Posts tagged with "Foundation news"

Training Family Physicians in Yarmouth

Dalhousie University South West Nova Family Medicine Residency Program – Training Doctors to become Family Physicians in Yarmouth

When you’re needed, you step up to the plate! That’s what Dr. Kenny Yee believes, and he followed through when he was recently asked to accept the site director position with the Dalhousie University South West Nova Family Medicine Residency Program.

A seated man smiles at the camera.

Dr. Kenny Yee (Site Director)

“Many of the residents that we trained in the 14 years of this residency program are actually serving our Tri-County communities as family physicians and are involved in the residency program now. I have been with this program from the start and felt it a real honor to serve as the site director in January 2025.”

Dr. Yee’s big smile and sense of humour is always evident, and they serve him well in a very busy position. But what exactly is the residency program? Dr. Yee tells us more.

“In the residency program, we train doctors to be family physicians. These family medicine residents are either Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) or International Medical Graduates (IMGs). In their first year, they spend about two days a week in the family medicine clinic with the preceptor. In the second year, they spend three days a week. We actually get to know the residents very well – they’re almost like family by the time we’re done.”

But those days aren’t the only time spent learning, not at all. “On the days when they’re not working directly in the family medicine clinic, the residents rotate through different services (such as doing deliveries, hospitalist care, emergency room care, etc.) so they can learn all the skills needed for family medicine.”

Programs like the Family Medicine Residency Program are vitally important to healthcare in our region, and we at the foundation are proud to offer annual support. And as a matter of fact, Dr. Yee himself was a member of our board for nine years! He remembers his time fondly. “I was amazed at the amount of talent in that group of people, and they were just volunteering their time. And the amount of money that was raised was amazing!”

We continue to recognize the importance of a thriving healthcare system in our region, and we know our wonderfully generous community will always have our back. If you want to help us in our mission, learn more about the many ways you can donate! Or, make a simple online donation today!

Ivan Cottreau and the Wall of Honour

Ivan Cottreau and the Wall of Honour

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s Wall of Honour, located in the lobby of the Yarmouth Regional Hospital, is a testament to the generosity found throughout our area. On this wall are placed the names of donors who have given $5,000 and above towards our region’s healthcare system. It’s a great way to say thanks — but it wouldn’t have been possible without the skill and expertise of the craftsman who created the piece!

Local business owner and carpenter Ivan Cottreau (owner of E&J Millworks Inc.) was first approached in 2010 by the managing director at the time, Paulette Sweeney-Goodwin. “The idea to seek out the existing design of the new wall came about when the foundation saw various designs presented at an annual Association of Healthcare Philanthropy conference,” explains Paulette. “We felt strongly that we would prefer to enlist someone local, and it didn’t take us long to discover Ivan Cottreau’s gift in cabinet making and finish work.  Ivan took pride in what he does, and his attention to detail was evident.”

But there was more to the selection than his careful craftsmanship. Paulette continued. “Equally important, he understood from the outset how important the Wall of Honour is and what it represents to the community. Ivan was so committed that he donated his time and talent to see the project through to completion. Ivan and his wife Nancy truly have the hearts of donors.”

“It was a big job,” Ivan told us. “I probably spent three weeks’ worth of evenings and weekends creating the original piece — and then it took three evenings to just put the name plates on. There have been a lot more donors recently, so in 2022 I also made an extension to the wall.”

But this year, current managing director Mary Surette noticed something. “I was thrilled to see that Ivan and Nancy’s donations had recently crossed the $5,000 threshold required to put his name on the Wall of Honour he himself had created! We reached out to him immediately in order to commemorate the special event.”

Ivan and Nancy Cottreau at the Wall of Honour.

Ivan is soft-spoken and modest about his creation, but we at the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation are incredibly grateful for the pride he takes in his work. The Wall of Honour will stand for many years as a beautiful way to honour the incredible donors who make our work possible. “When visitors to the hospital see the memorial wall, it acts as a strong reminder of the power that each and every donor has to enact positive change,” says Mary. Paulette agrees. “By recognizing our donors in such a public way, the Wall of Honour often inspires others to make a donation towards our community’s health. Whether they’re aware of it or not, foundation donors lead by example.”

Looking for Board Members

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is looking for Board members

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is extremely fortunate to have the unwavering support of the local community. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to help the Yarmouth Regional Hospital deliver excellent healthcare to the tri-county communities it serves. Our foundation is led by a dedicated and resourceful board of directors who work tirelessly to inspire generosity within the community, strengthen healthcare through investment in our regional hospital, and celebrate the impact of philanthropy.

Here is your opportunity to take part in the success of this community partnership.

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Board will be appointing new members over the months ahead. To ensure broad public engagement, we invite nominations to be considered by the nominating committee. Individuals must agree to being considered before you nominate them.

A recent evaluation has identified the following areas of priority in appointing new members:

• Financial Experience
• Legal Experience
• Communication Skills

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation also has a strong desire to have our board closely reflect the diverse populations served by the hospital. We invite applications from all genders, all races and ethnicities, people of all abilities, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2S+ persons and bilingual or multilingual individuals. We are committed to providing all applicants with equal opportunities.

Please submit full name, contact information, a short biography or CV, and a brief letter indicating reasons for interest in and appropriateness for a board position to:

Mary Surette
Managing Director
Yarmouth Hospital Foundation
PO Box 7, Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B1

mary.surette@nshealth.ca

 

Cycling for a Cause – Dr. Ziyad Alanazi’s “Heart Ride”

Dr. Ziyad Alanazi’s “Heart Ride” (undertaken as part of our 2024 Sou’West Walkathon) raised almost $1,000 for the cause! We are very grateful to Dr. Alanazi and all who donated.

We knew it was a great story, and Saltwire agreed! Check out their article and learn more about this generous man and his story!

 

Laundry — The Real Neverending Story

The Yarmouth Regional Hospital is, to put it mildly, a big place. With more than 120 inpatient beds and four operating suites, it’s easy to imagine the immense load of laundry generated every day. And of course, someone has to handle it! Enter the Laundry Services Department.

As it happens, this team not only has to handle all the laundry from our regional hospital, but Digby and Roseway Hospitals as well. Twice a week, laundry comes from both hospitals and is washed, dried, and folded along with the rest from Yarmouth. This means that approximately 24,000 pounds is processed by the Laundry Services Department every single week!

What does this laundry consist of? “We handle sheets, johnnies, OR and ED scrubs, and even a little bit of personal laundry for patients in long-term care when necessary. Rounds are done several times a day,” says Robbie LeBlanc, Assistant Manager of Facilities Support Services. It’s a lot of work for this small team (6 full-time, and a couple part-time), but it’s vitally important — yet another example of the tireless effort put in behind the scenes at Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

 

Introducing YHF Board Chair – Ann Jones

YHF Board Chair - Ann JonesAnn Jones, the newly appointed Chair of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s board of directors, brings a lot of experience and passion to her new role. “I’m a volunteer at heart,” she says. “I love being active in my community, and I’ve been on many boards, including SHYFT, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Boys and Girls Club Board. I’m also a partner in the Yarmouth Waterfront Gallery.” When an opportunity to serve as a board member came up, she leapt at that chance. “It’s really important that I do this,” she realized.

The foundation’s mission, of course, is to support and enhance the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. And, as Ann explains, one of the chief ways we do so is by making the hospital an appealing place for doctors. “If we don’t have a hospital with the latest technology, we don’t attract the doctors or other healthcare professionals that we absolutely need. Without them, we can’t give the best care possible. So, I’d like to continue our strong collaboration with all partners involved. The hospital is a system, and all parts of that system need to work together.”

Continuing the foundation’s work of supporting our regional hospital may be her focus, but she has another goal as well – keeping the joyful atmosphere she sees in all the foundation’s endeavors. “When I see events like the WE CARE Radiothon, people are happy about giving. I think that excites me the most, that the foundation is so respected in this community. People know who we are, and they know that we deliver. So, when they give, they give from the heart. And we live in a very giving community.”

Updated Laparoscopic Suites

An Exciting Upgrade

The new laparoscopic suites at Yarmouth Regional Hospital (YRH) are to the ones installed a dozen years ago as smart phones are to flip phones. Almost everything in the two operating rooms is brand new  — lights, monitors, screens, beds, cameras and all of the other technology and specialized equipment our surgeons need to do their work, says Gina Leaman, nurse manager for Perioperative Services. (Perioperative is the term for the whole process from admitting to procedure to recovery.)

An Upgraded Laparoscopic Suite

One of YRH’s two upgraded laparoscopic suites.

The new minimally invasive surgical (MIS) suites were made possible thanks to the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, which covered the full cost of $1.5 million. “The old suites were a big improvement but the new suites are a thousand times better,” says team leader Deborah Janke. “The technology is so much better for patients, as well as the staff.” It allows the surgical staff easy visual access to x-rays, CT-scans and MRIs, and that improves accuracy and speed, Deborah says.

Since Yarmouth Regional is a teaching hospital, medical residents and student nurses often attend and the camera system and monitors can shift around to get the best views for the surgeons and nurses and to help them teach. About half of all surgeries are laparoscopic, but the equipment is also a major asset for open surgeries, making detailed visual information available at the push of a button.

What is Laparoscopic Surgery?

Gina Leaman (Nurse Manager for Perioperative Services)

Gina Leaman — Nurse Manager for Perioperative Services

Laparoscopy is a less invasive surgery than open surgery and requires less recovery time. A laparoscope, a thin lighted tube that has a video camera, is inserted via a tiny incision to examine and treat the organs of the abdomen. Hernias, gall bladders, appendixes and bowels are the four most common surgeries performed in Yarmouth. Often five or six procedures are performed in each of the suites daily, but some surgeries, like bowel surgery could take a whole day, Gina says.

Laparoscopic technology is also used to give physicians a clear and detailed picture of a patient’s condition, to allow the physician to determine how that condition should be treated. For example, many of the scopes for hip and knee problems are done here, which frees up OR time in Kentville where the more complex surgery is done.

Besides the surgeon, each operation requires an assistant, an anesthetist and three OR nurses. YRH has four general surgeons, two gynaecologists, one ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist, one ophthalmologist, five visiting urologists two days a week and six visiting orthopaedic surgeons. They are assisted by 22 OR nurses, plus part-time and casual RNs.

 

 

Four new state-of-the-art radiant infant warmers are on their way.

The newest, littlest residents of the Tri-Counties will have a ‘warm start’ in life thanks to YOU!

Once again we at Yarmouth Hospital Foundation are in awe of our donors and are delighted to announce that the Christmas Appeal in support of the Women & Children’s Health unit was a great success because of you!

Our regional hospital touches the lives of many individuals and families from the Tri-County region every single day of the year. Health care equipment is expensive, and the technology is continually updating. Your donations, like the ones that are funding these radiant infant warmers for Women & Children’s Health, continue to provide our care teams with the essential resources they need to provide the best care possible in keeping our families and our community healthy.

It is you that is making a big difference in health care and for that, we are extremely grateful. THANK YOU!

Tusket Toyota Matches Monthly Giving to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

This Giving Tuesday, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is thrilled to announce the incredible expansion of our Heart of the Hospital Monthly Giving program as Tusket Toyota have stepped up for health care in your community! Thanks to the generosity of Tusket Toyota, our new Matching Partner, your dollars just doubled. If you sign up today to donate monthly to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, Tusket Toyota will match your monthly donations every month! This means that your money will go further — twice as far, in fact! — and it will have even more impact for Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Tusket Toyota have supported Yarmouth Hospital Foundation for over eighteen years, and are featured in the Leaders category on our Wall of Honour. In fact, we consider them one of our loyal Corporate Partners in Healthcare — and now they’re your partner, too, doubling your monthly gift to your regional hospital, and multiplying your impact.

Monthly Giving donors are a special kind of donor, which is why we call them the Heart of the Hospital. Their reliable, regular contributions provide an invaluable resource of sustained funding for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, allowing our regional hospital to invest money where it’s needed most and to plan for long-term projects that will change patients’ lives for generations to come. That’s the power of monthly giving.

Last year, our Monthly Giving Donors’ funds went towards the purchase of a PhysioGait Dynamic Unweighting System. The equipment is an essential piece for the Rehabilitation department as it allows patients to safely mobilize without having to fully bear their own weight. Natalie Bourque, manager of Yarmouth Regional Hospital Rehabilitation Services told us that “this equipment allows patients to work on their gait while having their weight supported. It decreases the risk of falls and creates a safe environment for both the patients and the staff member. Without this equipment, staff would be unable to safely mobilize patients who require a higher level of physical support.”

Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to join the Heart of the Hospital program as a monthly donor. It’s easy and convenient to set up a regular monthly contribution that works within your budget. You can give in any amount of your choosing and may adjust your amount or cancel your donation at any time. A little money every month goes a long way for local health care, right here at home.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Managing Director Mary Surette says, “Monthly giving is a simple and powerful way to have a significant and long-term impact on health care in the Tri-Counties: that’s why I’m part of the Heart of the Hospital Program, too. The impact of monthly giving is very real, and now it’s only going to be greater thanks to Tusket Toyota.”

 

YHF AGM 2023

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation will once again be held virtually, on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023 at 5:00pm via ZOOM.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is pleased to support Virtual Care @ Yarmouth Hub. Please join us and our guest speakers to learn more about this new exciting project that provides assistance to those who need help accessing virtual care.

For more information and to register: 902-749-1669 or info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca

Everyone is welcome to attend, however, only members are eligible to vote. Eligible voters/members are those individuals who have made a donation since last year’s AGM.

Hometown Hero Graves cares about Yarmouth Regional Hospital

It was a busy July afternoon at the Mariners’ Centre, on and off the ice, when the small group from Yarmouth Hospital Foundation finally made their way around more than a hundred students with hockey sticks to connect with NHLer Ryan Graves. The plan was to make good on a winning bid from the WE CARE Radiothon auction held all the way back in February and everyone was excited to do it.

One of the items listed for our inaugural WE CARE Radiothon Auction was a hockey jersey signed by Ryan Graves— an item that came with a small leap of faith. The shirt wasn’t signed back in February, and the winner would have to wait until the summer to meet Graves and get the shirt signed then. Winning bidder Dr. Brian Moses was content with the conditions and only too happy, once summer came, to collect.

Graves, fresh off his first season with the New Jersey Devils and representing Team Canada in the World Hockey Championship, was back in his hometown to run the Ryan Graves Hockey School — a weeklong hockey summer camp program like the ones he grew up going to, or like the ones that Jody Shelley previously hosted. “I would like to follow in his footsteps for doing good things here,” said Ryan. “I’m super proud of being from here. The community is awesome here.”

The Ryan Graves Hockey School is his way of giving back to the local community and he was only too happy to take a little time out to support Yarmouth Regional Hospital. “It’s awesome to get home and to support my hometown, for sure,” Ryan said, meeting with Dr. Moses to sign and hand over the jersey. “The hospital helps everyone so it’s a big positive to get to help raise money for them.”

Thanks again for your support, Ryan! We wish you the best for your upcoming season!

Giving from her big red heart

Sophia Moulaison is just 9 years old — 9 and a half, actually — but she’s already learned how to be giving, kind and generous.

A few weeks ago, a hand-written letter arrived in the office of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation signed by Sophia with her name and a big red heart. “You have done so much for our community,” she wrote. “A big thanks to you, Yarmouth Hospital.”

Sophia was visiting her grandparents — Lorna and Brian Amirault — when they opened their mail, including Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s Spring Appeal newsletter. The letter described our goal, to raise money towards the $70,000 purchase of two multi-parameter vital signs monitors for the Emergency Department. The monitors provide information on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, cardiac activity and more. “I thought I should probably send something back and I didn’t have a lot of money, so I wrote the note and Grammy put some money in there,” Sophie explained.

“Sophia’s letter and contribution have been an inspiration,” said Mary Surette, managing director of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, when she met with Sophia to bring her the charitable receipt for her gift. Sophia’s letter has been framed and proudly displayed on Mary’s office wall.

This fall, Sophia will be entering grade 4 at Meadowfields, but she already has big plans for her future. “I want to be a nurse when I grow up,” she confessed. In the meantime, she is enjoying day camp and looking forward to a trip to Disney World in August, particularly the roller coasters.  (Mom Melissa Moulaison, a teacher at Maple Grove, said Sophia is a thrill seeker by nature.)

Our young philanthropist has said that she intends to continue to support the foundation and other worthwhile charities in the future. If you’d like to follow Sophia’s lead, you can do so in the following ways:

YHF announces three new nursing scholarships

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is delighted to announce the creation of three additional scholarships for students entering the Dalhousie University Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN) program (Yarmouth Campus) beginning this fall. Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, intended to support education, an endowment has been created that will provide for additional $3000 School of Nursing scholarships every year. This addition brings our scholarship total to nine.

Mary Surette, Managing Director of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, notes that she is “Simply overwhelmed by this most generous support and the wonderful opportunities that these scholarships will give to our future health care providers and leaders.”

These scholarships join four other endowment-created scholarships provided by donors from the Tri-County area, and two that are funded directly by Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, including the new for 2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity scholarship named for local heroine Sara Corning. “With the current rising need of healthcare workers there is an opportunity for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation to assist in our community,” notes Board Chair Neil LeBlanc, “and to invest in the future of health care in the Tri-County area.”

This year, approximately 36 new students will begin their training; with nine scholarships available, that means scholarships will be awarded to about 25 percent of this year’s entering class.

For more information and to apply, see http://yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca/nursing-scholarships/

Pictured: 2021’s Nursing Scholarship winners:  (L-R) Faughne Stewart, Brett Reeves, Montana Millet, Savana d’Entremont and Alexa Jeffery

2022 YHF AGM

As a public health precaution, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation will once again be held virtually, on Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 at 5:00pm via ZOOM. Everyone is welcome to attend, however, only those individuals who have donated to the Foundation since last year’s AGM are eligible to vote.

For more information and to register phone 902-749-1669 or email info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca

 

$150,000in grants for healthcare initiatives in the Tri-Counties

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation boosts healthcare initiatives across the Tri-Counties

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has awarded grants totaling $150,000 to 11 organizations to aid in their mission to promote healthcare in the Tri-County area.

The grants are the first to be awarded by the Healthcare Enhancement Endowment (HEE) Committee, which was formed to develop eligibility criteria and oversee the Commitment to Healthcare Community Fund.

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Accredited by Imagine Canada

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation earns accreditation

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation (YHF) is proud to receive the prestigious distinction of accreditation granted by the Standards Program with Imagine Canada.

Imagine Canada is an organization whose mission is “to strengthen Canadian charities and nonprofits so they can better serve individuals and communities both here and around the world.” Continue Reading

Mystery Donor Gives $22 Million Donation for Healthcare

Mystery Donor Gives $22 Million Donation for Healthcare – largest gift ever received in Foundation’s 50-year history

March 10, 2021 (YARMOUTH, NS) — The people of Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne Counties in Western, Nova Scotia are in awe of the generosity of a community-minded individual who donated $22 million to the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation (YHF).

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