Over $86 M raised to support needs for children in hospital

Thanks to donors of five-year Better Futures campaign, Children’s Hospital Foundation makes transformational enhancements at Manitoba’s only children’s hospital

Winnipeg, MB, Treaty One Territory (September 8, 2024) – Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba announced today, thanks to the community of donors, they have surpassed their Better Futures campaign goal of $75 million over 5 years, coming in at a grand total $86,855,879. Funds raised between 2019 to 2024 were earmarked for specific projects that were outlined in 2019 as critical needs in infrastructure and programs by HSC Children’s Hospital, and in pediatric research needs by Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.  Over 90 per cent of the funds have been actioned and the impact of the generosity of donors can already be seen, touched and felt by the families and kids served. 

“Five years ago, we shared with the team at Children’s Hospital Foundation that there were extensive needs that must be worked on in order for the health care teams to be able to do their work for sick and injured children at Manitoba’s only Children’s Hospital.  Because HSC Children’s is one of the oldest children’s hospitals in Canada, we require ongoing renovations and new equipment to keep up excellence in care for kids who need us,” said Dr. Patricia Birk Department Head of Pediatrics and Child Health, HSC Children’s Hospital.

“The Foundation and the campaign cabinet committee members who helped with the Better Futures campaign have really supported some incredible improvements in child health care in our province to date. The Child Health team is so grateful.”

The Better Futures campaign is Manitoba’s largest-ever fundraising campaign for child health and focused on funding three strategic priorities: facilities and critical infrastructure like lifesaving medical equipment and technology, innovative programs to bring comfort to families in hospital, and leading-edge pediatric research on childhood disease at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM).

“Research is critical to care. It is the best way to advance knowledge to treat sick and injured children and prevent children from getting sick in the first place. Research ensures new knowledge and the latest evidence in care, equipment, and best practices are used in a variety of healthcare settings across Manitoba. The donors who gave to research opened the door for new breakthroughs and better evidence in children’s healthcare,” said Nicola Wigle, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

“We thank the Foundation, the donors and partners, and we ask that more remarkable forward-thinking donors continue caring for kids by funding child health research . Your investments will continue to create better futures for kids.

With donor funds, many of the heath care and health research goals of the campaign have been achieved and several are underway.

“It is remarkable how the community can create success. We at the Foundation have seen incredible support over the past five years from people wanting to give better futures to kids who need care and services at Children’s Hospital.

Because of donors we are blessed to see much of the areas complete, in progress, or being prepped to get started,” said Stefano Grande, President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

This donor-driven fundraising effort has been possible thanks to unwavering support of many generous community members. Our campaign co-chairs Nancy Cipryk and Kristen McConnell, and honourary chairs Barb and Gerry Price, have also helped lead our community to this amazing accomplishment.”

“As mothers of children who have needed Children’s Hospital, it has been deeply important to us to help the Better Futures Campaign flourish so all kids who need HSC Children’s Hospital can truly get the care they need. We thank every single person who gave because every bit collectively counts towards saving lives of children,” said McConnell. 

“From big donors like Gerry Price who helped build a new heart centre and rallied many other donors in the community, to the donors who sign up to give monthly gifts that ensure ongoing costs are covered, and the five-dollar donors who support at the checkout of partners or at a community-led events, and all the donors in between –

you have proven what a difference we can make as a community,” said Cipryk.

Better Futures Impact to date:

Critical infrastructure and facilities enhancements:

• New Travis Price Children’s Heart Centre (funded and operational) This transformative space supporting 6,000 kids a year needing cardiac care in Manitoba features:
  • Located within seconds of children’s emergency department and intensive care units
  • Four private cardiac examination rooms that include lighting that changes colours, funhouse-style mirrors, and other child-friendly activities to make care less scary
  • Two dedicated ultrasound rooms, one shared ultrasound/pacemaker room, and a dedicated exercise testing and EKG/Holter monitor room
  • Large family-friendly waiting area includes an eye-spy type mural by Ininew and Anishnaabe artist Peatr Thomas of “strawberries” the heart fruit, and Indigenous teachings.
  • Social work office, private family counselling room, and a nursing assessment room
  • Five cardiologist offices, Medical Teleconference/ meeting area, medical records archiving space, and administrative and nursing administrative areas
  • New and state of the art medical equipment like a pediatric cardiac stimulator
    
• New Paul Albrechtsen Catheterization Diagnostic Lab (funded and operational)
  • Catheterization equipment to evaluate several heart conditions
    
• New Fluoroscopy Diagnostic Lab unit with new state of art Fluoroscopy Machine (funded and operational)
  
  
• New State of the Art Fluoroscopy Machine
  • Medical imaging equipment to see the flow of blood through the arteries
• Remote monitored beds and infrastructure (fully funded, partially operational)
  • Allows healthcare teams to keep a close watch on vital signs even when not in the patient room. The addition from four to 24 of new monitored beds throughout the hospital is a game-changer for patient experience and patient flow, especially during busy times like flu season

• Child & Adolescent mental health playspace (outdoor) (funded and operational) and (indoor) (funded and construction underway)
  • Safe playspace for children and adolescents in Manitoba’s only acute inpatient unit for mental health which admits 600 children annually for acute mental health issues, like depression, severe anxiety, psychosis, and suicidal thoughts. 
  • Space includes areas for team sports, independent workouts and relaxation, to provide welcome distraction and activity.
    
• Indigenous Community Healing Space (Phase 1 funded)
  A 2,000-sq-ft space to provide families with a safe space for healing while they’re away from their home community and cultural supports. It will feature:
  • Design elements that reflect Indigenous culture, spirituality and worldview
  • Place for Indigenous Elders, healers and Knowledge Keepers to support families in care, and includes space for traditional Indigenous ceremonies
  • Library space for Indigenous children’s books
  • Being created with consultation from the Indigenous community, including leadership from Dr. Melanie Morris Canada’s first Métis pediatric surgeon and grandmothers representing Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities.

• 70 patient bed spaces across six wards in the Children’s Hospital are being enhanced with Remote Monitoring, WIFI connectivity, Digital Health solutions, and various room enhancements to create comfortable healing environments with added health safety options.
  
  
• Emergency Care – Revitalizing Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (fully funded)
  
  The current ED sees approximately 50,000 children and families per year but was originally designed for 36,000 visits per year. It is the only dedicated ED for kids and serves all of Manitoba, Nunavut, and Northwestern Ontario for acute trauma, burn, medical and surgical care, acute care for complications experienced by children with chronic medical/surgical issues, mental health, behavioural and drug related problems.
  
  Improvements planned will:
  
  
  • Improve overall patient/ staff experience
  • Improve patient flow in all areas
  • Improve patient safety
  • Leading state of the Art Medical equipment
  • 1 Resus Stretcher with built in scale
  • Basic Stretcher
  • Accuvein vein finder
  • Transport Chairs
  • Infrared Thermometers
  • C-Arm
  • Ring Rescue Kit
  • And more
    

• Emergency Excellence in Research (partially funded)
  REACH – Research excellence: Manitoba Emergency Care Research for Kids –A specialized theme for research focused on emergency care that includes:
  TREKK – National knowledge mobilization network
  • Readiness assessments for pediatric emergency facilities / services
  • Innovative pediatric clinical trials
    
    
• Other essential equipment
  Specialized medical tools have been provided, enhancing the hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality care, things like:
  
  • Video Assisted Larygoscopes
  • Vital sign monitors
  • Portable Ventilators
  • Hoyer Lifts
  • NICU ultrasounds, EEGs, and Jet Ventilators
  • Baby Leo incubators
  • And more

Leading edge research at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM):

Through donations this cutting-edge research facility, where more than 300 world-class doctors, researchers, and students collaborate to conduct groundbreaking pediatric research, has been able to support research themes like:

• DREAM – Diabetes Research Envisioned and Accomplished in Manitoba Research
• PRIME – Partnering for Research Innovation in Mental Health through eHealth Excellence
• PROMISE –Pediatric Research in Oncology in Manitoba: Innovation, Science, Excellence
• ADORE – Autism Diagnosis and Outcomes Registry
• Many other life-changing pediatric research projects to ensure that children receive the best possible research-driven care and support, in Manitoba and beyond, like: BoB – Biology of Breathing, ENRRICH – Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research in Child Health, DOHAD – Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, Healthy Smile Happy Child (HSHC), Canadian Prairie Metabolic Network (CPMN), Every Child Every Time, and more.

Innovative programs:

The Foundation has allocated $5 million to vital programs that directly benefit young patients and their families, providing comfort and a chance for kids to just be kids. These programs include:

• The Library program – a book cart that visits kids in their rooms, a family information library for families to learn about the conditions their children are facing, and the READ program which encourages literacy.
• Children’s Hospital Television (CHTV) – a closed-circuit station that broadcasts free, age-appropriate content for kids in hospital, including a live show each weekday
• Therapies in Music, Art and therapeutic play
• Special celebrations like a summer carnival
• Innovative programs such as the Cranial Facial Camp Pilot Program
• Establishment of Physician Resiliency Support Program and Social Work Comfort Fund

“We know the work is not done. These achievements are based on needs determined 5 years ago and before major changes to the healthcare system were learned through the pandemic. There are very significant needs still to be met and much crucial child health research to be done to ensure we can continue the best care for kids at Manitoba’s only Children’s Hospital,” said Grande,

“but for today, let’s take a moment to celebrate the success of what our community has achieved for the kids.”