Sometimes it’s the most unlikely piece of equipment that makes all the difference in hospital patient care. Something as simple as a table that allows patients to sit together, regardless of whether they use a wheelchair, Broda chair or conventional chair, can go a long way to supporting healthcare throughout rural Saskatchewan.
Rural hospital foundations play a key role in ensuring that residents have access to the care they need, when they need it. They raise funds for lifesaving equipment and technology, upgraded facilities and medical training that improves the quality of patient care.
“It’s the difference between needs and wants,” says Rita Dash, chair of the Kipling and District Health Foundation. “The wants are quite often overlooked because there is an urgent need for other health care equipment. That is where Saskatchewan Blue Cross has stepped in for the past three years to aid smaller rural foundations with equipment purchases for use by the residents in Kipling's long term care facility.”
Saskatchewan Blue Cross, a leading provider of health and wellness benefits solutions, provides funding to rural hospital foundations through its Community Investment Program. With a mission to empower communities on their journey to whole health and wellness, the organization aims to contribute to the delivery of exceptional health benefits throughout the province.
This funding has supported a large variety of equipment that would otherwise not be available for patients in rural Saskatchewan such as stethoscopes, a wheelchair accessible van and a specialised laser. Other projects have included wireless fall prevention systems, operating room and labour and delivery head lamps, beds for mental health patients, and renovations and equipment purchases to create a new Ambulatory Care Clinic.
A number of rural hospital foundations recently received much-needed funding including the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation, Nipawin Region Health Foundation, Humboldt & District Hospital Foundation, Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, the Kipling and District Health Foundation, and the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation.
“Saskatchewan Blue Cross is proud to provide this support to rural hospital foundations, which will enable them to enhance the level of services they provide. These foundations create positive changes in the lives of people throughout the province,” says Kelly Wilson, president and CEO of Saskatchewan Blue Cross.
Ross Fisher, network chair, Saskatchewan Hospital Foundations Network and executive director for The Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan, says this funding recognizes the difficulties that rural health foundations have in raising funds to address their unique community needs.
“We are grateful to Saskatchewan Blue Cross for recognizing challenges rural hospital foundations have and creating a program that provides funds for rural foundations that can help us improve the healthcare available in our communities,” he says.
Rural hospital foundations are invited to apply for the next round of funding through the program, which is now accepting applications from September 1 to October 31, 2023. To request funding, please visit the following link: https://sk-bluecross.sponsor.com/.
The questionnaire provided on the application page will help identify the specific needs and projects that could potentially receive funding. For any inquiries or assistance with the application process, please reach out to Saskatchewan Blue Cross at [email protected]
To learn more about Saskatchewan Blue Cross and the Community Investment Program, please visit the sk.bluecross.ca/community.
