PRHC is growing and evolving. At the heart of that growth are experienced professionals like Intensive Care Unit RN Emma Harris. Emma is playing a key role in creating a stronger, more connected workplace through the development of the Peer Support program. Watch episode 6 of Heart of Healthcare to learn more.
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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.
To register, learn more or for sponsorship details, please visit the tournament’s website.
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:
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.
By starting a fundraising page, I was able to give everyone an easy way to offer their support when they didn’t know what else to do and it allowed me to accept the help my network wanted to provide, knowing it would support other patients like me.
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I’m not a doctor, I don’t wear a lab coat. I don’t check pulses or read charts. I don’t scrub in, administer medication, or diagnose a thing. But each and every month, our hospital relies on me to help save lives. My name is Susan Dunkley and I’m proud to be a monthly donor to Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.
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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!
A hybrid operating suite allows specialists to perform imaging, minimally invasive procedures, and open surgery—on one patient, in one room, on the same day.
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“There are some people who leave a trail of kindness behind them wherever they go. My dad, Reverend James Moulton, was one of those people…
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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…
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.
