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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 16, 2007
RBC Donation Supports Vital New ICU at Royal Columbian Hospital
New Westminster, B.C., April 16, 2007 — The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has donated $20,000 over the next two-years to help fund leading-edge equipment for the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), which is slated to open in late May, 2007.
As the regional centre for major trauma, cardiac and neurosurgery for 1.5 million people from Burnaby to Boston Bar, RCH has been challenged to provide highly-specialized, one-on-one medical care to severely ill and injured patients in its current 29-year-old ICU. The new $7.6 million ICU is 10,000 square feet, twice the size of the current unit. It will soon improve patient care with private rooms that will reduce the risk of cross-infection between patients and four new dedicated family waiting rooms that will offer more privacy for families.
On April 12th, Karen Baker-MacGrotty of RBC toured the facility under construction with RCH Foundation members and ICU Manager, Karen Watson. “Thanks to donors like RBC, we are able to equip our new ICU with the most up-to-date technology,” says Watson. “The new ceiling mounted equipment booms offer our team more access to patients with two arms that contain all the equipment and monitoring systems we need to treat patients and enhance the quality of care we can provide.”
Karen Watson, Manager of ICU (middle) shows Karen Baker-MacGrotty of RBC (left) and Adrienne Bakker, President and CEO of RCH Foundation (right) around the nearly finished ICU after RBC donated $20,000 to help equip the new unit.
Since 2001, RBC has had a history of supporting various initiatives at the hospital, including the purchase of a specialized surgical camera for complex operations, a Fetal Oxygen Saturation Monitor for the Maternal Health Program and a defibrillator for the Emergency department.
"At RBC, we believe the health and wellness of local communities is of vital importance,” says Baker-MacGrotty, vice-president, Commercial Banking and Market Development of the Lower Mainland. “We are proud to be a long-time supporter of Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation and congratulate the hospital for its commitment to meeting patient needs."
The RCH Foundation pledged to work with the community to raise an additional $1.6 million from the community to help fund equipment for the new ICU. “Without the dedicated support of corporate donors like RBC, we would not have been able to meet our goal and help provide patients and their families the best care possible during times of crisis,” says Adrienne Bakker, President and CEO of the Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) Foundation.
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About Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) Foundation
RCH Foundation is an independent charitable organization that raises millions of dollars every year to fund priority equipment needs and enhancements to patient care at Royal Columbian Hospital. Approximately 1.5 million people from Burnaby to Boston Bar depend on Royal Columbian to provide highly specialized care for major trauma emergencies, cardiac and neurosurgery, renal treatment, high risk maternity and newborn intensive care. For more information about the RCH Foundation or to make a donation, please call 604-520-4438 or visit www.rchfoundation.com today.
RCH Foundation Media Contact
Ingrid King
Phone: 604-777-8340
Fax: 604 520 4439
Email: ingrid.king@fraserhealth.ca
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