February 9, 2010

RVH Tree of Lights campaign shines bright

Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s annual Tree of Lights fund-raising campaign has now exceeded the $100,000 mark, with the fund still open for further donations.

“The Tree of Lights campaign has developed a solid reputation as our primary fundraiser each year,” comments RVH Foundation Chair Jim Lemenchick. “RVH supporters recognize it as an important event in our community calendar, and each year they build on the success of the previous year to support the outstanding care our hospital provides.”

The focus of this year’s campaign was the funding of the new CT scanner which went into action at RVH in October. The current Tree of Lights donations take the overall CT fund to more than $700,000, which is within reach of a $1-million goal to support the new diagnostic service.

“The great thing is that the funds donated for CT were not solicited as part of a high-profile fundraising campaign,” states Lemenchick. “To me, that underscores how important RVH is to the community and how deeply they understand the significance of the contributions they make.”

“Undoubtedly, the CT scanner is a cause that is near and dear to people’s hearts, and for very good reason,” comments RVH CEO Randy Penney. He points out that in its first three months of operation, the scanner provided more than 600 CT images, helping the RVH team diagnose health issues for patients in every department from emergency to surgery, oncology and dialysis.

Having CT in-house means that staff time can be dedicated to patient care within the hospital, rather than accompanying patients who previously needed to be transported to another facility equipped with a CT scanner. More than 400 CT images have already also been taken for non-hospitalized people who need the service, saving them the time, expense and inconvenience of out-of-town travel.

“For the patients we serve, this diagnostic equipment provides peace of mind and the assurance of a continuum of care with the local health care professionals they know and trust,” Penney says. “It also saves them the time, money and aggravation that they experienced when they had to travel out of town for CT service.”

The Tree of Lights fund will remain open until the end of this fiscal year in March. Anyone interested in contributing to the CT fund is invited to contact the RVH Foundation office at 613-432-4851, ext. 263.

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(For more information contact Barb Desilets,
Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation, 613-432-4851, ext. 263.)