Donors: we couldn't do it without them
Every little bit counts in today’s healthcare environment. Seven healthcare professionals tell us about the huge impact the generosity of philanthropy has had on their patients’ experience…
Philanthropy is “the love of humankind,” and National Philanthropy Day® —November 15—is the day that thousands of people around the world come together to put that word into action and to recognize the change that word has brought to our communities.
At the MUHC, we are much better off for the financial support we receive from our foundations. But don’t take our word for it—listen to seven of our clinical leaders talk about the impact these efforts have had on patient care:
Neuro Development Office
“The Neuro Development Office is crucial. We need their help to give birth to our dreams. Recently, they helped in structuring our Research in Radiology Endowment Fund, and we are counting on them to continue the support so that the fund can grow. The role of the Neuro Development Office is important to enable all of us to grow and provide excellence in patient care.”
—Dr. Donatella Tampieri, MUHC head, Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology
McGill University Health Centre Foundation
The MUHC Foundation is essential to help us in our development of advanced care programs offering the best possible care for patients. Together we have developed a cardiovascular imaging program, including a world class Cardiac MRI Program. This allows us to excel in research and provide the most advanced imaging options for patient care. The generous support of donors allows us to offer the latest technology and approaches to procedures. We are always striving to offer less invasive, safer procedures, and their donations make this possible.
—Dr. Nadia Giannetti, MUHC Chief of Cardiology
Lachine Hospital Foundation
“The Lachine Hospital Foundation is present in all aspects of the hospital. They have provided tools for both patient comfort and to help physicians perform their daily tasks, including upgrades to much needed equipment for the Cardiology Department. For example, the treadmill recently broke down and was replaced through foundation money. All funds are directly allocated to improving patient care and given recent government cutbacks and increasing healthcare needs, more than ever the hospital needs people to be proactive and help fund equipment that will be an asset to the community.
—Dr. Sunil Garg, MUHC Head of Cardiology at Lachine Hospital
Cedars Cancer Foundation
“The Cedars Cancer Foundation is essential to our Supportive and Palliative Care service. We are launching a number of programs that could not become a reality without their help. These include a cancer pre-habilitation program to prepare patients for cancer treatments and a survivorship program for patients who have completed their treatments. In our current health climate innovative programs to improve the patients' experience could not be established without the involvement of this valuable foundation.”
—Dr. Manuel Borod, MUHC Director of Supportive and Palliative Care
Montreal Chest Institute Foundation
“The MCI Foundation has been instrumental in the establishment of the Montreal Chest Institute advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy, as well as to key advances in our pleural (lung) diseases program. Equipment that has been acquired through their support includes the EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound) bronchoscopes used for the minimally invasive diagnosis and staging of lung cancer; a portable ultrasound machine, which allows physicians to drain fluid from around the lung more safely; electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy equipment, which allows the more precise sampling of peripheral lung nodules; and recently, a flexi-rigid thoracoscope, used for the minimally invasive diagnosis of lung diseases. The support of donors is absolutely essential to the work we do. Without it, there is no way the Chest would have the thriving advanced programs it currently boasts.
—Dr. Anne Gonzalez, MUHC Respirologist
Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation
“A total of $1.3 million has been anonymously donated to the Children’s Pain Management Clinic. Three out of four children with chronic pain will grow up to be adults with chronic pain, but that ratio reduces to one out of three when they receive proper treatment and the goal is to bring that ratio down to one in four. The generous donations have allowed us to achieve meaningful results: wait times have gone down from one year to one month, treatment time has gone from 14 months down to five and the team is caring for three times as many patients. We are returning children to normalcy and none of this would be possible without the support of the foundation.”
—Dr. Pablo Ingelmo, MUHC Director of the Chronic Pain Program at the Montreal Children’s Hospital
Montreal General Hospital Foundation
“The MGH Foundation is critical in improving the quality of the care we provide our patients. A concrete example of the aid we receive from the Foundation is a new Kiosk Patient Registration System, developed in our Radio-Oncology Department. It will allow patients to "sign-in" digitally using their RAMQ health card as they walk into the clinic, reducing the procedure to mere seconds and obviating the need to stand and wait for the next available clerk. This is critically important, especially for our patients who are often recovering from major musculoskeletal surgery or injury. I would thank them for any help they have provided or would consider providing in the future. Whether it is time, money, goods, or advice, it is deeply appreciated as it allows us to do our work helping patients.
—Dr. Greg Berry, MUHC Orthopedics