As we head into a new month, the continual support from donors of the BC Women’s Health Foundation and the community has touched our teams very deeply and we are so very grateful. As a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, we have seen hundreds of individuals, families, co-workers, business owners, and community leaders rally together in incredible ways to support us in the fight against COVID-19. We are all so proud to be part of this community and thankful to everyone for their generosity in making healthcare a top priority.
Inspired by the passion and support of the community, I am proud to help announce that each and every member of the BC Women’s Health Foundation’s Board of Directors have joined together to donate $100,000 total to support the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Funds. As the Foundation prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, we are reigniting our passion with 100% commitment, 100% dedication, and $100,000 to help ensure women have equitable access to the highest quality, specialized healthcare, when they need it most.
As we have continued to identify urgent needs that have resulted in direct response to COVID-19, the Foundation has remained exceptionally responsive in funding these initiatives and we are so thankful to all the donors and supporters, before and after the start of this crisis, who have made it their priority to help ensure exceptional healthcare is available to women + newborns throughout the province. We applaud every one of you for all your generosity, wherever and however you have been able to help.
At BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, we continue to do all we can to protect healthcare workers and our patients from COVID-19, working alongside our healthcare partners across the province to ensure processes and workflows are identified to support COVID-19 patients or those suspected, and develop guidelines that serve the BC Women’s + Children’s campus and the province more broadly.
Our recent expansion and renovations to the hospital, supported by donor funds, were designed to facilitate patient and work flows in pandemic situations – providing single room care, as well as the creation of units that allow us to safely isolate positive patients in negative pressure rooms. We are so very fortunate to have the physical environment to support surge capacity during pandemic times. Donors of the Foundation have also provided us with state-of-the-art medical equipment, including ventilators and more, to adapt to surges in healthcare needs.
Our amazing Reproductive Infectious Diseases specialists – notably Dr. Chelsea Elwood, Dr. Julie Van Schalkwyk, and Dr. Deborah Money – have displayed exemplary leadership and are engaged in the provincial and national surveillance research activities that will contribute to the understanding, care, and treatment of perinatal populations as we work to understand how COVID-19 may impact expecting mothers and their newborns.
On behalf of BC Women’s leadership and teams across our hospital, as well as the BC Women’s Health Foundation, I thank each and every one of you for your incredible advocacy, support, time and contributions to bringing us to this place of strength in this extraordinary time of need. To our frontline healthcare teams and essential workers, a world of gratitude to you, both during this crisis and always. Thank you for truly setting an incredible example of heroism.
Donations and philanthropy to the BC Women’s Health Foundation continue to pave the way for advancements in women’s healthcare – supporting women’s health research, purchasing urgently needed medical equipment, providing education and awareness to women’s health issues, and advocacy for women’s access to healthcare. You should all be proud of the work that you have done, and will hopefully continue to do, in honour of women, newborns and their families everywhere. You can count on us!
With deep gratitude, respect, and appreciation,
Cheryl Davies, RN, BA, MEd
Chief Operating Officer
BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
BC Women’s Health Foundation
Karim Kassam, Chair
Eileen Stewart, Vice Chair
Warren Beach, Vice Chair
Marina S. Matei, Secretary
Philippe Arrata, Treasurer
Kate Bayne
Dee Brown
Cheryl Davies
Jill Diamond
Kevin Howlett
Cathy Imrie
Jennifer Randall Nelson
Genevieve Pinto
James Speakman
Les Staff
Thank you to all our donors, supporters, and volunteers for your
passion and generosity to advancing the full spectrum of women’s health.
STAY ENGAGED
- Donate to our COVID-19 Response Fund, supporting new and expecting mothers.
- Read BC Women’s Hospital’s article on Pregnancy and birth during COVID-19.
- Share your story on our website, or tag us in your posts @bcwomens.
- Submit a Message of Thanks to a healthcare team at BC Women’s Hospital.
BC Women’s Health Foundation is BC’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the full spectrum of women’s health. The information shared is intended to educate, inform, and point readers to credible sources. It is not intended to substitute professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of qualified healthcare professionals with any questions specific to your medical condition.
