More people are seeking mental health care than ever before, with waitlists at Peterborough Regional Health Centre growing. To meet that increasing need and support the higher standard of care expected today in mental health spaces built more than 16 years ago, it’s crucial to make changes now so patients receive the best care possible.
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In 2024, PRHC introduced exciting, new donor-funded technology for breast cancer patients called breast seed localization. As PRHC general surgeon Dr. Brie Banks explained at the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival donation presentation in June, the technology is already making an impact on care.
Essentially, breast seed localization is a tiny radioactive seed, about the size of a grain of rice, placed directly at the site of a patient’s tumour. It helps surgeons locate the tumour more precisely during surgery.
This process is a big improvement from older methods, which were less comfortable, more invasive and stressful for patients. And the best part? Because of this donor-funded advancement, PRHC can perform more breast cancer surgeries every day. That means more patients are getting the care they need, faster.
“Having breast seed at PRHC has dramatically increased access to state-of-the-art surgery for breast cancer patients. Not only are we able to look after more patients in the day, but the process is much less difficult for them. Seed localization is more comfortable and convenient,” says Dr. Banks. “I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all the donors who made this advancement possible.”
On October 9th, the PRHC Foundation proudly hosted this year’s Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival gift announcement. Together, the Festival’s host team, Survivors Abreast, the Dragon Boat Festival Planning Committee, Platinum Sponsor Kawartha Credit Union, paddlers, volunteers, and supporters, presented the Foundation with a record-breaking donation of $312,025.18 – the largest single gift in the Festival’s history!
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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation has embarked on a transformative journey with the official launch of its $60 million Campaign for PRHC, marking the largest fundraising effort in both the hospital’s and the PRHC Foundation’s history.
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In a remarkable gesture of compassion and commitment, local philanthropists Dr. Patricia and David Morton have donated $500,000 to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation and the future of mental health and addictions care at the hospital.
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A severe mental health crisis led Ashley Webster to seek emergency care at PRHC. There she started to receive the tools she needed to make positive changes in her life. To say thanks for that care and inspire donations in support of other mental health patients, she’s sharing her story…
“Imagine a world that’s always dark, where every step feels heavy. To me, it felt like a never-ending night, where the light just couldn’t break through. When you’ve felt this darkness, you want to do whatever you can to stop someone else from feeling that same isolation.
During my treatment and recovery, my garden became my sanctuary. With the sunshine on my face and my hands in the soil, those difficult days felt a little brighter and easier to handle. But, like recovering from any illness, my journey to healing requires time and space.
Just like cardiologists and surgeons need the right technology to treat our bodies, mental health professionals need the right tools and facilities to treat our minds. That includes spaces that are specially designed for mental health patients: rooms with plenty of natural light, and secure outdoor areas that help patients heal in safety and in peace. Knowing how important my garden was to me during my darkest days, I became a PRHC Foundation donor to make sure others have healing spaces in their treatment for recovery.
Please join me in supporting modern mental health facilities at PRHC and be part of investing in the future of mental health care in our region.”
For more information or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.
More people than ever before are seeking mental health care. Patient wait lists are growing and at PRHC, the spaces where mental health diagnosis and treatment take place are over 15 years old and aren’t designed to support today’s standard of care.
For example, current patients of PRHC’s Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) have no access to the outside even though their stays could be weeks or even months long.
We can help by funding modern, safe spaces where PRHC’s doctors, nurses and staff will provide expert, compassionate care. With donor support, PRHC will invest $1.75 million to create a specially designed outdoor PICU courtyard to give patients access to natural light and fresh air, and support therapeutic best practices – helping shape the future of mental health care in our region.
For more information or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.
In January, donations helped your hospital bring Dr. Jillian Horton, an award-winning medical educator, writer, musician, podcaster, and guest speaker, to an event attended by the Health Centre’s professional staff, including doctors, dentists, midwives and nurse practitioners.
Dr. Horton develops programs related to health and wellness and in 2020 she won the AFMC-Gold Humanism Award. At the PRHC event, she shared valuable knowledge on preventing burnout.
Burnout is a growing concern in the healthcare sector affecting staff, including doctors, the ability of hospitals to recruit and retain healthcare providers, and ultimately, the quality of care.
Donor sponsorship of this event shows PRHC’s professional staff that we stand with them, that we understand the importance of their work – and our role in supporting it – now and for the future of healthcare in our region.
Thank you, donors!
For more info about your impact or to donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.
Every year since her breast cancer diagnosis almost ten years ago, Amy Semple attends a mammogram and MRI appointment at PRHC to monitor her health. This past year, her check-up was different for one big reason: Amy underwent an MRI in one of PRHC’s two new, state-of-the-art MRI machines.
Before her appointment, Amy learned about the benefits of the advanced technology, which produces detailed images of organs and structures in the body. The new equipment takes higher resolution images, faster, in a more comfortable experience for patients like her – representing a giant leap forward in patient care at PRHC.
“I’ve always appreciated the level of care I’ve received at PRHC and the big scope of donor-funded equipment needed to support my and other patients’ survival,” said Amy. “But seeing firsthand the new technology at this year’s appointment really highlighted the impact that donors have made in my life over the last decade. Thank you!”
The more recent installation of the second MRI unit, funded by a $2 million legacy gift, has allowed the hospital to increase diagnostic imaging capacity, performing an additional 6,000 scans since the new machine became operational.
PRHC Physician Chief & Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Dr. Rola Shaheen, elaborated, “It’s having a positive impact on regional wait times. It’s increasing our overall efficiency and empowering us to offer a level of care not previously possible, including MRI-guided breast biopsy procedures, and better, clearer neurological, prostate and cardiovascular imaging.”
“We’re able to produce much higher quality images in less time,” she added, “while providing a significantly improved patient experience. With the support of donors, we can deliver the full spectrum of service needed to diagnose and treat disease, close to home.”
The estate gift that made this possible was from Dr. Anne Keenleyside, a highly respected Trent University professor of bioarcheology who passed away in October 2022 after succumbing to cancer.
PRHC Foundation President & CEO, Lesley Heighway, said Anne was inspired to invest in equipment and technology that support cancer care innovation: “Anne wanted her gift to connect her passion for scientific innovation with her desire to help the patients who would come after her. We’re so grateful for her incredible generosity.”
For more information on legacy giving or to donate, please call 705-876-5000.
Local philanthropists Martin and Denise Pick have demonstrated their continued commitment to fostering innovation and compassion with a $1 million donation to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation.
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