Jennie says thanks for her care by helping ensure others can get the care they need

It was 5:30 p.m. by the time Jennie Ireland got the diagnosis she’d been dreading. Suddenly, she was a 42-year-old single mom with a seven-year-old son, aging parents, and she’d just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Looking back, it was an awful time,” Jennie says. On sleepless nights, she worried about what her illness would mean for her son, Liam. Could she take him to hockey practice and help him with his schoolwork? Would she be there to watch him grow up? “But I refused to give up hope,” she says. “And receiving care at PRHC was my lifeline.”

Jennie explains that being able to get care in her community with donor-funded technology meant less worry. Without it, she would have had to travel to Toronto, Oshawa or even Kingston for months on end. “I believe it had a positive impact on my recovery,” she says. “Because I was able to get care close to home, I could focus on what mattered most: Getting better and keeping life as normal as possible for my son.”

Like many people, Jennie was surprised to find out that the government doesn’t fund hospital equipment and that a population of more than 600,000 relies on PRHC for care. This includes people from the city and county of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, east Durham, and the Haliburton Highlands.

Patients come to PRHC with a wide range of needs, from treatment for cancer, heart attacks and strokes, to surgery or mental health care. They may be seeking treatment in an emergency, or because of a chronic condition. Whatever the reason, Jennie wants to ensure that like her, others can get the care they need, close to home.

“I became a donor, volunteer fundraiser and a PRHC Foundation ambassador to help our hospital upgrade its technology so that more patients like me can get the care they need when they need it most,” says Jennie. “But PRHC can only do it with our help. I’d like everyone who can to join me in donating so doctors, nurses and staff have the best equipment to provide the best care.”

To donate, please call 705-876-5000 or click here.

Find out how, like Ivo, you can create a legacy for those you love most

Ivo Nightingale is a proud PRHC Foundation legacy donor. He explains why planned giving is important to him:

“For my wife, Lynda, and I, there were so many reasons we chose to make the Peterborough region our home: the people, the great theatre, our daughter and two grandchildren living nearby. But would it surprise you to know that PRHC was also a factor?

We knew, when we were deciding where to retire, that we’d likely need a great hospital eventually. And we were right. From stroke treatment, to cancer care, to emergency surgery, PRHC’s been there for our family through thick and thin. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience?

Lynda and I are so grateful for the amazing care we’ve received at PRHC. So, when our financial advisor suggested that we could reduce our estate taxes with a gift in our will, the PRHC Foundation felt like a natural fit.

It feels wonderful to know that we can provide for our family and grandchildren in our wills and leave them another gift: an exceptional regional hospital. Our gift today will make a difference tomorrow!”

For more information about making a gift through your Will to the PRHC Foundation, please call Lesley Heighway, President & CEO, at 705-743-2121, ext. 3859 or send her an email.

Always consult a professional financial advisor to discuss the best charitable giving options for you.

Your donations made it happen! New CTs are helping care providers see problems more clearly and safely

PRHC Foundation donors made it possible for the hospital to replace and upgrade outdated equipment with two new, cutting-edge CT scanners. Now, the team that uses them every day, has given us a special update about the impacts this $4.55 million investment is having on the care they provide to people from across our region.

CT scanners are essential. They’re the backbone of diagnostic imaging, used to visualize and confirm a wide range of illness and injury, such as blood clots, cancers, spinal issues, head injuries, fractures, obstructions, stroke, and cardiac disease, among many others. In a typical year at PRHC, around 33,000 CT scans are performed on approximately 28,000 patients. 

Dr. Rola Shaheen, PRHC Physician Chief and Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, explains that these scans are different than those provided by the old machines. “The new scanners are better at imaging everything. Images are clearer, more comprehensive and more precise, allowing for more accurate diagnosis. While image quality has vastly improved, the radiation dosage used is lower, which is safer for both the patient and the technologist,” she says.

“Also, with the new scanners, technologists can now perform cardiac CT imaging and brain perfusion exams for stroke patients. The machines also include an interventional radiology package, which supports more accurate biopsies. The old equipment didn’t have these capabilities.”

Dr. Shaheen and her colleagues are very grateful to donors for funding the CT scanners. “Thank you for understanding the value of state-of-the-art equipment. Thank you for funding the technology that helps me and my team care for our patients and do our jobs to the best of our abilities,” she says.

Brandon Ray, PRHC Senior Technologist, CT, agrees. “It’s wonderful to be able to offer safer, more accurate scans. The CT beds are also wider and offer more movement function than the old ones, so that makes the experience more comfortable and easier for the patient, especially those in pain,” he says. “Thank you, donors!”

For more information on the impact of your generosity, call 705-876-5000.

Together, we’re embracing spring, the next era of donor-funded care and PRHC’s new CEO

PRHC Foundation President & CEO Lesley Heighway outside the hospital

Dear Friends,

Spring has long been a time for renewal – spring cleaning, the anticipation of summer weather and fun, and for green thumbs like me, all those spring showers that bring the garden flowers. But this year, spring has had an extra feeling of transition.

I’m speaking of the March retirement of Health Centre President & CEO, Dr. Peter McLaughlin, after 17 years with PRHC and a 50-year career in healthcare. On behalf of the Foundation, congratulations to Dr. McLaughlin. We thank him for his wonderful support of the PRHC Foundation and his exceptional service and dedication to healthcare. Under his leadership, your hospital became a truly regional centre that up to 600,000 people rely on for care.

I’m also pleased to welcome new PRHC President & CEO, Dr. Lynn Mikula. She’s a longtime supporter of the PRHC Foundation and I’ve had the pleasure of working with her throughout her time at the Health Centre.

In a recent email to hospital and Foundation staff, Dr. Mikula explained how honoured she is to take on the role of President & CEO. She also asked me to tell you how grateful she is for your support:

“I’ve always been struck by the way the people of this community and hospital rise to meet every challenge – especially in the last three years as everyone has supported us through difficult times. Thank you, donors!” she says. “I also want to thank Dr. McLaughlin for his thoughtful, steady, compassionate leadership. We’ve worked together to ensure a smooth transition at PRHC and I’m eager to continue building the future of healthcare here.”

Dr. Mikula and I look forward to continuing the robust partnership between the hospital and the Foundation. I’m glad to have a strong relationship with her and the hospital leadership team as our organizations work together to shape the future of healthcare for our region. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our incredible donors and we’re grateful for your generosity.

Many of you are long term donors who over the years have helped us fund the vital technology PRHC’s doctors, nurses and staff need to provide world-class care. Thank you! Many others have more recently stepped up to join us as the pandemic, health human resource issues and economy have challenged our hospital and others – as well as you, your loved ones and neighbours – like never before. Thank you and welcome!

Whether you’re a new or an old friend of the Foundation, I’m moved every day by your support and the impact of your donations on patient care. Because of you, we’re celebrating a year and a half of diagnostic imaging on two new, cutting-edge CT scanners. We’re celebrating a $3.55 million state-of-the-art upgrade to the Cardiac Cath Lab. And although we have fundraising left to do, we’re already amazed by your support of your hospital’s $6 million investment in life-changing interventional radiology.

Your generosity also makes me so hopeful for the future. Your donations will help PRHC continue to provide care to a growing number of patients in an aging population, with higher rates of disease and more complex conditions. They’ll fuel exciting innovations in areas like minimally invasive care, bring new services once available only in big city centres to our region, and in turn continue to attract the best and brightest healthcare experts to work at PRHC.

I hope you feel that optimism, too. We’re doing something powerful together. On behalf of the thousands of patients and families who are touched by it, thank you!

Have a healthy and safe season,
Lesley Heighway
President & CEO, PRHC Foundation

New $3.55 million donor-funded Cardiac Cath Lab is keeping all our hearts here

Dr. Warren Ball, PRHC Interventional Cardiologist and Head of Division, Cardiology

We’re very happy to share that PRHC’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory reinvestment is now complete!

The two existing Cath Lab suites have been entirely renovated and upgraded, and began functioning at full capacity this fall. In the first month that both suites were operational, there were 324 Cath Lab visits, including 279 angiograms and 117 cardiac stenting procedures – some actually performed while a heart attack was taking place!

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Dr. Andrew Kelly joins the Cardiac Cath Lab team

Dr. Andrew Kelly, PRHC Interventional Cardiologist

PRHC was pleased to welcome Dr. Andrew Kelly earlier this summer. An interventional cardiologist, Dr. Kelly joins Dr. Warren Ball, Dr. Phong Nguyen-Ho and Dr. Katy Shufelt as the newest physician on the Cardiac Cath Lab team.

Dr. Kelly completed his medical degree at Ross University and went on to do residency training at the University of Connecticut for Internal Medicine and McMaster University for Cardiology, followed by a Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at McMaster University.

Donor investment in new state-of-the-art Cath Lab facilities was critical to PRHC’s ability to bring Dr. Kelly to our hospital and reflects the growth of this vital regional service. Thank you!

Patient grateful for donor-funded tools used to diagnose and treat her cancer, close to home

Smiling woman standing outside the PRHC

Tracey Germa’s mammogram was supposed to be routine, but a few days later she was back at PRHC for an ultrasound, then a biopsy. With invasive ductal carcinoma confirmed, Tracey had a mastectomy.

“Since then I’ve been grateful, again and again, to PRHC’s doctors, nurses, and staff for their expert care and their compassion,” she says.

Tracey is also thankful to donors, who funded the tools her team used to diagnose and treat her close to home.

“From the mammography machines and ultrasounds, to the surgical suites, lab equipment and Dysart Radiation Centre. Thanks to donors, I had access to leading-edge technology that helped PRHC shorten my wait times while giving my doctor the clearest results,” she says. “Our hospital gave me a better chance at surviving.”

Our CEO is inspiring future fundraisers!

Congratulations to our President & CEO Lesley Heighway who recently spent a week volunteering as an instructor at the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s prestigious Madison Institute at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business.

“A year’s worth of learning in just five days”, the Institute offers healthcare development professionals an opportunity to learn and share best practices in healthcare philanthropy, while developing valuable professional connections.

A two-time graduate of the Institute herself, Lesley says she was honoured to have the opportunity to help inspire future fundraisers.

“Teaching at Madison was such a rewarding and affirming experience,” she says. “As a believer in life-long learning, it was a pleasure to share my skills and experience while also learning from my students, all of whom were as passionate about our cause as I am!”

Impact Spotlight: Donor-funded ED equipment is helping save patients’ sight

A doctor examines a patient's eyes using a slit lamp

Last year, more than 76,000 patients visited Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s Emergency Department (ED) in search of urgent, expert healthcare. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s historically one of the busiest EDs in the province.

Throughout the year, emergency physician Dr. Aidan Cunniffe and his colleagues use an ophthalmology microscope known as a slit lamp up to 2,000 times to diagnose urgent eye health issues and help save patients’ sight. This essential equipment many of us have encountered during a scheduled eye exam includes a binocular microscope and a strong, concentrated light.

Used so often, the slit lamp wore out last year and was replaced – not like-for-like – but with more advanced equipment funded by PRHC Foundation donors. The new technology is more reliable and instead of incandescent light bulbs that regularly burn out, features powerful, long-lasting LED light.

Dr. Cunniffe uses the lamp to examine a patient’s eyes and get a clear, 3-D look at what is happening in and around them. By adjusting the light, he can look at different parts of the eyes and face, including the skin around the eye, the eyelids and lashes, the surface and other layers of the eye, and the retina. The lamp helps him spot foreign bodies, abrasion of the cornea, signs of impact or detachment of the retina, and infection.

“Occupational injuries are a common emergency eye health issue we see in the ED,” says Dr. Cunniffe. “Recently a patient who had been injured at work came in with a lacerated cornea – a cut into the eyeball. He’d lost his vision. The slit lamp helped me diagnose the injury quickly, expediting an emergency eye surgery to save his sight.”

It’s crucial that PRHC’s emergency doctors, nurses and staff have the technology necessary to diagnose patients and get them the best treatment as soon as possible. Because the government doesn’t fund equipment, PRHC counts on donors to fund the lifesaving and life-changing tools the hospital’s healthcare providers need – essentials like the slit lamp.

“Thank you, donors,” says Dr. Cunniffe. “Because of your generosity the new slit lamp is helping me provide vital care to patients from across the region.”