Fewer surgeries. Faster recovery. Less worry.

When you’re facing the complex, life-threatening effects of vascular disease, being told you need urgent surgical care to avoid amputation is overwhelming enough. Right now, at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, vascular patients often need multiple procedures on different days to save life and limb. Each carries its own risk, recovery, and stress.

A hybrid operating room would change that.

This advanced surgical space would allow PRHC’s experts to perform multiple procedures at once, in a single room, during a single session. 

For patients, that means fewer risks and complications, a shorter hospital stay, only one recovery, and most importantly, more time at home with family and friends, doing what they love with less pain. 

This is the future of vascular care. A hybrid OR will make better, more advanced, lifesaving treatment available close to home for the more than 600,000 people in our region who rely on PRHC. 

But this $6 million cutting-edge technology won’t be funded by the government. It will be possible only through donor support. Help bring safer, faster vascular care to PRHC, because every second counts.

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

Lace up for Blades of Bravery

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Mom Victoria Wasson, dad Stephen Moloney, brother Wyatt and sister Harper – who recently donated $5,309.80 to the PRHC Foundation from an earlier fundraiser – are inviting the community to lace up their skates to support the smallest and bravest cancer warriors among us.

Wyatt was just eight months old when he was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. Throughout every treatment and hospital stay, he received expert, compassionate care at PRHC. His family is passionate about giving back by supporting pediatric cancer care at the Health Centre. This month it’s through Blades of Bravery, a special family-friendly open skate.

  • When: September 20, 2025, 1-2pm
  • Where: Peterborough Memorial Centre
  • Admission: By donation

Come and enjoy hot chocolate, sweet treats, and the warmth of a community united for a meaningful cause. Please sport your yellow or gold to show your support for childhood cancer awareness.

PRHC joins elite ranks with age-friendly designation

PRHC is one of the first Canadian hospitals to receive the Age-Friendly Health System designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. With it, PRHC joins a global movement to improve care for older adults, with over 2,700 international health systems taking part in the initiative that launched in 2017.

This recognition highlights PRHC’s commitment to delivering high-quality, senior-focused care through initiatives such as the Senior’s Care Centre of Excellence and the donor-funded Reactivation Care Centre. It also reinforces hospital leadership in adapting to the evolving healthcare needs of our aging population.

“As our community continues to grow and age and as our patients’ care needs evolve, it’s critical we continue to transform, innovate and invest in programs and partnerships to support seniors,” says Noel Bennett, VP, Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive, PRHC.

For more information or to donate in support of the equipment and technology that helps PRHC deliver this kind of care, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.

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.