Have you noticed all the recent changes at the Lakeshore General Hospital? It is thanks to the involvement and the generosity of the West Island community that your hospital, your “Lakeshore,” is evolving to address West Islanders’ needs.
Donating and fundraising for the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundations ensures access to state-of-the-art equipment, supports major upgrades of hospital facilities, and enables programs and specialized training for the professional staff.
Such equipment and trainings are needed to provide better and faster care, right here, without having to commute downtown. How important is it to have an Emergency Room between the city centre and… Valleyfield? How practical is it for patients who receive dialysis treatments three times per week? Or to have access to a beautiful birthing centre without risking a traffic jam during labour? The Hospital is truly an anchor in our community.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lakeshore General has been designated as a COVID-19 facility. Over the summer, the hospital underwent major change with important measures put into place in anticipation of the second wave. Each patient is now cared for in a private room, and the Emergency Department has been expanded to admit those who test positive for COVID-19 in new negative pressure rooms.
From the beginning, the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation focused its efforts on supporting medical teams in their fight against the coronavirus. Doctors, nurses, technicians and orderlies were provided with additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as intubation hoods, safety glasses and thousands of washable hospital gowns to keep them as safe as possible. Tablets were made available to doctors to keep them from having to travel between Covid-19 “hot spots” and virus-free areas. This also helped speed up medical imaging analysis in the safest possible way.
Now, the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation needs your help!
With your help, the foundation can equip the frontline staff with quality PPE and install a Wi-Fi network throughout the Hospital. With this network, patients who are hospitalized or undergoing treatment will be able to easily connect with their loved ones any time they want. Given the strict visiting restrictions, connecting virtually will safely provide essential comfort to family members, friends and neighbours being treated at the hospital. Also, the dedicated professionals who have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the pandemic will have access to better resources to treat their patients. Like the tablets, the network will eliminate the need for doctors and nurses to frequently change zone within the hospital, thus reducing the risk of spreading the virus.
How you can get involved:
Start your own fundraiser! From bingo to bake sales, gaming challenges, speaker events, birthday celebrations, running challenges, car washes … the options are endless! And now, you can create your own fundraising page from the Foundation’s website to help you keep track of your supporters, share and invite people on social media, set a goal and have lots of fun!!
Recognize a doctor, a nurse or other hospital caregivers through the Lakeshore Guardian Angels program. The perfect way to honour all those who provide exceptional care and demonstrate compassion towards their patients. If a physician, nurse, orderly or other staff member provided exemplary service during a visit to the Lakeshore, patients or their families can make a donation to the Foundation in his or her honour through the program.
Volunteer! Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to sell lottery tickets to their friends, family, neighbours and colleagues while respecting social distancing requirements.
Make a donation! One time or monthly donations of any amount are welcome.
There are many ways to have a positive impact on the quality of care, as well as the availability of services offered right here on the West Island. Every donation and every fundraising effort, regardless of the amount, has a meaningful impact on our community.
When you create your own fundraiser, it raises both money and awareness and helps our loved ones, neighbours, co-workers and teammates receive better care when needed. Please help!
