Spring 2019

HeartBeatSt. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation

Investing in our future...

OUR Community Hospital!

ST. THOMAS ELGIN GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATI ON

7TH ANNUAL SIGNATURE BLACK TIE GALA

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2019 | ST. ANNE’S CENTRE | ST. THOMAS TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON! | VISIT ITSOURHOSPITAL.CA FOR MORE DETAILS

RAISING FUNDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING AT STEGH

...see what's been happening with our Women & Children's Services

STEGH Foundation

Board of DirectorsKathy Cook Noble, President

Judy Thorner, Vice-President

Lyle McLean, Treasurer

Sandra DiMeo, Past President

Steve Bailey

Robert Biron

Bill Brown

Julie Cassidy

Cathy Crane

Lois Hamilton

Dr. Christian Paradis

Dan Peterson

STEGH Foundation

Staff MembersPaul Jenkins

Joanne Beaton

Carrie Ford

Chris Stinson

Sue Warden

MISSIONTo partner with the community

to support our Hospital in the

delivery of an excellent patient

care experience

VISIONTo inspire a lifetime of

philanthropic support for

our Hospital

VALUESIntegrity

Leadership

Community

Results

Your Impact

Meet Judy Thorner

Judy is the Vice-President of the STEGH

Foundation. Judy is long-time resident of

St. Thomas, and had a storied career as an

educator … first as a teacher, then moving

into administration-related positions with the

Thames Valley District School Board, and finally

as Principal at Arthur Voaden Secondary School

… right where Judy started her teaching career.

Since retiring in 2013, her grandchildren, love of

travel, golfing, gardening, curling and volleyball

keep her busy.

Judy's passion and commitment to our community is evident in everything she

does: she volunteers as Co-chair of the Christmas Shoppe and spends her time

supporting patient care excellence through her volunteer leadership role with the

STEGH Foundation.2

Friends –

Welcoming a child into the world is always a time of joy and celebration. For some families, however – when a baby arrives prematurely, for example, or has pneumonia like our little man on the cover – it is also a time of worry and stress.Thanks to the generosity of our donors, STEGH has created a “Care by Parent” Residence – an in-hospital apartment for parents to use when their child needs the extra support and care of Women and Children’s Services. This warm and welcoming space offers all the comforts of home and is directly across the hall from the Special Care Nursery, making staying close to your newborn that much easier.

Projects like this are only possible through the generous support of our community. The “Care by Parent” Residence was funded by the guests of “Girls’ Night Out”, as well as partners GCW Custom Kitchens and Hayhoe Homes. In fact, we are once again partnering with these good corporate citizens on “A Divine Night Out”, this time in support of Mammography on May 16th.It is Judy Thorner’s grandson pictured on the cover of this issue of the HeartBeat. You will read about Judy – the Foundation’s Vice President – below. Her son Brett and his wife Riley were the first to use the “Care by Parent” Residence. We tell their story on the following pages … a story possible because of your donations.Finally, it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Chris Stinson, who has been serving our community for more than 30 years. Chris is the heart of the Foundation and we will miss her talent, passion, and commitment to patient care excellence in St. Thomas and Elgin County. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Chris for everything she has achieved. Paul Jenkins,Executive Director

Your Impact

Our Patient Care Needs … Mammography!

STEGH’s Breast Screening Program is growing again! We have invested in a second Mammography Unit to meet the needs of our patients. Now, STEGH can adequately provide this important service for years to come.

The new unit has a new tool – Contrast Mammography – which will increase diagnostic accuracy and help clinicians problem solve a positive diagnosis of breast cancer.

Supporting OUR Hospital is the very essence of our work, and since 1985, the STEGH Foundation has invested more than $41 million in OUR Hospital.

Every year the STEGH Foundation partners with our community to support patience care excellence, and in 2019, we continue to make critical investments in cancer care, the Intensive Care Unit, Digital Imaging, Mental Health, and Women & Children's Services.

It is up to our community to pay for 100% of equipment costs, and 10% of infrastructure investments at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.

Our work does not stop, we work 365 days a year, and we acknowledge the dedication and philanthropy of those who have made OUR Hospital a priority.

Thank you for your continued support, and joining us on this important healthcare journey.

OUR Fundraising

OUR Patient Care Needs... OUR Mission...

goalsAfter 30 years, Chris' last day is fast approaching. It is

hard to believe that Chris Stinson, with her beautiful smile

and friendly greetings, will be leaving the Foundation to

embark on the next phase of life. Chris will be missed by her

colleagues, Board members, and most importantly, many

donors.

Since 1989, Chris has played a major role in more than

12 fundraising campaigns that have championed patient

care equipment. This includes digital imaging, surgical,

emergency, women & children's services, and much more.

She has witnessed first-hand capital projects such as the

"Give Us Room to Care" campaign that saw the construction

of the Complex Continuing Care (now called the South

Building), as well as the 'retirement' of the former nurses'

residence that made way for the Great Expansion/North

Building. Whatever the project and whatever the need, Chris

has always stepped up to the challenge.

We want to thank Chris for all that she has done. Thank you

for your commitment, your compassion and dedication. We

write not to say good bye, but farewell ... we know you will

always be a part of the STEGH Foundation team.

Biopsies

Ultrasound assessments

Mammograms

1752,196

6,721

Last year, STEGH performed:

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A Fond Farewell to Chris Stinson

Bringing a new family member into the world is a time of excitement and joy. There is so much to think about: doctors appointments, preparing for the birth, choosing a name, clothes, toys, getting settled at home … and it all comes so quickly.

When it comes time to welcome a little one, families put their faith and confidence in our Hospital and its highly skilled professionals. We need the space and equipment to accommodate every family’s needs … and for that reason, the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation made a recent investment in our Women & Children’s Services.

In 2016, donors like you helped support upgrades and renovations to the Women & Children’s Services Special Care Nursery. Once again in 2018, and again thanks to the generosity of our donors, renovations took place to an existing space on the Floor that created a “Care by Parent” Residence.

Our “Care by Parent” Residence is a comfortable, modern and inviting space that helps parents to participate in the care of their newborn, while providing comfort and privacy at the same time.

The STEGH Foundation’s Vice-President, Judy Thorner and her son Brett's family were one of the first families to use the “Care by Parent” Residence.

Since that time, Brett and Riley’s son has grown, and is a happy, healthy little boy. It is families like the Thorners who rely on STEGH and the services provided, that show us the importance of your ongoing support.

It is thanks to your generosity and the generosity of our community partners that the STEGH Foundation is able to make investments like the “Care by Parent” Residence a reality.

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Brett and Riley Thorner shared their experience with us. “Our feelings of joy, when bringing our baby boy into the world, quickly changed to worry and concern when we learned he had been born with pneumonia. We spent the first two weeks of his life in the hospital.

We were offered the “Care by Parent” Residence when our son was healthy enough to be with us more permanently … It was much easier being in a comfortable space with a homey feel.

We were so impressed with the "Care by Parent" space, and feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to use it. It is a wonderful addition to our hospital, and we hope other families benefit from it for years to come. Kudos to the STEGH Foundation for seeing this need in our hospital and making it happen!

Investing in OUR

future generationsWhat’s been happening in Women & Children’s Services

There’s an old saying: that it takes a village to raise a child … well, that’s certainly true when it comes to Women & Children’s Services.

The “Care by Parent” Residence was generously supported by donors throughout our community! Of course, recognition goes to GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinetry Inc. and Hayhoe Homes who were instrumental in making the “Care by Parent” Residence happen.

These two local businesses came together to help support this important project by providing in-kind donations, and funds raised through “Girls’ Night Out” with five time Olympic Champion, Tessa Virtue.

“Supporting the Women and Children’s Services at STEGH is an incredible way to invest in our community and our future generations. Being able to help provide a comfortable space where parents can stay close to their little ones while receiving care is a worthwhile project that has an impact on so many lives,” explains Ron DeWeger, President & GM at GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinetry Inc.

GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinetry Inc. and Hayhoe Homes are generous community-minded businesses that stepped up without hesitation to help us provide that extra level of care for families through the “Care by Parent” Residence.

This year, we are pleased to partner with both organizations again to host “A Divine Night Out”. On May 16th, we will come together to sip, shop, and socialize in celebration of courageous women in support of Mammography!

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Care by ParentResidence

OUR

At STEGH we:

Did you know?

Deliver more than 650 babies every year

Provide Regional Maternal Newborn Services

Have a Level 2 Special Care Nursery for premature babies 34 weeks+

Joe Hayhoe, Hayhoe Homes (L) and Ron DeWeger,

GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinets Inc. (R) officially

opened the "Care by Parent" Residence November,

2018.

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Faces ofphilanthropy

When it came time for Lynda and Jim Hunter to update their Wills, giving back to STEGH was something they did not need to discuss. For them, including the Hospital in their Estate plans was a given. Lynda and Jim, who will celebrate 50 years of marriage this year, are local healthcare heroes. Both strongly believe in supporting the community and feel that in order for patients to receive the best possible care, giving back to the Hospital, through the Foundation, must be a priority.

Lynda began her Nursing career at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. In 1981, following a move to St. Thomas, she transferred her years of Obstetrical knowledge and skills – specializing in epidurals and inductions – to STEGH, and dedicated her career once more to new parents and their babies. “The difference is that smaller hospitals listen

to you,” Lynda remarks, reflecting on her experience with healthcare professionals in St. Thomas. “People know one another and everyone is very approachable and friendly.”

At the time of their move to St. Thomas, Jim’s extensive agricultural background at the experimental farms in Ottawa had also positioned him for the next phase of his career. For 18 years, he worked as Assistant Manager and subsequently General Manager at the Quality Swine Co-Op in Shedden. Twelve years working for the Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario followed.

“The goal of our annual donations has always been to support the modernization of STEGH so that our family members, and naturally ourselves, can benefit from the best healthcare delivery in our community,” says Lynda. “That might seem self-serving, but if you want the most up-to-date equipment and best medical care available, you have to be willing to donate.”

As the Past President of the Elgin Business Resource Centre Board (EBRC), Jim shares his opinion based on sound business practices. “Medical staff are only as good as the equipment they have to work with. Our Hospital has a great reputation! Continuous modernization means that locally based businesses directly benefit because employees don’t necessarily have to travel outside of St. Thomas and Elgin County for medical care. The services available at STEGH, as well as shorter patient wait times, translate into less time away from their places of work. That’s not only good for business, but it is also better for employees and their families.”

When asked about their motivation to include a gift in their Wills to STEGH, Lynda and Jim reply, “We were at that stage where we needed to update our Wills. We worked hard for our money, we invested our money, and now we look forward to a long and active retirement. Our children are independent adults, and it was a good time to think about how we could give back to causes that have been important to us throughout our lives.

Lynda, who currently serves as President of the STEGH Auxiliary, says their decision to give back has a lot to do with the emotional connection they have with STEGH, as well as their community. “We hope to encourage others to think about doing the same thing and also remind them that this can be done. Gifts of all sizes can make a real difference.”

For additional information on the Foundation’s Planned Giving Program or to request a copy of our new brochure, please contact: Joanne Beaton, Sr. Manager, Governance & Major Gifts, p: 519.631.2030 x 2727 or e: jbeaton@stegh.on.ca

YOUR OPINION MATTERS TO US!

We want to hear from you! We are asking for no more than ten minutes of your time to respond to key questions that focus on our relationship with you. Your opinions matter, and your responses will empower us to serve you better. Your feedback will remain confidential. Thank you! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STEGHFdn

Meet Lynda & Jim Hunter

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A “roaring” thanks to the Port Stanley Lioness Club who made a generous donation to mammography. The proceeds are from their Ladies’ Night - Wine & Cheese held every fall.

Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and guests, our 2018 Gala held last October raised $108,000 for cancer care!

This year's Railway City Road Races raised $13,000 for Orthopaedics at STEGH! Thanks to everyone involved!

Thank you to the Ouglin CFU Lodge 530 for their $1,000 dona-tion for patient care at STEGH! Hvala!

OUR Thanks to OUR Donors!

A BIG thank you to our STEGH Auxiliary, who made a generous $7,000 donation in support of patient care.

Grateful for Novus Rehab and Siskinds LLP who hosted a euchre tournament on October 18th that raised $18,826 for cancer care!

7 TH ANNUAL SIGNATURE BLACK TIE GALA

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation

NEW THIS YEAR!Enjoy a sit-down “Field-to-Fork” dinner

supporting our local producers.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND...

“Mystery Doors!”

Raising Funds for Diagnostic Imaging at STEGH

For Sponsorship Information, contact:Sue Warden, Events Manager

swarden@stegh.on.ca | 519.631.2030 x 2395TICKETS COMING SOON!

For further information visit ItsOURHospital.caCharitable Registration No. 89081 6846 RR0001

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2019 ST. ANNE’S CENTRE | 20 MORRISON DRIVE | ST. THOMAS

TICKETS: $100 | DOORS OPEN AT 7 PM | SEMI-FORMAL ATTIRE

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