GBGH honours exceptional people at annual awards

The Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Board of Directors honoured one staff, two physicians and one team with Exceptional People Awards. This recognition is the most prestigious honour handed out to by the hospital for outstanding commitment to care based on its three strategic themes and vision. From left – Award presenter Dr. Nancy Merrow, chief of Staff, GBGH; award recipient Dr. Shirley Babaran, chief of Internal Medicine, GBGH; award recipient Andrea Sheehan, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; award recipient Dr. Richard Coutts, acting chief of Rehabilitation and Complex Continuing Care, GBGH; award recipient Stacey Cameron, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; Britton Dusome, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; Corinne Norwood, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; and award presenter Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. Absent – Award recipient Lynne Bedard, registered nurse, Operating Room, GBGH; Pyxis implementation team members – Jennah Jones, Roy Deslauriers, Mike Cope and Amy Bellisle.November 19, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) held its annual awards to celebrate staff and physicians for their Years of Service, and honour some of the hospitals’ team members through the GBGH Board of Directors’ Exceptional People Awards and Volunteer Awards of Excellence. The evening is hosted annually by the GBGH Board of Directors to recognize the dedication of staff, credentialed staff and volunteers.

November 19, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) held its annual awards to celebrate staff and physicians for their Years of Service, and honour some of the hospitals’ team members through the GBGH Board of Directors’ Exceptional People Awards and Volunteer Awards of Excellence. The evening is hosted annually by the GBGH Board of Directors to recognize the dedication of staff, credentialed staff and volunteers.

“It was a privilege for me to represent the Board of Directors as we celebrated the successes of exceptional team members,” says Jane Millar, vice chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “The board is proud to be part of GBGH because of the incredible team members who positively represent the hospital every day – with patients and families, as well as within the community. These individuals and teams commit their compassion, skills, caring, kindness and time to making care at GBGH exceptional. As a board, we thank them so much for all they do.”

Exceptional People Awards were handed out in four categories based on the themes of the organization’s new strategic plan. Congratulations to the following recipients of these prestigious awards in each category:

• Engagement & Inclusiveness – Dr. Richard Coutts, acting chief of Rehabilitation and Complex Continuing Care
• Quality & Safety – Pyxis Implementation Team
• Accountability & Sustainability – Dr. Shirley Babaran, chief of Internal Medicine
• Vision – Lynne Bedard, registered nurse, Operating Room

President of the GBGH Volunteer Association Karen Roberts was awarded the Volunteer Award of Excellence for her significant contributions of time and leadership to the association.

GBGH also recognized staff and physicians for reaching years of service milestones between five and 40 years. Three staff – Michele Madaire, Randi Dubeau and Sheryl Truax – were recognized for 35 years of service, while Kathrine Archer was awarded for 40 years.

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Cutline 1: The Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Board of Directors honoured one staff, two physicians and one team with Exceptional People Awards. This recognition is the most prestigious honour handed out to by the hospital for outstanding commitment to care based on its three strategic themes and vision. From left – Award presenter Dr. Nancy Merrow, chief of Staff, GBGH; award recipient Dr. Shirley Babaran, chief of Internal Medicine, GBGH; award recipient Andrea Sheehan, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; award recipient Dr. Richard Coutts, acting chief of Rehabilitation and Complex Continuing Care, GBGH; award recipient Stacey Cameron, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; Britton Dusome, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; Corinne Norwood, Pyxis implementation team, GBGH; and award presenter Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. Absent – Award recipient Lynne Bedard, registered nurse, Operating Room, GBGH; Pyxis implementation team members – Jennah Jones, Roy Deslauriers, Mike Cope and Amy Bellisle.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Communications Officer, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH team receives flu shots for safety’s sake

October 30, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) launched its annual influenza immunization campaign in preparation for the upcoming flu season. During the campaign which coincides with Canadian Patient Safety Week, all staff, credentialed staff and volunteers are encouraged to receive their flu shot to protect patients, themselves, their loved ones and their colleagues.

“Our annual flu shot campaign is an important part of GBGH’s commitment to patient safety,” says Judy Schell, manager, Occupational Health & Safety (OHS), GBGH. “We are committed to ensuring the highest safety precautions are in place to protect patients, staff, credentialed staff and volunteers. That means having a team that won’t pass along an influenza to patients and is healthy enough to come to work, helping care for the patients when they need us the most.”

To make receiving their immunization as convenient as possible, GBGH’s OHS team is visiting departments and running clinics to ensure as many of its team members as possible receive a flu shot during the month of November.

“The next few months will be a challenging time of year for us as we predict patient volumes will rise even higher than normal due to the flu,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “In preparing for this time, we are encouraging not only our team to be immunized, but asking the public to consider doing the same. The flu shot has never been more accessible to the public and we’re grateful. It’s a big help in reducing flu activity in the community, and therefore in our Emergency department.”

All GBGH patients will be screened for symptoms of influenza upon arriving at the Emergency department (ED) or at registration as part of enhanced safety precautions during the upcoming flu season. Patients with flu-like symptoms will be required to wear a mask and be isolated when possible. GBGH’s new ED includes an isolation waiting room which will be utilized for these patients.

The public is asked to not visit the hospital if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fever, chills and sweats, headache, and muscle and joint pain. All visitors should practice hand hygiene on arrival and exiting the hospital to minimize virus transmission throughout the year and particularly during flu season.

Cutline: Gail Hunt, president and CEO of Georgian Bay General Hospital (centre, receiving shot), and other staff lined up to receive their flu shots as part of the hospital’s annual influenza immunization campaign. All staff, physicians and volunteers of the hospital are encouraged to receive their flu shot to protect patients, their colleagues, themselves and their loved ones. From left: Lana Whittaker, Judy Schell, Gail Hunt, Bill Whittaker, Janine Duquette and Mike LaChapelle.

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Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH’s new CT scanner makes a big entrance

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) welcomed its new computerized tomography (CT) scanner on September 28. The scanner, which entered the building via the main entrance, will be located in the hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging department which is currently under construction to accommodate the new equipment.

Weighing in at 2,200 kg, the new CT – a Siemens Somatom Definition Edge – will offer better image quality, making for more accurate and faster diagnoses. It also provides new low dose technology, reducing the time patients are exposed to radiation. GBGH’s current CT scanner was 13 years old and had reached the end of its lifespan.

After installation and testing, the new CT will be operational this fall. The purchase of the new CT scanner and renovations was made possible due to $1.6 million in community support.

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Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext. 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Redevelopment journey finally ends for GBGH Emergency department

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) celebrated the opening of its redeveloped Emergency department after years of planning and construction for the expanded and modernized space, designed to improve care, efficiency and the patient experience. The entire ED redevelopment included adding approximately 8,000 square feet, a new entrance, triage area, trauma rooms, mental health safe rooms, specialized treatment rooms, exam rooms, an indoor ambulance bay, new waiting room, See & Treat area and administration/staff area. Celebrating with an official ribbon-cutting at the new waiting room are (from left): George Cornell, county councillor, County of Simcoe; Jill Dunlop, member of provincial parliament, Simcoe North; Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH; Dr. Patrick McNamara, chair, GBGH Board of Directors; Carey Moran, vice president, GBGH Foundation Board of Directors; Kirsten Parker, chair, North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network Board of Directors; and Dr. Dan Lee, chief, Emergency department, GBGH.

September 28, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has officially opened the final two phases of its Emergency department (ED) redevelopment with a ceremony held in the hospital’s ambulance bay. The entire project – spanning more than five years of construction – concluded earlier this month and nearly doubled the previous department’s size.

“The hospital’s focus when planning this redevelopment – even from the earliest days – was to re-build the ED in a way that best serves our patients,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “Our focus of providing our community with exceptional care meant our ED needed to expand and modernize to meet the growing demand for services. When the original ED was completed in 1976, it was built to serve 17,000 patient visits and was a single room with curtains. Now we see 47,000 ED visits each year. It was time GBGH developed a department to match our volumes.”

The ED redevelopment has been one of the largest projects in the hospital’s history. Phase 1, completed in 2014, was entirely funded through community support. With a price of $5 million, this 6,000 square foot addition included a new ED entrance, triage area and trauma rooms.

“The community believed in the need for a new ED and without their support, the project would have never happened,” says Kathy Elsdon-Befort, interim executive director, GBGH Foundation.
“GBGH’s loyal supporters have a history of being very generous when the hospital needs them the most. We needed a bigger, modern ED and they were there for us the whole way, also funding 10 per cent of Phases 2 and 3. They’ve never let GBGH down.”

Finished in the late fall of 2017, Phase 2 included the new indoor ambulance bay, as well as specialized treatment rooms, mental health safe rooms, new exam rooms, a negative pressure isolation room (for infection prevention) and improved access from the ED to operating rooms.

The final stage of construction, completed in September 2018, posed the most challenges due to closures of the waiting room and regular See & Treat area where the ED sees 60 per cent of its patients. Now complete, this section includes a new See & Treat, an expansion to accommodate ED administration and staff areas, and a new waiting room. The new waiting area comes complete with both an isolation section and a children’s play area, produced by Keebee Play of Midland and donated by Mark and Carol Cruden, owners of McDonald’s Restaurants in Midland, Elmvale and the Midland Walmart.

After construction, the ED team of staff, credentialed staff and volunteers worked diligently to prepare the space for opening. This included moving in equipment, orientating staff with the new space and running simulations to ensure safety and quality.

“I would like to acknowledge the ED team for their patience and professionalism throughout the three stages of the ED redevelopment,” says Dr. Patrick McNamara, chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “Their dedication to patient care despite the constant construction and change is a testament to their belief in what a new department would mean for the hospital and its patients. I’d also like to thank the community for its cooperation and understanding during the renovations. We were making the best of a challenging situation and we hope you see it’s been worth it in the end.”

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Contact: Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

GBGH birthing program survey to improve care

August 20, 2018 – To better understand how women in the community feel about birthing services at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), the organization is launching two surveys – one about “pre-delivery services” and one about the “care they received post-partum”. The aim of the survey is to determine what the hospital is doing well and what could be improved.

“We are excited to be moving forward and growing our birthing program here at GBGH,” says Lucille Perreault, vice president, Patient Services and chief nursing executive, GBGH. “We are committed to providing the best care we can to our patients. By engaging our community, it helps us to continually improve our services to meet their needs.”

In an effort to continually improve the birthing experience at GBGH, the two surveys are intended to gather information on what the community needs from the hospital to improve. The “pre-delivery survey” focuses on understanding the resources available for expecting mothers and helps the hospital understand what information mothers would find most useful. The survey for post-partum mothers seeks information about their experience while in the hospital. The survey also guides the program to better understand the resources families are interested in both in and out of the hospital.

The pre- and post-delivery surveys are online for new and experienced mothers. They can be found via our website – gbgh.on.ca – and through GBGH’s Facebook page.

In 2017, GBGH entered into a joint birthing program with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH). Through GBGH’s Facebook page. In 2017, GBGH entered into a joint birthing program with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH). Through this partnership, patients have access to high quality birthing services close to home across a corridor of care stretching between OSMH’s and GBGH’s catchment areas. For birthing services, GBGH is a Level 1 centre providing service for low-risk births, while Orillia is a Level 2 centre for higher risk births.

To take the surveys, please visit:

Pre-Delivery Survey and Suggestions:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Pre-Delivery

Post-Delivery Survey and Suggestions:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Post-Delivery-Eng

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Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

GBGH celebrates therapeutic garden opening

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) recently opened its Therapeutic Garden at the hospital’s Midland site. The garden is located off the 1 North Complex Continuing Care and Rehabilitation unit of the hospital and serves as a quiet place for patients and family to enjoy, as well as provides a venue for recreation therapy. Celebrating the opening are (back row from left) Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH; Karen Roberts, president, GBGH Volunteer Association; (front row from left) GBGH patient Thelma Coutts; and Crystal Handy, recreation therapist, GBGH.

July 20, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) officially opened a new therapeutic garden for patients, families, and staff after years of planning and hard work. Members of the community, volunteers, and GBGH’s team gathered to celebrate this new outdoor garden for healing and hope at the hospital’s Midland site.

“Over the years that I’ve worked at GBGH, I have witnessed countless times the positive change that connecting with nature has on patients,” says Crystal Handy, recreation therapist, GBGH. “Patients who have been withdrawn suddenly find hope and positivity when engaged in gardening activities. That motivation is what we wish to extend to others through opening the garden.”

After three years of planning and rallying community support for the project and extensive help from our volunteers, it has finally concluded with new garden space, patio, furniture, water feature and fencing. The therapeutic garden is located off the 1 North Complex Continuing Care and Rehabilitation wing of the hospital. Designed to give patients a change from the institutional feeling hospitals often have, this unique space serves as a quiet place for patients and family to enjoy, as well as provides a venue for recreation therapy.

“It has been a while in the making, but we’re now very happy to see the project complete,” says Karen Roberts, president, GBGH Volunteer Association. “The volunteers at the hospital, along with so many other people played an integral role in bringing this idea to life. From fundraising to assembly, the project would not have been possible without their support. Now we’re so proud to open up the therapeutic garden and celebrate the peaceful atmosphere that has been created because of their support.”

Supporters and donors of the therapeutic garden include the GBGH Volunteer Association, Hardship Acres Landscaping Inc, Pat Lalonde Fencing, Penetang Sand and Gravel, Brampton Brick, Elmvale Home Hardware, Asselin Insurance Brokers and Huronia Community Foundation*.

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Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
MooreJen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

* Huronia Community Foundation
GBGH gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Huronai Community Foundation, which is a public foundation serving the people of Huronia. The Foundation builds permanently endowed charitable funds for the changing need and opportunities of the community and provides grants to eligible charitable organizations in arts and culture, education, health, environment, sports & recreation and social services sectors.”

GBGH and OSMH recognized for good governance

Receiving the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM LHIN) inaugural Award for Good Governance on behalf of Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) are (from left) Al Scott, vice chair, OSMH Board of Directors; Pat Campbell, president and CEO, OSMH; Bob Morton, past chair, NSM LHIN; Ralph Befort, past chair, GBGH Board of Directors; Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH; and Bernie Uhlich, chair of the Governance Committee, GBGH Board of Directors.

July 12, 2018 – This spring, the Board of Directors for both Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) were awarded the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network’s (LHIN) inaugural Award for Good Governance. The LHIN’s Board of Directors made the selection based on a nomination recognizing the work of both hospitals in developing the framework for their Birthing Partnership.

The nomination specifically highlighted how the statement of principles led to the establishment of the Joint Birthing Program and how the foresight of the OSMH and GBGH Boards in establishing this governance framework has assisted both organizations in successfully operationalizing this initiative.

“This award was a great honour to receive given the investment both organizations have made in establishing this partnership,” says Patrick McNamara, chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “The Statement of Principles between GBGH and OSMH has helped us ensure the provision of quality birthing services for women in our communities.”

The NSM LHIN Board of Directors recognizes how the collaboration and innovation involved in this birthing partnership improves the patient experience and care, and aligns with the Patients First mandate to improve access to services and deliver integrated care. Through the Joint Birthing Partnership, patients have access to high quality care and the reassurance the birthing and gynecological services they need are available close to home. Through the program, GBGH provides services for low-risk births while OSMH provides care for higher-risk mothers and babies.

“The most successful hospital partnerships are those that benefit patients and their families,” said Dan Germain, OSMH Board Chair. “We’re happy to be making a positive difference in the lives of patients we serve.”

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Contact:

Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Terry Dyni
Director of Community Relations, OSMH
(705) 327-9179
tadyni@osmh.on.ca

About GBGH:
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

About OSMH:
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is located in Orillia, Ontario (just 114 kilometres north of Toronto) and serves more than 440,000 residents in North Simcoe Muskoka. OSMH provides a comprehensive range of programs and services, including medical, surgical and emergency care, dialysis, obstetrical and paediatric care, mental health and rehabilitation services. For more information please visit our website at www.osmh.on.ca.

GBGH launches new strategic plan as part of its annual Report to the Community

June 29, 2018 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Report to Our Community – on June 28. In the AGM presentation, led by GBGH Board of Directors chair Dr. Patrick McNamara, the hospital made several announcements including launching its new strategic plan and new website.

After significant development and engagement, GBGH’s Strategic Plan 2018-2023 has launched including a new Mission (“Improving the health of the communities we serve”) and Values (Respect, Accountability, Excellence, Compassion). The hospital has also named three strategic themes under which it will align its efforts – Quality & Safety, Accountability & Sustainability and Engagement & Inclusiveness.

“Although we have made some significant changes in our strategic directions with this plan, we chose to remain with the hospital’s existing vision of Exceptional Care, Every Person, Every Time,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “This vision is as relevant as ever and will still serve as a guiding principle for the next five years. Although challenging to sum it up in only one statement, our new plan is all about focusing on our people, patients, partners and community while ensuring safety, growing to meet community needs and responsibly managing our resources.”

GBGH has also launched its new website in English and French. The new sites are more user-friendly with easier navigation based on analytics about most frequently visited pages on the site.

The new sites are also mobile compatible and fully accessible with text contrasting, text size changes and image descriptions.

Other highlights from the hospital’s year included the completion of phase two in the Emergency department redevelopment, the growth of GBGH’s joint birthing partnership with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, achieving its partial French Language Services designation and continued phase two planning for the relocation of 20 mental health beds from Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care as part of the regional program.

After being elected in April to the role of GBGH Board of Directors chair on an interim basis covering the early departure of Rick Philbin, Dr. McNamara was once again elected at the AGM – this time for a full one-year term.

“I’m very pleased and honoured to continue as the chair of GBGH’s Board of Directors,” says Dr. McNamara. “With the new plan in place and a new team to implement the strategy, I’m highly optimistic about this hospital’s future. There is positive progress ahead for GBGH and I will be fortunate to play a small role in that change.”

Jane Millar has been re-elected as Vice Chair and the GBGH Board of Directors also welcomed two new members – Kristen Monague and Tim Kastelic. Monague is the Acting Lands Manager for Beausoleil First Nation with experience and education in indigenous peoples resources management. Kastelic has had a long career in the marketing and financial industry, and previously served on the hospital Foundation Board of Directors.

GBGH’s Annual Report, entitled Checking Our Pulse, was also released on June 28. It can be found on the GBGH website at https://gbgh.on.ca/about-us/our-strategic-plan/

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Contact:

Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
MooreJen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

GBGH Emergency Department construction update

June 13, 2018 – Although expected to be open in time for the busy summer season at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), the final phase of construction on the Emergency department (ED) construction is delayed. The hospital expected its ED redevelopment to be complete this month, but is now working on timelines for later this summer.

One of the significant construction delays has been sourcing some materials for Phase 3 to be consistent with those used in the previous two construction phases (completed in 2014 and 2017). With many moving parts in any construction project, GBGH now aims to take possession of the new See & Treat and waiting room area in late July, taking a few weeks to equip and train staff in the space with an anticipated opening in mid-August. The ED administration area and grand opening is not expected to be complete until September.

“This final phase continues to be very challenging, especially going into our busy summer season,” says Lorraine Harker, ED manager, GBGH. “It’s quite common on an average day in the off season we will see approximately 110 visits to our ED. In the summer, our daily average is around 140 and on a long weekend, it’s not uncommon for us to peak as high as 160 to 180 visits per day. This can be very challenging at the best of times, let alone when we are under construction in vital areas of our department.”

This final phase, which began in December 2017, has caused the closure of the main waiting room, the See & Treat area, main hallway from Diagnostic Imaging/main entrance to the ED and the department’s administration areas. Over the winter, measures such as a temporary waiting rooms were set-up elsewhere in the department. A temporary See & Treat area was established, but given its smaller size, it’s difficult to meet the demand. More than 60 per cent of ED patients are directed to the See & Treat area.

Even though GBGH has recently gained some room back, the hospital’s ED space is still very limited. GBGH asks patients for their cooperation and understanding during the remainder of the redevelopment.

“This is obviously not an ideal scenario going into our summer season when the population in our area grows from 55,000 to 200,000 people,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “Our ED team will continue to do their best to meet the growing demand the hospital will see in the coming months. With every summer season, we always hope cottagers and tourists don’t need us, but if they do, we are certainly here for them.”

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Contact:

Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
MooreJen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.

Volunteer Association gives more than just their time to GBGH as National Volunteer Week approaches

April 10, 2018 – The Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Volunteer Association recently presented a cheque for $88,000 to the hospital. The funds will go toward the purchase of GBGH’s new CT scanner, equipment which takes pictures of organs and organ systems inside the body to determine a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

Expected to be operational in the fall of 2018, the new scanner will replace a 13 year old unit at the end of its lifespan. The new CT will provide better image quality, reduce radiation doses and increase the types of exams offered at GBGH.

“The Volunteer Association chose to support the new CT scanner because technology advances so quickly and it’s an important component of GBGH’s Diagnostic Imaging department that must remain current,” says Karen Roberts, president, GBGH Volunteer Association. “Everything we do as volunteers is to ultimately help our patients, so investing in the new CT will mean better, more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatments for patients.”

The money was raised based on revenue from the Volunteer Association’s two hospital businesses – the Coffee Bar and the Gift shop – as well as proceeds from bake and flower sales, and the clothing drive which raised more than $10,000 for the association in 2017-18. The Volunteer Association also donates annually to the staff education fund – $10,000 in the past year.

“GBGH’s volunteers are extremely generous and motivated to provide for their hospital – through both their volunteering and fundraising efforts,” says Kathy Elsdon-Befort, interim executive director of the GBGH Foundation. “In addition to this latest donation from our volunteers, we do still need to raise more to purchase the CT. Hospital equipment is not funded by the government so we rely on community support to make purchases. Typically, we can expect equipment to have a seven to ten year lifespan, so we ask donors to consider directing their gifts toward ensuring we have the best tools available to patients when they need us.”

The Volunteer Association donation falls just before National Volunteer Week – April 15 to 21, 2018. The hospital is celebrating its 185-person volunteer force, also known as the ‘Blue Jackets’ with an appreciation lunch and inspiring stories of volunteerism throughout the week. The Blue Jackets donate 35,000 hours to the hospital each year – the equivalent of more than $500,000 in wages.

“We are so fortunate to have our Blue Jackets and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts this week and throughout the year,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “Our volunteers do so much for this hospital. Whether it’s the friendly face you see when you first walk in our doors, fundraising for equipment like our CT scanner, helping patients at mealtime, serving coffee at our coffee bar or getting patients out of bed and moving, we really couldn’t do what we do without them. They are an integral part of the GBGH team and we couldn’t be more thankful for them and proud of them.”

GBGH is in need of more volunteers. To become a volunteer, applications are available at the hospital’s gift shop, coffee bar, Emergency department volunteer desk, switchboard and the main entrance info desk, as well as on the website – https://gbgh.on.ca/join-our-teams/volunteer-association/

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Contact:

Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177
MooreJen@gbgh.on.ca

About GBGH:

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is a 105-bed acute care community hospital located in Midland, Ontario. The hospital offers emergency, ambulatory, acute, intensive and complex continuing care, as well as imaging, dialysis, obstetrical and rehabilitation services. GBGH serves the areas of Midland, Penetanguishene, Christian Island as well as Tay, Tiny, Springwater and Georgian Bay Townships.