Whistler Health Care Foundation
- Responding with care
History
Thanks to the strong support of the community and a diverse group of donors, the 1994 Capital Campaign to build the current Health Care Centre and heli pad was more than successful - an excess of $250,000 over the goal of $750,000 was raised. The Whistler Health Care Foundation was originally formed at the close of the campaign and given the mandate to manage this additional money.
In the six years following the opening of the Centre, the funds were used to provide capital equipment and complete unfinished portions of the centre to accommodate a new lab and physicians consulting rooms. An ultrasound unit was also purchased.
Since that time, with a new mandate to fundraise and many new directors, the Board began to build on the established donor base, hold fundraising events and seek grants to reach yearly fundraising goals.
Partnerships have been formed with local businesses and organizations and a Triboard formed, with members recruited from all three Health Care Foundations in the Sea to Sky corridor. Memorial funds have been established; the Dave Sheets Memorial Fund being the most recent fund to be managed by the Foundation.
The Foundation collaborates closely with members of the WHCC and the management of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
A brief history
$60,000 went towards the purchase of advanced monitoring equipment and a video assisted fibre optic laryngascope, used to assist in difficult airway intubations.
Marnie Simon (WHCF), Paul Foster & Jim DeLeon (GE ) admire the photo of a CT scanner to be donated by GE as an Olympic legacy for the Sea to Sky corridor.
The CT scanner campaign was the focus for fundraising in 2007 & 2008.
Dr. Annie Gareau practices her ultrasound skills on Rod Rhoda, chairperson for American Friends of Whistler, as he hands a cheque for $50,000 to Marnie Simon, WHCF for the purchase of the bedside ultrasound.
Five new heart monitors were recently purchased for the Whistler Health Clinic thanks to donations from our community friends with further financial help from the Whistler Health Care Foundation. Left to right: Mary Forseth (board member with the American Friends of Whistler - $10,000), health clinic R.N. Fran Humphrey, Chuck Blaylock (representing the Whistler Hockey Association - $10,000), D.J. Postlethwaite (Whistler Ratepayers Association - $5,000), and Marnie Simon, chair of the Whistler Health Care Foundation. Missing: Chris Qinlan of the Dave Sheets Memorial Fund - who donated $10,000 and was topped up to $16,000 by the WHCF to purchase an advanced level monitor.
Joan Dalgleish, head radiology technician with Louise Lundy, director, Whistler Blackcomb Foundation view the film developing equipment that will soon be replaced with Teleradiology. WBF donated $50,000 to the project. Benefits of the technology include networked access to images from any health care site, reduction of staff exposure to harmful x-ray film processing fumes, better environmental practices and reduction of patient transfers to Squamish or Vancouver.
