“Where you heal helps determine how you heal.”

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.

Make hope and recovery possible

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.

You’re helping hospital staff prevent burnout

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.

New youth eating disorders day treatment program and clinic space at PRHC named in recognition of Scotiabank’s $250,000 pledge

Representatives of donor, Scotiabank, at the dedication of a hospital treatment space

We’re so pleased to announce that the new Youth Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program area at PRHC has been unveiled and dedicated to Scotiabank!

Scotiabank regional leaders were at the hospital for the dedication event celebrating the Bank’s $250,000 pledge to fund the essential treatment area for the program, which launched in December in response to devastating increases in demand. It will help fill the treatment gap between those who can be successfully treated in an out-patient setting, and those who need more supervised, acute treatment and support to avoid admission to hospital or a long-term residential program. It’s designed to support youth 12-25 years old who need lifesaving care to normalize their eating and restore weight.

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RBC Foundation’s $5,000 gift in support of mental health care

Representatives from PRHC Foundation and RBC pose with a big cheque

On behalf of the PRHC Foundation, President & CEO, Lesley Heighway (left), gratefully received a generous donation of $5,000 from RBC Foundation. Presented by RBC Community Manager Peterborough & Lakefield, Karalee Murray (centre) and RBC Regional Vice President, Glen Dormody (right), this wonderful gift is in support of Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s Talk Now Mental Health and Addictions clinic.

The Talk Now clinic provides mental health care and addictions services to patients of all ages. It is a partnership between PRHC, Peterborough Youth Services, Canadian Mental Health Association HKPR, Four Counties Addiction Services team, Kinark Child and Family Services, and the Peterborough Family Health Team.