Your Health Matters - Summer 2024

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YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Absolute Gratitude for the Community

When he needed a support system, Chris found a community rallying around him.

Chris had never stayed in a hospital. He understood what they offered, but had never needed to experience it. When he contracted COVID in 2019, had to be put in a medicallyinduced coma for 9 weeks, and suddenly faced months of recovery afterwards…

He finally understood the powerful community hospitals can be. He got to experience it firsthand at Royal Columbian Hospital thanks to supporters like you.

Time and time again when Chris thought he couldn’t make it through his recovery journey, there was an entire community surrounding him reminding him he could. “Even if I had all the motivation in the world, I needed the guidance and structure and expertise of the individuals here as a whole. Not just one person, but an entire unit.”

Patients First, Always

Dr. Rohrs knows she has you by her side when it comes to putting patients first.

Patients first. We know you agree with us about that. And our teams do, too.

Because no matter the area of care, no matter the type of treatment, no matter the cost of the research… It always comes back to the people we’re caring for and what’s best for them.

And people like you were there too. Whether you knew it or not, your steadfast support made Chris’ longterm recovery possible.

And none of it was lost on Chris. He sums it up like this:

“Am I grateful? Absolutely.”

Thank you for being part of this unit—this community—to care for patients like Chris.

Your generosity was an integral part of the holistic care Chris received.

Just look at Dr. Elizabeth Rohrs. As the Academic Research Lead for the Advancing Innovation in Medicine (AIM) group and a respiratory therapist, she worked hard to find ways to prevent lung injury for patients on ventilators.

Her research now looks at ways to help patients get off ventilators safely. “The old methods of ventilator removals can cause PTSD and lung scarring. We need to find better ways,” she explains.

In honour of her groundbreaking work, she was recently nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction award recognizing her exceptional contributions to research, the sciences, and technology in the greater Vancouver area.

When she was given the opportunity to continue her respiratory research at Royal Columbian Hospital, she didn’t have to think twice. It was “such an amazing opportunity,” she reflects. “It meant I got to stay at the hospital that I know with the patient groups that I really want to support.”

And she knows she couldn’t do it without you—people who agree that patients come first.

Thank you for ensuring our teams can do what they love—all for the sake of patients.

So she gives her utmost thanks to everyone who makes her work possible—you included.

“I am here today, truly, because of their support.”

Living Proof of Your Compassion

Bill doesn’t know how to put his thanks into words. Here’s a start…

We all have dreams for our lives. Bill was living his back in 2018. He spent lots of time with his family, played the piano, and worked on home improvement projects.

But one of those projects quickly turned traumatic when Bill’s hand was caught in a chop saw. He was immediately rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital for trauma care. “If it had been another hospital… My life would have been totally different,” Bill reflects.

Because it wasn’t just the top-quality treatment that made a life-changing difference for Bill. He clearly remembers the dedication and kindness of his doctors, nurses, and support staff through it all.

“I’m just an ordinary guy who’s living proof of what compassion can mean,” says Bill.

You helped make Bill’s care possible so he can keep living his dreams.

Because we need compassion in our staff and you, our supporters, to make sure patients like Bill are treated in the best, most holistic way possible.

Through immediate trauma response and long-term physical therapy, Bill knew his doctors, nurses, and support staff all saw him as a real person. They clearly explained what his treatment plan would be, listened to every question he had, and always cared with compassion.

When asked what he would like to say to everyone— including you!—who made his care possible, Bill says, “I couldn’t put it into words. All I could do is give them a great big hug. And there’d be a lot of tears because it was something I will never forget.”

Thanks to your generosity, he’s now back to where he was before the accident: “I have a good quality of life. I can play the piano. I’m back to my dreams.”

The Next Step with You By Our Side

Thank you for helping us take the next step in reaching even more patients with the best possible care.

When we add new technology or innovative procedures to our hospital, we want you to take pride in it with us.

Because you’re the one making it a reality. Without your support, our treatment and recovery offerings wouldn’t even come close to where they are now.

Recently, you helped make a new Cardiac Multipurpose Suite a reality. The new suite increases on-site capacity for cardiac procedures, improves wait times for patients, expands our ability to perform a variety of procedures using the latest technology, and allows for flexibility in procedure types.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: the suite has “truly transformed our ability to provide enhanced and specialized care to patients.” That’s what Natasha Kohli, Manager of Clinical Operations & Program Services at the Cardiac Cath. Lab, can say with confidence. Now, “when critical situations arise, we can swiftly adjust our resources and prioritize patients in need.”

You helped make this possible—and we couldn’t be more grateful. We know you believe our communities across the province deserve the best care, and we can’t thank you enough.

But as Natasha says, “this suite marks the first step in our journey.” There’s still many advancements to make!

Thank you for assuring staff like Natasha that people like you believe in what she and her team are doing—and only want to see it grow!

You’ve revolutionized the way our Interventional Team cares for patients.

Learn more about RCHF and the role it plays in our community

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

330 East Columbia Street

New Westminster, BC V3L 3W7

Charitable Registration Number: 11912 8866 RR0001

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