for the region.

The KGH redevelopment project finished on budget and four months earlier than planned.

others will benefit in generations to come Better space for care at Kingston General Hospital

Official celebration of end of redevelopment in the new Burr wing lobby.

Because of you...


Half-way there for Hotel Dieu construction With the construction phase of its $20 million redevelopment project about 54 per cent com-plete, Hotel Dieu Hospital will soon be positioned to support an additional 50,000 new clinic visits annually.

Designed to accommodate the transfer of most special-ized outpatient clinics from Kingston General Hospital to Hotel Dieu, this major project calls for the building of two floors of bright new generic clinic suites, pulmonary func-tion testing lab, a cystoscopy suite, an elevator tower and a revitalized lobby.

In total, 36,000 square feet of the hospital will be rede-veloped, helping to establish Hotel Dieu as the premier,

one-stop ambulatory care cen-tre in the region. The opening of new clinic space and the transfer of clinic visits from KGH are slated for the fall of 2012.

Plans underway for the new Providence Care HospitalProvidence Care has embarked on an exciting redevelopment project that will see a new hos-pital built in Kingston, to serve residents across southeastern Ontario. Providence Care Hos-pital will provide a 270-bed state-of-the-art care environ-ment for patients and clients, and a modern, improved work environment for physicians, staff and volunteers.

The redevelopment plan will bring together Providence Care’s rehabilitation, complex continuing care, specialized geriatrics, palliative care and mental health programs that are currently located at St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital and Mental Health Services (MHS) buildings.

Highlights of the new hospital include:• Single inpatient rooms, in

line with today’s infection control standards;

• Therapy and treatment spaces

on inpatient units, allowing patients to receive care close to their rooms;

• Clinics on-site within the hospital, providing services accessible to inpatients and outpatients, and easing the transition from hospital to home;

• Patient/client environments that link with the outdoors and the use of natural light-

ing throughout the facility;• A focus on a healthy environ-

ment within the hospital and on the facility grounds, with a goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmen-tal Design (LEED®) Silver certification in the design and construction of the new hospital; and

• Improved learning and re-search.

Ambulatory care centre shaping up and plans progress for new specialty hospital

Context for photosThese images are taken from the May 2012 Update Master Plan completed by HOK Architects, the firm working with Providence Care to develop the specifications for the new hospital. The concept shows a possible layout for the Providence Care Hospital, where patient rooms have maximum views to the waterfront, direct access to the outdoors, and room for expansion on the site. At this stage in the planning process, this drawing is not finalized and will be refined over the coming months.

One of the new clinic reception areas at Hotel Dieu Hospital.

Because of you...


since its incorporation in 2005, UHKF has been delivering on its mission

to enable our community to support excellence in patient care, teaching and research at the university hospitals of Kingston through raising funds and awareness.

Because of your generosity and that of more than 40,000 people, organizations and businesses like you, we have raised almost $80 million in cash and pledges to support capital redevelopment, patient care, research and education at our hospitals.

Our fundraising supports priorities that are defined for us by the three hospitals. Though our solicitation of gifts is not focused on specific priorities, UHKF accepts restricted gifts to all areas of patient care, research and education within any of the three hospitals and ensures that the restrictions attached to gifts are complied with in the use of the funds. Our revenue and expenses are shared among these General Members using a formula that they determine through consul-tation and negotiation.

What does that mean for Patient Care? Here are just a few examples provided by the people who are sharing their stories in this report.

Through donations to the

cancer centre, staff was able to purchase technology that “allows us to deliver higher doses of radiation over a much shorter period of time. So when you think about a region like ours, servicing almost 500,000 people that can be coming from as far away as Bancroft, we are now able to treat patients – fewer treat-ments, shorter duration.” – Cory Gosnell

Advances in technology are also increasing efficiency and helping staff deal with increasing demands for service. Most im-portantly, they get needed results into the hands of patients soon-er. This is particularly evident in the diagnostic laboratories. An example is the $300,000+ capillary sequencer – “but it is money well spent. It allows us to do 350 tests in a day, where, in the past with our manual methods, we would do about 8 or 10 tests in a week. The change is remarkable. It’s not always the big ticket items. Even these small electronic pipeters have made a huge difference in our workflow here. We can work quicker, we can work longer and again, the bottom line is getting results to our patients faster.” – Colleen Clarke

Donations are also used to purchase specialty items such as isolettes that provide preterm babies in the neona-

tal intensive care unit with a womb-like atmosphere. “It’s a lot less stress and strain on the baby. And stress in preterm infants is never a good thing. “It’s not just the beds, it’s the

phototherapy lights that we have to use, it’s the IVs, it’s our bedside monitors, it’s our satu-ration monitors, you know, everything that we use is some-thing that is just necessary and

Raising funds and awareness for care, equipment, teaching and research

“We are fulfilling our mission”

“Donations are needed for the purchase of new equipment such as high-tech items used in the neonatal intensive care unit.”


it’s great for the babies.” – Sue Merkley, RN

Food models used by di-etitians at the eating disorder clinics at Hotel Dieu Hospital, blanket warmers used on units across our hospitals to give patients comfort and warmth, toys for playrooms and much, much more all help fill a need in providing quality patient care.

ResearchAs a university centre, re-search is an important activity not only for advancing new techniques and technologies, but also to ensure we are able to attract the best and brightest clinicians to Kingston.

“Research is where the an-swers are going to come from. That’s where the treatments of the future are going to derive - from researchers such as myself and many others here at Kingston General Hospital. It’s an investment in the future for new understanding of disease, new treatments and ultimately, for better patient care.” – Dr. Anne Ellis

A new initiative in support of research was launched by UHKF this year, called the Women’s Giving Circle. It is a group of community women of diverse backgrounds and

interests who know that we are able to do more together than as individuals, and desire to have a real and sustainable impact on health care at our hospitals. The members believe that there is incredible potential being nurtured in our medi-cal research community and understand that without base funding, many important re-

search projects are challenged to move past the concept and design phase to implementation and impact.

EducationAs this region’s teaching and research hospitals, staff education is very important in ensuring our staff has up-to-date expertise and skills that help people across Southeast-ern Ontario. Funds to support education of staff take many forms, such as bursaries and awards to support continuing education or outright clini-cal education. They also fund conferences and other outside events where staff can learn everything from the latest

medication to care trends.“Without those dollars, our

educator wouldn’t be able to run a course that has allowed not just our nurses, but anyone wanting to know how to work with and empathize with palliative care patients – it’s completely funded because of donation dollars.” – Marie-Jo Cleghorn, RN

Medical lab tech Kate Drummond shows off some of technology that is helping automate diagnostic testing.

Because of you...


Ten years ago, a diagnosis of eye disease such as glaucoma meant you

would lose your sight. Hap-pily, that is no longer the case as today’s patients are able to benefit from great strides made with the way we discover and treat eye disease.

New technology such as Optical Coherence Tomogra-phy (OCT) is key in assisting specialists in diagnosing eye disease at an early stage so that it can be treated.

That is where Lions Clubs from District A3 have made a huge difference in the lives of patients from across the re-gion. Thirty-six of the 48 Lions clubs in the district (which covers an area from Courtice in the west to Kingston in the east, north to Bancroft and Denbigh and south to Cherry Valley) contributed more than $194,000 for Kingston’s three hospitals through the Together We Can campaign.

This included a generous $75,000 grant from the Lions Club International Foundation for an OCT unit at Hotel Dieu. “We are proud to support the redevelopment of Kingston hospitals, and that so many of our clubs in District A3 pulled together to raise these funds. It is empowering to see how our donations are resulting in better care today for residents

from across southeastern Ontario,” said Lion Mary Ann Smith, 1st Vice District Governor.

“Our volumes have risen dramatically in the past five years as increasing numbers of patients are diagnosed with eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts,” said Dr. Martin ten Hove, interim head of the

ophthalmology department at Hotel Dieu. “Thanks to the generosity of the Lions Clubs and purchases such as the new OCT unit, we are better posi-tioned to diagnose and treat those patients more efficiently and effectively.”

Donation nets state-of-the-art diagnostics

“We can better preserve the sight of our patients”

– Dr. Martin ten Hove

Dr. Martin ten Hove and Mary Ann Smith with the OCT unit.

Because of you...


J ust like other boys his age, Keegan Vallier loves sports, video games and

hanging out with his friends. He is also very interested in the story about Canadian humani-tarian Terry Fox. Although Fox died 23 years before Vallier was born, the Newburgh area boy wants to carry on Fox’s legacy of raising funds to fight cancer.

In 1980, with one leg hav-ing been amputated, Terry Fox embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometers and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run first held in 1981, involves millions of par-ticipants in over 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.

So when it came to planning his eighth birthday party for the 8th of December, Keegan decided to do something a little different.

“I decided to collect dona-tions instead of gifts because my birthday is so close to Christmas. I really like Terry Fox a lot and all he did, so I’m giving the money to help fight cancer,” he says.

During the Christmas holi-day break, birthday boy Keegan and his family delivered a gift of $512.22 that is helping fund patient care equipment at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston Gen-eral Hospital. Keegan and his younger brother Aidan paid a visit to the cancer centre recently to see what his money could buy.

“I think it’s hugely inspi-rational when you think of somebody of that age who has chosen to instead of getting the toys and presents for their birthday, make a contribution to the lives of cancer patients,” says Cory Gosnell of the cancer centre. “It demonstrates that younger and younger people are realizing the impact that cancer can have on anybody.”

The advancements we’re able to make in technology, and in treatments, which is largely supported through donations we receive, has a tremendous impact on patient experience, patient satisfaction and the outcomes they experience.

Eight-year-old Keegan Vallier can really throw a party

“We have a profound impact on the quality of care”

– cory Gosnell

Keegan, 8, and Aidan Vallier, 6, get a tour of the cancer centre from Cory Gosnell.

Because of you...


Allergic to cold, cardiac patient couldn’t be cooled for major surgery

He had been taking medi-cation for his heart for some time, but early last year, Mur-ray Smith felt himself growing weaker – he was taking more and more nitroglycerin and found himself short of breath more often.

At the end of May 2011, the Prince Edward County man paid a visit to his cardiologist in Belleville for his annual stress test, which resulted in him being sent for an angio-gram.

“I remember lying there looking up at the doctor and he was looking down at me, and said I needed major sur-gery. I had a 95 per cent block-age of the 3 major arteries and a tear in the aorta.”

The next week, he was being scheduled for triple bypass surgery at Kingston General Hospital.

Curious about the proce-dure, Murray and his wife Marnie, a retired nurse who worked in the hospital in Pic-ton, began reading up about the procedure in her 1963 medical books.

Much to their dismay, they discovered that heart patients are cooled for the procedure. “A little red light went on,” Murray says.

He has a severe allergy to being cold – not a healthy dislike for feeling chilly, but a full-blown anaphylaxis reac-tion. That added a significant dimension of difficulty to this already complicated procedure for cardiac surgeon Dr. Darrin Payne and his surgical team. They brought in allergy spe-cialist Dr. Anne Ellis and the

debate began.“They wanted to take me

to 24 degrees (Celsius) for the operation, and Dr. Ellis said if you do that, you’d probably kill him,” but without the opera-tion, Murray knew he would not survive.

He learned that the opera-tion had never been successful on a patient over 32 degrees.

So they made a difficult compromise and Murray was cooled to 28 degrees for the operation that began on June 21st.

“I was under for 25 hours,” the retired military man says, as he had a triple bypass and a few inches of his aorta were removed.

“There’s not a lot of research

“I received marvellous care during my

life-saving heart surgery”

– Murray smith

Amazing team approach to care saves Murray’s life

Marnie Smith, Dr. Anne Ellis and Murray Smith meet again one year after Murray’s ordeal.


in terms of patients who have his condition who have to undergo cardiac surgery, so as far as I know his is the first case report of somebody who is having to undergo a hyper-thermic circulatory arrest in our operating room with cold-induced urticaria,” Dr. Payne recalls. “We managed, with Dr. Ellis as well as our cardiac anesthesia team, to optimize as best we could. And fortunately, the outcome was great.”

Dr. Ellis adds,“at the end of the day, we came up with a plan that we felt would be safe and would be effective. And he’s been able to have the surgery that he so desperately needed. As you can see, it’s made a huge difference to his quality of life. So that makes all the time that you spend, re-searching how exactly we keep this patient safe through such a challenging procedure. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

Murray agrees. “It was so successful, I was

out of the hospital in six days.”One year after his mi-

raculous operation - this 71-year-old took a break from chopping wood to tell us he feels like he is 60 again. He is also taking advantage of the opportunity of giving back to Kingston’s university hospitals, to ensure other patients have the right care available when

they need it.For that, our clinicians and

researchers are grateful. Dr. Ellis says, “thank you to donors such as Murray, because it’s because of you that we can carry on and we can continue to do our work that is so im-portant, that needs to be done to develop new treatments, new understandings and better patient care”.

Dr. Darrin Payne performed the out-of-the-ordinary surgery.

Because of you...


after a rewarding career as Director of Spiri- tual Care, Mission and

Ethics for Providence Care, Mary Pat Byrne is continu-ing her support for the caring organization into retirement both financially and through voluntarism.

During the eight years she was at Providence Care, she was afforded the opportunity to work at all three sites of Providence Care – St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital, Mental Health Services and Provi-dence Manor, where she got to know staff members, patients, clients and residents. There’s a special place in her heart for the organization, where people with longer-term illnesses and needs receive a special kind of care.

While she was able to wit-ness the high quality care that happened every day, Mary Pat also saw where needs existed for things that were outside of the traditional hospital and health care budgets. As an employee, Mary Pat contrib-uted to the employee giving campaign, and when she retired in June 2010, she con-tinued to support the needs of Providence Care through the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.

“Providence Manor looks after our seniors and provides

them with a quality of life where they really feel at home and people treat them as if they are one of the family,” she says. “I feel this is a valued place to give my donation. It is about enriching the quality of life for residents.

“My friends and I realize we are the baby boomer genera-tion and we will have long-term health care needs in the future. I think there are things we would like to see when we need long term care.”

Donations make it pos-sible for things to happen that wouldn’t otherwise happen. “We know that the healthcare budget will provide for the necessities, but when you live in a bedroom, there are other things that nurture your spirit and can bring a sense of happi-ness and joy,” she says. People look for opportunities such as entertainment, events, bus trips or “just things that hap-pen to help them feel part of the human race.”

Colleen Stoneman, coordi-nator of resident activities at Providence Manor agrees, not-ing that donations are also key in enhancing the health and safety of residents and staff as well through equipment pur-chases such as patient lifts and high-low adjustable beds.

Because of donors like Mary Pat, Providence Manor

is able to provide social and recreational opportunities that enhance the quality of life for residents.

As a former employee, Mary Pat knows where true needs exist

Coordinator of Resident Activities Colleen Stoneman and Mary Pat Byrne enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Haughian Garden – a beautiful area located on the grounds at Providence Manor supported through donations.

“We are able to improve quality of life

for residents at Providence Manor”

– colleen stoneman

Because of you...


It’s not often you hear a young vibrant 23-year-old like Lindsay Gemmell

frankly state she would not be alive if it wasn’t for the amaz-ing support she received from a clinic at Hotel Dieu Hospital.

Today, the young woman from Smiths Falls proudly proclaims she is “10 months healthy,” and she is forever grateful to the wonderful car-ing staff at the eating disorder clinic. “No matter where I go in life, I am always going to remember the first step I took and that was meeting with [Hotel Dieu dietitian] San-dra [Leduc]. That’s when my recovery began.”

From the time she was in tenth grade, through and even after her college years, Lind-say struggled with anorexia nervosa. During that time, she experienced many losses as the disorder took control of her life, squeezing out her family, friends, and hope for a normal life. At times, she was too sick to go to school and even lost her drivers’ licence.

Even after seeking help from the clinic, Lindsay admits it took time for her to begin to heal. But with Sandra’s persistent, gentle support and guidance, Lindsay says she was able to open up for the first time in her life. “Having the safe environment and encour-

agement was phenomenal and gave me the ability to do that,” she says.

Sandra gives credit to Lind-say and those like her who are working hard to overcome a disorder that starves people of their life. “We try to help them along the way, but it’s re-ally in their court to make the changes. We are there to guide them along.”

For Lindsay, the experience was life saving. “I’m just one person and I know I speak for many. I didn’t ever imagine I’d ever be where I am in my life today. I’m thankful for these resources,” she says, high-lighting the wonderful things she has gained. “I gained 70 pounds in my recovery to get me to the healthy weight I am at now, I have also gained my life back. I’ve gained friends. I’ve gained my family. I’ve gained stability, balance, health and ability to do whatever I want. No number on a scale will ever take that away from me again.”

Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Lindsay is committed to giving back to Hotel Dieu, as well as to the Homewood Centre in Guelph where she received inpatient care. “Since I’ve been well, I’ve created Project BreEAThe,” she explains, a campaign to pro-mote eating disorder awareness

and prevention. She also leads support groups – one at her old high school – and another online that has more than 200 members. Lindsay conducts workshops in area schools and works with care providers in health clinics. She is also com-mitted to fundraising, through the sale of Project BrEAThe t-shirts. Money raised supports the Hotel Dieu and Home-wood programs.

“I love that I am able to do this. I am able to give back to the two hospitals that helped me save my life. I also feel strongly about letting the

world know how much of an impact these wonderful people are having on people’s lives.”

For more information on Project BreEAThe, visit http://projectbreathe.webs.com/

Lindsay is now living and loving life

“I have another chance at life”

– Lindsay Gemmell

Lindsay Gemmell and dietitian Sandra Leduc serve up some healthy eating choices with food models, some of the many items purchased through donated funds for the eating disorder clinic at Hotel Dieu.

Because of you...


New hospital will benefit end-of-life patients in the future

Stephen James Weaver was an inquisitive, accomplished, talented and caring man who had an incredible love for his young family and a remarkable passion for life.

He lived a healthy lifestyle, had never smoked, rarely drank alcohol and was always physi-cally active.

After experiencing some in-digestion for a few weeks in the spring of 2011, he was shocked to discover he had advanced gastric cancer. Over the course of the next seven months he battled the disease with courage and hope.

From his diagnosis in May until September, Stephen remained at his home in Kingston with the support of the Community Care Access Centre while undergoing treat-ment at the cancer centre at Kingston General Hospital.

But when his care team determined that rigorous treatment was not successful, Stephen decided palliative care at Providence Care was his best choice, says his sister, Martha Weaver. He wanted to make his last months of life as trauma-free as possible for his eight-year-old daughter, 16 year-old stepson and his loving wife Maria Luisa.

It was there, at the St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital, where this gentleman with a master’s degree in divinity and another in business administration, made it clear that he wanted as much control over his disease as possible.

Although he was in great discomfort, he did not wish to be medicated and was clear that he wanted to live his final days in a lucid state.

The palliative care team respected his wishes, his sister says. They also made it clear that he was always welcome to change his mind.

“I think the care that he got at Providence Care was extremely good. Dr. Frank and the nurses who attended him were very understanding of

his wishes – of him wanting to manage his own care,” Martha says. “The balance between his obtaining relief and main-taining cognition was ever present.”

Days before his death, Stephen said “I love life and life loves me.” Born in Tren-ton, Stephen had travelled and worked in many parts of the world – including as a high school teacher in Bama, Nigeria after working for the Red Cross in Angola. Once he finished studying divin-ity, he practiced as a minister in Alberta, but felt there was something missing in his life – a family of his own.

Fifteen years ago, he moved to Kingston where he enjoyed athletics, music, art and litera-

ture while becoming increas-ingly involved with his real estate business in Trenton. He met his wife Maria Luisa while studying Spanish in Cuba.

“In many ways, the last 10 years had been the most full and happiest of his life,” Martha says. “Stephen sought meaning and purpose in life. He had many diverse interests and pursued them all with de-termination and fascination.”

In his honour, Stephen Weaver’s family made a gift for the purchase of special pressure-relief mattresses for the palliative care program. Martha is pleased the mattress-es can be transferred to the new Providence Care Hospital when it is built.

“I’m glad you are building a new facility,” she adds, noting the old and grey rooms at St. Mary’s are bleak. “It was not the atmosphere I would have wanted for Stephen, but it was the best they could provide. Stephen didn’t complain about it and the care was very good. “Given how sick he was, and the length of time he spent at St. Mary’s, I think that a brighter room with some kind of view would have lifted his spirits a little. He was unable to leave his bed for the last six weeks of his life. While deeply involved in his spiri-tual journey, I do think that a

Compassionate care at a most difficult time

“The care was extremely good”

– family of stephen Weaver

Stephen & Luisa Weaver and their children


glimpse of the world outside might have afforded him some respite.”

How we provide the best end-of-life care

For palliative care nurse Marie-Jo Cleghorn, there is one central tenet to providing people with great care: “It is all about dignity,” she says. “It’s all about being able to treat every single one of these patients as if they are my Mom, my Dad, my brother, my sister.”

When new patients join the palliative care program at Providence Care’s St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital, they become part of the family at St. Mary’s.

Staff members encourage patients to surround them-selves with momentos from home. “Because people who are admitted here, they don’t look like what they probably looked like most of their lives. We get a snapshot. We want to treat them as somebody who has lived a life. I want to hear their stories,” Marie-Jo says.

“What I want, and I know I share it with pretty much every single nurse who works here, is to make the room as close to another space in their house.

Yes, we have to have specialty beds and thank goodness that we have those specialty beds, but we want it to feel like a home space as opposed to a sterile hospital space.”

It is through donations that many items – such as pull-out cots for loved ones, micro-waves to heat home-cooked meals and blanket warm-ers – that Marie-Jo and her

colleagues are able to provide comforting care not only to patients, but to their loved ones as well.

“Because of you, people are allowed to die with the com-passion and the dignity that they deserve,” she says.

Dr. Ivan Stewart and Nurse Marie-Jo Cleghorn are part of the palliative care team at St. Mary’s of the Lake.

Because of you...


To say that Jimmy Hassan is grateful would be an understatement. “I’m

from a third world country,” he says, “people don’t know how happy and appreciative we are. If my son was born in my country, we would have lost our child.”

On August 15, 2008, after a full and healthy pregnancy, Jimmy’s wife gave birth to their third child, Absar. Everything appeared normal with their young son for the first few weeks, but by the time he was 20 days old, Absar could not keep any food down. He began losing weight rapidly and his worried parents took him to the family doctor.

A language barrier added to their frustration as the family tried to get help – their infant would take in milk, but the moment the bottle was removed from his mouth, he would shoot it out like a fountain.

Finally they were referred to Hotel Dieu Hospital for some tests, results of which saw Absar rushed to Kingston General Hospital for surgery almost immediately to remove a blockage in his esophagus.

“It was very difficult for us to go through that process,” Jimmy recalls, as he is a small business owner (running the Pizza Pizza franchise at the

Bath and Portsmouth Road location) and his wife didn’t speak English or drive a vehicle at the time. In order to support his young family of five, Jimmy spends a lot of time at his business.

Volunteers from the Child Life program also played a key role in Absar’s recovery, pro-viding the family with much comfort and support.

Absar turns four years old this summer and will begin junior kindergarten in Sep-tember. He’s a very happy, very intelligent and active boy.

Jimmy is doing everything he can to give back to the hos-pitals, personally and through Pizza Pizza, and he also has a strong message for the area’s immigrant community: “Get out and participate. We are living in this community and we can save more lives. It is a blessing being here. Get in-volved physically, emotionally or financially.”

Father urges immigrant community to get involved and support health care

“our son is alive”

– Jimmy Hassan

Jimmy Hassan and his wife Tanveer Tahira with their children David, Aroz and Absar.

Because of you...


f rom bocce ball tourna-ments to fashion shows and silent auctions, the

University Hospitals Kingston Foundation benefits from the efforts of thousands of people who take part in events orga-nized by generous individuals or groups to benefit Kingston’s university hospitals every year.

These events and activities are a great way to involve the community and raise aware-ness of our hospitals, while also raising the funds required to support their important work.

Each dollar raised has a positive impact on Kings-ton’s hospitals in support of the purchase of important medical equipment, education, research and clinical studies that enhance patient care and improve quality of life for our patients, residents and clients.

In addition to these com-munity organized and led ac-tivities, UHKF also hosts three signature events – one for each hospital organization. More than 120 volunteers spend about 4,800 hours in preparing these events – the Hotel Dieu Invitational Golf Tournament, Kingston General Hospital Black Tie Gala and Providence Care Founders’ Dinner.

UHKF is also proud of the achievements of Generation-Next, a growing community of

young philanthropists and vol-unteer leaders who champion the care provided at Kingston’s university hospitals. The mis-sion of GenerationNext is to develop interest, participation, leadership and financial sup-port for the hospitals and their programs.

GenerationNext brings leaders from the business,

government, academia, health care and other sectors together at social, educational and fundraising events throughout the year.

Because of you, we are making a difference in local healthcare today and for future generations.

“We are making a difference” Volunteers are among our strongest advocates

Some of the organizers of the Fiesta Mexicana-themed Founders’ Dinner take a break from setting up the 2012 event.

Because of you...

Contact information

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Kingston, ON K7K 2Z8

Phone: 613.549.5452

Toll free: 1.866.549.5452

www.uhkf.ca

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