Golfing “fore!” PRHC

The PRHC Foundation is pleased to have been chosen as the beneficiary of the second annual Peterborough Mayoral Invitational Charity Golf Tournament, sponsored by Cogeco. This year the tournament will take place Monday, September 8 at Kawartha Golf Club. All proceeds will support the Campaign for PRHC and our commitment to reimagine health and care for patients from across our region. Thank you to the Mayor, tournament organizers and sponsors, Kawartha Golf Club, and all the golfers for your support.

  • Date: Monday, September 8, 2025
  • Location: Kawartha Golf Club – 777 Clonsilla Ave. Peterborough ON K9J 6Z6
  • Registration & Lunch: 11am
  • Call to Carts & Opening Remarks: 12:30pm
  • Shotgun Start: 1pm

To register, learn more or for sponsorship details, please visit the tournament’s website.

Celebrating the opening of the donor-funded Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit Courtyard

On August 6, 2025, donors, community members and the media joined PRHC and the PRHC Foundation to celebrate the opening of the new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Courtyard. This secure, purpose-built outdoor space is designed to support the recovery and well-being of some of the hospital’s most vulnerable mental health patients.

Made possible by donor generosity, the $1.5 million courtyard is more than a new physical space—it’s a symbol of compassion, community and progress. It’s also one of the early mental health priorities brought to life through the Campaign for PRHC.

“This is a transformative moment for mental health care at PRHC,” says Lesley Heighway, President & CEO of the PRHC Foundation. “The PICU Courtyard changes where and how patients heal. It will support PRHC’s healthcare team in delivering expert, compassionate care.”

Patients in the 6-bed PICU have never had access to the outdoors, even though hospital stays can last weeks or even months. “This secure, outdoor treatment space is not only safe and dignified—it’s healing,” says Jennifer Cox, PRHC’s Director of Mental Health & Addictions. “It allows our patients to engage in mindfulness, movement and connection with others and their environment in ways that improve outcomes and quality of care.”

The new outdoor space has already been recognized as a model for other Ontario hospitals. And the need for such innovation is clear: like hospitals across the country, PRHC has seen a staggering increase in patient volumes. In the last year alone, PRHC experienced more than 31,000 mental health patient visits.

“Thanks to donor support, PICU patients now have access to natural light and fresh air—factors that are proven to improve outcomes, reduce hospital stays, and decrease the need for medications like antidepressants,” says Sean Martin, Vice President of Clinical Services & Health Equity and Chief Quality Officer at PRHC.

The PICU Courtyard has been designed with outdoor therapy in mind, with input from mental health experts, PRHC staff, and the lived experience of volunteer community members. Every detail of the space was chosen with intention:

  • Colourful native vegetation to attract butterflies, a natural aid for mindfulness
  • Seating areas in different configurations that offer patients solitude when they need it and space to visit with care providers and loved ones
  • Open gathering areas for group activities and social connection
  • A shaded area to accommodate those who are sensitive to sunlight due to their treatments
  • A colourful, tactile recreation surface

During the PICU Courtyard celebrations, Lesley also announced a $10 million expansion to the Campaign for PRHC.   

“The hospital has brought forward some additional, extraordinarily visionary, future-focused projects,” she says. “These projects will fundamentally change the way patient care is delivered across all areas of care at PRHC. We’re ready to rise to the occasion once again and we know our incredibly generous community is ready, too.”

The Campaign for PRHC began with a $60 million dollar goal and is now a $70 million campaign. This increase will allow PRHC to move forward with cutting-edge initiatives that directly respond to the specific healthcare needs of our region. One of those bold, innovative projects is a digital command centre.

“It’s still in the early stages of planning,” says Sean. “Once complete, the command centre will be a behind-the-scenes hub that will use real-time data to streamline patient flow, reduce wait times, and improve access to care.”

“This is a bold, transformational project and we’re excited to say, yes, let’s support it,” says Lesley. “Let’s continue to reimagine health and care—just like donors have done through the PICU Courtyard.”

Pictured left to right: (back row) PRHC VP Finance & Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer Jen Taylor, PRHC Outpatient Mental Health Manager Miriam McCann, PRHC Mental Health & Addictions Chief & Medical Director Dr. Raj Basker, PRHC PICU Manager Dakota Forsyth, PRHC Foundation President & CEO Lesley Heighway; (front row) PRHC Director of Mental Health & Addictions Jennifer Cox, PRHC RN Erica Earl, PRHC RN Shayne Luangvisa.

Limited edition Lakers sunglasses in support of PRHC

As part of the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers’ partnership with the PRHC Foundation for the 2025 Major Series Lacrosse season, the Lakers are selling limited edition sunglasses with all proceeds in support of the Campaign for PRHC. 

The Campaign for PRHC publicly launched in 2024 with $52.9 million raised to date. The goal is to help PRHC invest in state-of-the-art technology, bring new lifesaving services to our region, fuel innovation, and attract the best and brightest healthcare professionals. The Lakers are enthusiastic campaign ambassadors. “The Lakers are all about community, and it doesn’t get more ‘community’ than supporting the doctors, nurses and staff at our regional hospital,” says Lakers board member Len Powers. “PRHC is where our families turn in moments of greatest need and the Lakers are excited to rally around the Campaign for PRHC and support our regional hospital.”

Players, staff and board members have been seen sporting their own shiny red shades this season and now fans can get their own pair for $10 from the Petes Store at the Peterborough Memorial Centre or the PRHC Foundation Gift Shop inside PRHC. Let’s go Lakers!

Did you know…? Vascular disease is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Canada

The vascular system is one of the most important systems in the body. It’s a highly trained network that connects all the organs and all of our tissues so that we can function. The network includes the arteries, the veins and the lymph nodes, from head to toe. It allows for the flow of all of the nutrients that we need to think, to speak, to move, and to feel well.

In Canada, vascular disease is the leading cause of preventable death and disability. It happens when there are issues with how blood flows through the body—whether that’s in the arteries, the veins or even with the blood itself.

Vascular patients tend to have multiple life-threatening conditions that require complex, time-sensitive care. If that care has to happen in a traditional operating suite, they will have one surgery, recover, have another surgery, recover, and so on. But that traditional process extends the length of treatment a lot longer than necessary and many patients aren’t strong enough or don’t have time to endure multiple procedures and their recoveries.

A solution exists. A hybrid operating room allows specialized clinical teams to perform diagnostic imaging, minimally invasive procedures, and complex surgeries on one patient, in one room, during one surgical session.

This groundbreaking approach offers safer and more seamless care, leading to better patient outcomes, and ensuring patients experience…

  • Less pain
  • Fewer complications
  • Faster recovery time

Currently, PRHC’s operating suites don’t support hybrid care. To create a hybrid OR at PRHC for the first time, $6 million in donor support is needed. The PRHC Foundation is committed to making this a reality and reimagining surgical care for thousands of patients from across our region.

For more information or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.

Charitable Giving Advisor, Community Giving & Engagement

Full Time, Permanent
$58,000-$68,000

The PRHC Foundation is looking for a Charitable Giving Advisor, Community Giving & Engagement to join us in a full-time, permanent role. This opportunity comes as one of our valued team members returns to post-secondary studies. We’re proud to support their next chapter and are now looking for someone equally passionate to help carry this important work forward.

Continue reading

PRHC ranked among Canada’s top 300 employers by Forbes

In January, PRHC was named one of Canada’s 300 best employers for 2025, securing an impressive 19th place in the healthcare category. The recognition comes as a result of an anonymous survey conducted by Forbes, where employees were asked if they would recommend their employer to others, alongside ratings on key factors such as:

  • Salary
  • Work flexibility
  • Training programs
  • Opportunities for career advancement

Donors play a vital role in ensuring that PRHC can provide the best in patient care and create a workplace where over 3,100 staff, 450 physicians with privileges, and 250 volunteers can thrive.

For more information or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.

Donors are helping transform the path from hospital to home with a new model of care for short-stay patients

On December 9, the Reactivation Care Centre opened its doors at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, providing patients with specialized care so they can return home safely. PRHC Foundation donors helped make this possible through $400,000 in funding. 

The 12-bed Reactivation Care Centre is helping PRHC patients who no longer require acute care, navigate their next steps with a new treatment model. With a focus on seniors, the Centre supports patients through short-stay admissions, where each individual works towards specific goals so they can return home in safety and comfort.

“The Reactivation Care Unit is a pilot project, ensuring that every patient has access to specialized, restorative care to prepare them for a successful discharge from the hospital,” says Dr. Lynn Mikula, President & CEO of PRHC. “It’s also helping our hospital address the increasing demands of our growing and aging community in the region.”

At the heart of the Centre is a team of skilled professionals who provide personalized, comprehensive care, working closely with caregivers as essential partners in the recovery process. This team-based approach ensures that each patient’s unique needs are met—patients like Flo Cranley (pictured above), who expressed her thanks to donors for their support of the new facility and its equipment.

Another patient benefiting from the Reactivation Care Centre is Jeff Dumoulin (pictured). A 65-year-old horse trainer, Jeff was injured in an accident with one of his horses in 2022. The incident left him with long-lasting mobility challenges, leading to frequent stays in the hospital.

“I’ve been in and out of the hospital. Every time I return home, I end up falling and coming right back,” Jeff shares. “I was trying, but I needed more support.”

When Jeff found out that he had a spot in the new Reactivation Care Centre, he felt hopeful.

“The minute I walked in the door, the staff had a plan,” says Jeff. “This is the difference of whether I go home and can walk up and down my stairs again. Everyone in my life realizes I’m getting the help I need to get back to living a functional life.”

Stories like Jeff’s are made possible by the generosity of donors who understand the importance of world-class care, close to home. Thanks to their support, $400,000 in funding was provided to the Reactivation Care Centre through the PRHC Foundation’s Campaign for PRHC.

“One of the focus areas for the campaign is to address urgent needs at the hospital as they arise,” says Lesley Heighway, President & CEO of PRHC Foundation. She explains that ‘undesignated’ gifts to the Foundation can be directed to the highest priority need, which enables a quick response to the hospital’s most pressing requests. “So it’s you, donors, who enabled us to fund critical equipment such as patient beds, vital signs monitors, and specialized wheelchairs for the Centre,” she says.

“With these gifts you’re empowering us to do what the hospital needs, quickly, when they need it. Your support is truly reimagining healthcare. Thank you!”

For more information or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.