President's Corner - Board Retreat

An organization is only as strong as its weakest link, or so the old adage goes. If this is the case, York Central Hospital Foundation’s future has never looked stronger or brighter.

Recently, we hosted a Board Retreat in the Berwick Family Auditorium. The event’s title was “Becoming a High Performance Board” and focused on how to improve upon past successes while obtaining future goals.

The evening opened with a presentation from York Central Hospital President & CEO Altaf Stationwala about the future of health care in Southwest York Region.

Board Members then enjoyed a presentation focusing on fundraising trends as well as comparables for local organizations. A discussion was initiated about moving forward as a collective, accountable group and how each Board Member can become increasingly involved in the Foundation.

The questions raised by Board Members were thought-provoking and their feedback will be invaluable in helping us reach our goals both now and in the future.

Having an engaged and dedicated Board of Directors is crucial to our success. As members of our growing community, you can rest assured each and every Board Member is committed to raising funds for medical technology that will improve health care for you and your family.

The retreat renewed my optimism and belief for the future, and I hope it did the same for you. With your support and our Board of Directors committed to achieving our goals, we’re well on our way to helping York Central Hospital “become the finest community hospital in Canada.”

Wishing you the best of health,

Bill Leacy

President & CEO

Media Advisory - r.a.p.t. in health luncheon

 For Immediate Release:

Media Advisory

BEVERLY THOMSON AND DR. BRYCE WYLDE TO SPEAK AT YORK CENTRAL FUNDRAISER

Richmond Hill, ON – The second r.a.p.t in health luncheon, to be held March 4, 2011, will include guest speakers Beverly Thomson, co-host Canada AM and honorary co-chair of the event and Dr. Bryce Wylde, a leading Canadian alternative health expert and a recent guest on the Dr. Oz show. The event will also feature entertainment by Yani and The Clave King, gift bags, raffles and door prizes.

All proceeds from the r.a.p.t in health luncheon will go towards equipping York Central Hospital’s newly renovated and expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The state-of-the-art unit was opened on December 14 and has increased the hospital’s capacity to provide specialized care for those babies that require extra attention after birth. Last year, the Hospital welcomed over 2,800 babies; on average, 13% or 364 of these infants required specialized care.

Who:                Ms. Beverly Thomson and Dr. Bryce Wylde

What:               Second biennial r.a.p.t in health luncheon for York Central’s NICU

Where:              Le Parc Concord

20 North Rivermede Road

Concord, ON L4K 2H2

When:               Friday, March 4, 2011

Time:                Registration: 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Keynote Speakers: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Lunch and entertainment: 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Photo opportunities will be available during and after the event.

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Media contacts:

Margo Sage-Arnold                                         Jaimie Shen

Manager, Special Events                                    Special Events Coordinator

York Central Hospital Foundation                        York Central Hospital Foundation

Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7803                              Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7807

E-mail: msagearnold@yorkcentral.on.ca              E-mail: jshen@yorkcentral.on.ca

Inspirational Gift - Richmond Hill Christian Community Church

The Richmond Hill Christian Community Church recently chose York Central Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as the beneficiary of their holiday charity drive. Over the course of the holidays, members of the congregation generously gave more than $19,000 towards this priority project.

The NICU was opened on December 14, 2010 and will eventually have the capacity to care for twice as many of our tiniest and most vulnerable babies as the old unit. Each spacious care station is designed and equipped specifically for infants needing special care and includes an isolette and physiological monitor, intravenous pumps, a bedside computer documentation system and phototherapy units.

The new NICU has the appropriate space and design to more easily accommodate life-saving equipment and greater flexibility to deal with emergency situations. Ultimately, this leads to improved development for babies with challenges at birth and allows families in our community to take their babies home sooner.

Their donation is the largest the Foundation has ever received from a church and we are incredibly honoured for their generous gift.

Thank you to everyone at the Richmond Hill Christian Community Church for inspiring us this past holiday season!

York Central – YOUR Community Hospital

For more than 47 years, York Central Hospital has been a provider of increasingly progressive and innovative health care services to you, our community. 

Last year, our Emergency Department saw 80,000 patient visits – for reference, that’s more than Mount Sinai and Toronto General’s Emergency Department visits combined!

The hospital is home to several specialized services including the York Region District Stroke Centre, York Region Chronic Kidney Disease Program, York Region and Simcoe County Behaviour Management Services, Central East Autism Services for York Region as well as the York Region Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Care Centre.

Staff help welcome 2,800 babies into the community each year – your nieces, nephews, neighbours, daughters, sons and grandchildren.

When your child requires stitches after a playground fall, it’s our Emergency Department you’ll visit. When your mother or father requires knee or hip replacement surgery, the hospital’s dedicated surgeons and staff will provide the expert and compassionate care they need to recover and get back home.

Patient scores in the Palliative Care and Chronic Kidney Disease Program are exceptional. We’re a provincial leader in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for colon cancer, and are positioning to become an MIS Centre of Excellence.

Through your incredible generosity and dedication, we completed the largest redevelopment and expansion in our history. At York Central Hospital Foundation, we’ve been proud to partner with you to enhance health care in our community.  

York Central isn’t just any community hospital, it’s YOUR community hospital. Email me today to find out how you can become involved and help us ensure our future is as bright as our history.

Sincerely yours,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator

President's Corner - Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Suite

February is more than half over and that means the grand opening of our newest priority project is around the corner!

Construction began on our second Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Suite in this month, and is expected to be finished in the spring.

Minimally Invasive Surgery reduces patients’ pain, decreases recovery time, helps to improve wait times for surgical care and overall improves patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Our first MIS, The Paul B. Helliwell Foundation MIS Suite, was opened in September 2009 and our team of established MIS surgeons is able to provide a broad range of MIS laparoscopic services including:

·     Adrenalectomy – the removal of cancerous adrenal glands

·     Percutaneous nephrolithotomy – removal of kidney stones

·     Laparoscopic nephrectomy – removal of all or part of an infected or cancerous kidney

·     Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH)

·     Laparoscopic abdominal hysterectomy (LAH)

·     Colon and rectum resection for benign and malignant disease

·     Gastrectomy

·     Hartman’s procedure and reversal of Hartman’s procedure – emergency procedure for a perforated bowel

·     Hernia repair

·     Splenectomy –removal of a diseased or damaged spleen

·     Thoracoscopy – internal examination of the pleural cavity (the body of cavity that surrounds the lungs

York Central Hospital is one of a few hospitals in the province that has such a complement of general surgeons with fellowship level training and the skills to perform advanced MIS procedures.  As a group, we are performing among the highest volumes of laparoscopic colon resections in the GTA.  As well, we are a provincial leader in MIS for colon cancer surgery. 

With this success come challenges. Simply, we do not have enough time available to schedule all the surgeries in one MIS Suite.  Moreover, to help York Central Hospital move closer to fulfilling our vision of becoming the finest community hospital in Canada, we are expanding our MIS services to include urology and gynaecology which will help patients suffering from prostate or bladder cancer and fibroid tumors.

With a second MIS Suite, operating room turnover, operative times, physical burden on nurses, team morale and overall efficiency will be improved which will add to these savings.  In addition, a second MIS will help our ability to attract top notch surgeons and retain our expert nurses and allied health professionals.

Perhaps most importantly, the impact on the patients will be outstanding.

The total costs for a second MIS Suite are estimated to be $525,000. If you are interested in helping us fund this vital initiative, please email me. Together, we can improve health care for residents in Southwest York Region.

Wishing you the best of health,

Bill Leacy

President & CEO

Inspirational Gift - Garofalo Family

Our goal as a Foundation is to raise money for life-saving medical equipment and technology not covered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We rely on the generosity of donors like you to help us reach our fundraising goals.

Each year, we are continually amazed and gracious for the support of our community. In addition to the support of residents living in Southwest York Region and beyond, we are proud to be able to say our staff, physicians and board members are also donors, including the Garofalo Family.

Recently, Foundation Board Member David Garofalo generously funded a patient care room on the Integrated Orthopaedic Patient Care Unit.

It is through generosity like yours and the Garofalo Family’s that we are able to provide York Central with life-saving equipment and technology.

Thank you Garofalo Family for your inspirational gift and for Caring to make a difference™.

If you would like to become involved at York Central Hospital Foundation either as a donor or volunteer, please email me – I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely yours,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator

Media Advisory - Strides For Stroke Kick Off Celebrations

For Immediate Release

February 11, 2011

Media Advisory

KICK OFF CELEBRATIONS FOR ANNUAL WALK / RUN TO

TAKE PLACE

AT YORK CENTRAL HOSPITAL

Richmond Hill, ON – The Strides for Stroke 5K Run/Walk official kick off celebration is taking place Monday in York Central Hospital’s Berwick Family Auditorium. Staff, friends and family can take advantage of early registration fees and enjoy a slice of pizza. York Central Hospital President & CEO Altaf Stationwala will also be joining the celebrations. The annual walk run takes place in May 7, 2011. Funds raised from the event will benefit the York Region District Stroke Centre located in the hospital.

Since 2006, York Central Hospital Foundation’s annual walk-run has raised over $345,000, helping to fund the acute care expansion and purchase state-of-the-art equipment for York Central Hospital.  This includes a new Digital Mammography Unit for Breast Health, leading-edge surgical equipment and construction to triple the size of our Emergency Department. 

Who:                York Central Hospital Foundation

What:               Strides for Stroke 5K Run / Walk Kick Off Celebration

Where:              Berwick Family Auditorium

York Central Hospital

10 Trench Street

Richmond Hill, ON

When:               Monday, February 14, 2011

Time:               11:00 a.m.:        Event Kick Off

                        12:15 p.m.:        Message from Altaf Stationwala, President & CEO

Photo opportunities will be available during and after the event.

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Media Contacts:

Margo Sage-Arnold                                         Jaimie Shen

Manager, Special Events                                   Coordinator, Special Events

York Central Hospital Foundation                        York Central Hospital Foundation

Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7803                              Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7807

E-mail: msagearnold@yorkcentral.on.ca              E-mail: jshen@yorkcentral.on.ca