2023 Donor Impact Report
An unprecedentedyear.
A message from our leaders
CGMH: Where C stands for Community.
2023 was an unprecedented year for the CGMH Foundation based on the extraordinary healthcare needs of our community. When the Minister of Health announced in December 2022 that CGMH would be given the operational funding to run an MRI to service the people of South Georgian Bay, the Foundation set out on a 18 to 24 month campaign to raise the $5 million required to purchase and install this badly needed technology for our underserved population.
The response to the MRI campaign was overwhelming and demonstrated that a community committed to excellence in healthcare will go to extraordinary measures to ensure their healthcare team has the tools and technology they need. Soon, thanks to your generosity, your friends, neighbours and family will no longer have to wait twice as long as the rest of the province to access this essential service. Our community raised the required $5 million in only 12 months – thank you!
This outpouring of generosity spans far and wide. From Wasaga Beach to Clearview, Collingwood, to The Blue Mountains and Grey Highlands, our supporters rallied in a way that always brings us back to the idea that healthcare isn’t just about the best equipment and technology. Rural healthcare is people helping people; investing in equipping our team. And in turn, our healthcare team works to improve the lives of those that come to CGMH. That is the true-heart-warming-definition of Community.
Because of your support, we are able to provide outstanding care for South Georgian Bay.
In gratitude,
Michael Dick, Chair of the Board of Directors
Jory Pritchard-Kerr, President & CEO
FOUNDATION GIVING STATS
$14 Million generated for equipment and technology
Thank you to the 3,932 donors who made 7,045 donations in 2023. Individuals, families, foundations, municipalities, and businesses all came together last year to raise over $14 million for equipment and technology for CGMH.
We are proud to share that based on a five-year average cost to raise a dollar, 0.80 cents of every dollar is going to support the Hospital’s highest needs, with 0.20 cents of every dollar supporting our fundraising and operations.
Interested in learning more? Download the complete audited financial statements below or contact the Foundation Office at (705) 444-8645.
2024 Your Impact
Planning and designing a brand new state-of-the-art hospital, while simultaneously ensuring that the current one is maintaining the same outstanding care, is no easy feat. And yet CGMH is doing just that. Because of the extraordinary generosity of our community, our team has been able to purchase the newest technology in diagnostic imaging equipment for better, faster diagnosis, close to home, all while ensuring they are spending wisely and thinking about the future hospital.
Purchasing new technology and equipment comes with its own set of challenges. Covid-19 caused extraordinary delays and shortages. It also restricted site visits; in-person assessments that evaluate potential suppliers and their products. What’s more, the equipment is getting bigger and heavier, and in an aging, cramped facility like CGMH, a lot of planning must go into the engineering and construction to ensure operational efficiency and optimal patient flow.
Here are a few stories of how this equipment is helping to save lives, improve the patient experience, and advance both efficiency and safety.
Your donations fund critical components in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
The Xpert 20 is used to x-ray a sample from a lump or an area of the breast with calcium deposits that cannot be felt, but are typically seen on a mammogram. No bigger than a grain of salt, these calcifications within the breast are sampled to determine if they are benign or an indication of cancer. Our CGMH technologists start by compressing the breast and as the x-ray tilts, a multitude of pictures are taken to find exactly where the calcification is in the breast tissue. The samples are then put through the Xpert 20 to be analyzed, allowing our technologists to identify the most challenging and small calcifications within seconds.
This machine makes a big difference for us to know whether we have the correct area of the biopsy and determine if the patient does have breast cancer. By significantly reducing the time patients have to spend under compression, we can also alleviate our patients’ anxiety
Jamey Gilroy, Diagnostic Imaging Department Manager at CGMH
A diagnostic imaging department outfitted for the needs of South Georgian Bay….because of you.
CGMH installed a new state-of-the-art CT scanner on December 18, 2024, replacing equipment that had been in use for over a decade. Thanks to donor support, the scanner offers faster imaging, higher resolution, and reduced radiation exposure—improving both the accuracy and safety of diagnostic exams. With advanced automation and faster scan times, the CT scanner supports quicker diagnoses and better care planning, especially in high-demand areas like trauma and oncology. This upgrade is part of a broader initiative to enhance our diagnostic imaging services, with future improvements including the arrival of our first MRI in 2025.
“Thanks to the generosity of our communities, we will have access to essential diagnostic techniques here, locally.” says Dr. Murray Miller, Chief of Radiology, “Not only will our hospital be able to operate more efficiently, but it will also ensure our patients are examined faster and with greater care.”
Making the Invisible Visible – PICC Procedures now possible at CGMH
Thanks to donor generosity, CGMH has purchased a Site-Rite ultrasound machine to simplify vascular access by allowing our healthcare teams to visualize PICC placements from beginning to end. With this technology, CGMH has been able to launch Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) procedures at the hospital through a nurse-led insertion model. A PICC line is a thin, soft, long catheter (tube) that is inserted into a vein in a patient’s arm, leg or neck. The tip of the catheter is positioned in a large vein that carries blood into the heart. The PICC line is used for long-term intravenous (IV) antibiotics, nutrition or medications, and for blood draws. It can help avoid the pain of frequent needle sticks and reduce the risk of irritation to smaller veins in patients’ arms. In the past, CGMH has had to transport patients who require a PICC line to RVH in Barrie for this procedure to be completed. Now, both CGMH inpatients and outpatient community members have access to this initiative.
“Under this nurse-led initiative, CGMH will be enhancing the patient experience in-house, by providing care closer to home and reducing the travel burden for our patients and nurses.”
Ashley Hallahan, CGMH Manager, Patient Access and Flow
You are impacting lifesaving care in our ICU.
In 2021, CGMH purchased a LUCAS 3 device to improve the process and outcomes of patient resuscitations in the Emergency Department. The LUCAS 3 delivers high-quality, mechanical chest compressions during resuscitation due to cardiac arrest, taking the place of an individual caregiver administering physical compressions. By using automated, Guidelines-consistent CPR, the LUCAS device provides consistent and high-quality chest compressions shown by research to increase the chances of good patient outcomes. Due to the increase in patients requiring resuscitation, CGMH has purchased an additional device for the Intensive Care Unit. Prior to having a LUCAS in the ICU, the team would have to remove the LUCAS from the Emergency Department, which is the department with the highest LUCAS use. Now, they can respond to cardiac arrests with the ICU LUCAS while ensuring that one remains available for emergent cases coming through the ED.
“Having the LUCAS in our ICU has had a significant positive impact on human resources hospital wide. Before having a LUCAS, 2 staff members would be assigned to chest compressions (sometimes more than 2) on rotation. Now, these staff members are free to assist with other duties that are vital to running a resuscitation, including administering medications, charting, airway management and ensuring that other patients on the unit are being safely monitored during a cardiac emergency.”
Sarah Peloso, CGMH Manager, ICU and Inpatient Medicine
Outstanding care –
every step of the way.
In the summer of 2022, Bruce & Teresa Poirier decided to downsize and move from their hometown of Montreal to Wasaga Beach, as a way to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren. Almost two years in, they are very happy with the choice they made. “We love everything about living here,” say the Poiriers.
Prior to the move back in 2019, Bruce suffered a stroke. It turns out it was a result of an abnormal heartbeat called Afib, a condition he didn’t know he had. The thought of leaving Quebec, and navigating a new healthcare system, became a big concern for the Poiriers.
Once they arrived in Wasaga Beach, they were relieved to find a family doctor, and through this great care and focus, they quickly found a cardiologist. Within months of arriving in Wasaga, Bruce came to CGMH for a routine CT scan where his healthcare team found a benign growth on his spleen. This led to additional imaging tests including an MRI scan and further CT scans to monitor any changes.
Since then, the Poiriers have had a few more visits to CGMH, and every time they interact with anyone from the healthcare team they have had a very positive experience. From the radiologists & technologists, to the nurses and registration clerks..all the way to the health records team, Bruce and Teresa have been very impressed with the level of care they receive.
“Without the great services and care from CGMH, I do not know where we would be. We intend to continue to support the hospital with any annual donation we can make and look forward to helping our local hospital serve the entire community.”
Bruce Poirier.
Recognizing that over 90% of equipment and technology at CGMH is funded by community support, the Poiriers were determined to do their part to transform healthcare in their new community through a donation to the CGMH Foundation. Thank you, Bruce & Teresa for your support.
Events
Small towns, big hearts…that’s cause for celebration.
Bringing in a total of $185,398 here are a few highlights from our community-hosted events.
Strengthening Community from the slopes to the courts.
There was no shortage of action-packed sports events in 2023 that led to fundraising for the new MRI for CGMH. Residents of Rupert’s Landing in Collingwood got together to have some fun organizing a pickleball tournament, raising $4,050 to help bring the first MRI machine to CGMH. The Racer Sportif / Equipe78 club riders cycled 600 kilometers for their inspiring 9th annual ride from Toronto to Montreal! Their unwavering dedication to vital healthcare services in our community brought in over $9,000. Last February’s 24-hour relay at Blue Mountain raised almost $15,000 for CGMH as teams of 12 took turns skiing and snowboarding down the hill for a full 24 hours. The Annual Foodland Bonspiel organized by CGMH staff (and sisters) Jess and Cass Metheral raised over $4,000.
A party with a purpose? That’s music to our ears.
Tapping our feet to the tune of generosity as our community got creative with entertaining concerts and live music. Duntroon Highlands hosted Unplugged in the Barn, a summer concert series featuring a wide variety of talented musicians, good food, and drinks. Collingwood Charters hosted a fantastic evening on Georgian Bay giving our guests a wonderful time with wonderful food, and live performance by Aaron Garner. The tight-knit Blue Shores community hosted a lively concert featuring the Boomerang group, an eight-piece horn band that got the group on their feet, celebrating songs that inspired generations to turn down the lights and turn up the volume! The Backspin Band (featuring CGMH’s very own board member Geoff Davies) also contributed funds to support the CGMH Foundation and better healthcare for South Georgian Bay.
Family fun and a lot of heart
Jax Pays it Forward is a truly special day for our community, bringing good cheer and great celebration for healthcare here in South Georgian Bay. Three-year old Jax has been rushed to the emergency department over 200 times. Born with a heart condition called Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), Jax has an irregularly fast/erratic heartbeat that affects the heart’s upper chambers and has to be rushed to the ED so that they can “reset the heart” through medication and even defibrillation. The Davenports chose to move to Collingwood due to the exceptional experience and now pays it forward through fundraising.
Links of Love, founded by Katie Pereira-Prebble, organized their first annual Lincoln’s Walk honouring the memory of Lincoln as well as all the families who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. The day was beautiful and sunny, with a wonderful turnout of families and friends, supporting CGMH and raising over $7,000, which have been designated to CGMH’s obstetrics department.
More than just a 9-5.
Fire Hall Pizza celebrated their 20th anniversary with their community in mind. They held a fundraising event to support two causes close to their heart: the Town of the Blue Mountains Fire Department in support of the Beaver Valley Outreach and the CGMH Foundation’s campaign in support of our very first MRI machine. This event raised $10,000 for each organization.
Agnora held their annual Preloved Fashion For Good clothing event raising over $12,000 for CGMH. They had such a big turnout for this sale as shoppers were lined up in great anticipation and left happy with some great deals. The funds raised were put towards our MRI campaign and the giving continued as Agnora donated unsold items to women at My Friend’s House and youth at the Barbara Weider House, some to a local clothing swap, and some were kept for the 2024 sale.
Donor Stories
The joy of giving: Remembering Inez Martyn.
Last year, the CGMH Foundation lost a caring and compassionate member of its community, Inez Martyn. Inez passed away at the age of 93, leaving behind a longstanding tradition of giving and generosity.
In 1990, Inez was part of a group of volunteers who had an idea to raise funds. They knew the holiday season was a time to think of loved ones who had passed. And, that it was also a season of giving. They created the Tree of Life campaign, an opportunity for the community to make a donation to the hospital in memory or honour of a loved one during the holiday season. Inez Martyn, took the idea one ‘symbolic’ step further, and donated two spruce trees from her farm to be moved to the hospital grounds. One of those trees was originally planted in memory of her late husband’s mother; a beautiful extension of the memory and honour that it had served.
34 years later, the Tree of Life campaign has become the largest community-based campaign for the Foundation to raise funds for the highest priority needs of the hospital. The annual tradition has raised over $16 million for hospital equipment and created better patient outcomes and care for patients of South Georgian Bay.
The Tree of Life campaign began as an idea to share the joy of giving and the spirit of Christmas. The fact that this campaign became a tradition that continues to grow every year says a lot about the people of this community. When you make a donation to the Tree of Life you are not only honouring a loved one, you are helping the hospital care for all of us.
– Inez Martyn
Inez went on to be the CGMH Foundation Board Chair. Once Inez retired from the Board, she joined the Foundation’s Donor Stewardship Committee, where she continued to share her valuable insight and expertise for many years.
We will be forever grateful to Inez for all that she has done for our community and for the Foundation. Inez inspired those around her and her passion and commitment to the hospital created a ripple effect throughout South Georgian Bay. Inez will be missed by all of us. Her legacy will live on, each year, through the CGMH Foundation’s Tree of Life.
Each year, in November, the CGMH Foundation launches the Tree of Life campaign, raising funds for equipment that is the highest priority for the hospital. From cardiac vital sign monitors, to picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), to x-ray machines, and now our first MRI Machine, this campaign has provided state-of-the-art equipment and continues to transform patient care at CGMH.
Growth in Endowment
Growth in Endowment
The Foundation’s endowment fund was established in 1993 and named after the first physician to practice at CGMH in the late 1880’s, Dr. A.R. Stephen. Dr. Stephen not only cared for the people of Collingwood and area but was also a philanthropist who supported many local charities.
The Dr. Stephen Capital Fund has been built to $27.7 M through a combination of legacy gifts, such as bequests in wills and the strategic reinvestment of 50% of the income generated by the fund annually. The endowment supports the highest priority needs of CGMH, often where fundraising is not appropriate, such as critical investments in IT infrastructure and facility repairs.
In 2023, the Fund had an impressive return of 16.45% (gross of fees) and made $1.4 M available for investments in equipment and technology.
community engagement
Gather round for a brighter tomorrow.
On May 5th 2023, the CGMH Foundation hosted Gather Round, an evening full of powerful stories from donors, patients, and a panel of CGMH physicians & leaders. Audience members learned how innovation is thriving within and outside the walls of CGMH and how community support stretches the limits of government funding to provide care that surpasses that of a typical rural hospital. Moderated by Foundation President and CEO Jory Pritchard-Kerr, this highly-passionate (and often entertaining) panel featured Dr. Michael Lisi, Chief of Staff, Dr. Gillian Yeates, Chief of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Dr. Gregory Devet, Chief of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jesse Guscott, Simulation Program Director and Michael Lacroix, President & CEO. Click on the video to watch now.
monthly giving club
Small gifts, big impact.
Our Monthly Giving Club is a growing group of compassionate individuals who are providing steady, ongoing funds to CGMH. These small monthly gifts help us prepare for the unexpected.
Together, this community helps equip the hospital with the best tools to diagnose and treat patients. Monthly gifts allow us to plan and allocate resources where they are needed most while also allowing our donors to choose the level of support that works for them.
In 2023, monthly donations ranged from $10 to over $100 and averaged at $56 per month per member. Our 154 club members raised $103,698 towards our first ever MRI machine. Our goal is to continue building momentum with this group and to increase awareness around the benefits of providing consistent and reliable funding.
Employee Giving Club – Monthly gifts from staff help fund vital medical equipment and technology….for staff.
Our Employee Giving Club was founded in 2000 and has grown to 261 compassionate CGMH employees who give back by caring for our patients and by investing in their hospital. In 2023, this group raised $22,771 towards the new MRI Machine.
I’ve been involved in Emergency / trauma work for the past 25 years and have seen the impact on patient care not having the equipment to provide critically required care. I also work in remote communities and have experienced the struggles of not having the tools we know would better someone’s life and outcome.
CGMH Employee Giving Club Member
Giving Circle
Giving Circle funds over $90,000 for exceptional hospital needs
In early October 2023, over 50 women gathered to hear from CGMH physicians and healthcare professionals. We welcomed 13 new members to the Giving Circle and look forward to continuing to grow our group, and in turn, the collective impact. A unique opportunity to be part of a decision-making process, the Giving Circle focuses on funding “exceptional” needs not generally covered under the Hospital’s usual capital budgeting process. Members learn directly from those providing care, including the impact Giving Circle support will have on patients and families at CGMH.
Intelligent Endoscopy Module
A transformative solution for preventing colorectal cancer. By using Artificial Intelligence, this module detects polyps that are undetectable with the current system empowering physicians to detect and treat colorectal polyps.
Stat Centrifuges
New Stat Centrifuges will help to reduce the overall turnaround time of Chemistry, Coagulation and Blood Bank tests meaning patients and physicians will receive results faster and physicians will be able to diagnose faster.
EVS Curtains & Sprayer
Wipeable Vinyl Curtains & the Victory Electrostatic Backpack Sprayer for the Emergency Department designed for quick turnaround in patient areas to decrease Emergency patient wait times and improve infection control.
Comprehensive Osteoporosis Care Research Study
A more comfortable and effective workspace and break room to support physicians while also preventing burnout and high turnover rates with better focus on the patient experience.
Redesign of The Dr. Storey Physicians’ Lounge
A more comfortable and effective workspace and break room to support physicians while also preventing burnout and high turnover rates with better focus on the patient experience.
ReDevelopment & Future Planning
Tomorrow is built today.
In 2025, the Foundation will launch a $100 million campaign to raise the community’s share of the construction of a new building, but our work to ensure our physicians and staff are equipped to care for you when you need it most – today – is not over.
This year, we will continue to raise funding for critical hospital equipment that will impact Internal Medicine, respiratory therapy, breast care screenings and diagnosis, advanced resuscitations, and better, faster results from our laboratory; all in the name of better patient outcomes today.
We believe tomorrow is built today so even though 2025 will see our fundraising focus turn to the new building, the endowment funds that we have raised and carefully stewarded for the last twenty years will provide funding to purchase the critical hospital equipment we will need before we move into the new building in 2032.
And while we work to maintain our high standards of care at CGMH today, we are behind-the-scenes, working with the Hospital leadership team to create a world-class facility, designed for the needs of our community. Stay up to date on all the latest news by visiting yourfuturehospital.com
At CGMH, we believe that brighter tomorrows are possible, because of the care we take today.
SMALL HOSPITAL.
BIG FUTURE.