The Paris Independent Willett Hospital 100th Anniversary Special Feature

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The Paris Independent WILLETT HOSPITAL - THE FIRST 100 YEARS

The Willett Cornerstone of healthcare in Paris for 100 years

SPECIAL FEATURE

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The Paris Independent

July 9, 2022

W I L L E T T PA S T

The founding of a hospital in Paris

By Chris Whelan In 1922 on July 1st, His Honour Lieutenant Governor Henry Cockshutt officially opened the new Willett Hospital. C. B. Robinson had been elected to the chairmanship of a committee of 12 representative citizens in 1920 to forward the plans for a hospital in Paris made possible through a bequest from the late Mrs. Anne Willett. Possibly many years might have elapsed without Paris acquiring a hospital had it not been for the generous bequest of $20,000.00 for the establishment of a hospital in Paris by Mrs. Anne Willett, a resident of Paris for 20 years. The bequest was made as a result of a suggestion made by Dr. D. Dunton in response to Mrs. Willett's request for advice on a suitable memorial to her husband, who had come to Paris in 1896 from Australia, and who had a keen interest in local affairs. $5000 of the capital sum was to be used as an endowment fund for maintenance.

In 1919 Town Council, under Mayor J. M. Patterson, purchased an excellent site located at the northern end of the town with a fine view over the surrounding country. On May 4, 1920, the committee for the forwarding of the plans under C. B. Robinson’s chairmanship was appointed and no time was lost in procuring the services of F. C. Bodley, Brantford, as architect.

The result was a small but complete and thoroughly up-todate hospital unit, housed in an attractive, light brown, brick building, which constructed and equipped at a cost of approximately $34,000. The Town gave a total of $18,000 towards the land and buildings and the balance was raised by Mr. Robinson’s committee and the help of the many generous donations from the Board of Trade, local Red Cross Branch,

and Interested organizations and citizens. The building was turned over to the Board of Governors entirely free of encumbrance with a small balance on hand.

The first Board consisted of John Harold, Chairman, C. B. Robinson, Treasurer, Dr. D. Dunton, Secretary, and Mrs. C. E. Dunn, and Mayor H. Rehder ex officio. Shortly thereafter the following additional members were added: J. J. Flahiff, Mrs. J. K. Martin, Charles A. McCormick, and W. T. Thompson, the last two continuing in active duty for almost 25-years. On July 1, the new hospital was officially opened. Miss A. E. Arthur was placed in charge as Superintendent on July 18, and the first patient was admitted the following day. Miss Florence Inksater was the first nurse on their staff. Continued on page 3

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The Paris Independent

July 9, 2022

W I L L E T T PA S T Willett gains reputation for high-quality care

PHOTO 1925 the Willett Hospital after the I.O.D.E (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire) at Paris provided the two-story sunrooms

Extensions Made: The Willett Hospital flourished from the outset and as early as 1923 began to be cramped for space for the patients who came. The I.O.D.E. made the first major contribution when they initiated the sunroom project in memory of Nursing Sister Dorothy Baldwin who gave her life in World War One. This was erected by W. T. Thomson and officially opened in 1924.

Approximately 50 per cent of the cost was assumed by this fine organization. In 1926 the increased number on the nursing staff necessitated the purchase of a nurses' residence for the sum of $5,500. It was not until the 30’s that the limitations of the hospital became severe and the muchneeded extra space was

provided by the addition of a wing that not only increased the rated bed capacity from 16 to 35, but greatly added to the hospital’s services: a modern operating and case rooms, Xray and laboratory, doctor’s dressing rooms, improved kitchen and dining room, laundry office, and waiting rooms, improved nursery facilities, and above all else, a modern elevator. The wing was designed by the well-known firm of Govan, Ferguson and Lindsay of Toronto, the cost of the new extension being in the neighborhood of $52,000, $10,000 of which was granted by the Town of Paris and $15,000 by the County of Brant.

The remainder was supplied from funds provided by bequests - from organizations.

From the beginning the new services were fully employed and 25 years later even the reception and board rooms were in use, on occasion, as wards.

“Among hospitals of its size in Canada’’ Mr. Harold states “none has had a better record from all points of view than the Willett Hospital. Staffed entirely by graduate nurses and with the finest of equipment, its aim is to make patients feel at home and although hard pressed times due to shortage of nurses and staff all members of the organization are imbued with a high sense of responsibility towards their patients and service beyond the call of duty is of frequent occurrence”.

Medical Staff: Dr. D. Dunton gave unsparingly of his time and talents to the hospital throughout the balance of his life and his son Dr. A. S. Dunton is at present a member of the Board of Governors with Dr. E. B. Patterson. All the other members of the medical fraternity in town have taken an active interest in affairs of the hospital throughout the years. Dr. F. H. Jeffrey acted as Vice-Chairman and Chairman during the particularly trying time of the war years when capacity was taxed, and help was difficult to obtain. The late Doctors Munroe and Gould both served on the Board, as well as Doctors Foote and Gregory.

Continued on page 4

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The Paris Independent

July 9, 2022

W I L L E T T PA S T A.E. Arthur early champion of Willett Hospital Miss A. E. Arthur was Superintendent of Paris Willett Hospital 1922 - 1961

Willett site of first ‘without training’ school: Another feature of the Willett Hospital that made it outstanding was that in its early years, it was the first hospital to be established in Ontario, exclusive of Red Cross and denominational hospitals that did not have a training school for nurses. This was the result of Miss Arthur’s advice to the existing Board of Governors when the hospital opened.

Mrs. A. E. Arthur Accepts Position: A graduate of the Training School for Nurses of Grace Hospital, Toronto, under the supervision of Miss G. Rowan, who later became the Superintendent of the Private Patients’ Pavilion of Western Hospital, Miss Arthur was doing private duty nursing in Toronto in 1922 after the conclusion of her military work in World War One.

One morning she received letter from a former patient of hers, John Harold, of Paris, whom she had nursed for some time the previous winter. The letter asked her to come to Paris to see the Board of Governors of the newly established Willett Hospital. “It was one of those hectic days,” Miss Arthur said “and I carried the letter around in my pocket all day, not even having sufficient time to read it properly. That night I received a telephone call from Mrs. John Harold urging that I come to Paris the next day. When I came and the Board offered me the position of Superintendent of the new hospital to open a training school there, I had to refuse, because I did not think that a training school in so small a hospital was advisable. The nurses could not possibly get

sufficient experience to compete with graduate nurses of great city hospitals. They would have to go out and practice their professions with an inferiority complex that was unavoidable. I had seen nurses in training schools in small hospitals who had been detailed to clean the silver to keep them busy. That is no training for a nurse,” she said.

Because the Willett Hospital had not yet had its first patient, Miss Arthur accepted the position for one month, and at the end of that time agreed to stay for two years operating the hospital without a training school. Of course, she remained, and the wisdom of her advice was made clear when the Inspector of Training Schools ruled a few rears later that no hospital with less than 50 beds could operate a training school.

Continued on page 5

1937 The first major expansion increased bed capacity to 35

The Paris Independent

July 9, 2022

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W I L L E T T PA S T The first quarter century: Babies & more babies!

First patients: On July 18, 1922, the new hospital opened for business with Miss Arthur and Miss Florence Inksater as RN staff. The first patient was admitted on July 19, a heart case and a second heart case was admitted later the same day: The third case was a “false alarm OB” who returned home. The Willett Hospital was launched.

Starting with a staff of two, there were 10 employed by 1947, not inclusive of Miss Arthur. A 16bed hospital quickly grew to a 35-bed hospital in just 25 years (and on one occasion 39 people were accommodated with beds in the hall and the board room, perhaps an early case of hallway medicine?).

Babies and more babies!: The first baby to be born in the hospital was named Anna Pearl, after two nurses. In that first year there were 34 babies born. The year 1946 constituted a record year with 164 births. During this time, 100 per cent of all maternity cases in Paris and surrounding districts went to the Willett Hospital. Staff were deservedly proud that only one infectious OB case was reported in the hospital in its first 25 years and that case was unavoidable, not the result of hospitalization.

The original four-crib nursery has increased its facilities to eight cribs and an incubator, the last a contribution of Mrs. L. Capron Tombleson, in memory

Taken at the 25th Anniversary, this photograph shows the presentation of an illuminated address and a sum of money to Miss Arthur by Board Chairmen, E, Harold and SecretaryTreasurer, H.W. Thompson, July 1947

of her husband. Another notable moment of pride for Miss Arthur is that in the first 25 years there were only two different secretaries on full time in the office, two men in the gardens and two women in the laundry.

Difficult years: When asked what were the most difficult years in the first 25, Miss Arthur says probably the last two. She attributes this to the difficulty in finding trained nurses and to the increase in the number of patients. In 1926 the first yearly record available showed 452 admissions and in 1947, less than six months into the year, 372 have already been admitted.

But the Willett Hospital has the record of never turning away a patient and in 25 years there have been 11,409 of them.

Two Generations: Babies who were born in the Hospital have

grown and come to have their own children there and have found that although the hospital has increased in size and acquired more up-to-date equipment, the standard of efficiency, of kindness and human sympathy, which is an integral part of any cure, has remained unchanged through the quarter century. This unchanging spirit has resulted from the doctors who bring in their patients, from the nurses, many of whom have been girls born and brought up in Paris, from the sincere interest of the members of the boards that have governed the Hospital, from the faithful members of the staff in the gardens and kitchens, advie-lens and finally from Miss Arthur herself, Superintendent of the Willett hospital.

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The Paris Independent

July 9, 2022

W I L L E T T PA S T Hospital welcomes two expansions in 1950s Left: In 1952 another 22 bed expansion was added at the south end of the facility and in 1962 a 39 bed expansion, The Harold Wing, placed all patients in fire resistant quarters. The space also provided new operating rooms, recovery rooms, central supply, pharmacy, physiotherapy and pathology areas.

Photo below: A newspaper clipping shows members of the Paris Lions Club donating a new van to the Willett Hospital.

Above: Photo of the Nurses’ Residence was constructed in 1955 in honour of Miss Anna E. Arthur Willett 1970 The original ambulance garage was constructed immediately west of the main entrance. This small addition now houses the Community Room and is used for a number of community based functions.

The Paris Independent

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July 9, 2022

W I L L E T T PA S T

1980 The county-wide rationalization agreement was reached and defined the current roster of services available at the three county hospitals.

1984 The last major building expansion was completed. The south-east wing housed 28 patients on the main floor, and provided space for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and recreation therapy on the lower level. At the north end of the Hospital, the 1984 addition provided space for the emergency department and radiology on the main floor, and a cafeteria on the lower level.

1992 The Ministry of Health Emergency Services Branch funded the construction of the new ambulance station at the south west corner of the property. The 1995 Anna Arthur Nurses Residence was razed to provide space for the new station.

1995 The three Hospitals and the District Health Council submitted "Community First - A Blueprint for a Healthy Future" to the Ministry of Health. The Blueprint sets out a strategy for health services for the future.

1997 To reflect the changing needs of healthcare, in January of 1997, the Health Services Restructuring Commission directed the Board of the Willett "to continue to develop a pilot model for primary care reform in Paris and the surrounding rural community."

1999 The Willett and The Brantford General Hospital maintain their independent structures while integrating their services under The Brant Community Healthcare System.

2001 Renovations were completed allowing for the temporary relocation of 65 Complex Continuing Care patients (along with 8 palliative care beds) while new facilities are completed at the Brantford General site.

2005 Following the completion of CCC construction, patients were transferred to their end state location at the BGH. The New Willett Implementation Team are making plans for new programs to support the multi-service healthcare concept. The Willett is also setting up for digital imaging with PACS, making it one of the few small hospitals in North America with this advanced capability.

The Paris Independent

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT PRESENT

‘If there’s a Willett, there’s a way!’

By Casandra Turnbull Healthcare in Brant County and Brantford has never looked brighter. Earlier this year, the province pledged $2.5 million in the first step towards a multimillion dollar redevelopment plan for the Brantford General Hospital and The Willett. The BGH will see a new patient care tower and expansion of capacity for intensive care, rehabilitation and complex continuing care and ambulatory services. The Willett

will welcome a new satellite dialysis unit, chronic disease management clinic and upgrades to its aging building that also houses the Urgent Care Centre, Transition Care Centre and a small radiology area.

“We’re on a good trajectory with the Willett and BGH, I’m optimistic for the future,” said Paul Emerson, Chair of the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) Board of Directors.

“We have an aging population

and a growing population. We’ve predicted this overload on the healthcare system for years but now we are starting to face the issue,” said Emerson. “And that is where the Willett plays a critical role,” he said, noting the Willett is the perfect facility to offer less acute care services, alleviating some pressure from the BGH that has just over 300 beds and is always running at full capacity.

Continued on page 9

Brant Community Healthcare System Board of Directors Chair Paul Emerson and County of Brant Mayor David Bailey at the Willett’s 100th anniversary open house on June 22.

Photo by Casandra Turnbull

The Paris Independent

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT PRESENT Left to Right, Paul Emerson, Chair of the BCHS Board of Directors, Helen Miller, Six Nations of the Grand River Council, David McNeil, President & CEO of BCHS, Will Bouma, Brant MPP, David Bailey, Mayor of the County of Brant, Heather Wilson, BCHS Foundation Board Chair and Kevin Davis, Brantford Mayor at the June 22 open house to celebrate the Willett’s 100th anniversary in the community.

Photo by Casandra Turnbull

By maneuvering services to Paris, and increasing space through this redevelopment of the BGH, the BCHS plans to increase in-patient capacity from 310 beds to over 400 beds.

According to BCHS President & CEO David McNeil, final decisions regarding a full program list at the Willett is under determination. PreCapital submissions identified $45 millions in potential investments at the Willett relating to continued operation of bedded capacity, urgent care, dialysis, ambulatory kidney care and diagnostic supports including phlebotomy and medical imaging functions.

Right now, the Willett is largely known as the town’s Urgent Care Centre. It sees over 20,000 patients a year and is the go-to facility for minor, nonlife threatening ailments. However, it’s also home to a 20-unit Transitional bed wing operated

by Thrive Group (see story on Page ??), 32 postacute/transitional beds, select diagnostic imaging services and the Covid Assessment Centre.

“The Willett has become the cornerstone of healthcare for families who do not have a family doctor or when emergencies happen. These are all people that would have landed at the doorstep of

the BGH emergency room that is already over capacity. And because the Willett is in the north end, it doesn’t just service Paris, but towns to the north – Drumbo, Ayr and Plattsville,” said Emerson.

And Emerson, like many others in this community, is thrilled to see the Willett finally receiving the positive attention it deserves.

“I remember a movement by the government in the 1970s to close the hospital. The town rallied around it and the province backed off. Then it happened several more times over the next 30-40 years,” he recalls. “Most of us deep down in our hearts thought we fought it off this time but wondered if we would eventually lose the battle.”

Around 2016-2017, while Emerson was still CAO of the County of Brant, he remembers reviewing an efficiencies report on the Willett as the province once again targeted the facility for closure. “I remember the Mayor (at that time) and I saying you are going to get huge push back from the community if you close the Willett. And where are people going to go who use the Urgent Care?

Thousands of people a year, it’s always full.”

Continued on page 10

The Paris Independent

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT PRESENT Not long after that report, the province dismissed the existing BCHS board and appointed Bonnie Adamson to supervisor and run the BCHS. Emerson credits Adamson for setting in and creating a new, diverse group of individuals to compose a new Board of Directors, individuals from all walks of life who could provide differing viewpoints and opinions. It was after Emerson’s retirement from the County that Adamson approached him to chair the board.

“They looked at the Willett and toured it. They said this is still in good shape, how can we even consider closing this up? There was potential to provide other services there and she (Bonnie) could see that.

At the time, there were no active beds at the hospital.”

Over time, Emerson said, the Ministry of Health started to view healthcare through a different lens.

Rather than consolidate services into one building, people began to realize smaller sites like the Willett are just as effective and can be utilized to offer valuable services – and thank-goodness for that shift in thinking, said Emerson, who has a soft spot in his heart for the Willett.

In what is only described as the circle of life,

Emerson’s encounters with the Willett includes both birth and death. He, along with his siblings, were born at the Willett. His mother served on the Willett Hospital Board and his grandmother was a longtime member of the hospital auxiliary. Several family and friends have been treated there over the years and he reluctantly admitted that as he ages, he will likely see more of the inside of the Willett, not as a board member, but rather a patient.

Emerson even recalls getting a summer job at the Willett through his good friend Frank Dunton whose parents had a practice at the Willett and whose grandfather was fundamental in the Willett’s birth in the community (see story on page??).

So, it was only fitting that nearly a half a century after that summer job, Emerson accepted the role as Chair of the Board of Directors for the BCHS, even if it’s been a real learning curve.

“There are certain things basic to quality of life and right at the top is healthcare,” he said. “One thing you say about volunteerism is that you’re helping yourself in a sub conscious way and I feel this is important for everyone in the community.”

Brant MPP Will Bouma presents BCHS President & CEO David McNeil with certificates of achievement on behalf of the provincial and federal governments at the June 22 100th Anniversary Open House at the Willett.

Brant MP Larry Brock was unable to attend the celebration.

Photo by Casandra Turnbull

The Paris Independent

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT PRESENT

Beds return to the Willett!!

By Casandra Turnbull Lifelong Paris residents will recall it was a sad day when the last remaining beds were removed from the Willett over 15 years ago. Like-minded residents fought hard to keep the hospital open and were devastated when the latest rounds of healthcare cuts affected our local facility.

A collective feeling of satisfaction and exuberance filled the air when it was announced in 2020 that beds would be brought back to the Willett – changing it from Urgent Care only to a once again operating in-patient facility.

The AbleLiving Transitional Care Bed Program is operated by Thrive Group, an organization that works with other healthcare institutes to develop a broad range of continuum services to individuals who want to live as independently as possible. The funding for the beds came from the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Hamilton Haldimand Norfolk Brant Local Health Integration Network.

Thrive has capacity for 20 clients at a time. These clients were either living in the hospital or within the community but are awaiting long term care and require alternate levels of care. The floor is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with nursing and personal support workers.

It's a fundamental service in our community and patient and families couldn’t agree more.

“My heart has grown from the thoughtfulness of everyone on the amazing staff. The bonds that were made here were so strong for my dad, I was never worried about him adapting to the new place,” according to one family member.

Another in-patient named Shirley, commented, “I am touched by kindness every day here.”

AbleLiving, a not-for-profit organization operated by Thrive Group, staffs in-patient beds at the Willett, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pictured left to right are Natasha Rouse, Chantelle Frampton, Josh Thompson, Allison Van fleet Submitted photos

Residents, left to right, Donald Brown, Josephine Smith, Richard Westbrooke, Shirley Cook

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT MEMORIES Former resident recalls grandfather’s advocacy to build the Willett Frank Dunton’s family has ties to the Willett’s birth in the community. He shared some of his Willett memories with The Paris Independent: Our family had very close ties to the Willett hospital for over 50 years. My grandfather, Dr. Daniel Dunton was one of the strong advocates for the establishment of a hospital in Paris and encouraged Mrs. Willett to bequeath money towards its foundation. He was one of the local doctors in Paris for decades. He died in 1936. My father, Dr. Austin Dunton was a medical student at the University of Toronto when the hospital was built. He graduated in 1923 and joined his father’s practice. Apart from time spent in the Canadian Army during the Second World War, his entire career was in Paris. He was also the County Coroner for Brant which meant autopsies would be done at the Willett.

During World War 2 he was a Major in command of a base hospital in England. That is where he met my mother, Dr. Aenid Dunton. She was a Canadian Army nurse who was transported to England after her hospital ship which was enroute to Italy was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea. After the war they married and she went to medical school at McGill University. She ran an obstetrical practice from the family offices and delivered and cared for many children at the Willett until the early 1960s when she became the Medical Officer of Health for Brant County. My father lived until 1976 and my mother passed away in 1990.

My first real job was at the Willett. When I was 13 years old I was hired as a part time employee. I am sure this was nepotism at its highest level. I was there for about 4 years working weekends during school and full time during the summers. I was in the housekeeping department for the most part but I did do some work as an orderly in training later on.

Being a cleaner in a hospital benefited me in many

ways. I worked in every part of the property and got to see how others did their work. I was taught how to get things truly clean and sanitary. I met many people and was well treated. Several my school friends worked with me in the summer. Again probably because of my family… I learned how to work with others. I also developed a very strong tolerance for the types of refuse and smells that are normal in a hospital environment. From time to time I would have to clean the morgue after an autopsy. I was cleaning the inside of one of the coolers where corpses were kept one day when an electrician briefly closed the door and locked me inside. No harm came to me and a memory very few will ever have.

Above, a poster from 1913. Frank’s grandfather and grandmother are in their car. It was the second auto in Paris. John Penman had the first.

Left is newborn Frank and his parents Austin and Aenid Dunton in 1953.

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July 9, 2022

WILLETT MEMORIES Tina Forster (far left) with her mom Sharon McCorkindale, checking out photos from the Willett’s first decade: 19201930. They were on display at the Willett’s 100th Anniversary open house. Tina was a candy striper at the Willett in the 1970s and Sharon worked in the Dietary Department from 1958-1964 and returned to the Willett around 2010 to volunteer in the Urgent Care centre for a few years.

Sharon’s mother-in-law, and Tina’s grandmother, Marjorie McCorkindale, was an RN at the Willett until she retired.

Photo by Casandra Turnbull

Fond memories at the Nurse’s Residence I worked as a volunteer Candy Stripper for a short period of time during my high school years (circa 1970-1974). I remember being required to wear an outfit that was red and white stripped! I was a healthy child so fortunately had no hospital visits.

After I finished high school (1974) at PDHS, I moved into the Nurse's Residence, owned by the Paris Willet hospital (which no longer housed nurses), but some of the rooms were rented out. I paid $60/month for a tiny room with a bed, shared a women's bathroom and shower stalls, and a common kitchen downstairs. Only 3 of us lived in the entire residence.

During that year, I took a factory job at Sanderson & Harold's making kitchen cupboards (for $3.40/hr) and was able to save up enough money to travel to Europe for an indefinite period of time. I spent three months travelling around Europe and only came back home because I felt homesick....not because I ran out of money Those were the days!

Patsy Spriel

“My brother David Scott collected newspapers as a fundraiser and had his name put on one of the rooms as a thank you for collecting the most papers.”

-Deirdre Biehn

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WILLETT MEMORIES “I was born at the Willett in 1946 followed by my younger sister and brother. In 1949 they saved my life from serious pneumonia and continued to serve my family in life and death throughout the years. Paris and surrounding area is growing at an incredible rate and the Willett will be increasingly needed to serve their medical needs. I have volunteered there myself for the past 11 years and you could not ask for a more dedicated, professional and caring team of doctors and nurses. Here's cheering for another 100 years of continuing community service.”

-Barry Kelley

ANOTHER DAY AT WORK

Nurse fondly recalls Willett days Christine Cochrane’s life started at the Willett, quite literally.

She was born at the Willett and lived in Paris until she was married in 1973. In the summer of 1971 her career started at the Willett. In training at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, Christine started as a student RN at the Willett. By March 1974 she was a staff nurse who held a variety of management roles in Acute Care, Complex Continuing Care, Ambulatory Care, and Infection Control. She held these positions until 2000 when amalgamation created the new Brant Community Healthcare System. She continued as a Manager of Surgical Services in Brantford until 2002 and then transferred to St. Mary’s until she retired in 2013.

Christine stated, “The Willett was a great place to work, and I had so many opportunities to learn at the Willett that I would not have had working at a larger hospital. I’m so glad the Willett has a new lease on life and will continue to be an integral part of the community.”

She also developed many lifelong friendships and still meets monthly for breakfast and attends several reunions with retired staff. She has very fond memories of social events, and how the staff really rallied together and cared for one another in a close, tight-knit environment. Even the constant threat of closure couldn’t bring them down, it only made the staff closer.

She shared a few more poignant memories: -

(Above) William Sparks worked at the Willett from 1975 to 1994 as a housekeeping porter in the ER section. He often worked evenings and if the nurses needed someone to walk them to their car at 11 pm he would walk with them. From 1994 to 1995 he worked as a housekeeping aid to help feed patients along with a few other small jobs.

Submitted photo

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OR & Recovery ran Monday – Friday with after hours on-call – surgeons came from Brantford Willett offered the first Arthroscopy procedure in Brant County (telescopic examination of the through a small incision) Emergency Room on 2nd floor before new addition to present location for Urgent Care Male orderlies provided personal care to male patients and responded to ambulance calls when needed Great cafeteria food & staff made meals – many favourite menu items – full turkey dinners if you worked on Christmas Full services onsite – laundry, pharmacy, stores, maintenance, Lab, X-ray, Physio

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July 9, 2022

B C H S F O U N D AT I O N Meet the FOUNDATION Team that brings vital equipment & upgrades to the Willett BCHS Foundation representatives, left to right: Krista SteenburghDunsmore – Board Director; Wesley Mik – Board Director; Marilyn Sewell – Board Director; Heather Wilson – Chair, Board of Directors; Kari Wilson – Executive Director BCHS Foundation; Kero Moussa – Board Director Photo by Casandra Turnbull

By Casandra Turnbull The next time you go into the Urgent Care Centre at the Willett, look around and take note of the equipment, everything from the IV pump to the CT scanner, even the renovation to the wing itself, and remember these vital life saving tools are available because donors in our community care about the qualify of healthcare we can get here in Brant County.

One of the biggest misconceptions amongst the public is that the government

funds our hospitals, including the equipment and tools healthcare providers use to diagnosis and treat our ailments.

However, patient equipment is not funded by the Ministry of Health and that is where the Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation steps in.

The Foundation liaisons between the BCHS and the community and plays a critical role in ensuring quality healthcare at both the Brantford General and the Willett.

They are a mighty team of four staff members, backed by 12

elected community members who make up the Board of Directors. Over the past 18 years, they have provided grants to the BCHS in excess of $27.7 million for capital equipment and for renovations. Since 2010, the BCHS Foundation has presented more than $2 million to the Willett to support the Urgent Care renovations, construction and implementation of the Transitional Care Unit and to purchase many pieces of patient equipment.

Continued on page 16

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July 9, 2022

B C H S F O U N D AT I O N “The role of charitable foundations in our hospitals is vital,” said Kari Wilson, Executive Director of the BCHS Foundation. “Donor dollars in our healthcare facilities have a tremendous impact on patient care.

Having the funds necessary to appropriately invest in patient equipment means our caregivers have the tools they need to perform their roles and support our patients. Every donation matters and every dollar counts,” she said.

The Foundation generates these vital funds through a range of fundraisers held throughout the year from the annual Hope for Healthcare Campaign during the winter holidays to the BCHS Read-a-Thon in the spring, raffles, walk-a-thons and community galas, just to name a few.

The Read4BCHS event just wrapped up in May, raising $26,257 for pediatric care in Brant through a collective 21,699 minutes of reading. Generous community partners, like the James F. Boughner Foundation, matched all donations through this fundraising program.

Continued on page 17

Our History In response to a growing need for additional funding to support the hospital, The Brantford General Hospital Foundation was formed in 1977. The Willett Hospital Foundation was established in 1985, to raise funds to support The Willett Hospital in Paris.

These two organizations combined on April 1, 2010 to raise funds for the Brant Community Healthcare System which operates both hospital sites. Its membership consists of dedicated, community-minded individuals from Brantford and Brant County.

The Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation is committed to raising critical funds to support the top priority needs for The Brantford General and The Willett, Paris.

Support of the BCHS Foundation helps us purchase medical equipment that is not paid for by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, provide essential resources to maintain the exceptional level of compassionate patient care, and invest in new and innovative technology.

Gifts to enhance the quality of healthcare in our community come from a variety of sources; these include annual giving, planned giving, community and special events, tribute giving and corporate giving.

We are grateful for the support of our many wonderful donors. Together, we are transforming healthcare in our community.

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B C H S F O U N D AT I O N If you’re looking to make an immediate impact, the Foundation is engaging the community in a 50/50 draw which is open until July 21st with proceeds going to the Willett.

And through the 2022 Hope for Healthcare this winter, your donation will help with the purchase of new radiology imaging equipment at the Willett, which will cost an estimated $350,000. Currently there’s only one multi-purpose x-ray room at the Willett and the current diagnostic equipment was installed in 2004 so upgrades are important to keep up with everchanging technology.

And while supporting the Willett is important for Paris residents, it’s safe to say your healthcare needs don’t always end in Paris.

The Brantford General Hospital plays a significant role in community healthcare and that facility is undergoing some pretty major changes right. The redeveloped Brantford General Hospital will include a new patient care tower and renovations to existing space that expand capacity for intensive care, rehabilitation and complex continuing care, and ambulatory services.

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Legacy of GIVING Your dollars at work!

The Foundation and donors celebrated the recent arrival of a new exam table and set of surgical lights for the Women’s Health Clinic at BCHS! This critical equipment purchase was made possible thanks to the $18, 528 raised through the Ladies Night Out event.

The Paris Independent

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B C H S F O U N D AT I O N In those plans are details to redevelop the Emergency Department at a cost of $25 million. This expansion will nearly double the footprint of the current space to care for nearly 58,000 patients treated annually. The BCHS Foundation must pay 10% of the construction costs, in addition to all the medical equipment, furnishings and items that are not covered by the Ministry of Health.

With their work cut-out for them, the Foundation team is now embarking on an $8 million fundraising journey to support these necessary upgrades to the emergency department.

“Important projects such as the expansions to both the BGH and the Willett will require community support for them to come to fruition,” said Wilson, who added there are a number of ways the community can get involved and become in engaged in a way that is meaningful to them. “The best way to see what we have going on is to follow us on our social media channels @BCHSFoundation or visit our website.

Many caring community members often host events and activities to benefit the BCHS Foundation.”

If you want to help support the Willett so it can continue to provide high-quality healthcare to residents for the next 100 years, visit www.bchsysfoundation.org, to get involved. Wilson also invites interested community members to call 519-751-5510 to discuss the latest activities and campaigns in our community.

July 9, 2022