YOU DID IT! RADIO-THON GOES OVER $200,000 GOAL! Thursday, February 11th was a day unlike any other at the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation, as we celebrated the Love Your Hospital Radio-thon 2016! Acadia Broadcasting stations Country 94 and 97.3 The Wave broadcast live from the hospital from 6 am until 6 pm and featured stories from patients and healthcare professionals in their own words. Listeners called in, made donations and had their personal messages of why they love their hospital read on air. Our community rose to the matching gift challenge presented by Potash Corporation and the Dowd and Hovey Families on behalf of Somerset Investments, and thanks to the numerous community groups, hospital staff members, businesses and individuals who donated, our 4th Annual Love Your Hospital raised over $200,000 in 20 days. Volunteers who answered the phones were brought to tears at times by the heartwarming stories they heard from grateful patients and family members, and by overwhelmingly generous donations from the community and across the province. Hospital staff and physicians touch the lives of patients and families during milestone moments in their lives, and every kindness is remembered and appreciated.
A MESSAGE FROM JEFF MCALOON Being part of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation is truly a privilege. Every day I get to hear from patients and family members about how our very talented Saint John Regional Hospital staff and physicians treat with care and skill. As patients ourselves, my family has also experienced this compassion and care first hand. I see the passion that our physicians, administrative leaders, and clinical staff pour into their desire to provide an excellent patient experience. I get to hear staff talk about new programs, training, research, and pieces of equipment that will help them continue to excel in providing leading-edge health care. I am excited at the role our donors have played, and will continue to play, in attracting top new clinical talent to our region, and in offering continuing opportunities to excel in the care we are able to provide for our community. It is almost impossible to convey the enormity of the difference that you and other Foundation donors have made to the Saint John Regional Hospital through your support. The recent purchase of the “O-Arm” for our Orthopaedic and Neurosurgeons is the most recent example of the power you have to change the course of health care in our community.
$200,000 in twenty days seemed like a weighty target in early January, but thanks to donors like you, this year we set a new record for this event, raising $200,450! It wouldn’t have been possible without the combined efforts of every single donor, working together to achieve such tremendous success. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Foundation as well as the many patients who will benefit from the funds raised, THANK YOU for your generosity, we couldn’t have done it without you!
But your power is not limited to the purchase of one piece of equipment. Your gifts have created opportunities for research that have been directly applied to patient care; for staff education that improves skills, patient care and staff morale; for mental wellness projects throughout the province that provide support and treatment for those with mental health issues; and for patient comfort items that make the overall patient experience more comfortable. There are few areas of the Hospital that have not benefited from your generosity, and the entire community is the better for it. I hope you enjoy the latest issue of our “Inspired Care” newsletter. If you have any questions about the newsletter or the Foundation, please don’t hesitate to contact us. It is your generosity that powers the Foundation, and your input is always welcomed. Sincerely,
Jeff McAloon President and CEO