Thank you, volunteers!

This week marks National Volunteer Week and the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation team is joining the rest of Canada in honouring the incredible contributions of the countless volunteers who make a difference for our Foundation, hospital and the region we serve.

This year’s theme, “Volunteers Make Waves,” reflects the powerful, far-reaching impact of volunteerism. Just like a wave, PRHC Foundation and hospital volunteer efforts create movement, build momentum, and have a ripple effect of care and compassion for patients and their loved ones from across our region, for generations to come.

We want to take this special week to express our gratitude for the volunteers who support our mission. They give their time, energy, enthusiasm and donations to help reimagine patient care at PRHC. From our Foundation Board of Directors and committees to the dedicated people who work in The PRHC Foundation Gift Shop, from our office volunteer and Allied Professional Advisory Council to our Campaign Council and campaign ambassadors, from the organizers of community events and personal fundraising challenges to their participants and supporters; your efforts are helping transform patient care at PRHC. The work we do wouldn’t be possible without you.

“Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and your unwavering commitment to the Foundation, PRHC and your community,” says PRHC Foundation President & CEO, Lesley Heighway. “Your support makes it possible to fund lifesaving equipment and fuel innovation, to bring new services to our region, and recruit and retain the best healthcare experts. You are helping make the $60 million Campaign for PRHC an ongoing success, so far raising over $52.9 million—that’s 88% per cent of the total goal. Thank you!”

From all of us at the PRHC Foundation and on behalf of patients and their families, thank YOU—together we are creating waves of change, together we are reimagining healthcare in our region.

Being kind is sweet at PRHC: Couture Candy now at the Gift Shop!

Exciting news! Couture Candy PTBO’s sweet treats are now available at the PRHC Foundation Gift Shop. Couture Candy owners Lisa and Matt Couture, who are Campaign for PRHC ambassadors and longtime supporters of the Foundation, joined PRHC Foundation team members in the hospital cafeteria for the launch on Thursday, April 24. Thank you, Couture Candy, for your ongoing partnership!

Various sized bags of mixed candies and a pick ‘n’ mix trio pack were for sale in the cafeteria over the lunch hour and will be available in the Gift Shop – located on the fourth floor of the hospital just inside the main entrance – going forward.

PRHC Foundation Gift Shop proceeds, including those from the sale of Couture Candy at the Gift Shop, support patient care at PRHC. They help fund equipment and technology – not funded by the government – that doctors, nurses and staff use to save and change lives.

Pictured from left to right: Bethany Dainton, PRHC Foundation Manager of Community Giving & Engagement, Patty Serota, PRHC Foundation Gift Shop Coordinator, Lisa Couture and Matt Couture.

Finance & Administrative Assistant

Due to an internal promotion, we’re looking for a new Finance & Administrative Assistant – the next great member of our team. Is it you? If you believe as we do that reimagining healthcare at Peterborough Regional Health Centre has never been more important than it is right now, read on!

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Ready, set, dough! Smile Cookie is coming back to PRHC April 28-May 4

We dough-n’t know about you, but we’ve been crumbling with excitement waiting for this sweet week! From Monday, April 28 to Sunday, May 4, Smile Cookie returns to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre cafeteria’s Compass Canada Tim Hortons location.

These aren’t just any cookies—they’re cookies with a cause! 100% of the proceeds from Smile Cookie sales at the PRHC location will be donated to the PRHC Foundation, helping fund the equipment and technology that support life-changing care at our regional hospital every day.

Thank you to Compass Canada Manager Warren and his team who make this fundraiser a success every year. And of course, a massive thank you to all the cookie lovers and supporters who keep the smiles going strong!

Donor-funded digital pathology will be a game-changer for cancer care at PRHC

Powered by the PRHC Foundation’s $60 million Campaign for PRHC, our regional hospital will bring critical advancements like digital pathology to our region, keeping Peterborough Regional Health Centre at the forefront of medical innovation.

With the help of donors, PRHC is committed to transforming the future of healthcare in our community, and digital pathology is a key part of that vision. “Almost everyone will be impacted by cancer at some point in their life,” says pathologist Dr. Katie O’Reilly, PRHC’s Medical Director of Laboratory Medicine and PRHC Foundation ambassador for digital pathology. “If we don’t make a strategic decision now to digitize the pathology lab, we and our region’s patients will be left behind.”

Dr. O’Reilly is often asked what pathology is. Many people are unaware of the laboratory or what they do there, but it’s essential to many areas of care, including cancer care.

“If you come to the hospital for cancer care, there’s going to be some decision made in our laboratory in some way,” says Dr. O’Reilly. Pathology plays a vital role in cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. Digital pathology can speed up the process. Instead of relying on traditional glass slides, high-resolution digital images can be shared electronically between laboratories and pathologists, no matter where they’re located, making collaboration easier.

Right now, there’s a shortage of pathologists everywhere and cancer rates are on the rise – there were over 23,000 cancer care visits last year at PRHC. In addition, PRHC’s laboratory provides support for ­four partner hospitals. In total, 2.3 million tests were run through the laboratory in the last year.

Dr. O’Reilly believes this innovative technology will be a game changer for patient care in our region. “There’s more work than there are pathologists, so we’re hoping digital pathology can help us do more with less,” says Dr. O’Reilly.

Bringing digital pathology to PRHC will have many benefits, including:

  • Faster test result turnaround times for patients and physicians
  • Quicker diagnoses and treatment decisions for patients
  • Ability for pathologists to share and consult digitally
  • Improved accuracy

With continued investment from donors, the PRHC Foundation’s $60 million Campaign for PRHC will help bring this state-of-the-art solution to our regional hospital.

“Donor support is essential to making digital pathology a reality at PRHC,” says Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President & CEO. “Our donors are the driving force behind this campaign, helping us bring vital advancements in healthcare to our region.”

Dr. O’Reilly believes now is the time to bring this essential technology to PRHC and she knows it can’t be done without donor support: “Every bit of our work is possible because of the generosity of donors. Thank you so much.”

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

Joe and Ashley’s gift of health

Joe Curry describes his family’s decision to donate a life insurance policy in support of PRHC:

“I often think of Peterborough Regional Health Centre as the beating heart of our community. We’re so fortunate to have such a world-class regional hospital here in Peterborough.

When my wife Ashley and I think about the future, and the legacy we want to leave behind, PRHC is always top of mind. After all, Ashley’s a labour and delivery nurse at PRHC – which happens to be where both our boys were born.

The hospital is a constant, comforting fixture – both in our family and in this community. That’s why, when Ashley and I started thinking about our estate plans, we knew we wanted to include PRHC. As a ­financial planner and advisor, I knew there were plenty of ways to do this.

We settled on a life insurance policy, then immediately donated it to the PRHC Foundation. When Ashley and I are no longer here, the bene­fit will be paid to the Foundation. We still pay the premiums every year, but because the Foundation owns the policy, we receive a charitable donation receipt.

For my family, we can’t think of a better gift than the gift of health. That’s why we’ve chosen PRHC, so the people we love – and the people they love – will be able to get the best healthcare possible when they need it most.”

For more information on legacy or planned giving, or to share your donor story, please call 705-876-5000.

PRHC Foundation is part of Split the Pot community lottery!

We’re excited to announce that you can now support Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation through the Split the Pot Lottery!

With 73 hospital foundations across Ontario working together, Split the Pot is creating bigger prizes and more impact in our communities. Lottery players have the chance to win cash, and foundation partners across the province, like the PRHC Foundation, get the funds they need to continue changing and saving lives. 

With more prize winners and big cash and other prizes – including Early Bird draws and multiple chances to be a Grand Prize winner – there’s never been a more rewarding time to support PRHC Foundation and play the lottery. 

Visit splitthepot.ca to purchase tickets online and for more information on the prize breakdown, Early Bird deadlines, participating foundations and more. Or you can call 1-833-804-6262 to place your order over the phone.

Equipment spotlight on… Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP)

Imagine suffering a cardiac crisis and being rushed to a hospital far from your family and friends. Right now, patients at PRHC who are dealing with heart rhythm issues (arrhythmia) must travel to Kingston or Toronto for treatment. But with your support, Peterborough Regional Health Centre will change that with a new Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) Lab where experts will be able to address electrical conditions of the heart.

Supported by the Foundation’s $60 million Campaign for PRHC, our hospital is committed to expanding its cardiac services by building a state-of-the-art Cardiac EP Lab. Having this lifesaving equipment and technology will mean patients can get vital tests and procedures in our region, saving them stress, time, and the financial burden of travelling long-distances for care. By investing in the EP Lab, you’ll also be helping PRHC attract new, top medical experts who can diagnose and treat complex electrical conditions of the heart.

Thanks to donor support, PRHC recently renovated its two Cardiac Cath Lab suites, where expert teams fix cardiac blockages, restore blood flow, and even stop heart attacks while they’re happening. Now, we need your help to take PRHC’s world-class cardiac care a step further with electrophysiology. Your gift today will help make sure everyone’s heart stays in good hands – right here at home.

You can make a donation online, or for more information, please call 705-876-5000.