Your Health Matters Spring 2023: Celebration of Giving

Your Health Matters

CELEBRATION OF GIVING

A special issue celebrating our donors

THIS MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM

Jimmy Pattison (R) radios EllisDon construction crew to raise a signed beam to be placed in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, now under construction. See full story on pg 8.

TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE

Recently, we had the opportunity to tour the new acute care tower, which is currently under construction. With nearly a thousand workers endeavouring to build what will be the home to the future of healthcare in BC, it was an overwhelming experience to see the bones of this state-of-the-art facility come together. Standing on the second floor, you were able to view the football-field sized open space from end-to-end and imagine the incredible work that will occur on what is set to become the interventional super-floor.

In December 2022, not long after this tour, Royal Columbian was visited by Jimmy Pattison, who announced his $30-million gift which will go towards the completion of this phase of the redevelopment. This represents the largest gift of its kind ever made in healthcare in our region. This donation will allow us to extend our ability to purchase innovative technology to ensure the

interventional super-floor has cutting-edge equipment for the very best patient care in BC. In honour of this incredible contribution, the new tower will be named the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower. Over the coming months, the Tower will increasingly take shape as the massive floors move from shells to a vital healthcare epicentre, scheduled to open in 2025.

The generous support of Jimmy Pattison may have capped off the year, but 2022 also saw countless donors, with a deep passion for supporting the work of the caregivers at Royal Columbian, come forward from the community. Your support, and the support of thousands of other donors, are celebrated in this issue of Your Health Matters. Given the significance and the deep impact made by all our donors, our words feel too small to fully express our gratitude, but we thank you on behalf of the millions of lives touched through your support. ■

Cameron Belsher Chair, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

Je Norris President & CEO, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

Hema Bhatt, Dr.Sukh Brar, John Clinton, Diana Miles, Lynn Radbourne, Farid Rohani, Han Shu, Dr.William Siu, Emily Taylor, Rana Vig, Fred Withers

E

Making The Cut Charity Golf Classic

In 2013, a Royal Columbian anesthesiologist, Dr. Feisal Mohamedali (who, to this day, serves as the tournament Committee Chair), and a team of passionate hospital staff wanted to make a difference in their workplace and community. They had a vision that they could make a significant impact on the lives of the people they cared for daily and have some fun while doing it. Thus, Making the Cut Charity Golf Classic was born!

The 2022 event, with ‘Celebrating the 80s’ as its theme, brought together staff, physicians, corporate sponsors, and title sponsor Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, to raise more than $70,000. This brings the overall total raised in the nine years of this event to $450,000. The funds purchase new equipment, specifically to support Trauma and Surgical Service programs at Royal Columbian Hospital.

EllisDon Star Struck Celebration Event

To honour the exceptional service of our frontline healthcare providers throughout the pandemic, the Foundation hosted the EllisDon Star Struck Celebration Event on Thursday, June 22, 2022 at the Aria Banquet Hall in Surrey. This first-time gala hosted over 1000 RCH staff and guests for an evening of relaxation, fun and appreciation. The venue was decked out to party, with delicious food, an array of drinks sponsored by Gulf & Fraser and dessert provided by the Westminster Society of Anesthesiologists: RCH Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Care.

Guests walked the Red Carpet, sponsored by Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, and enjoyed entertainment sponsored by Mott Electric which included posing with celebrity impersonator Tracey Bell, marvelling at the magic of Kel, grooving to DJ SWRL and rocking out to the sounds of The Radiation. Guests also enjoyed the photo booths sponsored by Starlight Casino, arcade games sponsored by McDonald’s McBride, and relaxed & rejuvenated with a visit to the Wellness

by subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter at rchfoundation.com

MTC participants having fun with the ‘Celebrating the 80s’ theme

Station, sponsored by Fraser Health Authority. Hats off to our safe ride sponsor Dr. Cedric and Felice Ho & Family, table sponsors ABC Recycling, Nicola Wealth, RCH Emergency Department/Columbia Emergency Physicians Association & PartyWorks Interactive, as well as in-kind sponsors Glacier Media Group & FastSigns Coquitlam for helping make this event a roaring success!

Star Struck partygoers hit the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society-sponsored Red Carpet in style

EVENTS THAT GIVE BACK

Cheers To You

Started in 2021 to boost the spirits of RCH’s frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic, our popular Cheers to You events are dedicated to celebrating and spreading joy amongst our hard-working hospital staff. From our roving treat cart, to fun contests with great prizes, to thousands of meals served, these special treats are deeply appreciated by our staff and physicians, and truly make a difference in their day. A special thanks to the Rich Widdifield Team at CI Assante Capital Management Ltd and the Jameson Family for sponsoring 1,100 servings of cheesy goodness from the REEL Mac and Cheese truck in December 2022!

Coast Capital Spreads ‘Joy to the Ward’

Each year, Coast Capital reinvests 10% of their budgeted bottom line back into our communities and serve in support of building better futures for all Canadians. Over the last two years, Coast Capital has generously contributed $60,000 to the areas of greatest need at Royal Columbian Hospital. In December 2022, they also stepped forward with a sponsorship of our ‘Joy to the Ward’ cart, which provided holiday treats for our frontline healthcare providers.

NICU Step Challenge

Heather Bradfield and Tyler Gamsby spent a combined total of almost six months in Royal Columbian’s Labour and Delivery unit and the Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) through the births of their three children. Through it all, they were grateful for the care they received from the doctors, nurses, and support staff. Wanting to find a way to give back, they launched the NICU Step Challenge to support the care of RCH’s tiniest patients. They challenged participants from the community to raise funds by committing to walk 12,000 steps every day for two weeks. That represents the average number of steps a NICU caregiver will walk in a day, compared to the Canadian average of 4,800 steps. The BradfieldGamsby family matched every dollar raised, up to a total of $10,000!

Rich Widdifield and team providing some REEL Mac and Cheese goodness for sta

Our popular Cheers to You events bring out sta and their smiles

The Bradfield-Gamsby family turned their gratitude into the NICU Step Challenge, matching donations up to $10,000

Representatives from Coast Capital, posing with Foundation sta member Jaimie Jeon, spread some ‘Joy to the Ward’

EVENTS THAT GIVE BACK

Sofia & Aaliyah’s Snack Cart

Sofia (8) and Aaliyah (7) Jamal are sisters who were both high-risk maternity cases born at Royal Columbian Hospital. Mom, Feroza, works at Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation and between that, and the family’s Ismaili faith, she has long instilled in the girls the importance of giving time and resources back to their communities. Every year the girls save up Christmas and birthday money and give a portion back to the Foundation to recognize the great care they, and their mom, received at the hospital.

When COVID-19 hit, the girls spent a lot of time talking with their grandmother, who is a nurse, about what frontline healthcare workers might be going through. Wanting to show their appreciation and lift spirits, the girls created ‘Sofia & Aaliyah’s Snack Cart’ in 2022 and stationed it outside the Foundation office to offer treats to the staff walking by. Using funds they’d received for their chores, they bought packaged treats and decorated a cheerful cart to spread joy throughout the hospital. The girls also presented their annual donation of $100 from birthday and Christmas money. Additionally, the girls created a matching campaign by soliciting a donor willing to match every dollar, up to $100, that the girls raised from soliciting family and friends. Through these efforts, the girls made a tribute donation to RCH’s healthcare workers of over $250. These young ladies set an example of the big difference little ones can make within their communities!

Commercial Real Estate All-In Poker Invitational

2022 saw the inaugural Commercial Real Estate All-In Poker Invitational, held at the Vancouver Club in May. The event was all class, with guests enjoying a cocktail reception before participating in some high-stakes fun. Metro Vancouver commercial real estate and its associated industries came together, sponsoring chips, tables, cards, and food and drink, all to benefit Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The evening also raffled off two tickets to anywhere Westjet flies to one lucky winner. Through all the fun and friendly competition, the event raised $110,000.

Sofia and Aaliyah pose with their cart to bring treats to the sta of RCH

Sofia and Aaliyah pose with their annual donation presentation cheque

Members of the commercial real estate and associated industries make a cheque presentation to RCHF CEO, Je Norris, at The Vancouver Club

EllisDon RCHF Invitational Charity Golf Classic

Over 140 golfers joined title sponsor EllisDon for the inaugural Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation (RCHF) Invitational Charity Golf Classic on September 22, 2022 at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey. EllisDon has a close connection to RCH, as the Design-Builder of the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, scheduled to open in 2025. The Tower is the crown jewel of Royal Columbian’s $1.49B multi-phased redevelopment, and will be a 65,000 square metre facility that will revolutionize healthcare in the region, bringing the latest state-of-the-art design, equipment, and technology.

South Asian Business Association of BC Golf Tournament

In July 2022, the South Asian Business Association of BC (SABA) presented their 13th annual Golf Tournament, with proceeds benefiting Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation (RCHF). South Asian business community stalwarts, known for the spirit of giving, formed SABA to create a platform for business leaders of BC to discuss issues, opportunities, and policies related to business, and work together for the betterment and improvement of South Asian businesses in BC. SABA’s mission also includes promoting social responsibility by South Asian businesses and business leaders towards their local communities. This very successful event raised $15,000 in support of RCHF.

• Do you have an event that you’d like to consider directing proceeds to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation? Or would you like to inquire about sponsoring one of our current annual events?

ContactElizabeth Kelly, Manager Of Events for RCHF at (604) 908-4088 or lizz.kelly@fraserhealth.ca for more information.

• Are you an individual who would like to start your own fundraiser with friends and family? You can find tips, tools, and a turnkey platform at www.rchfoundation.com/featured-campaigns

EllisDon-RCHF golfers chipping for charity EllisDon-RCHF golfers celebrate the inaugural Invitational Charity Golf Classic

Members of SABA present their big cheque to RCHF CEO, Je Norris

A TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFT

ANNOUNCING THE JIM PATTISON ACUTE CARE TOWER

On November 30th, 2022, the air was chilly and snow still dusted the ground from a recent storm. However, hearts were warm as Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation celebrated a transformational $30-million donation from Jimmy Pattison towards the completion of the newly named Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower. Hundreds of staff, donors, media, and special guests joined Foundation President & CEO, Jeff Norris, and Board Chair, Cameron Belsher, for this historic redevelopment announcement.

Jim Pattison Foundation’s transformational gift will join the combined contributions of thousands of gracious donors, supporting the second phase of Royal Columbian Hospital’s redevelopment project, focused on the Acute Care Tower. Royal Columbian is undergoing one of the most ambitious hospital redevelopments in Canadian history. The $1.49 billion, multi-phased project represents an unprecedented opportunity – and challenge – to elevate critical care at a hospital that

serves one-third of BC’s population. With construction set for completion in 2025, the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will be crown jewel of the project.

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to Jimmy Pattison for this historic donation. Royal Columbian Hospital serves BC’s biggest health region and this gift, the largest in our region’s history, will ensure we can provide exceptional care to the

patients who rely on the Columbian. The Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will further elevate the lifesaving care Royal Columbian Hospital already delivers to patients across the province,” says Jeff Norris. “Major improvements are being made in service to an even larger vision: ensuring uncompromising care to every single person who

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RCHF CEO, Je Norris, unveils the rendering of the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower as Jimmy Pattison and Dr. Sukh Brar look on

RCHF Board Chair, Cameron Belsher, thanks Jimmy Pattison for his transformational gift

RCHF CEO, Jeff Norris, and Jimmy Pattison pose with the signed beam that will be lifted into the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower

Jimmy Pattison (with EllisDon crew members) radios to raise the signed beam into the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower

needs it. The generosity of Jimmy Pattison — and all the donors who have answered our call — serves as a source of inspiration for others to help us achieve this vision.”

When asked what inspired him to join the thousands of other donors who have already stepped up to show their support to ensure that Royal Columbian’s legacy of exceptional care in our province is sustainable for future generations, Mr. Pattison was clear. “Sooner or later, most people will need the services of a hospital like Royal Columbian. The support of the customers of our companies such as Save-On-Foods makes it possible to give back in significant ways. Giving to the hospital is the best opportunity to help the greatest number of people in British Columbia.”

Mr. Pattison is recognised as a Canadian business icon and one of the most generous philanthropists in Canada. His generosity and support of healthcare is unsurpassed — no other donor has given more to healthcare in British Columbia.

Pattison was appointed to the Order of Canada (1987) and the Order of British Columbia (1990). He also received the Governor General’s Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary in Canada.

With one in three British Columbians relying on Royal Columbian, it is BC’s leading critical care hospital. It is the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care on one site. Royal Columbian provides the highest level of care to some of the most critically ill and injured patients throughout the province. No other hospital in British Columbia provides all these services, at this level of care, on one site.

Building on Royal Columbian’s legacy, the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will include an interventional super-floor featuring operating rooms and suites for interventional radiology and cardiology, as well as a new Emergency Department with its own imaging unit – the Jack Gin Emergency & Trauma

Imaging Centre (GinETIC 1) – and the Windsor Plywood Foundation Trauma Rooms, which consists of two trauma bays with two beds each. It will also house new and expanded Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and the new 48-bed Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation Maternity Unit. In addition, it will also have multiple floors for acute and critical care patients, including the 47-bed Gregory Chan Intensive Care Unit. With almost double the current footprint, the redevelopment will increase the current capacity of Royal Columbian by approximately 50 percent to 675.

Patients, physicians, nurses, and the entire hospital family will benefit significantly from the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower. In addition to a larger footprint, the new tower will feature substantial upgrades in cuttingedge technologies, so healthcare teams can continue to respond to the needs of patients in their most urgent, life-altering moments and deliver the best possible outcomes.

EllisDon lifts the signed beam into the Jim Pattison Acute Care, scheduled to open in 2025

The upgrades will include the introduction of innovative, robotassisted surgery and state-of-the art imaging technology that allows for absolute precision.

From the beginning, Royal Columbian has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. This redevelopment goes beyond just evolving the hospital. It is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to ensure that clinicians and frontline healthcare providers have both the facilities and the innovative technology to offer optimal patient care for decades to come. Because people are the lifeblood of BC, Royal Columbian exists to serve them all. ■

Nurse Abby Holder speaks to the experience and camaraderie of frontline healthcare through the pandemic to the assembled crowd

Physicians, sta , dignitaries, media, and special guests gathered to hear the historic announcement

Jimmy Pattison, along with key Jim Pattison Foundation Board members, Maureen Chant and Cindy Lambier, are all smiles as they announce their $30M transformational gift

Jimmy Pattison chats with special guest speaker, Nurse Abby Holder, before the ceremony

Sta and dignitaries signed a beam to be placed in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower

A CELEBRATION OF GIVING

At Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, we are privileged every day to witness donors stepping up to support RCH and their communities through their gifts. Every dollar matters, and we are so grateful to the thousands of donors, large and small, who recognize the great work of our healthcare teams in providing some of the very best patient care in the province. We are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of close to two million people. As the regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care, no other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province. But we can’t do this without your help. We are pleased to share just a few of the thousands of donor stories of support, and thank each and every one of our donors for their continued commitment!

RCH CARDIAC PHYSICIANS GIVE #WITHHEART

Nationally, February marks Heart Month, an opportunity to bring awareness to one of the leading causes of death in Canada. In recent years, the Foundation has marked February through a Give #WithHeart social media campaign, providing donors an opportunity to recognize RCH’s role in cardiac care. Our world-class medical teams perform more open-heart surgeries and treat more emergency heart attacks than any other hospital in BC. For this reason, RCH is often considered the region’s emergency room for the heart.

In 2022, physicians from Royal Columbian’s Department of Cardiac Services stepped forward to match $50,000 in gifts during Give #WithHeart. Matching campaigns resonate strongly with our donors, and

partnerships with our physicians like this one contribute significantly to the success of our efforts. A special thank you to Dr. Amin Aminbakhsh for his leadership in bringing the Department of Cardiac Services together.

TRAUMA CARE RECEIVES A BOOST FROM WINDSOR PLYWOOD FOUNDATION

Trauma physicians refer to the first hour after a traumatic injury as the ‘golden hour’ — they are critical minutes for medical and surgical

intervention. When a traumatic incident occurs, the clock starts to tick. Every moment counts — and life hangs in the balance. The RCH Emergency Department, one of the most highly utilized in the province with more than 75,000 visits a year, is the entry point to trauma care. The new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, the crown jewel of the multi-phase redevelopment project currently under construction, will see significant upgrades and additions for trauma and emergency services. These include two trauma bays with two beds each, and an imaging unit directly in the ER – the Jack Gin Emergency & Trauma Imaging Centre (GinETIC 1) – to speed up access to diagnostic procedures. It will also have operating rooms purpose-built and always available to trauma patients.

In October 2022, representatives of Windsor Plywood, which has been in business for over 50 years in our communities, joined staff and physicians at RCH to announce a gift of $1 million to support the trauma bays in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower. Cathy Brown, Executive Director of Windsor Plywood Foundation, spoke at the event of her family’s commitment to

Cathy Brown, Executive Director of Windsor Plywood Foundation, announces their $1M transformational gift with RCHF CEO, Je Norris

The Give #WithHeart campaign raised awareness through social media

the communities in which they live and operate their business, and to the importance of trauma care within our region, and our province.

DAVID AND PAT COUSINS RECOGNIZE A LIFE-SAVING STAR

In October 2022, after playing a game of curling, David Cousins started to feel dizzy and as if he was losing consciousness. He told his spouse, Pat, he needed to be rushed to the Emergency Department. Originally taken to Eagle Ridge Hospital, he was then transferred to the Cath Lab at Royal Columbian Hospital to receive specialized care. David was in a critical state and had to be induced into a medical coma. His doctors gave him a less than 10% chance of survival.

Nurse Breanne Robson, a Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) Patient Care Coordinator at RCH, who was on the ward and knew how dire his situation was, went above and beyond, dedicated to giving David, and his family, the best hope for his survival. David ended up spending a total of 9 days in CSICU and, against all odds, miraculously made it out alive.

David gifted $5,000 towards CSICU for saving his life and providing exceptional patient care, not only to him, but to his family who were by his side during his entire stay. Additionally, touched by the selfless devotion and dedication to her patients, he made a STAR donation in honour of Nurse Breanne. He also shared that the day he left RCH, Breanne told him patients like him who fight for their life and make it out of the hospital are why she does what she does. David was able to personally deliver the STAR recognition to Nurse Breanne just eight weeks after his discharge. He, along with Pat, got

the opportunity to visit the CSICU to see firsthand where he received care, and to thank all the staff in the department for saving his life.

THE WILSON FAMILY HONOURS THE MEMORY OF A DAUGHTER AND SISTER

On December 30th, 2022, the Wilson Family — Tanya, Joel, Charlotte and Isabella — visited the Foundation to make a gift towards the Brooklyn’s Wish Fund in loving memory of their daughter and sister, Brooklyn. This latest gift was a continuation of

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David and Pat Cousins pose with their lifesaving STAR, Nurse Breanne Robson

The Wilson family presents their 2022 donation to Brooklyn’s Wish Fund in honour of daughter and sister, Brooklyn

A CELEBRATION OF GIVING

their support, going back to 2011, for Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients and their families. Tanya was admitted to RCH’s Variety NICU in May 2011, carrying twin girls at 22 weeks. The tiny girls, Isabella at 475 grams and Brooklyn at 480 grams, were born on May 15, 2011. Sadly, two days later, the family had to say goodbye to little Brooklyn. Tanya recounts, “The NICU nurses made Brooklyn’s passing a peaceful, intimate moment for us, and for that, we will always hold them dear.” Isabella continued her NICU journey for 138 days and is now thriving in grade 6.

Brooklyn’s Wish Fund continues to help alleviate the financial stress of necessities like breast pumps, food and groceries, gas, parking, and transportation, to help families in situations like theirs so they can focus on supporting each other and their children. Brooklyn’s legacy is tremendous and deeply rooted in compassion and empathy, playing a significant role in reducing stress and anxiety during what is an incredibly challenging time for any family.

THE LEWIS FAMILY IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH IN THEIR COMMUNITY

Mark and Lisa Lewis live in New Westminster and have always believed in the importance of giving back to their communities, both with their time and resources. Mark joined Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s Campaign cabinet in 2019. He worked tirelessly alongside the other Cabinet members to raise awareness and major gifts toward the multi-year, multiphase $1.49 billion redevelopment that will revolutionize the way the hospital delivers patient care by creating a world-class, state-of-theart hospital. As part of this work, Mark and Lisa chose to lead by example, making a $100,000 gift to Phase 1, the Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre (MHSUWC).

Opened in 2020, the MHSUWC has

doubled the hospital’s capacity to treat patients in need of mental health care. Featuring increased patient privacy, access to green space, as well as room for exercise and creativity, the centre has been designed to facilitate recovery. For Mark and Lisa, deciding where to direct their gift was a family decision that involved their two teenage children. “We discussed the various ways in which our donation could be utilized,” said Mark. “We decided to support the MHSUWC because not only is it meaningful for our family, it is also an area of significant need in the community.”

CAMERON BELSHER SUPPORTS THE CARE THAT SAVED HIS LIFE

Cameron Belsher, the national leader of law firm McCarthy Tetrault’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group and former Chair of their Board of Partners, joined Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s Board in 2018, and was named Board Chair in 2021. Additionally, he was named Chair of the RCHF Campaign Cabinet, which raised awareness and funds for the hospital’s multi-year, multi-phase $1.49 billion redevelopment.

Cameron and his family live in New

The Lewis family presents their gift in support of mental health care in their community

The Belsher family announce their gift in support of cardiac care in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, scheduled to open in 2025

Westminster and have a long history with RCH.

Not only were his children born there, Cameron has received interventional and ongoing cardiac care at RCH. It was very important to Cameron and his family to not only give his time, but also resources to the hospital that made such a difference in his life and that of his family. In 2022, Cameron and his family pledged $325,000 to support Cardiac Services in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, scheduled to open in 2025. Royal Columbian Hospital is the only centre in Fraser Health providing both cardiac surgery and interventional cardiac services.

ANESTHESIOLOGISTS OF RCH SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND INNOVATION

In 2021, Anesthesiologists at Royal Columbian came together to make a collective gift of $121,400 to the Anesthesiology Innovation Fund. This fund supports professional development opportunities for Anesthesiologists and department staff, and clinical and research efforts of the Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine. This fund also encourages and supports quality improvement projects.

Anesthesiologists play a crucial role in safe and successful surgeries across all areas of the hospital. RCH’s

Surgical Program provides the highest level of care in surgical services to a wide variety of programs including cardiac, trauma, high risk maternity, vascular, neuroscience, plastics, and orthopedics. Close to 10,000 surgical procedures are performed each year at RCH. Almost 50% of these patients are unscheduled, emergency procedures – the highest proportion in the province. This means that our staff must be able to adapt to a constantly changing work environment at a moment’s notice making the need for educational opportunities, as well as research and innovation, vital for successful patient outcomes.

TD BANK GROUP SPOTLIGHTS MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

TD Bank Group is committed to enriching our communities by contributing to their social and economic development in long-lasting, sustainable ways. Since 2020, TD has given $30,000 in support of Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation for a variety of initiatives including the mental well-being of our frontline healthcare providers at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, their gift of $10,000 was directed towards two innovative programs to support patients in our Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre – therapeutic gardening and music therapy. ■

Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative physicians came together in support of education, research, and innovation

Representatives from TD Bank show their support of mental health for both patients and sta

The Power of Legacy Gifts

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is grateful to receive gifts from individuals who chose to include RCHF in their wills. These very special donors left a powerful legacy at our hospital by funding urgently needed equipment, technology and research. Their generosity lives on by benefitting our current and future patients. These are just a few examples.

Belmont Rapid Infuser for our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Our Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) cares for post openheart surgery patients requiring the full spectrum of critical care interventions. These include intraaortic balloon pumps to help the heart pump more blood and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), where a machine is used to “bypass”

precise diagnosis and treatment

the heart and lungs when they are failing. Many CSICU patients are also hemodynamically unstable, meaning they don’t have enough pressure in their circulatory system to keep blood flowing reliably through the body.

Often in these life-threatening emergencies, the patient needs more blood, and fast. The Belmont Rapid Infuser quickly administers warmed blood products to patients. Until

Ryan Johnson, from RCH’s Anesthesiology department, demonstrates for donors the impact TEE has for

recently, the CSICU had to borrow one from the Intensive Care Unit.

RCH is Fraser Health’s only site for open-heart surgery, with more than 1,000 procedures a year – more than any other hospital in BC. The Belmont Rapid Infuser will help to ensure that in their most critical moments, our recovering open heart surgery patients will have the best possible outcomes.

CX50 Ultrasound System for our Cardiac

Catheterization Lab

Royal Columbian is home to the busiest cardiac intervention unit in BC, performing more angioplasties than any other cardiac catheterization lab in the province. It is among the busiest in Canada, providing advanced minimally invasive diagnostic and interventional management of coronary and structural heart disease. Many cardiovascular interventional procedures require large bore catheter access into the vascular system, including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation to replace a failing heart valve and Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair to stop blood leaking backwards in the heart.

For these procedures, imaging is everything. The CX50 Ultrasound System offers exceptional images so our physicians can quickly and precisely perform these complex interventions. It is also portable and can be used anywhere in the hospital. As we expand our interventional

cardiology program in the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, this piece of equipment will be essential for optimal cardiovascular interventional procedures.

CVI42 Software for Cardiac MRI

Cardiac MRI is used to diagnose and manage a variety of cardiac diseases, including ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and cardiac tumours. Post processing image analysis is required to obtain a number of measurements which are critical for determining cardiac function, establishing disease diagnosis, and guiding patient management.

CVI42 software for cardiac MRI is an industry leader, enabling faster and more accurate cardiac MRI image processing. This state-of-the-art software will give our radiologists the best tools available to inform diagnosis and treatment.

Epiq 7 Pediatric Transesophageal Ultrasound Probe for Cardiology (TEE)

RCH is British Columbia’s busiest cardiac care centre. Our physicians rely on sharp, quality images of the heart for diagnosis and treatment. A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) uses echocardiography to assess the structure and function of the heart. During the procedure, a transducer (like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves. These sound waves move through the skin

and other body tissues to the heart tissues, where the waves bounce, or "echo", off of the heart structures. The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a computer. The computer displays the echoes as images of the heart walls and valves. A traditional echocardiogram is done by putting the transducer on the surface of the chest. A transesophageal echocardiogram is done by inserting a probe with a transducer down the esophagus. This provides a clearer image of the heart because the sound waves do not have to pass through skin, muscle, or bone tissue. Also, the TEE probe can get closer to the heart since the esophagus and heart are right next to each other. A pediatric transesophageal probe is more comfortable for our smaller patients. TEE is also used during ablation procedures to correct atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often rapid heart rate that occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart (atria) experience chaotic electrical signals. During ablation to correct atrial fibrillation, doctors thread long, thin tubes (catheters) into the heart and apply heat or extreme cold. This causes tiny scars in certain parts of the heart muscle, which disrupt or eliminate the erratic electrical signals in the heart. Physicians use transesophageal echocardiography to see where exactly to make the needle puncture for the catheter, to guide the catheter, and to visualize areas for ablation. ■

SHOWCASE OF IMPACT

On December 7th, 2022, more than 70 donors were hosted at the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation Equipment Showcase. For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, we were able to welcome our donors to an event with an opportunity to see the impact of their support. Frontline staff were on hand to showcase six examples of donor-funded equipment, and to share the impact it made in their ability to provide the very best patient care in BC, as well as the impacts on patient outcomes.

STAND-ALONE INDIRECT CALORIMETRY METABOLIC CART

This device, used in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), allows our healthcare teams to accurately determine and match the amount of energy a ventilated critical care patient needs. This is particularly useful for optimizing nutritional tube feedings. The positive impacts this affords our patients can include reduced ICU length of stays, improved nutritional care delivery that is specific to the patient’s needs, improved maintenance of skeletal muscle quality, and a reduced risk of mortality within 90 days of admission.

INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND

The Intervascular Ultrasound offers advanced imaging and visualization inside of a blood vessel. Used in surgery, this device helps determine the best path for venous stenting in a patient, based on their specific condition. It can also identify any plaque buildup through viewing the

aorta and artery walls.

This device is especially useful for patients with complex vessels. It provides a high degree of accuracy, with no radiation exposure as no x-rays are involved. The results are available in real-time, meaning if a patient requires additional procedures or interventions, precious time is saved.

Shannon Grimmard, a Dietician with RCH, demonstrates the Calorimetry Metabolic Cart

Dr. Joel Gagnon, a Vascular Surgeon with RCH, speaks with donors about the Intravascular Ultrasound

TRANS-ESOPHAGEAL ULTRASOUND PROBE (TEE)

This technology allows frontline caregivers to create an ultrasound movie of a beating heart. An essential piece of equipment for cardiac surgeons, it allows them to view that movie before and during the operation to diagnose and determine a course of treatment. This can mean the difference between determining whether the patient’s own heart valve can be repaired, or whether it needs to be replaced with an artificial one. This minimally invasive diagnostic technique provides real-time imaging and a recording capability, that can significantly improve outcomes for our cardiac patients.

PERINATAL NEWBORN WARMER (PANDA)

The Panda is used in labour and delivery and in the Variety Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It is used for assessment and improves the workflow for healthcare workers in an infant’s most critical first moments of life, especially if resuscitation is required. It does all this while also providing the best in thermoregulation and thermal performance. Royal Columbian has some of the best outcomes in

the country for our tiniest critical patients.

The Panda is used multiple times a day following every delivery whether it is vaginal or by caesarian section. It is less invasive, avoiding multiple moves and possible complications for the newborn, and can reduce the length of stay in the NICU. It improves neonatal outcomes, providing relief

for countless anxious parents and families.

IVIZ ULTRASOUND DEVICE

Used in our Pediatric Department, the iViz enables an internal visualization of tiny patient veins. It is used to start IVs on our smallest patients, and significantly improves success rates and decreases multiple attempts. It helps support our caregivers in quickly and successfully starting critical IVs in children. It is fast, non-invasive, and is less traumatic for the pediatric patient, and by extension, their families. ■

Anesthesiologist Dr. Hardy Zietsman shows donors the beating heart movie captured by the TEE

Gloria Mak, a Clinical Nurse Educator for Pediatrics, demonstrates the iViz for donors

Perinatal Nurse Raven Mansaray demonstrates the impact of the Panda for our tiniest patients